Official Ronin Katana samurai sword destruction test videos and customer You Tube videos.

Ronin Katana actively tests the swords we design before we offer them for sale. We've published several of these tests on
You Tube. In addition we send out test models for independent testing and review to publications like Sword Buyers Guide.


The 2012 testing has begun. Ronin is destroying 10-20 katana this year in extensive testing. The first videos and pictures are
below.
DO NOT attempt anything you see in the destruction videos. Your sword will be destroyed and you could be hurt.
So what exactly is a dōtanuki sword?

Dōtanuki is a Japanese swordsmithing school developed in the Higo province of Kyūshū during the Kamakura period.
The Japanese kanji for dōtanuki translates to,
sword that cuts through torsos. While samurai routinely tested their
blades on the bodies of convicted criminals to judge their cutting ability, dōtanuki blades were renowned for cutting
through the bodies of armored opponents.

The thick wide body blades were forged in both bohi (with groove) and no hi (without groove) styles, although the solid
no hi blades were the most common. The dōtanuki's thickness and durability helped them obtain their vicious reputation
during the Japanese conquest of Korea where they were heavily used by daimyō Katō Kiyomasa's samurai. Their
popularity peaked during the Azuchi-Momoyama (1568-1600) period, and began to fade rapidly thereafter as Japan
entered a period of relative peace and stability.

The dōtanuki style was all but forgotten until Japanese manga writer Kazuo Koike reintroduced it the famous 70's magna
series Lone Wolf and Cub. The ronin Ogami Ittō uses a dōtanuki blade in his quest for revenge on the Yagyū clan.