The samurai carried two swords as a symbol of their social status, the katana and wakazashi.
The katana was used for combat and meting out punishment, while the wakazashi was reserved for committing ritual suicide. No other member of Japanese society was allowed to carry weapons, and the samurai were entitled to put to death those who disobeyed the laws of the Shôgun or the standards of social conduct.
The katana was the samurai's most prized possession, and for some it was believed to possess the soul of the samurai for whom it was created. Each sword was made by a swordsmith who laboured long and hard to create th perfect blade; soft and flexable at its core with a hard and razor sharp exterior.
Katana were designed to be able to severe a person's head with just one strike.