Our story

About Us

LQForge brings swords from the workshops of Longquan, China’s historic sword town, to collectors, martial artists and fans in Australia, North America and Europe.

Rooted in Longquan

The LQ in our name stands for Longquan. For more than 2,500 years this town in Zhejiang has been known for its blades, and in 2006 Longquan sword forging was recognised as a national Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. We work with Longquan workshops that still forge, fold, clay-temper and polish by hand, and we choose every model for its steel, balance and finish.

What we sell

Traditional katana, tachi, wakizashi and tanto; Chinese Tang Dao and Jian; European longswords; wooden training swords; and swords inspired by anime, games and films. Almost every sword has a real steel blade, and each listing shows a full specification table (steel, lengths, hardness, fittings and weight) so you can compare before you buy.

Our promise

  • Honest descriptions: real photos and real measurements for every model.
  • Responsible selling: steel swords go to adults 18+ only, with age confirmation on every order.
  • Real people: questions about a sword? Contact us and we'll help.

A note on licensing

Our anime, game and film swords are inspired by the original designs. They are not made, sponsored or endorsed by the creators or owners of those series.

Our heritage

The Longquan Sword Tradition

Longquan, a mountain town in Zhejiang province, has been making swords for more than 2,500 years. Legend says the master smith Ou Yezi came here in the Spring and Autumn period, drawn by iron-rich sand, clear spring water for quenching and fine whetstones in the hills. He is said to have forged the famous swords Longyuan, Tai'e and Gongbu, and the town still carries the name of the first: Longquan, the Dragon Spring.

Over the centuries Longquan became China's best-known sword town, and in 2006 Longquan sword forging was listed as a national Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. Its workshops still fold, clay-temper and polish blades by hand, now with modern steels such as 1065 and T10, and many of the swords in our range are made there.

The Longquan Sword Tradition
The Longquan Sword TraditionThe Longquan Sword TraditionThe Longquan Sword Tradition

From Steel to Blade

  1. 01

    Selecting the steel

    Carbon steel such as 1045, 1065 or T10, or layered pattern steel, is chosen for what the blade must do: toughness, edge holding or a visible grain.

  2. 02

    Forging & folding

    The billet is heated in the forge and hammered out. Pattern-steel blades are folded and forge-welded again and again to build layers and drive out impurities.

  3. 03

    Shaping the blade

    Hammer by hammer the smith draws out the tip, spine and tang, setting the curve and the basic geometry of the sword.

  4. 04

    Filing & grinding

    Excess metal is removed and the bevels, ridge line and profile are refined with files and coarse stones.

  5. 05

    Clay tempering & quenching

    On clay-tempered blades a thin layer of clay goes on the edge and a thick one on the spine. Quenched from the fire, the edge hardens while the spine stays resilient, leaving the hamon line.

  6. 06

    Tempering

    The blade is reheated at a lower temperature to relieve stress and balance hardness (about 58 HRC on many of our blades) with toughness.

  7. 07

    Polishing

    Progressively finer stones bring out the edge, the hamon and the grain of the steel. A multi-stage polish can take several days.

  8. 08

    Fittings & assembly

    Guard, collar, wrapped handle and lacquered saya are fitted to the blade by hand. Each sword is then checked, oiled and packed.