Old katana swords were heavier and longer. For centuries, skilled swordsmen from Japan created katana swords through a very specific, complicated process. Hand-made katanas though, tend to be heavier than those previously mentioned. The creation processes have changed and have been simplified, which is why we often find industrially-created katanas that are lighter. That’s because the materials have changed so much, which is mainly due to the spread of the katana to the West. And it’s this process that’s key for making a curved katana more reliable and also heavier. Here, another layer is added to the sides of the blade to make it sturdier. This process reduces the impurities in the carbon that composes the blade.Īnother process that adds some weight to the katana is tsuchioki. This type of steel is made with a very specific smelting process that’s only used to create a katana. These tend to be slightly heavier, and that’s mainly due to the creation process. It’s a more traditional sort of material, which is why it’s fairly rare to find such a sword. The tamahagane steel, or the Japanese steel, is a special type of steel that’s used to make a katana. These tend to be relatively light, although they are also often much more substantial than a magnesium blade, for example. Stainless steels are also commonly used for the creation of a katana. Materials like magnesium tend to make a katana lighter, but that’s very different from the traditional katana swords. Modern steel alloys tend to contain steels that can significantly decrease the weight of a katana. Different Materials, Different WeightsĪs I’ve already said, the biggest factor that determines a katana weight is the material that a katana is made from. Normally, the better the quality of a katana is, the lighter these katana parts tend to be.
Some katanas have lighter handles (tsuka), and the guards (tsuba) can also vary in weight. Small weight changes are also caused by different katana parts that are used to compose a katana. But you’ll also find several modern katana makers that still make katanas that are larger in size. That’s why they were also more substantial in weight. Normally, traditional katanas were significantly larger or had larger blades, than modern katanas. The size of the blade also determines the weight of a katana. And that’s why some katanas are thicker, which also determines the weight, sometimes. Traditionally, a katana was made from Japanese steel called “tamahagane”, which was relatively weak so it had to be folded several times over to create a sturdy enough blade. I’ll talk about the materials, or steels, later on in the article.Īnother factor is also the thickness of the steel that’s used to make a katana. The biggest factor that will determine the weight of a katana is the steel it’s made from. That’s why it’s difficult to establish a “standard” katana weight, although there are weight ranges that katana swords find themselves in. There are so many different factors that determine the slight changes in the weight of a katana. However, if you don’t use the katana often and you only use it every once in a while, then you would probably not notice the difference in weights immediately. That’s why regular katana users opt for lighter katanas. If you use a katana regularly, then you would notice the difference in weight immediately. Most owners of a katana will tell you that their katana weighs somewhere between 800 and 900 grams (2 lbs). However, the weights of a katana can vary quite significantly. The average katana weight is at around 1200 grams (1.2 kg or 2.65 lbs).