Blood Blossom – Hand Forged 1065 Carbon Steel Katana Sword

Blood Blossom – Hand Forged 1065 Carbon Steel Katana Sword

A 烤黑红 finish – heat-oxidized black bleeding into deep arterial red along the flat – gives the 血樱 Blood Blossom a blade face unlike anything a raw polish produces. It earns its name visually and then backs it up in the hand: 1065 high carbon steel, oil quenched and tempered, shaped into a full shinogi-zukuri (ridgeline) profile built for the practitioner who cuts regularly and expects the blade to stay in service.

Specifications

Forged in Longquan

Longquan has been forging blades for over two and a half millennia. The 1065 steel used in the Blood Blossom is not an accident of availability – it is a deliberate choice for practitioners at the working end of the spectrum. Carbon content high enough to achieve and hold a sharp, durable edge; low enough to maintain the toughness that stops a blade from fracturing under the torsional load of a hard cut. Oil quenching followed by a controlled temper removes the brittleness that comes with an overly hard blade, leaving you with a cutting tool that flexes within its limits rather than shattering past them.

The 烤黑红 oxidized finish is applied through a controlled heat process that produces the two-tone shift from charred black at the spine to red-brown toward the edge bevel. This is not paint or coating – it is the steel itself, oxidized at temperature. It will evolve with use and maintenance, and that evolution is appropriate for a tool blade.

Weight, Balance, Draw

At 72 cm, the blade sits at the longer end of conventional daito (long sword) territory. The 27 cm tsuka (handle) is long enough for a full two-hand grip with genuine separation between your hands, which translates directly into rotational control at the point of cut. Cotton ito (handle wrap) grips dry or wet – no gloss, no slide. The aohada saya (green bark wood sheath) draws with a single clean pull, no catch, no slop. The 3.2 cm blade width at the base narrows through the shinogi-zukuri ridgeline in a taper that keeps the tip responsive without sacrificing spine rigidity.

Keeping It Sharp

After each cutting session, remove residue from the blade with a soft cloth and apply a thin, even layer of choji oil from base to tip. The oxidized finish requires no special treatment beyond keeping the blade oiled and dry. Reprofile the edge on a water stone when it begins to reflect light at the very tip of the bevel – that reflection tells you the edge has folded and it is time to work it back.