A katana (刀 ) is a type of Japanese sword (日本刀 nihontō), and is often called a "samurai sword." The term katana may be applied to the standard size moderately curved [...] with a blade length of greater than 60 cm (23.6 inches).
The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single edged blade, circular or squared guard, and long grip to accommodate two hands. It has historically been associated with the samurai of feudal Japan, and has become renowned for its sharpness and cutting ability, to the point that its purported cutting capabilities have reached mythical status.
- above: an original Muramasa katana
A rapier is a relatively slender, sharply pointed sword, used mainly for thrusting attacks, mainly in use in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.
-above: rapier, 17th century
