Hayashi means grove — a stand of trees, quiet and stripped to the essential — and this guardless wakizashi answers to it. There is no tsuba here: the Hayashi is mounted aikuchi-style, blade flowing straight into handle with nothing between, the way a clearing runs unbroken into the trees. It is the short sword reduced to its purest line.
Specifications
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Blade steel | T10 steel with hamon, dragon-claw finish |
| Tsuba | None (guardless aikuchi mounting) |
| Saya | Lacquered solid wood |
| Tsuka | Lacquered solid wood |
Dimensions
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Total length | 78 cm |
| Blade length | 52 cm |
| Handle length | 23 cm |
| Blade width | 3.2 cm |
| Blade thickness | 0.7 cm |
| Weight | 1 kg |
Forging & Steel
The blade is T10 tool steel, clay-tempered for a hard edge and resilient spine, and finished in a striking dragon-claw motif. The clay laid on before the quench produces a genuine hamon — the wavy temper line born in the quench — running beneath that claw pattern. The result is a blade that cuts as seriously as it displays. The high-carbon T10 holds its keen edge through repeated practice, so the Hayashi performs as a working short sword and not merely a decorative curiosity.
Fittings
The mounting is deliberately spare. With no guard, the saya and tsuka are both worked in lacquered solid wood — a clean, unbroken aikuchi line from tip to pommel that puts all the attention on the blade. Stripped of furniture, the Hayashi draws fast and reads as one continuous object, the quiet confidence of a sword that does not need ornament to make its case.
Is it battle-ready?
Yes. The clay-tempered T10 blade is hard, sharp and fully functional. The guardless aikuchi mounting is a traditional close-quarters configuration, fast to draw and clean in line. It makes a striking companion to a full katana and a distinctive standalone display. Explore the wakizashi collection, the guarded Wakizashi Akuma, or the master-grade Damascus Ninjato Miyamoto.
