Katana Kaeru カエル

Kaeru means frog — nimble, quick, unpredictable in its leap — and this katana is named for that spirit: a light, fast blade made for the practitioner drawn to the more unconventional, agile cutting styles. Its gold-toned steel and singing draw give it a character all its own.

Specifications

Dimensions

Forging & Steel

The blade is forged from manganese steel, finished in a distinctive gold colour and carrying an imitation hamon along the edge. Running down the blade is a bo-hi groove — the fuller that shaves weight, sharpens balance toward the hand, and gives the sword its characteristic whistle as it cuts the air, a quality valued for training and demonstration. The construction is full-tang for a genuine working sword.

The bo-hi is the defining feature here, and it does real work: by removing steel from the centre of the blade it drops the overall weight and shifts balance toward the hand, which is what lets the Kaeru move fast through agile, unconventional cutting lines. That audible whistle as it passes through the air is also a teaching aid — a clean tone signals correct edge alignment, a muddy one a flawed cut. The gold finish and imitation hamon are styling rather than differential hardening, keeping this an affordable, light training and demonstration blade rather than a heavyweight cutter.

Fittings

The tsuba is solid carved brass, warm against the gold blade. The saya is uniquely lacquered solid wood, and the tsuka is built on a solid-wood core wrapped in imitation ray-skin shagreen for a sure, textured grip.

Is it battle-ready?

Yes — within its class. The bo-hi keeps it light and fast, making it a strong training and demonstration sword as well as an artistic display piece. Browse the full katana collection, or compare with other entry pieces like Katana Tengu and Katana Chie.