Kokubyaku Katana Sword (黒白) – Black and White

The Blade in Full Contrast

The hamon of the Kokubyaku katana follows a midare gunome pattern, a turbulent, wave-driven undulation that rises dramatically from the ha toward the shinogi in broad, organic peaks. The white zone it creates is unusually wide, in several sections occupying more than half the blade’s full width, making the contrast between the bright silver edge and the deep matte-black ji panels feel almost violent in its clarity. The high shinogi ridge amplifies this effect further, catching light at sharp angles and throwing the two surfaces into even starker opposition. At the kissaki, the hamon wraps cleanly into a ko-maru boshi, the white finish continuing without interruption to the very tip, where the yokote boundary line is defined with the kind of crisp precision that separates a well-made blade from an exceptional one.

A Koshirae Built as One

Every fitting on the Kokubyaku black and white katana speaks the same language. The tsuba is a striking round alloy guard engraved with a samurai head in full helmet, its blackened surface bringing a bold figurative presence to the piece. The habaki, finished in black alloy and engraved with a kamon lotus, adds a refined sculptural detail at the blade’s base. The tsuka combines a faux black stingray leather grip with a tight diamond wrap in deep matte black, black dragon menuki visible as raised sculptural profiles beneath the cord at traditional positions. The saya is finished in white and black lacquered wood with a brushed effect, a surface that balances graphic contrast with tactile restraint. Black braided sageo completes a sword that, from steel to sheath, has been conceived as a single object of rare and lasting presence.