Iwa Shobu Katana 

From Feilong Swords
We are proud to be the Official USA Vendor for Feilong Swords!

ONLY $495 plus shipping

Stats:

Steel – T-10
Nagasa – 28″
Overall length – 40 1/8″
Motohaba – 31 mm
Sakihaba – 20 mm
Motokasana – 7 mm
Sakikasana – 5 mm
POB – 6″
Tsuka length – 10 1/4″
Nakago length – 9″
Sori – 3/4″
Weight w/saya – 2.8 Lbs.
Weight w/out saya – 2.2 Lbs.
Hamon – suguha (may vary slightly)
Mune – iori

Comes with standard storage bag 

* hamon styles and stats may vary, above measurements and weight are approximate over several batches. pictures above are examples only and may vary slightly from the one you receive.
** old or dried/cured bamboo, wooden dowels, tree branches and similar are considered abusive targets for a katana. Cut hard targets at your own risk and always use caution. These blades are differentially heat treated to produce the authentic hamon and because of this they are prone to bending and taking a set or torque, it’s the nature of the this type of heat treat and they’re recommended for experienced cutters with proper alignment and form. 

The famed Iwa Shobu katana is back in stock and with a few upgrades as well.  The classic simple look is complemented by a strong blackened steel Musashi style double ring tsuba with a beautiful hammered pattern, steel Higo style fuchi and kashira and black gloss saya with synthetic silk sageo.

The sword is further accented by the beautifully fit solid copper habaki and seppa. The koiguchi, kurikata and kojiri are all made from genuine buffalo horn. The ito is wrapped over genuine, black lacquered ray skin and is very tight and uses paper hishigami for improved hold and aesthetics. The tsuka features a set of brass tri-mitsudome themed menuki and two bamboo mekugi to secure it to the full length nakago. 

While the Iwa Shobu katana wasn’t necessarily built for looking pretty on a wall rack and while it may have some cosmetic issues here and there, the overall fit & finish and the “bones” of the Iwa makes it stand out from the overload of drop-down-menu swords that only seem to be a great deal on the surface. When you depend on a sword to perform and last, you don’t need surface bling, you need good bones.

The Iwa is a sleek and graceful cutter that is rated for light to medium targets but in the hands of an experienced practitioner, can take on a wider range of targets including multiple rolled tatami mats and fresh bamboo, in addition to of course your standard water filled bottles and jugs. I’ve personally tested the blade of the Iwa line against 1 year old cured bamboo poles* and after destroying the targets, there was nothing to show on the blade aside from a few light surface scratches.  No chips, rolls, or dents to the blade edge at all.

The main thing that separates The Feilong Swords daily cutter line up from most of the other Chinese production katana in this class and price range is that all the swords are made by the same highly respected forge. Every blade and all the furniture is made the same from batch to batch and by the same craftsmen. While there might be the usual small differences expected of handmade products, you can clearly see the same traits and marks of quality from piece to piece. You won’t be suddenly surprised by how one Higo or Iwa looks nothing like another Higo or Iwa, as is the case with so many other brands.

Feilong Swords is not a typical brand that sources it’s pieces and parts from all over China, we stick with the same single source, year after year, batch after batch.

Here is a photo of the remains of the hardened bamboo I cut with the Iwa, next to the undamaged blade

Watch Matthew Jensen’s 2024 Review of the Feilong Swords Iwa Shobu katana

Watch JSA Instructor Raab Rashi of SwordClassNYC take on a quadruple tatami mat with his Iwa Katana

Watch sword forum member Aikidoka2012 (aka youtube’s Kingslayer) take on tatami omote mats with the Iwa shobu, proving you don’t need a specialized wide and thin blade to make clean efficient cuts on tough targets.

 

example of a customized Iwa Shobu katana featuring
brown silk over upgraded premium samegawa panels. I am not offering any custom work as of now but these swords are great for that purpose in general.

 

Still only $495 plus shipping!
For questions or to purchase, email me referencing the Iwa Shobu Katana

katana will ship within 3 business days of purchase, tracking number will be provided.

No returns or refunds. Please read following statement before purchasing.

The Higo and Iwa Shobu katana are part of Feilong Swords’ dojo cutter line and are not fancy or glamorous swords. They don’t have high level polish or any bells whistles or bling. They could have various cosmetic issues such as reversed end knots and small chips in the paint on fittings, surface scratches on blade, saya lacquer, the genuine samegawa panels may use separate pieces and the hamon may touch the edge in spots but this has been inspected by two top-ranking blade smiths and have been confirmed to be 100% fully functional. In the case of the Higo, because of the O’kissaki which is cosmetic not geometric, there is usually at least some saya rattle. None of the above-mentioned issues affects functionality in any way. This is the same with nearly all production katana on the market, the difference is we are up front about it while others choose not to mention it. We just wanted you to know and understand what these swords are about and that is being designed and built for the purpose of rigorous backyard and dojo cutting. The ito is very tight and the blades are in great shape and they are fully geared for daily cutting of light to medium targets, although they also do well with harder targets such as fresh bamboo and multiple mats. Always use caution when handling and cutting with sharpened swords.