Practice Sword-Suggestions on what to buy?

22-rimfire

22-rimfire

Joined
Nov 20, 2005
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I seek a Japanese Katana blade for practice purposes. It's a present. Do you have any suggestions for about $200? If my price is off base, let me know. But I want one that you can actually use and is not likely to break. I want to make a decision this week, or I will simply give cash.
 
In order to give a proper suggestion we need to know what type of practice will the sword be used for. Is it for cutting exercises or for iaido?
 
Since I am no expert on even the naming of the various disiplines, I will say "cutting exercises". I could just buy a Cold Steel product and forget about it, but suspect I can do better. Been to Museum Replicas and looked over their products but do not have the knowledge to distinguish between poor, good, or great other than price. I am unwilling to buy a $600 sword just because it's "better". Hence, the question for the experts. I want the best blade for practice within a reasonable stated budget for a present. This person has no formal training to this point, nor am I going to provide for that training. If you are interested in this kind of stuff, you have to be willing to find a way to get the training and be willing to put in the effort. I'm not the parent, but he is a 19 year old young man who is interested in this kind of thing and I want to provide a basic tool to start him off.

To this point, he has been buying cheap ornamental swords (like $25) and banging them up pretty quickly. I personally have a preference for sabre type swords, but I can tell when he "thinks sword" it is a Japanese design.
 
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Ok... well I will try to address what you are asking.

One of the best deals going on a production katana today is the Bamboo Mat by Hanwei... On sale at Kult of Athena now for $360 ... cheaper than a Cold Steel product, and IMO better due to geometry , balance and differential hardening.

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=SH2438&name=Hanwei+Bamboo+Mat+Katana

Now , to fit squarely in your budget , Hanwei has a line of swords designed specifically for backyard cutters and beginners. Through Hardened like Cold Steel's stuff, but at a better price... It's called the Raptor series , and two models are on sale now...

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=SH2416&name=Hanwei+Raptor+Nanbokucho+Katana

Thats a pretty heavy katana, but well within reason, and one of the best products you'll find for $200

And if you wanted to go with a less common japanese type sword, the same Hanwei Raptor series is having a closeout sale on the sugata kissaki moroha zukuri replica. I believe you can get it at SBG for $150 shipped... Its an interesting sugata with a long kissaki that is double edged and is a darn good deal for $150 as long as he's not going to be practicing noto with it...

http://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/raptor.html
 
This young man is one of my worker bees. That might help put things into perspective. He was not impressed at all with my Cold Steel 1917 Cutlass that I bought at the Blade Show a few years back. It has been a wall hanger and fondle blade for me, which is pretty much all I intended it to be. I wanted a blade that I "could" use, if I desired to versus a purely ornamental blade. I am actually considering one of the HI swords for myself at the moment along with a kukri.
 
Kris cutlery and Cheness cutlery also make excellent cutters. The Cheness have more authentic fittings. I prefer to buy blade only from Kris and go from there. Cheness tend to go for through hardened on their cutters, while kris is differentially hardened.
 
I appreciate your help. I have made my choice. I liked what I saw at Dynasty Forge, but went with a Hanwei product sold by Kult of Athena.
 
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