Mokuro Kageuchi Katana - 楼影打

Hand-forged Mokuro Kageuchi Katana in 1060 carbon steel with hamon. Full tang, sharpened. Iron-alloy tsuba, brass habaki, natural rosewood handle with visible grain and mekugi pin, natural rosewood saya with visible grain. Includes ornate display stand. No ito wrapping, no rayskin, no lacquer. Wood, steel, brass, iron — nothing else.

Mokuro Kageuchi Katana Specifications

1060 Blade — Scalloped Hamon

The blade is 1060 carbon steel with a hamon line running the cutting edge in gentle scalloped arcs. The hamon creates the blade's only visual detail: polished steel above, hardened edge below, the temper boundary marking the threshold between soft spine and hard cutting surface. The Mokuro Kageuchi Katana treats the blade the same way it treats every component — one material, one function, nothing added that doesn't serve the construction.

Iron Tsuba — Minimal Form

The tsuba is iron-alloy in a plain circular disc — no dragon relief, no openwork, no gold rim. A dark grey-black finish sits flush between blade and handle. The Mokuro Kageuchi Katana carries the most minimal tsuba in our catalog: where every other blade features carved, patinated, or decorated guards, this one uses a single unadorned disc. The simplicity is the statement.

Rosewood Handle — Bare Wood

Natural rosewood with visible grain running from kashira to tsuba. No cotton ito wrapping. No rayskin beneath. No menuki. A single bamboo mekugi pin secures the blade through the tang. The grain pattern is unique to each piece — growth rings, color shifts, natural swirls that cannot be replicated. The Mokuro Kageuchi Katana is the only bare-wood handle in our catalog. Every other katana wraps its tsuka in ito over rayskin; this one says the wood is enough.

Rosewood Saya — Natural Grain

The saya is the same rosewood as the handle — warm brown tones, visible grain, no lacquer coating. The wood surface is finished but not sealed, allowing the natural color and texture to read directly. When sheathed, the blade disappears into matching wood: handle and scabbard become a single continuous wooden form, the iron tsuba the only visible indicator that a weapon hides inside. No sageo cord. Nothing that breaks the wood-to-wood continuity.

Mokuro Kageuchi — Shadow Wood

木漏れ影打ち (mokuro kageuchi) evokes wood (木), shadow (影), and the act of forging (打ち). The design philosophy is shibuichi — the Japanese aesthetic of finding beauty in natural materials left unadorned. Where other katanas add lacquer, wrapping, and metalwork to build visual complexity, the Mokuro Kageuchi subtracts until only the essential materials remain. The result reads closer to an antique farmhouse weapon than a display showpiece.

Display

Ships with an ornate dragon-peony stand. The contrast between the minimal rosewood katana and the elaborate gold-relief stand creates visual tension — raw material against refined presentation. Browse our catalog to compare with the Ronin Wood (Damascus, dragon-carved rosewood, cotton ito) and the Kiso Hida (natural wood saya, standard fittings) for three different approaches to wood-themed blades.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why no handle wrapping?

The rosewood handle is the design. No ito, no rayskin — the natural wood grain and smooth surface are the grip. The mekugi pin secures the blade through the tang in the traditional method.

Is the Mokuro Kageuchi Katana hamon authentic?

The hamon is machine-produced — a visible temper-line aesthetic on the blade surface. It creates the scalloped pattern but is not produced by traditional clay-tempering.

Will the rosewood change over time?

Yes. Unfinished rosewood develops patina with exposure to air and handling. The grain darkens slightly, the surface develops character. The aging process is part of the design — the blade changes with its owner.

Is this suitable for cutting practice?

The blade is full tang and sharpened. The bare rosewood handle provides a smooth grip without the texture of traditional ito-and-rayskin wrapping. Suitable for display and light handling; the unwrapped handle provides less friction than cotton ito.

How does this compare to the Ronin Wood?

The Ronin Wood uses Damascus steel, dragon-carved rosewood saya, cotton ito over genuine rayskin, and standard fittings. The Mokuro Kageuchi uses 1060 steel, plain rosewood everywhere, and bare-wood handle. Ornate woodwork vs raw material.