There are various styles of Japanese swords, or nihonto, available today. Both antique swords as well as modern versions can be purchased depending on your preferences. Some of today’s Japanese swords are manufactured, but the authentic swords are made by swordsmiths. The various types of Japanese swords are classified by their size and also the manufacturing method.

The Katana is the most common type of Japanese swords and is a long, single-edged sword with a curved blade. Katana’s were used by the Samurai as early as the 1400′s. Samurai’s were Japanese warriors in feudal Japan and were considered to be a nobility military class. The Samurai used a wide variety of weapons, including spears, manrikigusari, and the bow and arrows, but the most common weapons used by the Japanese Samurai was know as the Katana.