Interesting Facts about the Evolution and History of Samurai Swords Swords have been the most widely used battle weapons since time immemorial. Even today, they continue to fascinate a lot of people, who may want them as collectibles. Evolution of swords The history of swords is as old as 1300 years. The earliest Japanese swords consisted of double edged iron blades and were inspired from the Chinese Jian category of swords. It was during 700 AD that the unique and popular Japanese katana swords evolved.
The Samurai swords It is believed that the famous Samurai swords of Japan were created by a smith named Amakuni Yasutsuna who used to create swords for the royal army. According to legend, Amakuni along with his son Amakura designed and created the Samurai sword after the swords designed by them failed to last in fierce battles. The Shinto gods showered their blessings and inspiration on the father and son who then went on to create the Samurai swords which are characterized by their single edge and curved blades. These swords were extremely effective and durable and laid the foundation for katana swords. Legendary Masamune The popular smith Masamune used the Soshu tradition to create swords which consisted of martensitic crystals creatively embedded in the peralite matrix. The swords created were beautiful and exquisite. The crystal embellished swords were benevolent and according to legend, refused to harm innocent beings and creations. The dark ages It was during 1543, during the war periods which lasted 100 years that Japan realized the power of the gun as a weapon. The increasing awareness and popularity of guns as a weapon made many sword smiths change their occupation. Most of them started creating guns. During this time, swords were only carried by the Samurais. After the war, Japan witnessed 400 peaceful years. It was in this particular time period that the swords again became popular over the gun and the decorative Shinto swords gained prominence. However, in 1876, all civilians were prohibited from carrying swords. This gradually led to the decline of the swords market. What we have today is a market which focuses on creating replicas of the original Samurai swords which most people use as decorative items.