Tsurugi (sword)

Tsurugi/Ken ()
A tsurugi double-edged straight sword from the Kofun period (5th century)
TypeSword
Place of originJapan
Service history
Used bySamurai, Onna-musha
Production history
Producedapprox. 200 B.C. Yayoi period (1,000 BC–300 AD) to present.
Specifications
Blade lengthapprox. 100 cm (39 in)

Blade typeStraight, double-edged
Hilt typeMetal, wood
Scabbard/sheathLacquered wood

A tsurugi () or ken () is a Japanese sword. The word is used in the West to refer to a specific type of Japanese straight, double-edged sword used in antiquity (as opposed to curved, single-edged swords such as the katana).[1] In Japanese the term tsurugi or ken (ja:剣) is used as a term for all sorts of international long, double-edged swords.

  1. ^ Tanaka, Fumon (2003). Samurai Fighting Arts: The Spirit and the Practice. Kodansha International. ISBN 9784770028983.