An odachi, meaning "big/thick sword", was a type of long Japanese sword. The term nodachi, or "field sword", which refers to a different type of sword, is often mistakenly used in place of odachi.
The character for o means "big" or "great". The characters for da and chi are the same as tachi, the older style of sword/mounts that predate the katana. The chi is also the same character as katana and the to in nihonto ("Japanese sword"), originally from the Chinese character for a knife, dao.
To qualify as an odachi, the sword in question must have a blade length of 3 shaku (90.9 cm) or more. However, as with most terms in Japanese sword arts, there is no exact definition of the size of an odachi.
The purpose of the odachi can be categorized as follows:
As an offering to a shrine or gods. Some odachi were dedicated with prayer to win a war, others were placed in shrines as legendary swords from mythology.
Most odachi were used for the first two reasons.
This odachi that we have procured from Rittersteel is a fully functional sword of war. A fully sharpened high carbon steel, full tang blade is sure to make any odachi enthusiasts or practitioners eyes widen. Fully leather wrapped, the tsuka is handmade out of wood and wrapped in the traditional method by leather. The saya of this huge samurai sword is also made out of wood and covered in leather including the leather back strap.
Giant 67" Odachi Features:
Weight: 5.6 Lbs