Oni no Ryū Wakizashi (鬼の龍) – Oni Dragon

Oni no Ryū (鬼の龍): the oni dragon

The oni is the demon of Japanese folklore, a horned creature both feared and revered as a protector, while the dragon reigns as master of the elements. Together, they evoke a fierce, untamed power: one that wards off evil through the very dread it inspires.

This wakizashi brings both to life: a black dragon painted across the silver saya, dragons rising among clouds on the tsuba, and an oni mask carved into the kashira.

A copper-brown mokume damascus steel blade

The blade is forged in damascus steel, achieved by layering and folding multiple sheets of steel. It displays a deeply pronounced mokume pattern that faithfully imitates the grain of wood, rendered in deep brown and black along its full length.

A copper-brown burnishing gives it its warm, rich tone. The blade follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki point, and presents no hamon.

A mounting of dragons and the oni

The round tsuba with a scalloped edge is crafted in black-patinated and gilded copper. It features dragons and clouds in raised relief (takabori), open-work piercings (sukashi) between the scrolling forms, a lightly textured ground (ishime), two hitsu-ana openings and an undulating rim. A gilded brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi in gilded patinated copper carries karakusa scrollwork in relief, while the kashira bears a carved oni mask. The handle pairs wood with faux black rayskin beneath a black tsuka-ito binding in hineri-maki, with gilded patinated menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded brass features open-work panels with a honeycomb (kikkō) motif on a nanako ground.

A silver saya with a black dragon

The saya is crafted from solid wood, coated in a glittering metallic silver lacquer upon which a black dragon with red highlights has been painted. The rounded (maru) koiguchi and kojiri are lacquered silver, without any applied fittings. The silver-lacquered kurikata with its gilded shitodome holds a black cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, Oni no Ryū carries the true proportions of a wakizashi, the shorter companion to the katana. Its 23 cm handle offers a comfortable single-handed grip, with room for the second hand in support. At 1 kg, it remains agile and well-balanced. It measures 80 cm in its saya, a format that presents its mokume blade to its finest advantage.