This introductory article has been in the pipeline for many years. Although I claim no expertise in the subject matter, I thought it would be helpful to have a fundamental outline of the culture and history of Japanese swords, as we receive many translation requests. My sources are listed under "References" and "Links."
I want to give special mention to
@Mandylion 's
Sword FAQ from 2003 (!).
I hope to add more imagery soon. I also hope our resident experts (
@Majestic,
@Ukigumo, and others) could point out any flaws and mistakes and add helpful facts and details.