Wind and Thunder Tanto

Description of the Product

Tanto is a single edged Japanese dagger that is best known as a side arm carried by the Samurai during the Japanese Medieval Times. Samurai would carry as a part of his attire a long and a short blade tucked under his belt whether he was on a battlefield or strolling the streets during peace. With the longer Katana (sword) a shorter Wakizashi (short sword) or a Tanto (dagger) would be carried. This combination of two weapons was called Daisho and only a person belonging to Samurai-Class was allowed to carry it. Tanto alone was allowed to anyone in Feudal Japan as knife is one of the oldest, most common and versatile all-purpose tools across all cultures and times.

The menuki on the tanto features Raiden/Raijin, the god of thunder and lightning in Japanese mythology and in the Shinto religion. This demon-looking spirit has his drums which he beats with his hammers, creating lightning, thunder, chaos and destruction, but necessities such as rain as well. As with other gods in the Japanese pantheon, Raiden is not simply good or evil, but unfathomable, as mysterious gods tend to be. Historically Japan has had its fair share of weather based devastations, from tsunamis to typhoons, and these are often attributed to Raiden or to Fuijin, the god of wind. These two gods have protected and saved Japan too, most famously during 1274 and 1281. The gods produced kamikaze, a divine wind, which sunk the invading Mongol fleets on two separate invasion attempts, thus thwarting the expansion of the Khans into East and saving Japan.

The kashira, fitting at the end of the handle, features a mitsudomoe motif. The three circular commas, or droplets, of the mitsudomoe, are an almost universal symbol, found in most cultures. One of the most famous examples is the Celtic triscelion. These three legged circlets are often thought to represent the circle of life but in Japan and Shinto religion the symbol is associated with Hachiman, the god of war and archery. As the symbol of warriors, it is a common heraldic motif for many samurai clans. Tomoe, the single comma or droplet of the mitsudomoe, is thought to symbolize an armguard. The swirl also symbolizes water, and has been used as a charm/spell against fire.

The tsuba, fushi and kashira are crafted of blackened stainless steel. The tsuka is wrapped in genuine same (ray skin) and the tsuka-ito is premium Japanese black cotton. The saya is finished in a traditional black lacquer with a black cotton sageo.

A Traditional Japanese Sword maintenance kit is included. The kit contains blade oil (traditional choji oil that is made of mineral and clove oil), rice papers, an oiling cloth, a powder ball for blade polishing, a brass awl and hammer that is used if one wishes to disassemble the sword, and a Saya shimming veneer to retighten the scabbard to the blade if needed. The kit is contained in a fitted wooden box. Also included is traditional brocaded blue silk cloth bag to keep your sword in pristine condition when in storage or while transporting.

Made by Hanwei. Specs can vary slightly from piece to piece.