Cold Radiance – Hand Forged 1065 Carbon Steel Tanto Sword

Cold Radiance – Hand Forged 1065 Carbon Steel Tanto Sword

A tanto is a short-format cutting tool, and everything about the Cold Radiance (寒辉) is built around that premise. The 32 cm blade runs in shinogi-zukuri geometry – a ridgeline profile that creates a defined secondary bevel, directing force efficiently through the cut rather than distributing it across a flat grind. At 3.2 cm wide and 0.7 cm thick at the spine, this is a blade with geometry that commits.

Specifications

Forged in Longquan

1065 high carbon steel sits at a carbon content that balances hardness with toughness – enough carbon to hold a keen edge through repeated work, enough flexibility to resist the lateral stress that shorter blades encounter when the geometry is tight and the cuts are deliberate. Oil quench and temper brings this steel to a working hardness suitable for demanding use without making the blade brittle under stress. This is not a steel that needs to be handled with caution. It needs to be used.

The shinogi-zukuri (ridgeline) forging style is the same profile used on full-length katana – applied here to a tanto, it means the blade has a defined spine, a clear ridge, and an edge bevel that has been ground with purpose. The copper fittings – durable and corrosion-resistant – tie the build together without the brittleness of zinc alloy alternatives.

Weight, Balance, Draw

The 16 cm handle is wrapped in cotton ito in a consistent diamond pattern – short enough that the grip is decisive rather than adaptive, with both hands able to share the tsuka in a two-handed hold or one hand filling it completely. The aohada (bark-textured wood) saya presents the blade cleanly on the draw; the fit is snug without requiring force to release. At 52.5 cm overall, this is a tool that occupies space with authority in the hand without the reach of a full katana – the short format is a feature, not a compromise.

Keeping It Sharp

After use, wipe the blade dry and apply a thin coat of oil along the full length of the edge and flat. Carbon steel responds quickly to neglect – consistent maintenance is straightforward and takes less than two minutes. The edge can be returned to working sharpness on whetstones of appropriate grit when needed.