Japanese swordmaking is an ancient art, more than 1,000 years old, that begins with making tamahagane, a type of steel produced from iron sand by traditional hand methods in charcoal-fired clay furnaces. Then highly skilled artisans, using hand forging methods, purify and shape this steel into exquisite polished swords revered as the finest blades ever made by human hands, renowned for their strength and sharpness. The most familiar type is katana, the traditional samurai sword, which typically is 70 cm to 73 cm (27.5″ to 28.5″) in length, gently curved, with a single cutting edge.
In the hands of a samurai master swordsman, a katana is a fearsome weapon that can easily lop off an enemy’s limb or head with a single stroke. For centuries, katana were Japan’s primary military weapon, and only samurai were allowed to possess them. Today in Japan, the best examples of katana are priceless national treasures, kept and guarded in leading museums. Sometimes, you can find them online through sites like Katana Sale, where authentic replicas are created through traditional means. Most people these days are more interested in the aesthetics of such blades, which is why it is possible to purchase Katanas through vendors such as Samurai Supply, and, whilst they have no place in modern combat, they can make fantastic ornamental collectors pieces.
Being a samurai was a way of life, requiring dedication to rigorous training and adherence to a code of honor. Traditional samurai combat required finesse. By comparison, western-style dueling is merely vulgar.
Thus, samurai combat with katana holds great promise as a means of settling family disputes, not only because of its appeal in aesthetic terms, but also practically, because by the time the belligerents become sufficiently skilled in Japanese sword fighting to go at it and settle the matter, they will have died of old age and everyone will have forgotten what they were arguing about.