JOHN LEE FUJISAN KATANA, DAMASCUS TEXTURE

Hand-forged samurai sword from the John Lee series

Masterpieces of asian swordcraft

- handforged from carbon steel and traditionally hardened

- the blades were folded 12 times (8000 layers) and display lovely damascus properties

- the sharpened blade has a fuller for weight reduction

- the hilt (tsuka) is made of wood and covered in real fish skin (same)

- the hilt is wrapped (tsuka-ito) in traditional black cotton

- there are two decorative grip swells (menuki)

- the hilt (tsuka) is anchored to the blade with bamboo pins (mekugi)

- the scabbard (saya) is made of wood

- the blade has a brass collar (habaki) so it won't rattle in the scabbard

- this sword was crafted following museum originals

JOHN LEE Fujisan Katana 

Mount Fuji is Japan's highest at over 3700 meters high. In Shinto religion it is considered holy. Fu means rich, Ji means warrior, San means mountain. 

This sword's tsuba depicts mount Fuji.

Details:

- blade folded 12 times

- total length: approx.  104 cm

- blade length: approx. 73 cm

- hilt length: approx. 30.5 cm

- blade curve (sori): approx. 18-20 mm

- blade thickness: approx. 5-6 mm

- weight without scabbard: approx. 1.05 kg

- weight with scabbard: approx. 1.3 kg

The terms Damascus steel or damascene designate a compound steel forged out of two or more different types of steel. It is named after its birthplace, the Syrian city of Damascus, a former stronghold of the patterned steel production.

As a common practice, a harder high carbon steel and a milder low carbon steel are repeatedly forge welded and folded together. The high carbon steel ensures a higher hardness, a better temperability and longer lasting edge retention, whereas the milder steel confers greater blade flexibility and tensile strength. This procedure, which arose in a time where steel qualities were often low and inconsistent, enables to combine the positive attributes of the various steel grades.

Besides, the different shadings generated by the varying carbon content of the alternating layers engender strikingly beautiful patterns, such as the twisted motif called Torsion Damascus pattern or the Rose Damascus pattern. Undoubtedly, these unusual patterns partly explain why inherent magical properties were attributed to the Damascus steel blades of the Middle Ages. Such a damascene sword blade is for example depicted as a bloody worm or a poisonous snake in the Edda.