They are all functional blades in the sense that they have full tangs and are the same design as what would have been used on a Japanese battlefield.
Firstly is my latest addition to my collection, this is a Katana with a Kanji inscription, I have forgotten what it says.
The blades with its Saya.
The inscription.
Here I'm trying to show you how thin the blade is, but you haven't got anything to compare it with, it's about as thin as thick paper.
The following blade is a Wakizashi, it's shorter than a Katana, this blade would have been carried everywhere by the Samurai, on the battlefield it would have been used if you couldn't use your Katana anymore, ie it's been broken.
The following picture is of the Tsuba, as you can see it has a lion on it.
The following blade is another Katana, it was my first blade and my favourite. It isn't a live blade(sharp) anymore as I had to make it blunt for training and insurance purposes until I was compitent enough to use the sharp ones, but this doesn't mean it's not dangerous, it still has a point, which would qite happily go straight through you, and the blade edge would still break bones and tear flesh.
The following picture shows all 3 blades in their sayas so you can get an idea of their length.(Notice Mr sheen)
The handles on the two larger blades are longer than what they would originally be because of western hands are bigger than those of an Asian.
The following article tells you how the katana are made traditionally,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana_con ... ion_katana
Mine were not entireley made this way.
The wakizashi is produced in a different style and I can't find a good article on it.
Any questions just ask.
Mrs Aitch not best pleased at my hacking and slashing efforts in the garden, but 
), just interested if you don't mind. There's alot of work put in to those pieces of steel.. 
