IF you are new to the field of sword collecting, here is a link that i think will help you differentiate the various types of swords.

Swords are generally categorized by their blade shape, size and so on. The following page on Wikipedia will help you better understand the difference between those general categories:

Sword Terminology and Typology

Ninjas refer to specially trained warriors originating from Japan that utilize unorthodox methods of fighting in war. While they are sometimes closely related to the samurai or the common Japanese swordsman, they are distinct in a sense that they employ a mixture of illusion, martial arts, and a variety of weapons in order to complete a certain set of tasks. Ninjas are often deployed to do spy work or assassination jobs or other tasks that require an art of concealment or deception. Thus, the popular idea that Ninjas never attack their opponents head to head without a sneaky trick up their sleeve is a relatively true.

While ninjas are trained to be incredibly agile and self-reliant, part of their expertise in trickery and combat are found in the wide array of weapons that they have been known to use. The reason why these weapons have become so interesting to many and popular to even more is because they are totally different from the commonly expected weapon of a Japanese warrior, and are usually designed for a very specific, if not exclusive reason.

Despite the variety of weapons that ninjas use, however, one can still find the ninjato or the Ninja sword as their common weapon. They are a bit shorter than the traditional samurai swords and have straight blades. Much of these characteristics can be found in the Hanwei Practical Ninjato Sword.

Ninjas also have sharp projectile weapons like the Kohga Ninja Star and the Ninja Spike Set which they use to impale their targets from a distance. As a matter of fact, the ninja star has been one of the most popular trademarks of the ninja. To many, a ninja is not complete in his image without one of these.

Another ninja weapon would be the Kuma Claw. Claws are also well known ninja weapons that are strapped to the warrior’s hands and feet. These claws are used both as climbing tools as well as lethal weapons.

There are also more Ninja weapons out there that are sought after by Ninja enthusiasts, such as the Ninja Bo Staff. One can see more than one of these weapons used in many ninja and martial arts films.