Praying Mantis

L6 Banite

The Praying Mantis is a symbol of cunning and power in the Japanese culture and is consequently a highly respected theme in Samurai swords.  Built on our new L6/Banite blade I the Shobu Zukuri style with Bo-HI, and featuring superb koshirae, the praying mantis is a very desirable and functional piece.  The subdued green silk ito and deep brown of the lacquered saya provide handsome contrast to the dark copper and gold acents of the tsuba, and fuch/kashira.  The stalking mantis lies in wait for it’s next prey mirroring the power and grace in this exceptional katana.

Bainite is a structure of high carbon steel that combines great strength with excellent flexibility and shock absorption characteristics.  It has been known as an exemplary Katana blade component for a number of years but its use has been restricted to only a few top-class master smiths due to the difficulties involved in performing the exacting heat treatment procedures necessary for the production of a Bainite blade body in combination with the very hard Martensite Yakiba (edge section) required for katana blades.  Hanwei has now mastered this process using billets of L6 tool steel (a very tough high carbon low-alloy steel) as it basis.  Blades are forged and shaped in the normal fashion and then carefully heat treated to achieve the required Bainite and Martensite structures before final polishing.

Specifications

Overall length: 41"

Nagasa: 29"

Tsuka: 11"

Overall weight: 2 lbs. 8 oz.