What tanto styles are available in the short samurai sword collection?
Updated Feb 2026
The short samurai sword collection covers the main tanto configurations associated with samurai tradition and Japanese sword-making history. Standard tanto pieces follow the most recognized configuration: a single-edged blade with the characteristic angular Japanese tanto tip, fitted with a tsuba guard, ito-wrapped handle, and matching lacquered scabbard in black or natural tones. Hamidashi tanto feature a very small guard fitted flush with the handle collar - a style historically worn as a formal dress sidearm and valued for its elegant minimal design. Shirasaya tanto present the blade in plain unadorned wooden scabbard and handle without conventional fittings, the format used in Japan for housing valued blades for long-term preservation and inspection. The construction standards across all styles are consistent: high-carbon steel blade (1045, T10, or Manganese Steel), full-tang construction with mekugi retention pin, and proper heat treatment. Finish colors range from classic black and natural wood to brown - tones consistent with the historical tanto aesthetic.