Red Brocade – Hand Forged 1065 Carbon Steel Tanto Sword

Red Brocade – Hand Forged 1065 Carbon Steel Tanto Sword

The tanto – the Japanese short blade, historically carried as a close-quarters companion to the katana – demands different geometry than a full sword. The Red Brocade (红锦) delivers that geometry in 1065 high-carbon steel: a 32 cm blade in shinogi-zukuri (ridgeline) profile, oil quenched, tempered, and ready to work.

Specifications

What the Steel Does

1065 sits near the midpoint of the high-carbon range – enough carbon to take and hold a proper edge, enough ductility to resist the lateral stress that a short blade encounters when the work gets demanding. Oil quenching produces a uniform hardness through the cross-section: no soft spine, no brittle edge, just a consistent, predictable steel that sharpens readily and holds that sharpness through extended use. The shinogi-zukuri profile – the same ridgeline geometry used on full-length katana – adds rigidity along the blade’s length and creates a clean secondary bevel that makes sharpening straightforward and consistent.

At 3.2 cm width and 0.7 cm thickness, this blade has real geometry to it – not a thin display profile but a cross-section with substance. That thickness at the spine contributes to durability and keeps the blade from flexing laterally under load.

The Feel of It

The 16 cm handle is sized for the tanto’s intended use: compact enough for single-hand grip, with the cotton ito wrap wound tight across the handle providing grip texture that stays reliable under pressure. The aohada (bark-surfaced green wood) saya fits the blade precisely – the draw is short, direct, and clean from a scabbard with natural surface texture that reads well against the polished blade. At 52.5 cm total, this is a blade you can carry, mount, or train with in close-quarters kata without the clearance demands of a full sword. Everything about the geometry is scaled correctly for its length.

Maintenance Notes

Wipe the blade clean after each use and apply a thin coat of choji oil (clove-mineral oil blade preservative) before re-sheathing. The zinc alloy fittings benefit from an occasional wipe with a dry cloth to maintain their surface. Store in low humidity to protect both the steel and the aohada saya from moisture damage.