Kagekuro Katana (Samai Steel) - 影黒

Hand-forged Kagekuro Katana (影黒 — "Shadow Black") in Sanmai construction — a 1095 high-carbon steel core and edge wrapped in a Damascus steel jacket. Clay-tempered with genuine hamon. Hand-polished, shinogi-zukuri geometry, chu-kissaki. Full tang, sharpened. Silver-and-gold plated copper tsuba with openwork, copper habaki, black cotton ito over genuine rayskin, black lacquered saya with buffalo horn koiguchi and kurikata, silver kojiri and kashira. Includes ornate display stand. Sanmai is the most advanced blade construction method in traditional Japanese swordsmithing — and this is the only Sanmai blade in our catalog.

Kagekuro Katana Specifications

Sanmai Construction — Three-Layer Blade

Sanmai (三枚 — "three layers") is the most advanced traditional Japanese blade construction. A hard 1095 high-carbon steel core forms the cutting edge, wrapped in a softer Damascus steel jacket that forms the blade's sides and spine. The two steels are forge-welded together under heat and pressure, creating a composite blade where each material does what it does best: the 1095 core (reaching 60+ HRC) holds a razor edge, the Damascus jacket absorbs shock and prevents the hard core from snapping under impact. Single-steel blades must compromise between hardness and toughness. The Kagekuro katana does not compromise — it separates the two functions into two steels and forge-welds them into one blade.

Clay-Tempered with Genuine Hamon

After the Sanmai lamination, the blade is clay-tempered using the traditional tsuchioki method — clay on the spine, exposed edge, water quench. The result is a genuine hamon running the blade's length: the visible boundary between the hard martensite at the cutting edge and the softer pearlite in the spine/jacket zone. On a Sanmai blade, the hamon sits exactly where the 1095 core meets the Damascus jacket — the line marks both the tempering boundary AND the material boundary. That alignment is not a coincidence; it is the point. Our steel guide explains how different steels and heat treatments create different performance profiles — the Kagekuro represents the top of that hierarchy.

Silver-Gold Tsuba

The copper tsuba is plated in both silver and gold — bicolor metalwork with openwork cutouts creating a guard that catches light through its gaps. The dual plating maintains the Kagekuro katana's restrained palette: silver for coolness, gold for warmth, black ito and saya for darkness, white rayskin for contrast. The openwork reduces the guard's weight without compromising hand protection. This is a battle-ready katana — the Sanmai construction, clay tempering, and shinogi-zukuri geometry are all functional specifications, not decorative choices.

Black Saya — Buffalo Horn & Silver

The saya is high-gloss black lacquered hardwood with buffalo horn koiguchi (saya mouth) and kurikata (cord knot), silver kojiri (end cap) and kashira (pommel cap). The buffalo horn fittings are the traditional material on high-grade Japanese swords — denser and more durable than lacquered wood, naturally black without requiring coating. The silver hardware provides the minimal metallic accent against the black saya and black handle. When sheathed, the sword reads as a shadow — all dark except for the white rayskin diamonds flashing through the black ito.

Kagekuro — Shadow Black

Kagekuro (影黒) means "shadow black" — darkness with depth, not flat absence but layered concealment. The Sanmai construction is the structural version of that concept: what appears as a single blade is actually three layers, the hard cutting core hidden inside the Damascus jacket, the engineering invisible until you examine the blade closely or test its edge. The Kagekuro katana is the most technically advanced blade in our catalog — Sanmai lamination, clay tempering, genuine hamon, shinogi-zukuri, chu-kissaki, hand polish, genuine rayskin, buffalo horn. Every specification is the premium version. And from a distance, it looks like a simple black sword.

Display

Ships with an ornate black stand with painted dragon-and-peony panel. The Kagekuro sits at the summit of our premium tier alongside the Ginkai, Ryujin, Kumo, and Shirokuro. Display where the hamon can be examined under angled light — the line where 1095 meets Damascus is the blade's defining feature. Pair with the Shirokuro (T10, silk ito, similar monochrome palette) to compare two premium philosophies: single-steel precision versus composite engineering.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sanmai construction?

Sanmai (三枚 — "three layers") is a traditional Japanese blade construction where a hard high-carbon steel core (here 1095) is forge-welded inside a softer steel jacket (here Damascus). The hard core provides the cutting edge; the softer jacket absorbs shock and prevents the blade from breaking. It is the most advanced lamination method in traditional Japanese swordsmithing.

What is 1095 steel?

1095 is a high-carbon steel with approximately 0.95% carbon content. It is harder than 1060 (used in most of our catalog) and holds a sharper edge, but is more brittle on its own — which is why the Kagekuro wraps it in a Damascus jacket for structural support.

Is this Kagekuro katana sharp?

Yes. The 1095 core steel cutting edge is hand-sharpened and functional. Handle with care, store in the saya, and check local regulations before ordering.

Is the rayskin genuine?

Yes. This katana uses genuine white rayskin (samegawa) beneath the black cotton ito wrapping.

What does Kagekuro mean?

Kagekuro (影黒) means "shadow black" — darkness with depth and layers. The name references both the blade's monochrome aesthetic and the Sanmai construction where the 1095 core is hidden inside the Damascus jacket, the engineering concealed within the blade like a shadow within darkness.