Most "uchigatana" made during the early Kamakura Period were not of the highest standard, and because they were considered disposable, virtually no examples from these early times exist today. It was not until the Muromachi Period, when samurai began to use "uchigatana" to supplement the longer "tachi", that "uchigatana" of higher quality were made. During the Momoyama period, the "tachi" was almost totally abandoned and the custom of wearing a pair of long and short "uchigatana" together (called the "daishō") became the dominant symbol of the samurai class.