Meikyū Katana Sword (迷宮) – Labyrinth

Meikyū (迷宮): the labyrinth

Meikyū is the labyrinth, the palace in which one loses oneself. It evokes the inner path, the patience and the contemplation required to find one’s way: qualities held dear within the Japanese martial arts.

This katana takes its name from the motif engraved on its kashira, a finely chiselled labyrinth worked into the grey alloy. It sets the tone for a mounting of geometric lines, in which every fitting plays with engraving and relief.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine gunome midare hamon

The blade is crafted in T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness. It has been clay tempered, a process that brings a genuine hamon to life along the surface of the steel.

Its temper line traces a gunome midare pattern of irregular, rolling waves. The blade follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki point (the classical katana form) and is relieved by a bo-hi groove that reduces its overall weight.

An engraved grey-alloy mounting

The grey-alloy tsuba takes the form of an engraved clover, a distinctive lobed silhouette. The engraved grey-alloy fuchi complements it, while the kashira bears the labyrinth motif from which the katana takes its name.

The handle (tsuka) combines a wooden core with a faux black ray skin, wrapped in a diamond-pattern grey tsuka-ito that echoes the fittings, with black menuki. The gilded brass habaki, adorned with a kamon, brings a note of warmth to this otherwise cool ensemble.

A black lacquered saya speckled with white

The saya is crafted in solid wood, lacquered black and speckled with white and silver, evoking a star-filled sky or a mottled stone. The koiguchi and kojiri are black, in keeping with the scabbard’s character. A black and white sageo harmonises with these nuances.

Dimensions and handling

With a blade of 71 cm and an overall length of 103 cm, Meikyū carries the proportions of a traditional katana. Its 26.5 cm handle allows a firm two-handed grip. At 1.3 kg, it offers a well-considered balance. It measures 105 cm within its saya, a format well suited to display on a wall mount or table stand.