“This cold autumn night

Solitary firefly

Bravely his lamp lights.”

--Tetsuko

Fireflies were revered in Japan and considered to be the souls of fallen samurai. In many old folktales, a visit by a firefly could signify a visit by an ancestor or could herald a death. They were a delight of early summer but sometimes stayed until fall, though the later in the year they appeared, the more significance was placed on their presence. Fireflies also shared streams with dragonflies and are kindred spirits, sharing many misadventures with them in Japanese folklore.

Our Hotaru reflects the symbolism of both the firefly and the dragonfly. The koshirae feature a dragonfly and cattails design, accented by a sukashi dragonfly tsuba which is based on a historic design. The ito and sageo are deep blue, like the skies they fly in and the waters they inhabit. The saya is grey with gold metal flake, resembling fireflies in flight. The blade is the true star of this sword; it’s a medium weight T10 blade that features a simply stunning midare hamon and a komaru boshi. It has medium to light niku, making it excellent for iaido and tameshigiri.

The ito has been wrapped in the katahinerimaki style, which was one favored by higher ranking samurai. It is a more difficult wrap to do and was therefore more costly than regular hinerimaki. Itomaki on the Hotaru has been completed at our workshop by our tsukamakishi, and this style is a limited production run.

Note: As this is a custom style, please allow three days for processing.

• Overall Length: 39.5 "
• Blade: Sharp
• Nagasa Length: 27.5 "
• Blade Material: T10
• Tsuka Length: 10.5 "
• Niku: Light Niku
• Blade Thickness @ Habaki: 0.288 "
• Sori: 0.564 "
• Blade Thickness @ Kissaski: 0.222 "
• Kissaki Length: 1.708 "
• Blade Width @ Habaki: 1.249 "
• Lamination: Maru
• Blade Width @ Kissaki: 0.914 "
• Hamon: Midare
• Weight W/O Saya: 2.20 LBS, 35.2 Ounces
• Balance Point: 5.25 " from Tsuba
• Tsuba Material: Iron
• Hardness of Yakiba: 58 HRC
• Ito & Sageo Material: Chemical Fiber
• Itomaki Style: Katahinerimaki
• Fuchi Kashira Material: Iron & Brass
• Sword Name: Hotaru (Firefly)
• Mekugi: Double Pin
• Condition: Brand New
• Manufacturer: Munetoshi