Kinkoi Wakizashi (金鯉) – Golden Koi

Kinkoi (金鯉): the golden koi

In Japan, the koi carp is the symbol of perseverance. According to legend, the carp that succeeds in ascending the waterfall of the Yellow River transforms into a dragon. It is for this reason that carp-shaped banners (koinobori) are raised during the children’s festival, to wish them courage and success.

This wakizashi pays homage to that tradition: a gold- and silver-plated carp on the tsuba, a koi carp on the kashira, and aquatic motifs on the fuchi. The midnight-blue saya, speckled with gold, evokes the deep water in which the carp moves.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine gunome midare hamon

The blade is crafted from T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness. It has been clay-tempered, which brings forth a genuine gunome midare hamon : milky white and sharply contrasted along the full length of the blade.

It features a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki point and a torii-zori curvature, and is grooved with a bo-hi. The hand-sharpening is carried out entirely by hand, an artisanal finish that makes all the difference.

An aquatic koi-themed mounting

The round (maru-gata) tsuba in darkly patinated copper is pierced (ji-sukashi) with swirling waves. On the handle side, a gold- and silver-plated koi carp (iroe) swims amidst the dark waves. Its surface is polished, with a rounded rim (maru-mimi). A gilded brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi in darkly patinated copper carries gold- and silver-plated aquatic motifs, and the kashira features a koi carp in relief, gold- and silver-plated. The handle combines wood with faux white ray skin, beneath a blue-and-gold tsuka-ito braid in hineri-maki, with gilded menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded copper features pierced faces with a honeycomb pattern on a nanako ground.

A midnight-blue saya speckled with gold

The saya is crafted from solid wood, coated in a midnight-blue lacquer speckled with golden flecks in nashiji style, like reflections of light playing across water. The koiguchi and kojiri are finished in glossy black lacquered wood. The black-lacquered kurikata with gilded shitodome holds an indigo-blue and white striped sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, Kinkoi carries the proportions of a wakizashi, the shorter companion to the katana. Its 23 cm handle offers a comfortable one-handed grip, with room for the second hand in support. At 1 kg, it remains entirely manœuvrable. In its saya it measures 80 cm, an ideal format for display either alone or alongside a katana.