Kassen Tanto (合戦) – The Battle

Kassen (合戦): The Battle

Kassen denotes the great pitched battle, the clan wars that forged the history of Japan. These confrontations, in which mounted samurai and foot soldiers clashed together, inspired countless painted scrolls, woodblock prints and epic narratives.

This tanto carries that memory on its habaki, carved with a genuine battle scene: warriors and riders locked in combat. A minute yet arresting detail, at the very heart of the fittings.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine hitatsura hamon

The blade is crafted from T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness. It has been clay-tempered, giving rise to a genuine hitatsura hamon: an unusually broad temper pattern whose hardened zones scatter across the body of the blade. This is a rare and striking style.

The hamon, pale grey in tone, contrasts with the mirror-polished dark steel running along the spine for its full length. The blade follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a small ko-kissaki point and no bo-hi. Hand-sharpened, the edge carries a crafted refinement that sets it apart.

Buke-zukuri fittings with a battle habaki

The lobed kawari-gata tsuba in patinated gilt copper presents a textured ishime surface with engraved kebori lines, adorned with small floral medallions on each lobe and a rounded rim with notched cutouts. A gilt brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi in patinated gilt copper features a hammered tsuchime surface and an engraved frieze, whilst the kashira, equally hammered, bears a small raised medallion at its crown. The handle is covered in genuine white ray skin over wood, beneath a green tsuka-ito wrapped in hineri-maki, with silver menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilt copper carries a scene of warriors and mounted riders in relief.

A metallic orange lacquered saya

The saya is crafted from solid wood, finished in a glittering metallic orange lacquer with a high-gloss sheen. The rounded maru koiguchi and kojiri are lacquered in the same hue, as is the kurikata, which holds a green cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the tanto

With a blade of 33 cm and an overall length of 55 cm, Kassen is a tanto of generous proportions. Its 17 cm handle sits firmly in one hand. At 0.8 kg, it commands a satisfying presence. At 57 cm in its saya, this is a format that showcases the brilliant scabbard to finest effect on a display stand.