Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Sharpness: This sword is defenatly not razor sharp and couldnt even pass the paper test. This can be either good or bad depending on your purpose for this sword. It's sharpness is like halfway between dangerous and "safe". If you are using it as a practice iaito, its too sharp for that. If you are using it for heavy tameshigiri, its too blunt for that. Please be careful as it is still somewhat sharp, but wasnt sharp enough to cut my finger when I gave the edge a light tap. I wouldnt advise doing this with any sword unless you are absolutely sure you wont hurt yourself. Gatorade bottles seem a bit too thick for this sword. Cutting through milk jugs, I noticed no problems and little resistance. Pool noodles posed a challenge though. It is sharp enough to cut them, but due to their light weight and bendy nature met with a somewhat sharp blade, it is a challenge. I just barely cut through free-standing soaked beach mats and while im sure my technique isnt perfect, I know its higher than "casual backyard cutter" level.
During cuttings tests, I missed where I was aiming and hit the cap of a large Gatorade jug. I cut through, but it left a slight dent on the edge. It is very small and not easily noticable, but its still there. The sharpness has quickly gone away and I now notice cutting milk jugs is more difficult but still easy. Any blade will lose its sharpness with use, but because 1045 steel is fairly soft steel for a sword, dont expect it to hold its edge as well as 9260 or T10.
Fittings: The fittings are acceptable quality. They seem to be made of either bronze or brass and stained with a dark gray finish (except for the 'seppa') that goes away over time where my hands are. The 'same' is definitely fake and is not a full wrap, but two strips. The 'mekugi' are tight fitting but easy to take out with a 'mekuginuki' hammer. When I tried to take the handle off, I had a lot of difficulty. A tight handle is good, but not this tight. I noticed a slight crack in the wood, but not where it would compromise the integrity too much. The 'ito' is not wrapped authentically, but it doesnt look bad and is tight enough. There was some looseness with the gaurd, but adding two pieces of computer printer paper as extra spacers fixed this.
Scabbard: The scabbard is decent. Its very light and does look like wood on the inside. The finish has a few knicks at the end from accidentally bumping into things. The 'sageo' reminds me of a shoelace, but it works. It is the same color as the 'ito', navy blue. When I first got it, the sword was secure enough in the scabbard to stay put when held upside down, but now its become very loose and barely any movement will cause it to fall out. There is some rattling when I jiggle it around, but not a lot. The scabbard could be made to fit the blade better, but im satisfied with it at this price.
Noteable Cons: The temper line is clearly fake. It looks wirebrushed. I personally would rather have no visible temper line than a fake one, but thats just me. Some people may not care.
However, my biggest complaint about this sword is that the one I got had it's blade bent ever so slightly to the left. However, you might get a perfectly straight blade. I put it in a vice (covered in a cloth of course) and carefully bent it at various spots. It actually worked. However, this means that the blade is of low quality since it was able to be permenatly bent so easily. Even a top quality authentic nihonto will bend with poor technique, but this sword is far more prone to that. Dont expect amazing results with a $50 sword made of 1045 steel. Its kind of funny though, that the scabbard is also bent at the same degree and direction as the blade was before I straightened it. Unfortunately I cant straighten it like I did with the blade.
I have owned this sword for about 3 months since my posting of this review. Rated 4 stars for being an excellent sword in its class, but with a few cons. While on the lower end of the functional category, this is still a decent sword and good for light practice. Dont expect a high quality authentic katana, but it is worth the price. At least its not a wall hanger. If you have any questions, id be glad to answer them the best I can.
-Sword Dimensions-
Blade: 26 3/4"
Blade (With habaki): 27 7/8"
Handle: 10 3/4"
Tang: 8 1/4"
Scabbard: 29 3/4"
Balance Point: 5" from guard
Blade Curve: 5/8"
Temper Line: Wirebrushed
Grain: Straight (unfolded)
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Full Size Samurai Sword Fully Handmade Razor Sharp Musashi KatanaThis is a brand new full tang hand crafted samurai katana with a Musashi ring tsuba. This Katana is the legendary Musashi brand model SS676 which you can view many demo videos on YouTube. Some refer this as the best $50 sword you can buy in the world. The sword comes with razor sharp blade and is well balanced. The blade of the sword is hand crafted and made with high carbon steel. This sword is full tang and can be disassembled. This sword can be used for practice use and features a visible kissake on the tip of the blade.
Click here for more information about Full Size Samurai Sword Fully Handmade Razor Sharp Musashi Katana
