Citadel Lotus Katana - Limited Edition II
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Premium quality, and one of a run of only 100 swords, the Lotus Katana by Citadel Knives and Swords in Cambodia sets a new standard for high end cutting Katana truly comparable in quality to a genuine Japanese Nihonto. Each part is custom made to that particular blade with a QC standard that is truly world class.
Citadel's swords and knives are completely hand-made one off customs made entirely in their small shop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We've asked them to make for us a few in the same style, but made in the same way as their custom swords. Crafted individually from start to finish, each one is of course a bit unique in it's own way. Limited to just 100 swords, each is signed by the smith on the nakago with the sword number and comes with a matching certificate.
Click here to read about how these exceptional samurai swords are made
And click here for our behind the scenes visit to the Forge in Phnom Penh
This katana is made in the same manner as the more costly Citadel katana but with a focus on cutting practice this sword's fittings have been simplified to their purest form. The blade is solid, with no bo-hi or fuller to provide a slightly higher weight and forward balance. However Citadel sharply tapers the blade geometry from the shinogi or central ridge to the mune or back of the blade. This allows for a thicker blade with more niku or apple-seed geometry behind the edge while maintaining proper balance. This means the robust blade can stand up to traditional target cutting of harder targets, usually fresh green bamboo, without worry of chipping the edge.
The fittings are hand cut and shaped from pure iron, an extremely tough material that takes a deep black patina and needs minimal maintenance. Iron will bend under tremendous shock instead of break, a feature any samurai would appreciate. The Lotus design of the tsuba is in an older, simpler style (kyo sukashi, maru gata) that reflects the nature of the sword.
The tsuka or handle and scabbard are hand carved to fit each individual sword ensuring a proper fit. The ito or handle wrap is of black natural silk imported from Japan. It is tightly wrapped around the full same-gawa or ray skin wrap with the proper hishigami or paper triangles present to ensure a long life of use. The saya is lacquered to a semi-gloss finish with buffalo horn mounts (koiguchi, kurikata and kojiri).
This is an exceptional sword for practitioners of tameshigiri that want a unique sword.
