Samurai Swords can simply be an ornament and conversation piece to be displayed in your home or office. But for the aficionado of Japanese culture or for use in martial arts certain of these swords are authentic, lethal weapons. Knowing what distinguishes one from the other as well as your intended use for the Samurai sword is important because the price of the sword will vary greatly based on the process and type of steel used in forging the blade.

For the most part, the ornamental Samurai sword will be made from stainless steel and is much less expensive than its forged, folded steel relative. This is a version of the traditional sword that is a wonderful piece to hang on a wall or to prop-up on a table display but the blade is not nearly strong or hard enough to stand up to the rigors of cutting displays or to do combat with other Samurai swords. And while the blade might appear to be sharp and shiny, it will dull easily and the intense shine of the blade is an indication of a poorer quality blade due to the steel used in the forging process. Stainless steel has a very high level of chromium, which will enhance the grain and polish of the sword but essentially will also undermine the internal structure of the blade compared to high carbon steel blades and folded steel blades used in more traditional fighting blades.

High carbon steel blades offer the user a much stronger sword but those forged from Tamahagane steel, or folded steel are truly the authentic Samurai swords most sought by collectors and martial arts experts. The folded steel blade and process of forging this blade uses two different steels; one is a harder outer jacket, which is wrapped around a soft inner core. The result is an extremely hard, durable blade that has a razor-sharp cutting edge that is also strong enough and flexible enough to absorb the blow of an attacking opponent. The steel used in making the outer layer of the sword, hadagane, is continually heated and then hammered to eliminate imperfections in the steel. This heating, hammering and folding of the steel will go on until the steel is perfectly hardened, the result being a blade constructed of steel that has been folded into many layers. The other benefit of the folded steel blade in the Samurai sword is that the hammering and folding of the steel evenly distributes the carbon in the steel throughout the blade and thereby ensures that the blade is universally strong at every point, reducing the possibility of fractures.

The inner core of the folded steel blade follows a similar process as the harder outer shell but it uses a different steel, shingane, and it is not folded or hammered as much as the hadagne. The two pieces are then put together and the hammering is repeated to make sure that there is no air between the two sections of the blade or any other impurities that will affect the quality of the steel.

Before tempering the blade in water clay is applied to parts of the blade so that it will cool more quickly along the thinner edge, which makes it much harder and more durable and able to stand up to being sharpened like a razor.

The difference between a stainless steel Samurai sword and the folded steel sword is similar to that of display pistols versus and authentic Colt 45; one is made to be seen and the other is a skillfully handcrafted authentic piece requiring the utmost care and expertise in the materials, process, and design used to make these stunning pieces of functional art.