Dragon King Tatsumaki Katana
IN STOCK
Differentially Hardened T10 Tool Steel Blade with Prominent, Real Hamon. High Polish and Premium Fittings (rattan wrapped saya, buffalo horn koiguchi, etc). 28" Blade, 2lbs 5oz. MSRP $1,385.00
The clouds gather in the sky as the sun sets golden on the horizon as the birds find their refuge. The roar of the wind and thunder become indistinguishable amongst the claps of lightening. In the distance the rising spiral of wind and debris twist in to the heavens while the dragon’s torrent builds to its destructive climax as the legend manifests devastation before your fear filled eyes. The artisans of Dragon King unveil their latest embodiment of Japanese lore in the Tatsumaki Katana.
The theme carries throughout this katana in almost every aspect. The silver tsuba, fuchi, fuchi-kashira feature the dragon, cloud and lightning motif. Even the 27 7/8” blade reflects the torrent with the gunome-midare hamon style. The golden saya, brown sageo and handle wrap contrast beautifully against the silver furniture. The black rattan wrapping, buffalo horn kurikata and kojiri on the golden saya give the katana even deeper depth. The hardest decision you will have to make is whether or not to keep it as a collectible or as a functional sword in your armory.
About Dragon King
The famed artisans of Dalian have returned to show to the sword world what quality, craftsmanship and ingenuity can produce under the superlative leadership of a true avant-gardist. By the guidance of master designer, Frenchie Jin, the next generation of cutlery enthusiasts will taste the steel of the fabled golden age of swords.
Ever the student of the arts, Frenchie Jin combined the processes of contemporary mechanical construction and modern science with the classic arts, ancient aesthetics and philosophical imagery to produce many of the legendary pieces known today. Having designed over 600 different cold weapons in his 20-year career, to say that he and his team have mastered and advanced their craft would be an understatement.
The Dragon King brand does not represent a company that just manufactures products but embodies a group of artisans who have been adeptly trained to duplicate ancient skillsets that can't be automated by machines on an assembly line. Not every blade that is forged becomes a sword. Not every casting that is poured becomes a component of a greater piece. The goal for improvement and innovation starts every day under Frenchie's guidance.
Not confining their talents to sword making alone, the Dragon King team plies their abilities also to the production of knives, jewelry and other high end art-crafts. And not just in steel alone, these artisans craft wood and leather among many other materials and alloys. Our journey together has only begun, but the fruits of that labor are coming to bear.
How to Use
Materials and Construction
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Featured positive reviews:
I just wanted to post my humble thoughts on this sword since I myself had eyeballed it for about a year before purchasing and was hard pressed to find decent reviews of it. First of all, the Tatsumaki has a special place in my heart due to the name, it is the name of a kata that was very fun, informative, and good to riff off of that I learned with Katana, bo, Yari, and empty handed. That all being said it looked very attractive to me. It came a while ago and I got a great price through SBG and it is indeed an attractive piece! Also the one I received is by far the sharpest sword I own now out of the box, not sure if that is consistent or not.
The ska is very slender, and is not an “axe handle” design by any stretch. In the case of this sword (and having large-ish hands) I feel it would handle better for me with a larger one. The fittings are tight, and the ito is tightly wrapped. The silver on all the fittings looks great! And the rattan wrap on the saya is great for Iai. The blade doesn’t rattle much in the saya either, but there is some rattle. The fit in the koiguchi isn’t too tight but tight enough in my opinion. The fittings don’t rub on my hands in an uncomfortable way either, they do have some edges but are very rounded and work just fine. The sageo is very elegant looking, and well made, having nice details and contrast with cream, brown and gold colors.
The point of balance seems to be around 5 1/4 “, and the blade polish is decent with a nice prominent hammon. One thing as a kind of con I have to point out is it isn’t the greatest blade to do a lot of kata with, which i can’t decide if it’s my hands being slightly too big for the handle, or it’s because it’s a little blade heavy. The blade heaviness isn’t a bad thing for cutting, it has a great way of carrying the blade through a target easily with it’s momentum, but I get more worn out using it for kata than some other blades of the exact same weight.
Pros-
Good cutter, very sharp
Attractive display piece
Well fitted/tightly fitted
Handle great for medium to small hands
Cons-
A little too blade heavy for kata
Handle too slender for those with “beefy” hands
Depending on where you buy can be a little pricy (Kult of Athena, Sword Buyer’s Guide store seem to be your best bet, SBG gave us a great limited time offer and a great competitive price all around)
All in all I can give it a good rating for what it is and do not regret buying it, it has to be said not all swords are made for everyone and in this case I love the sword but it isn’t the best fit for me in usage in day to day moving it around, we are all built differently and that is not reasonable to expect manufacturers and craftsmen to meet the needs of every individual with every piece, unless specifically designed for said individuals. Cannot wait for better weather (not freezing and snow covered) so I can cut tatami with it though, that’s where it shines!
Hope that helps potential buyers make a slightly informed decision! Stay Sharp everyone;)
