New to swords

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bearcut

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Sep 3, 2006
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I want a Katana.
I'm jumping in feet first.
Budget, up to $1000.

I want a hamon and probably a bo-hi, otherwise I really don't care about the rest of the parts.

I won't do stupid things with it but I want it to be able to withstand mistakes.

Are the Ronin Elite series good? I read that they have laminated steel blades and I'm hip to the materials and construction. 1095/1060/1045
Are these some of the stronger, sharper, better blades for the money?

What about T10 steel? Is this tougher, better edge holding?

I gather their are some modern powder steels available? How do these compare to the others?

Sorry about so many questions, I am a noob to all of this.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi, welcome to swords.

You are a basic member, and hopefully are familiar with the "search" function.

All of your questions have been asked before and recently, so it would behoove both you and the regulars here to use that search feature to refine your questions to something that may be more helpful to you. Do a lot of research here and maybe on some sites that have product for sale, and come back with some informed questions.

You need to concern yourself with not just the blades themselves, but the totality of the sword...and frankly, $1,000.00 is not jumping in feet first.

$1,000.00 will get you a decent quality Chitana....and that is about it....

Feet ankle deep would be an Anthony DiCristafano, Rick Barrett or Howard Clark katana blade in full polish and mount....that will average you somewhere between $5,000-$7,500.

Up to your knees would be a true Nihonto from a recognized master swordmaker. You don't even want to know what that would cost, lol.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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Wow!
Thanks a lot.
You were very helpful.......

Is everybody on this forum as nice as you are?
 
bearcut said:
Wow!
Thanks a lot.
You were very helpful.......

Is everybody on this forum as nice as you are?
Click to expand...

People that actually know something about swords don't like answering the same questions over and over again.

Some here are much more pleasant, some are less pleasant.

If you are not willing to do some serious homework to get an idea of what kind of katana you want, it isn't worth my time to provide you with information that you can readily obtain yourself.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
People that actually know something about swords don't like answering the same questions over and over again.

Some here are much more pleasant, some are less pleasant.

If you are not willing to do some serious homework to get an idea of what kind of katana you want, it isn't worth my time to provide you with information that you can readily obtain yourself.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
Click to expand...

First, if it annoys you, don't reply to threads like mine.

Second, I have done a lot of homework, that's why I knew enough to ask about specific makes, models and sword steels. I wasn't just asking a generic question like "whats the best sword?" I was asking specific questions hoping someone would chime in with their opinions and advice. Instead I get someone with an arrogant attitude.

Third, I know what the search function does. See #2 above.

Fourth, your answer that $1000 isn't going all in on the first hand shows your snobbery and condescendence. $200 isn't much for a first sword, a $1000 is. If someone buys a Sebenza as his first folder, and mentions that he is starting out at the top, nobody on this forum is going to demean him and tell him that those are nothing, and that he should buy a Martin for $4000 if he wants to REALLY go all in on his first try. Well, maybe you would do that.....

Wow, I haven't put anyone on my "Ignore" list in years.

Congratulations.

And thanks again for your help.

BTW, real warriors are humble. You're right, its a dying art.
 
"Bearcut"....ignore me...fine.

Your post got 145 views, and I am the only one who responded. I took the time to address you.

You do the same thing every newbie in every category does when not spoonfed information, get all huffy and poopy.

The Sebenza is a pedestrian blade. If you think that is high end......you don't know anything about knives.

In reality, you will get the sword you deserve.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
$1000 is not a lot to spend on a katana...but it is a lot to spend on a first katana. If you were looking for a wall hanger, it would be a simple matter - get whatever you find aesthetically pleasing in the price range you want. Since your post seemed to indicate that you plan on using it, be aware that there is a sound reason for starting with a less expensive katana & working your way up the scale. Bad cuts happen - occasionally to very experienced users...and much more commonly to beginners. That becomes an issue because poor edge alignment can cause a set (or worse), even on a light target like a water bottle, milk jug, or beach mat. In most cases, a $1000 katana is just as likely to take a set from a poor cut as a $300 katana...sometimes more likely (for example those designed as dedicated mat cutters or "trick" cutters).
The most forgiving blades will be TH, and tempered to withstand the "abuses" of new cutters. Being TH, they won't have a hamon - unless it is etched on, of course.
 
STeven comes off a little rough around the edges sometimes, but he's very knowledgeable. Don't be too hurt; it's the internet. If you don't have a pretty thick skin, you're not going to last long.

What do you want to do with the sword? Do you have any training? Give us a little more feedback and we can give you more specific advice, but STeven's information was pretty spot on, as was hhmoore's. Swords are pretty different from knives, especially when it comes to cost. Knives are much more forgiving of poor geometry, for one thing. You would probably be plenty happy with a Ronin Elite, or a nice Hanwei or Bugei, or even something lower tier, but by and large, none of those are going to be considered "good" by most sword aficionados who have much in the way of knowledge, particularly not when it comes to nihonto. There are, in fact, several similar threads to this one, in which you can get a good idea of the costs associated therein. For some, you may be taking out a second mortgage on your house.

There are a lot of factors that go into making a sword that's really GOOD that are barely relevant to a knife. A knife is pretty subtle in the way it handles. A sword isn't. If it's not very well made with good distal taper, for instance, it may feel like a ton of bricks in hand, instead of lively and powerful as you would expect a sword to handle. Some don't really know the difference, but it's pretty apparent if you get the chance. A knife doesn't face the same physical stresses, particularly resistance to impact and taking a set, that a sword does. It doesn't have to deal with harmonic balance, in general. A sword does. More, a sword should fit the wielder in a way that, in my opinion, a knife doesn't. Even with knives, you may end up buying tons of knives to find one with the features that fit your needs. Swords may be similar, except that they are considerably more spendy.

Anyways, the short of it is that a "good" sword is far more expensive than a good knife. Think about it. You get a cheap knife for 5 bucks. A cheap sword will probably cost at least 100. If you consider a Sebenza good, consider that if you kept that same conversion factor, you'd be looking at 8000 dollars for a sword that's good on the same level as the Sebenza. Let us know what you need out of the sword, and we can offer more detailed and specific suggestions as to a blade that might fit your purposes.
 
Bearcut;
I am not a swordsman, but I know swords are not like knives. Aside from the aesthetics, a swords value comes from how well it fits the user and the techniques to which it is applied.

If you knew what worked for you, you would not be asking us to make a general recommendation for you. I would suggest that that is where you should start. Find an instructor, take some leassons and learn. Play with their swords, see how the various designs fit you and your hands and when you find one that you like you will know what you want.

Keep in mind that the greatest sword ever made might be useless to you. That the edge, design and construction of a really fine sword may require a level of skill that is well beyond your present ability and that its capacity to perform at that level comes from sacrificing the kind of factors that would make it resistant to poor technique.

You probably should not be looking for a sword, but rather thinking about committing to a series of swords that will progress with you as your skill are honed.

Then again, if you just want a sword and are not really interested in aquiring the skills to use it, we are back to aesthetics. In which case just buy something that looks good from a brand that tends to retain its resale value.

n2s
 
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Thanks for the info guys.

I had no idea that a novice like me could potentially bend a blade cutting water bottles and such.
Sounds like proper edge angle and technique are more important than I thought.

This is information I can use.

As such, a few of you mentioned TH blades. Perhaps I should invest in one of these AND a more traditional katana for when I get the hang of it.

I appreciate all the helpful advice.
 
Not only can you bend a blade, you can break a sword, and watch it sail away in pieces, like a shiny helicopter of death.

You can hurt or kill a bystander, or your self. Videos a plenty to show you that.
 
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When I was younger and several magnitudes dumber I broke a katana-when it let go it broke straight back, towards the spine-and the last 14" went right over my shoulder and sank four inches into a horsehair plaster wall. They are definitely breakable, and very, very unforgiving of bad decisionmaking.
The wakizashi I posted pics of last week was bent from a bad cut when I got it-about 1/2" out of line right ahead of the monouchi. I bent it back most of the way with my hands, even though the edge is very hard. DH'd swords can be a heartbreaker if you don't know what you're doing.
 
talk to Mecha, he could make you a super cool sword that won't break and kill you. Might cost a little more than your budget, but worth every penny.
 
If this is the case then I suggest you think this through a bit more. I see STeven wasted his time giving you an honest answer to no avail.

bearcut said:
I want a Katana.
I want a hamon and probably a bo-hi, otherwise I really don't care about the rest of the parts.
Click to expand...
 
Lorien said:
talk to Mecha, he could make you a super cool sword that won't break and kill you. Might cost a little more than your budget, but worth every penny.
Click to expand...

Can't do a hamon or a bo hi. :( But I can do a yee-haw! :D

(Edit: actually, fullers are in the works, and I will be able to forge them soon.)
 
So we tend to get jaded over time I'm afraid you've seen that here. Certainly, and we often buy a first sword that we later regret. I remember the first "sword" that I bought. It was an all black "ninja-to" complete with fake hamon, plastic tsuka and black painted blade. The second was a highlander katana knockoff, complete with metal saya and fake hamon. You are trying to do better than that, so good on you. The first thing I bought that might be considered a sword was a Kris Cutlery katana, and I might suggest that you start there. There or perhaps with one of the Hanwei models. Honestly just starting out I don't know that spending the extra thousands of dollars for other items suggested here would really mean much to you. It might in time but not today. All of us were excited about our first sword once, no reason you shouldn't be. Good luck! :)
 
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