Kusari Wakizashi (鎖) – Chain

Kusari (鎖): the chain

The chain (kusari) holds a singular place in Japanese martial arts: it appears in the kusarigama, the chain-and-sickle weapon, and in the mail armour (kusari katabira) worn concealed beneath clothing. It stands as a symbol of connection, loyalty and binding strength.

On this wakizashi, the chain becomes the defining motif of the tsuba: a guard pierced with radiating spokes, its entire perimeter formed from interlocking chain links. The grey-and-black marbled saya echoes the shifting reflections of worked metal.

A mirror-polished 1045 steel blade with bo-hi

The blade is forged from 1045 carbon steel : a robust, widely trusted steel that is straightforward to maintain. It follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki point and a bo-hi that terminates in a rounded maru-dome finish near the yokote.

The blade is mirror-polished with no hamon, presenting a clean, luminous surface.

A black mounting with chain-link details

The round maru-gata tsuba in blackened iron is pierced (ji-sukashi) with kuruma-sukashi spokes, its perimeter dressed with chain links that form the entire edge. The surface carries a black migaki polish and two hitsu-ana openings. A gilded brass seppa accompanies the assembly.

The fuchi and kashira in plain blackened alloy are deliberately understated, with the kashira threaded through by the wrapping. The handle pairs wood with faux white ray skin beneath a black tsuka-ito in hineri-maki, with black menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded copper, finely striated, bears a stamped chrysanthemum kamon.

A grey-and-black marbled saya

The saya is crafted from solid wood and finished in a kawari-nuri lacquer marbled in grey and black, with a veined effect and a high-gloss surface. The koiguchi is polished black, the kojiri lacquered to match. The kurikata, lacquered black with a gilded shitodome, accommodates a black cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling

With a 51 cm blade and a total length of 78 cm, the Kusari 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 supporting hand. At 1 kg, it remains agile in use. Measuring 80 cm in its saya, it is equally suited to solo display or presentation alongside a katana.