Have you ever wondered how long a katana is?
Me too! And actually, I didn’t really know until I bought my first own katana.
In this article, you will learn about the average length of a katana without needing to buy one. :D
Table of Contents
Average Length of a Katana
The average total length of a katana is 105 cm/41.3 inches (3.5 shaku). Traditionally its length is measured in shaku. However, swords with a blade length over 2 shaku (61 cm/23.9 in) can already be classified as a katana.
The measurement unit shaku will be explained later on in this post.
Blade Length: Nagasa
The property called nagasa indicates the length of the blade. Measuring the blade isn’t overly complicated. Yet there are a few rules we have to consider.
First of all, we have to talk about how exactly we measure the length. As the katana has a slightly curved blade most people get a bit confused on the measurement process.
I get asked where exactly the start- and endpoint for determining the length of the blade is, quite often.
Fortunately for us, we don’t have to measure the curvature of the blade. To put it bluntly, you just have to measure in a straight line from the kissaki (point) to the habaki (metal collar).
As seen in the image a simple folding metre stick will do the job.
Handle Length
Yeah, measuring the handle of a katana should be a no-brainer.
As katanas are double-handed swords the tsuka (handle) is quite long.
The tsuka has a length of around 1 shaku (30 cm/11.9 inches)
Then do some simple math and add the nagasa (blade length) to the length of the handle. And voila you got the overall length of the katana.
Japanese Measurement Unit
I bet you were waiting for more information on the unit shaku. Now here it is.
Japanese swordsmiths use this measure all the time.
1 shaku equals 30.30 cm (11.93 inches).
No need to remember the decimals. I always round it to 30 cm.
Japanese Blades Classified by Length
The Japanese swordsmiths classify their weapons by blade length.
There are three main categories:
| Blade Length (nagasa) | Blade Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| over 2 shaku | daito | Long sword (katana, tachi, nodachi) |
| 1 to 2 shaku | shoto | Short swords (wakizashi, chisa-katana) |
| under 1 shaku | tanto | Long knives and daggers (tanto) |
Conclusion
At the end of this post, I’d like to summarise the main points we covered.
The average length of a katana ranges from 100 to 110 cm (39.4 to 43.3 in).
However, a sword with a 61 cm (24 in) blade and 20 cm (7.9 in) handle can already be classified as a katana as well, because the blade length is over 2 shaku.
The unit used for measuring the length in a traditional way is called shaku. One shaku equals approximately 30 cm (11.9 inches).
Japanese swords are organized into three categories. Katanas are in the “daito” category.
I hope you liked today’s post. I would really appreciate if you leave feedback and suggestions in the comment field below.