Cheness o-katana or ronin dojo pro o-katana???

[Billywill]

Hello everybody, this is my 1st post here in the sword discussion forum. I've been collecting knives for a few years now but in the last few weeks I,ve really been wanting/needing/having to have a samauri style sword. I know very little about them. I want something I can be a fruit ninja with and possibly take a few sapplings down with. Yes I have an axe and a machete thats not the kinda use I want it for. I think I have it narrowed down to either one of the two above listed swords. Anybody out there with some personal experience with one or both of these swords please chime in and let me which is best and why.

 

[Billywill]

If not these specific models, does anyone have experience with these companies?

 

[John T]

Quality control and customer service is going to be better with Ronin. They also use better material for their fittings. I have a few cheness that I have picked up second hand over the years and they are pretty good swords, for the time they were made. Cheness has fallen behind the curve as far as the price to quality ratio in the industry. I have a Ronin katana as well and it is all around a quality sword for $ I paid for it (under 200).

Are you very tall? O-katana are not for the short.

 

[modifiedskull]

I have been able to cut with recent Cheness models and they are still rather stout- a solid entry-level katana. The O-katana are for tall individuals and very hard to draw properly (batto-notto) without a ton of practice. There are other Cheness models that are solid. I haven't tried a Ronin but their Dojo Pros have a good reputation. they are closer to 4300 now-a-days.

Good luck!

 

[Billywill]

I'm 6'2" and have a +3" wingspan. Maybe the 30" models would be better? I don't have any experience trying to draw this style or any other style sword.