Dojo Pro

Through Hardened 1060 Steel Dotanuki Katana, with sold iron tsuba (guard) modelled after Japanese antiques. Extensively tested against bamboo, and triple tatami mats. Rated 5 out of 5 stars by Sword Buyer's Guide.

What is a Dōtanuki katana?

Dōtanuki is a Japanese swordsmithing school developed in the Higo province of Kyūshū during the Kamakura period. The Japanese kanji for dōtanuki translates to, sword that cuts through torsos. While samurai routinely tested their blades on the bodies of convicted criminals to judge their cutting ability, dōtanuki blades were renowned for cutting through the bodies of armoured opponents.

The thick wide body blades were forged in both bohi (with groove) and no hi (without groove) styles, although the solid no hi blades were by far the most common. The dōtanuki's thickness and durability helped them obtain their vicious reputation during the Japanese conquest of Korea where they were heavily used by daimyō Katō Kiyomasa's personal samurai. Their popularity peaked during the Azuchi-Momoyama (1568-1600) period, and began to fade rapidly thereafter as Japan entered a period of relative peace and stability.