Katana gets most of the spotlight, but it's one of four distinct blade types collectors run into — wakizashi, tanto, and tachi each have their own history, proportions, and reasons to own one. This guide breaks down what actually separates them, what Moonswords carries in each category, and how to shop across all four with the holidays coming up.
Key Takeaways
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Length is the defining trait | Katana blades run roughly 24 in (61 cm) and up; wakizashi fall between about 12–24 in (30–60 cm); tanto sit under 12 in (30 cm); tachi are katana-length but worn edge-down. |
| Moonswords stocks all four directly | Katana, wakizashi, tanto, and now tachi are all in the live catalog — the Fūrin Kazan is a genuine edge-down tachi, not a katana with the name borrowed. |
| Wakizashi and tanto price below katana | Wakizashi run $229–$549; tanto run $249–$449 (plus a katana-and-tanto matched set at $385–$1,030) — both make an accessible entry point or a companion piece to an existing katana. |
| Steel and tempering work the same across types | T8, T10, 1095 high-carbon, and Damascus steel all show up across katana, wakizashi, tanto, and tachi — the grading and hamon fundamentals carry over regardless of blade length. |
| Same order-ahead logic applies | Stock pieces across all four types ship in the same 3–5 business day window. See the Christmas Katana Buying Guide for full order-by timing ahead of the holidays. |
Table of Contents
- What sets each blade type apart
- Katana: the standard-bearer
- Wakizashi: the daishō companion
- Tanto: the collector's detail piece
- Tachi: the cavalry sword, back in the catalog
- Steel and tempering across all four types
- Building a collection across types
- FAQ
What sets each blade type apart
Blade length and how the sword was carried are the two traits that actually separate these four types — not just steel or fittings, which vary within each category.
| Type | Traditional blade length | Historical role | At Moonswords |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katana | ~24 in (61 cm) and up | The primary samurai sidearm from roughly the 15th century onward, worn edge-up thrust through the sash for a fast draw | Entry, Mid-Range, and High-End collections, $229–$3,249 |
| Wakizashi | ~12–24 in (30–60 cm) | The companion blade to the katana, worn together as the daishō pairing; used indoors, in close quarters, or for ritual purposes where a full-length katana was impractical | 7 pieces in the Wakizashi collection, $229–$549 |
| Tanto | Under 12 in (30 cm) | A utility and self-defense knife, sometimes carried as a third blade alongside a daishō, tied closely to tantojutsu (knife-fighting) technique | 4 pieces in the Tantō collection, $249–$449, plus a matched katana-and-tanto set |
| Tachi | Similar to katana, often more curved | The katana's predecessor, slung edge-down from a cavalry belt rather than thrust edge-up through a sash; largely phased out as mounted combat declined and the katana's faster draw took over | 1 piece — the Fūrin Kazan, $549–$579 |
Katana: the standard-bearer
Katana is Moonswords' deepest catalog by far, spanning Entry-Level ($229–$369) through Mid-Range ($295–$1,030) and High-End ($385–$3,249), plus the Chinese Master Collection jian and dao forged by Peiyan Zhao for collectors looking outside the katana line entirely. Since katana buying is already covered in detail elsewhere, two existing guides are worth reading alongside this one: the Collector's Guide to Authentic Katanas for steel and maintenance fundamentals, and How to Choose the Right Katana for matching a specific piece to a specific use.
Wakizashi: the daishō companion
A wakizashi isn't a small katana — it's a distinct blade with its own role. Traditionally worn alongside a katana as the daishō (paired long-and-short swords), the wakizashi handled situations where a full-length blade was impractical: indoor combat, close-quarters defense, and ritual use. Collectors today often buy one either as a standalone piece for its more compact, wearable proportions, or specifically to pair alongside an existing katana.
Moonswords' current wakizashi lineup, all full-tang and clay-tempered:
- Shiraki Wakizashi — T8 steel, $229–$259
- Hayabusa Wakizashi — T10 steel, $289–$319
- Seima Wakizashi — T10 steel, $329–$359
- Ryūmori Wakizashi — T10 steel, $339–$369
- Kokuryū Wakizashi — T8 steel, $349–$379
- Sochiku Wakizashi — T10 steel, $359–$389
- Tōga Wakizashi — Damascus steel, $519–$549
Browse the full lineup at the Wakizashi collection.
Tanto: the collector's detail piece
Tanto is the smallest of the blade types Moonswords stocks, and often the most detail-dense — a shorter blade puts more emphasis on the fittings, the hamon, and the finish work, since there's less blade real estate to carry the piece on its own. It's a natural starting point for a new collector on a tighter budget, or an addition for someone who already owns a katana or wakizashi and wants a display trio.
- Karasumaru Tanto — Damascus steel, $249–$279
- Byakuga Tanto — T10 steel, $319–$349
- Yukimi-ume Tanto — 1095 high-carbon steel, $339–$369
- Tengyaku Tanto — 1095 high-carbon steel, $419–$449
For collectors who want a katana and tanto that were designed together rather than paired after the fact, the Ghost of Tsushima-inspired Jin Sakai Katana and Tanto set ($385–$1,030) is a matched two-piece set in Damascus steel. Browse the rest of the standalone tanto at the Tantō collection.
Tachi: the cavalry sword, back in the catalog
The tachi predates the katana and is easy to confuse with it at a glance — similar length, similar curve family — but the two were carried differently. A tachi was slung edge-down from a cavalry belt using ashi suspension mounts, built for a mounted rider drawing downward. The katana replaced it as samurai warfare shifted away from mounted combat and toward faster, edge-up infantry draws. For the fuller history and the shift between the two, see The Japanese Tachi: The Samurai's Cavalry Sword and Why Katanas Replaced Tachi Swords.
Moonswords carries one genuine tachi: the Fūrin Kazan ($549–$579), clay-tempered 1095 high-carbon steel with gold-and-silver-gilded bronze fittings. It's mounted in traditional tachi koshirae — worn edge-down and slung via ashi suspension mounts rather than thrust edge-up through the sash as a katana is — so the mounting is the real thing, not a katana wearing a tachi's name. Browse the Tachi collection for the listing. For a custom tachi outside this one piece, the custom commission service can also spec the koshirae directly.
Steel and tempering across all four types
Steel grade and clay tempering aren't katana-specific — the same fundamentals apply whether the blade is 12 inches or 30. T8 and high-manganese steel show up across entry-level pieces in every category; T10 tool steel and 1095 high-carbon steel carry through the mid-range; Damascus appears at multiple price points for its layered pattern. The Clay Tempering guide and Metallurgy and Legacy of the Hamon both cover the process in more depth — everything in them applies just as much to a wakizashi, tanto, or tachi's hamon as to a katana's.
Building a collection across types
Some collectors buy one type and stop there; others build a set on purpose. A few common approaches:
- The daishō pairing — a katana and wakizashi bought together, historically the standard samurai loadout. Since Moonswords doesn't sell a pre-matched daishō set, collectors building one typically choose a katana and wakizashi with the same steel grade and a complementary fitting style from the individual product pages.
- The display trio — katana, wakizashi, and tanto together, sized down in sequence, common among collectors prioritizing a visual set over a strict historical pairing.
- Depth over breadth — several pieces within one type (e.g., multiple tanto in different steels) to compare craftsmanship and finish work directly.
Whichever direction a collection goes, Sword Investment Value Factors and the Sword Condition Grading Standards guide apply across all four types alike, and the Display Sword Care Checklist covers upkeep for a multi-piece collection.
If any of these are going under the tree this year, the order-by timing is the same across katana, wakizashi, tanto, and tachi — see the Christmas Katana Buying Guide for exact processing windows and how to plan around holiday shipping cutoffs.
FAQ
What's the difference between a katana and a wakizashi?
Mainly length and role. A katana runs roughly 24 inches (61 cm) and up and was the primary sidearm; a wakizashi runs about 12–24 inches (30–60 cm) and was traditionally worn alongside a katana as a companion blade for close-quarters or indoor use.
Is a tanto a good first sword for a new collector?
It can be — tanto sit at the lower end of Moonswords' price range ($249–$449) and still carry the same steel grades, clay tempering, and hamon as larger pieces, just in a more compact, budget-friendly format.
Does Moonswords sell a real tachi?
Yes — the Fūrin Kazan ($549–$579) is mounted in genuine edge-down tachi koshirae with ashi suspension mounts, the historical tachi's defining trait, rather than a katana-style mount carrying the tachi name.
Can I buy a matching katana and wakizashi set (a daishō)?
Not as a single bundled product currently, though the katana and wakizashi collections share several steel grades and fitting styles, so a close visual match is often possible by choosing from both collections directly. The Jin Sakai katana-and-tanto set is the one pre-matched two-piece option in the current catalog.
Do wakizashi, tanto, and tachi ship as fast as katana?
Yes — stock wakizashi, tanto, and the Fūrin Kazan tachi all fall under the same processing window as stock katana: 3–5 business days to leave the forge, per Moonswords' Shipping & Import Policy.