Kitetsu II – Hand Forged 1045 Carbon Steel Katana Sword

Kitetsu II – Hand Forged 1045 Carbon Steel Katana Sword

There is a specific shade of green that the aohada wood sheath achieves under natural light – somewhere between forest and jade, with a bark-textured surface that photographs with genuine depth. That is where the Kitetsu II begins its visual argument, and it makes a strong one before you even look at the blade.

Specifications

Forged in Longquan

Dragon Blade Forge has produced blades in Longquan for over forty years across three generations. Longquan’s reputation as China’s sword-making center stretches back over 2,600 years, and the craft density in that region – the shared knowledge between smiths, the access to specific raw materials, the accumulated technique – produces results that workshops in other regions simply cannot replicate. The Kitetsu II is built from 1045 carbon steel, a medium-high carbon steel with enough hardness after heat treatment to hold a clean edge geometry and enough toughness to resist the stresses of display mounting and handling over years of ownership. The special-process designation reflects the additional attention given to surface finish and blade geometry during production.

The shinogi-zukuri profile – the classic ridgeline geometry that defines the traditional katana silhouette – runs the full 72.0 cm of blade length. That ridge line catches light in a way that flat-ground blades cannot, creating a distinct visual transition from the shinogi (the ridge line itself) down to the ha (the edge side), and up to the mune (the spine). Mounted horizontally on a wall, that interplay of flat planes and angled surfaces means the blade reads differently depending on the time of day and the angle of your light source.

Weight, Balance, Draw

The handle runs 27.0 cm, wrapped in cotton ito in the traditional lozenge-over-ray-skin pattern, giving the hand a textured reference point that looks as considered as it feels. The draw from the green aohada saya is clean and unhurried. Held extended, the full 103.0 cm of the Kitetsu II fills a wall display or a horizontal mount with a silhouette that is immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with the source material – the blade of a cursed lineage, rendered here with care.

Keeping It Sharp

Wipe the blade with a soft, dry cloth after any handling to remove fingerprints and skin oils. A light application of choji oil – traditional camellia-based blade oil – applied every few months will prevent surface oxidation and maintain the polished finish. Keep the blade in its saya when not on display, and avoid storage in high-humidity environments.