iaitō (居合刀) is the name given by practitioners of iaido to mogitō (模擬刀), literally meaning "mock" or "imitation sword", an imitation katana used for practicing some Japanese sword arts. A real or "live" Japanese sword is often called a shinken.
Most iaitō are made of an aluminium-zinc alloy, which is often cheaper and lighter than steel. This use of alloy and a blunt edge also avoids the Japanese legal restrictions on the manufacture of swords made of ferrous metals. As such, Japanese made iaitō are intended as practice weapons and are not suited for any type of contact. The best alloy blades are rather faithful reproductions of real swords with authentic weight, shape, similarly high-quality finish and fittings. Iaitō may even have a mock hamon (the temper line of a tempered steel blade). The average weight for a real "uchikatana：打刀" is typically 1.2kg without the scabbard (saya 鞘), a typical alloy iaito is roughly 820g, while some steel iaito are also constructed and can weigh around 900-950gm for a 29inch blade.
Some imitation Japanese swords are made in countries other than Japan. They may even be made of folded steel, much like a real katana, but with a blunt edge. Such weapons would face the same use and ownership restrictions in Japan as for genuine swords, nihonto or shinken and would not be called iaitō in Japan.
Many traditional swordsmiths located in Seki, Gifu Prefecture, also produce iaitō.
Some dojo in Japan recommend that only alloy blades be used for practicing iaidō until the practitioner's skill is consistent enough to safely use a sharp edged sword, or nihonto or shinken. Some traditional iaidō schools (koryū) may require a student to start with a shinken right away, while some modern dojo prohibit the use of a shinken altogether.
The matching of iaitō length, weight, and balance to the practitioner's build and strength is of utmost importance to safely and correctly perform the iaidō forms (kata). Due to the repetition involved in the practicing of iaidō, iaitō are often constructed with the balance point of the blade being set further from the blade's point (kissaki) and closer to the guard (tsuba) than other blades.
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