Lotus Citadel Katana

The Lotus Citadel Katana is crafted in the same painstaking manner as Citadel’s acclaimed Ocean and Bamboo models, yet purpose-built for the demands of traditional cutting practice. Each blade is hand forged by Citadel’s master smiths in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, using time-honored Japanese sword-making techniques. With a focus on strength, balance, and handling, the Lotus embodies the essence of a practical samurai weapon—refined to its purest and most functional form.

Built for the Demands of Tameshigiri

The Lotus features a solid blade with no bo-hi (fuller), providing a slightly heavier feel and a forward balance ideal for cutting. Citadel’s master bladesmiths sharply taper the geometry from the shinogi (central ridge) to the mune (back of the blade), creating a thick, durable profile with more niku—the apple-seed curvature behind the edge prized for cutting performance. This geometry allows the blade to endure cutting harder targets, such as fresh green bamboo, without fear of chipping or deformation. Forged and polished entirely by hand, each sword is an exceptional blend of traditional craftsmanship and functional engineering.

Pure Form, Perfect Fit

The fittings of the Lotus are hand-cut and shaped from pure iron, finished with a deep black patina requiring minimal maintenance. Iron’s flexibility under stress ensures resilience where more brittle metals might fail—an invaluable trait in a working sword. The Lotus-style tsuba reflects an early kyo sukashi, maru gata design—simple, strong, and elegant. The tsuka (handle) and saya (scabbard) are each hand-carved to fit their respective blades perfectly. The tsuka is wrapped in black Japanese silk ito over full same-gawa (ray skin) with hishigami paper inserts for strength and longevity, while the saya is finished with a semi-gloss lacquer and buffalo horn mounts at the koiguchi, kurikata, and kojiri. Limited to just 100 swords, each Lotus Katana is individually signed and numbered by the smith on the nakago and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.