Ninja Swords

Also called: Ninjaken, Shinobigatana, or Ninjato

If you were like me when you were a kid, being a ninja was probably the coolest thing on earth.

I wanted the throwing stars, the black costume, the tabi boots, and especially that cool ninja sword! Its straight length and square tsuba set it apart from the average samurai sword. You wore it on your back to free up your hands for other cool ninja moves; rendering your victims unconscious or dead as you accomplished your mission.

Well, the truth is, there's not much evidence to support much of what Westerners think of as "ninja stuff," especially when it comes to the ninja sword itself. The straight design with the square tsuba was probably invented by legendary ninjutsu experts Masaaki Hatsumi and/or Stephen K. Hayes. That's not to say that they just made up this whole ninja phenomenon, it just means that they probably nudged the mystique along to a Western culture that was ripe for the feeding.

So, what is fact and what's fiction about the ninja sword? For one, ninjas did carry swords, but they were shorter and of far poorer quality than a standard samurai sword was. Ninja families that developed were not of the samurai class and therefore couldn't afford the high-grade swords that the samurai owned. Also, it wasn't necessary for a ninja to have a high quality sword because the sword was not his primary weapon (as it was for the samurai).

The ninja had a wide variety of more favorable weapons at their disposal: throwing stars, throwing darts, powder bombs, etc. The idea of the ninja was not to stick around and duel it out with a samurai. Their job was to get in and get out - fast. Dueling with a Samurai was risky business, and the ninja knew it. Therefore, the ninja sword had two major purposes:

It was shorter than a standard Katana so that it could be drawn faster than their opponent. The sword would usually be held in a standard length saya to deceive the opponent that they had a longer sword. But the short length allowed them to draw faster and cut the samurai's arm giving them enough time to get away. The extra space in the saya was probably used to store extra supplies at the bottom (I've drawn one of these ninja sword reproductions, and they do make a big difference on drawing speed).
The ninja sword was primarily a thrusting weapon (or minimal slashing as noted above). Their swords were not designed for dueling or hacking off limbs since they were made of poor quality steal. A slash and a thrust was all a ninja needed to escape without being caught.

Also, the ninja sword most likely had a slight curve in it, and wasn't perfectly straight. It's speculated that some real ninja swords were old Katanas that were hacked down to size.

Despite what historians know about the ninja sword, the mystique and legend have already been assimilated into modern culture. That's not such a bad thing, but keep in mind that the perfectly straight blade and the square tsuba are not historically accurate. No known blades that match this description have surfaced from the past to prove anyone wrong.

But, ninja blades are still pretty cool. If you decide to buy a functional ninja sword, all of the same rules apply when buying a sword. See my sword buyer's guide for more details.

As a word of caution, I'd be really careful if you try some drawing techniques from a sharp ninja sword strapped to your back. Having a blade next to your head, historically correct or not, is still a dangerous matter.

*Disclaimer: Swords are very dangerous weapons that can hurt, maim, or kill people if not handled properly. Handle swords with care in every circumstance. If you don't know how to handle a sword properly, don't touch it. Use every safety precaution available when handling any weapon. This website claims no responsibility for any of the information or links provided within these pages. This website is not responsible for any accident, injury, or dissatisfied purchase from links that originate from this site. Handle swords at your own risk. Purchase swords at your own risk. Always obey the laws of your state or area regarding sword purchase and sword use.