The length of the katana blade varied considerably during the course of its history. In the late 14th and early 15th centuries, katana blades tended to have lengths between 70 and 73 centimetres (27 1⁄2 and 28 3⁄4 in). During the early 16th century, the average length dropped about 10 centimetres (4 in), approaching closer to 60 centimetres (23 1⁄2 in).