They’re Beautiful but are Thaitsuki Swords Good?
In your search for the ideal katana or wakizashi I’m sure you’ve come across the brand Thaitsuki and thought to yourself “they’re great looking but are thaitsuki swords good?”. We’ll run through our thoughts on this forgery and what others are saying as well.
Thaitsuki Overview
Before jumping into the quality of the Thaitsuki swords, a little information on the company. Thaitsuki is a forgery based out of Thailand that was started by an avid sword collector who wanted to create durable swords at an affordable price.
Each sword is handmade and forged by craftsman who knows the art of making a fine blade. Thaitsuki’s CEO Satit Sivarat claims they have continued to make some of the highest quality Japanese swords available for 20+ years now. They offer both wholesale and direct to consumer (DTC) sales, many other sword dealers actually participate in their dropship program to sell their swords. However, since they do offer DTC, our suggestion is to buy directly from Thaitsuki so they can better help with any concerns you may have.
Now, if you’ve been in the sword community for a while you may have heard about Thaitsuki and may have even heard some negative comments, asking yourself “are Thaitsuki swords good?”. Digging into these and various forums it appears that some were frustrated with two things 1) when Thaitsuki would use the terminology “Nihonto” which means “made in Japan” when in fact they are made in Thailand and 2) the price tag of some of the swords. In my opinion price isn’t something to complain about IF the quality backs it up, which in this case Thaitsuki’s quality definitely makes it worth the price.
Thaitsuki katanas were even featured in the 2010 movie Yamada: Samurai of Ayothaya, which was based on the true events of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who gained considerable influence in Thailand and become governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand during the Ayothaya Era.
Best Thaitsuki Katana Swords
Now that we ran through the background info on Thaitsuki let’s talk about what you’re here to find out – are Thaitsuki swords good? Well they offer three types of blades, all made with soft steel folded 1,024 layers but have some variances, let’s get into them.
Note: Prior to going through these, I have to state that I do not own every sword they have therefore some of my assessments of their quality are based on research conducted and pulled from various forums as well as my personal experience with blades of similar composition.
Thaitsuki Maru Katanas
Maru blades (sometimes called muku) are the most basic and common types of katanas and wakizashis, with the entire sword being composed of a single steel. However, with the use of modern steels combined with traditional forging methods, this does not cause the swords to be fragile, as in former days.
These would be your ‘base model’ katana if you were looking at getting into martial arts and buying a thaitsuki sword as they usually range from $860-$1,400.
Thaitsuki Sanmai Katanas
Thaitsuki Sanmai katanas, such as the stunning Tonbo Katana, are the higher-grade swords. The video below shows the stunning beauty of the Tonbo Sanmai katana (FYI – Here’s the link to see how much it costs). These swords are differentially hardened and have a natural hamon. While they’re not exactly Nihonto, they are the closest thing at a much more reasonable price ($2k-$3k).
The clay tempered and water quenched blades are made from T10 tool steel and 1095 carbon steel but they do have a Honsanmai model with a soft steel spine for those interested in that style. Something unique to Thaitsuki are their heavy usage of silver in their fittings, making their blades really stand out from others on the market.
Almost every video you’ll find on these are people satisfied with their blades. I personally absolutely love this model of sword, while I haven’t gotten to use the Tonbo I have used the Roiyaru Sanmai Katana and it is perfectly weighted.
How Are Thaitsuki Swords Made?
Exclusive Katana Sword Reviews Insight on Premium Thaitsuki Blade
Due to the good work Katana Sword Reviews does with providing quality information on swords, we have some inside knowledge that Thaitsuki is actually in the process of forging their highest quality katana yet. It will be a premium katana celebrating 22 years since Thaitsuki has been creating swords. It is rumored to have Himalayan jade worked into the tsuba as well.
Once we have the full details on this, we’ll release them to all our loyal readers. Sometimes sword makers will work with quality sites such as ours to allow our readers early access to opportunities to buy these exclusive releases so follow us on social media to keep any eye out if we are given that opportunity!
Conclusion
My personal opinion on the ultimate question “are Thaitsuki swords good?” is “yes!”. Thaitsuki swords are great swords and I highly recommend them HOWEVER, one final thing I want to make readers aware of is that as a result of the meticulous detail put into these blades, they are all made to order therefore expect longer wait times. Some people may not be willing to wait 60-90 days for their sword to arrive but for those who want a truly high-quality sword, the wait is well worth it!