Black Lotus Handmade D2 Steel Chinese Dao Sabre | 29 Inch Gently Curved Single Edged Blade, Matte Satin Finish | Polished Buffalo Horn Grip with Ornate Brass Disc Guard, Brass Pommel Cap & Red Tassel | Leather Scabbard | Martial Arts Collector Gift for Him | BMK-1137

Description

Black Lotus is a dao — the Chinese sabre that sat in one hand of the four traditional weapons and never really left. Twenty-nine inches, single edged, with a gentle continuous curve that carries all the way to a swept point. It is a cutting sword built around the wrist rather than the shoulder: the curve is shallow enough to thrust with and deep enough that every cut becomes a draw.

The blade is D2 tool steel in a smooth matte satin — no mirror, no etch, just a clean hand-rubbed surface that shows the geometry instead of the light. The grip is polished black buffalo horn, left plain, running from an ornate round brass disc guard to a brass pommel cap. From the cap hangs the red tassel, which on a dao is not decoration: it moves in the practitioner’s peripheral vision and traditionally helped mask the blade’s line.

Built for: collectors and martial artists. The dao is the general-issue sword of Chinese history — taught to soldiers because it could be learned quickly and used well, which is exactly why the form survives in kung fu schools today. As a sharp it is a display and test-cutting sword rather than a training weapon.

On the disc guard: the round guard is the dao’s signature. It shields the hand from a blade sliding down the edge and, cupped as it is, deflects rain off the grip — a small practical detail that stuck around for eight centuries.

On buffalo horn: dense, close-grained and naturally oily, which is why it polishes to a depth that looks lacquered without any coating. Every piece carries its own grain and a slightly different tone — yours will not match the photograph exactly.

Care: D2 is semi-stainless, not stainless. Wipe the blade after handling and keep a light coat of mineral oil on it. Buffalo horn dislikes dry heat — keep it away from radiators and direct sun, and a wipe of oil once a year keeps it from going dull. Store the sword out of the scabbard.

FAQs

What is the difference between a dao and a katana? Both are curved single-edged swords, but a dao curves more gently and continuously, uses a round disc guard rather than a tsuba, and is built for one-handed use with a free hand. The dao is Chinese, the katana Japanese, and they fight nothing alike.

What is the red tassel for? Traditionally it distracts the eye and disguises the blade’s line in motion, and it soaks up a little blood before it reaches the grip. In practice today it is also simply how a dao is supposed to look.

Is it suitable for wushu forms practice? This is a sharp collector’s sword, not a flexible performance dao. For forms you want a blunt training blade; this is the one that hangs on the wall behind it.

Does it arrive sharp? Yes. If you want it delivered unsharpened for display, note it on the order.

Is a scabbard included? Yes — a fitted leather scabbard comes with the sword.

Make it a gift: add laser engraving at checkout. Every order ships from Memphis, TN with a lifetime warranty — backed by 2,000+ verified 5-star reviews.

Model: BMK-1137