what to look for in a katana

S

sab13

Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
177
title says it all

i want to get a katana sword, but first i need to know what to look for in terms of materials and build and propably other things i dont even know i should check

thanks
 
I take it you are not a student of Japanese swordsmanship, otherwise your teacher would answer this question for you.

If you are just interested in owning one or doing some backyard cutting, I'd check out sword buyer's guide. They mainly focus on inexpensive cutters and beaters. Read some reviews and go to their forums. I think you'll catch on quick.
 
paul chein does a really good one. it is made in china but it is not the cheap crap that you see at a flemarket. it has a real temper line and not some that a machine put on it.
 
I will tell you right now that you can not get a real japanese katana unless you have thousands and thousands of dollars coming out of your ears and do not care if the japanese customs seize your package whenever they feel like it

Otherwise, you can just get a Hanwei, they are pretty much the standard katana style sword maker

Truly good swords will generally run you 500+USD
 
What do you want to do with said katana? And what is your budget? We can give you more recommendations based on that.
 
Vicarious Reality said:
I will tell you right now that you can not get a real japanese katana unless you have thousands and thousands of dollars coming out of your ears and do not care if the japanese customs seize your package whenever they feel like it

Otherwise, you can just get a Hanwei, they are pretty much the standard katana style sword maker

Truly good swords will generally run you 500+USD
Click to expand...

This +1

I had a Paul Chen practical plus. It cost around $300. It snapped in the woods when I was tring to cut down small trees with it. Missed my face by inches. If I did it again I would only cut watermelons hahahaha.
 
There are some good budget Katana out there in the $300 range but I really wouldn't go lower than that. I did tons of research on this not too long ago and have been through a few of the budget katana and some of them are surprisingly good for the money.
 
I would say the steel is the most important thing. You are going to have to choose between differentially hardened blades (expensive, likely hand forged and made with traditional methods) vs monosteel (made from one chunk of steel, generally more durable and economical). Depending on your preferences, it will limit your options considerably.
 
thanks for the info
basicly i'm a new trainy in marshel arts, but i love knives an swords for so many years that i just dont want to get a bigginers grade. it will be used for training mostly but i want something good, even if i need to wait untill i save more money.
the thing is, in my contry it's hard to find a good sword or toget one over sea, so i was thinking if i have spec's of a good sword i might get someone to make one for me(not truly a katana i know- just untill i get to japan ;) )

so the question is not what sword to get(i do appriciate your recommendations) but whats are the important things in every one of the differnt parts of a katana.

i think i can get to around 1000 usd if i find somthing good that i like but i dont mind spendig less.
 
Check out Bugei, they make higher end swords. Kaneie or Hung Shing TS are other good manufactures at mid range prices.

What too look for in a Katana? Ill try and make it easy for you.

Obviously the steel. You generally have a few different options, carbon 1045, 1060 or 1095. 1095 being the best but all are ok, 1045 is a bit soft however.
Spring steel. Not traditional in any means but what modern steel is?
Tool steels, T10, L6 etc.

Try to steer away from cheap folded swords. Modern steel doesn't 'need' to be folded as it manufactured in a way it has very little imperfection. Folding is only for looks but must be done right so a folded sword under $300 would be cheaply made, not worth the risk.

Look at what the fitting are made of, the Tsuba, Menuki , Fushi and Kashira. You want iron, brass or copper. 'Alloy' generally means a cheap cast Chinese mix of rubbish.
Look at the Tsuka(handle). The samegawa (rayskin) should look like skin of a shark or sting ray and not of plastic. Have a look at the ito (wrap material), should look tight and even.

Bo hi or no bo hi? Some call them fuller or blood grooves, but they had nothing to do with blood or a sword sticking. They are simply to lighten the blade and give you a nice sound for feedback when cutting to see if your alignment is right. I never really get swords with a Bo-hi anymore as they are not as tough as no-hi. They are harder to take a set or bend if you stuff up.

Hope this helps, beware however, its easy to take an awesome photo of a crappy sword.

Stick to the big name brands, check for reviews online and on youtube and check out SBG forum.

End of the day if you just dive in and buy anything without checking you wont know what you have go until you have it in hand and have learnt a bit more about Katana. It can be an expensive lesson if you dont do your research first. Their are makers out there selling their swords for over $500 that are only worth about $100. Then their are swords for $800 which are easily in the same level as over $1500 swords. Its a big crazy market.
 
I fully recommend Musashi Swords for your first. look up the reviews, see that they're like $60, and get one. Not for thrashing around with, but neither are the Hanwei or true Japanese Katanas
 
AKOperator said:
I fully recommend Musashi Swords for your first. look up the reviews, see that they're like $60, and get one. Not for thrashing around with, but neither are the Hanwei or true Japanese Katanas
Click to expand...

I second this, one of my first Katana was the Musashi Bamboo. Loved it, was still one of my favorite even when i had blades 5 times its price.
 
If you're ever in the position to purchase a real (ie old Japanese) katana, you can check out http://new.uniquejapan.com/home/. This guy travels around Japan buying swords from locals and selling them. They're not cheap, but I've been to a few of the shows he puts on locally and they are so very cool. I'm not a huge Japanese sword guy personnally, but holding a 400 year old katana is just an amazing experience all the same. He also takes care of all customs/shipping (to the US at least) so thats one headache you don't have to worry about.

Or just look through his for sale section and drool, as I do. :)
 
If you're starting out, you should probably ask your sensei to help. Hanwei's offerings in the 1K range are excellent. If you're looking to have one made, well, there's a bit more that you'll want to consider. Toughest part may be finding the maker.
 
There are really 2 ways to go about this. The first, and in MY opinion, more logical way, is to buy a quality budget sword like a Musashi Bamboo Warrior ($80) then handle it and get to know what you do and don't like. You might find that you'd prefer a longer blade or Tsuka, or you might find that you'd prefer a shorter Ko Katana.

Once you know what you like, you can then spend the real money getting a high quality sword from one of the better makers (Hanwei, Cheness etc)

The other way is to simply buy a high quality sword now, and hope you get the right one
 
Well, the third way is to get an expert, such as your iaido or kendo instructor, to help you choose the appropriate features for your sword. Then buy based on that. Honestly though, most katana buyers won't notice the difference, and will it won't likely matter. So as long as you get something that's good quality, you're likely to be pretty happy with it.

I don't really see the advantage to buying something cheap, because you don't really know the differences you're looking for. Maybe if you buy a bunch of cheaper blades? I agree that you should take steps to make sure you know exactly what you want before you buy. Otherwise you do what I did, and you end up with a bunch of cheap blades, none of which suit. Frankly, I'm still working on the perfect sword for me. The advantage is that I can now design and make exactly what I think I'll like, and then tweak. I think I'm getting close, but in reality, I'll probably be trying out different designs for a long time.
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
Well, the third way is to get an expert, such as your iaido or kendo instructor, to help you choose the appropriate features for your sword. Then buy based on that. Honestly though, most katana buyers won't notice the difference, and will it won't likely matter. So as long as you get something that's good quality, you're likely to be pretty happy with it.

I don't really see the advantage to buying something cheap, because you don't really know the differences you're looking for. Maybe if you buy a bunch of cheaper blades? I agree that you should take steps to make sure you know exactly what you want before you buy. Otherwise you do what I did, and you end up with a bunch of cheap blades, none of which suit. Frankly, I'm still working on the perfect sword for me. The advantage is that I can now design and make exactly what I think I'll like, and then tweak. I think I'm getting close, but in reality, I'll probably be trying out different designs for a long time.
Click to expand...


And selling the ones you don't love to me at cost? :)

I bloody well love my kukri... can't show it off around my busse lover friends, but it's one of the best choppers i own
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top