Shinken

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Shinken" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Shinken (真剣, literally meaning "real sword") is a Japanese sword that has a forged and sharpened blade. The term shinken is often used in contrast with bokken (wooden sword), shinai (bamboo sword), and iaitō (unsharpened metal sword).

Shinken are often used in

are two famous types) blades.

There is also a large worldwide market for "shinken" made outside Japan. Many collectors consider these to be somewhat worthless as collectibles (since they are not

), but some martial artists continue to purchase and use them, because of their considerably lower price, ease of acquisition, and also to spare their valuable Nihontō from what some view as abuse. The vast majority of these are made in China, but there are custom smiths all over the world manufacturing swords in the Japanese style.

See also

• Kenjutsu
• Battōdō
• Iaidō
• Iaijutsu
• Nihontō

References

External links

• Japanese Sword Laws FAQ
• Collecting Nihonto
• Nihonto Japanese Swords