Thanks for all the replies, I especially like Storm Crow's machetes. Definitely out of my price range, though. I think the very sound advice to take away is, a katana would be dead weight in the woods. Also good points on concealability, I hadn't factored that into my original plans. So, something thick, short, and packable for brush work. That, I can work with.
The steel of the Ritter katana is definitely the pivotal point; from what I can tell (or assume from their other designs) the handle would hold up quite nicely, likely with ebony wood under the leather and solid brass fittings. I found one thread from a guy a while back (from these forums, in fact) which claimed the blade steel was from repurposed tank leaf-springs, though I haven't seen anything else to back this up. Theoretically that would make the blade fairly tough and flexible, though perhaps not the sharpest. I'll do more thinking and researching on this before committing to buying it, and as such any additional information is welcome.
The steel of the Ritter katana is definitely the pivotal point; from what I can tell (or assume from their other designs) the handle would hold up quite nicely, likely with ebony wood under the leather and solid brass fittings. I found one thread from a guy a while back (from these forums, in fact) which claimed the blade steel was from repurposed tank leaf-springs, though I haven't seen anything else to back this up. Theoretically that would make the blade fairly tough and flexible, though perhaps not the sharpest. I'll do more thinking and researching on this before committing to buying it, and as such any additional information is welcome.
