Onibi Wakizashi (鬼火) – Will-o’-the-Wisp

Onibi (鬼火): the will-o’-the-wisp

The onibi, literally “demon fires”, are the will-o’-the-wisps of Japanese folklore: blue or red flames that drift at night above graveyards and marshes. They are bound to spirits, yōkai and wandering souls.

This wakizashi captures that atmosphere entirely: an oni-headed dragon painted in black and red across the saya, and a blade traced with copper flames, as though supernatural fire runs the length of the steel.

A copper-toned two-tone blade with a flame motif

The blade is forged in T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness. It follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki point, and is grooved with a bo-hi.

The finish is two-tone: a satin copper-toned body and bo-hi set against a polished bright-steel edge, separated by a contrasting flame-pattern hamon running the full length of the blade.

A silver mounting with basketweave detail

The kakumaru-gata tsuba (square with softly rounded corners) is cast in silver-toned alloy. Its raised ground imitates a basketweave (kago-ami), adorned with stylised bamboo leaves, with an edge that echoes bamboo knots. A gilt brass seppa completes the fitting.

The fuchi and kashira in silver-toned alloy continue the basketweave motif. The handle pairs wood with a faux white ray skin, beneath a brown tsuka-ito wrapped in hineri-maki, with silver menuki set into the binding. The ichimai habaki in gilt brass is finished with a raised crosshatch pattern.

A silver saya with an oni-headed dragon

The saya is solid wood, covered in a glittering silver lacquer upon which an oni-headed dragon is painted in black and red. The koiguchi and kojiri are lacquered in the same silver as the saya body, unadorned. The white-lacquered kurikata with its gilt shitodome holds a brown cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, Onibi 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 agile and easy to handle. At 80 cm in its saya, it is an ideal format for displaying its painted scabbard to full effect.