Kyoto Suzaku Iaito Swords Series - Kassen Koshirae

There have been numerous battles throughout Japan's history since ancient times such as the battle at Dan'no-ura, the Onin War, the Battle of Sekigahara, and the Boshin War that shaped Japan into what it is today. The effect that samurai had in the changing the history of Japan cannot be overstated.

Success in battle not only meant the acquisition of personal honor, but also obtaining territory and land, which might eventually become a province in its own right, ensuring the prosperity of generations to come.

This "Kassen Koshirae" is inspired by medieval Japanese battlefields. The Fuchi/Kashira is decorated with an arrowhead, a symbol of the bow and arrow which was the primary weapon at the time. The Menuki features a banner which was used to tell friend from foe in the midst of the chaos of battle, and the Tsuba also features a lively battlefield theme. This sword represents the tension and presence of warriors who dedicated their lives success in the fields of war. The blade is made with aluminum/zink alloy.

The Kassen Koshirae pieces are made one by one in the Nishijin area of Kyoto. This section of old Kyoto is said to have gotten its name from the when the West (Nishi) army made camp (Jin) in that area during the Onin War. The Iaito also comes with a certificate with the “Kyoto Japan�" seal to prove its authenticity.

Special reinforcement GT metal was especially developed for our blades. Not only are they balanced better than diecast blades, they are highly functional and the best quality available for Iaido. This GT metal has a superior tensile strength and elasticity compared to other alloys used for Iaito in the past. The specific gravity of GT metal is also rather light and isn’t susceptible to stress corrosion, so it can be said that it is an alloy that is most suitable for making Iaito.

For casting the blade we chose to use the gravity casting method, this is because the sandcasting method used by other manufacturers in the past is actually quite unreliable. When sandcasting a blade you pour the molten metal into a cast made with hardened sand, not only does the result of the sandcasting vary slightly each time due to the sand loosing it’s shape, but also as the metal takes longer to cool, it increases the chances of hidden cavities inside the blade, making it prone to producing defects.

After the blade has been casted, each blade is meticulously hand-polished by our craftsmen. Considering the work efficiency, there might be more effective ways to rapidly polish each blade by machine, however, by polishing each blade by hand our craftsmen can bring out the most of the individual personalities and details of each blade and remove any defective products, leaving only the highest quality blades to be used for making Iaito.

The Hi-groove that greatly affects the sound and feedback of the Iaito is also carved by hand. One of the big differences between a conventional Iaito blade and the Iaito blade for the Suzaku series is the shape of the hi-groove. Up until now all Iaito blades had a hi-groove that are tapered in both end of the groove to save time during the polishing process. However, no matter which reference book you look in you won’t find any authentic Japanese swords who has a groove with such a shape, so even though it takes more than twice the effort and time, we decided to use a more realistic Marudome Hi-groove with a Shinken Hi for our blade. Among all the available Iaito on the market today only the Suzaku series has this kind of Shinken Hi-groove by default, this might be why the Suzaku Iaito looks and feels like an authentic Japanese sword at first glance, a result of the effort put into making the blade by our craftsmen.

In this way almost all parts of the Suzaku series Iaito are made in Kyoto, each and every part reflecting the spirit of craftsmanship that Kyoto is known for. As our craftsmen are also highly ranked Iaido practitioners, they do not only look at each sword as craftsmen, but also as Iaido practitioners, ensuring the highest quality by testing each sword before shipping them to the customer. This is why each sword has a serial number carved on the Nakago to ensure the quality of each batch of sword blades, infusing them with the soul and pride of the craftsmen. Even Mr. Kuwano Toshiro who is a well-known master Saya craftsman who have experiences with handling national treasure class swords, praised the Suzaku Iaito, saying that it was "very well done and praiseworthy".

The "Kyoto Japan" Mark is a mark endorsed by the Kyoto Industry Development Consortium and it's given to companies that protects and develops the traditional craftsmanship in Kyoto, domestically and overseas.

As the Suzuku series of Iaito are made in Kyoto, Tozando has been certified to use the "Kyoto Japan" mark with the Suzaku series of Iaito.