Ten Ryu Fixed Blade 31.5in Damascus Steel Blade Cotton Wrapped Real Ray Skin Handle. The most notable improvement is the blade which is now forged and highly polished a process which drastically reduces weight and greatly increases torsional rigidity. The difference between a samurai sword and a bokken is that bokken uses a curved blade while bokken uses a straight blade. The former is generally preferred by those who seek a traditional sword feel and the swordsman uses a more traditional handle. However there are advantages to the latter. Named after the Japanese village which produced the most celebrated sword of the latter a samurai sword is usually considered the most beautiful of the Japanese swords. Specifications for Ten Ryu MAZ-401 Hand Forged Samurai Sword: Manufacturer: Ten Ryu Handle Finish: Cotton Wrapped Real Ray Skin Blade Type: Fixed Blade Package Contents: Ten Ryu MAZ-401 Hand Forged Samurai Sword Ten Ryu MAZ-401M: Fixed Blade 31.5in Damascus Steel Blade Cotton Wrapped Real Ray Skin Handle