Real "ninja" sword, or modern invention?

[fearn]

Hi Rich,

That much I know, and I'm not arguing that the ninja-to is a genuine historical design, used by real ninja.

As for the tengu sword, it's weird enough that I figured I would ask. It's certainly an original design, and it hasn't been commercialized the way the ninja-to has.

Assuming it's modern leads to a fun question: why create an anachronistic weapon that's only used in a few martial arts schools in Hawaii, California, and Arizona? In California, at least, carrying that sword would be a felony.

The other thing is that Japan does have an extensive history of weird weapons, and people do collect them. If the tengu sword has any historical precedents (perhaps a military kama?), I figured someone on the list might know.

Best,

F