My then twelve-year old son Joe came home from school one day with a rendered sketch of a tanto of his own design (his version of doodling). I was so impressed with the drawing that I used it as the guide (two years later) to build a tanto for him (he has  also studied several martial arts, including sword). During high school he produced another drawing, this time of a katana-wielding Samurai. Ten years later, I presented him with that katana.

The katana and tanto furniture are hand-made. The tsubas are cut, filed and carved from solid 1/4" copper plate. The saya kojiri and kurikata, and the seppa,  fuchi and koshira are constructed of sheet copper. All copper components are heat-patinaed and clear-lacquered. The menuki and habaki are cast in sterling silver from original wax carvings. The stingray same is dyed burgundy and wrapped with white silk ito. 

The saya are constructed of spalted maple, and have multiple coats of hand-applied and hand-polished clear lacquer. Kurikata are made of buffalo horn.

The tanto features a Kris Cutlery blade, which is acid-etched with Joe's snake design. The copper tsuba has a hammered stippled pattern. The tanto is 17'' long overall, with a differentially-tempered 10 1/2'' blade.

The sword is made in a similar fashion, with a Cheness 33" differentially heat-treated blade and matching furniture. The solid copper tsuba is hand-carved, with composite pin eyes. The tsuka is 15" long and double-pinned.

The double-sword stand is constructed with a cottonwood base, with thick copper rod uprights wrapped with brass wire.

The black-background sword photos are also by my son, Joe Gotkin

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