Where to buy katana?

wuyeah

wuyeah

Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
1,665
Hey guys, i have numbers of knives, tactical fix but i don't have a sword. I am always interested, but always afraid to buy. Simply afraid what i am getty is actually a junk that worth nothing beacause lack of knowledge.

My question might seems easy, most peole would response "online". As a knife collector, to swords i will have the same standard. Nice S.Steel. material. V30S, VG10....top material. over all nice finish and weight. a Set of traditional 3 sword size.

this moment, i am not looking for an antique to collect, but i am looking for a modern make that fellow exactly traditional style. A new make japanese katana that with today's supirior material that the sword actually works, actually sharp. not those toys everyone can find in chinatown.

knifecenter sell "henwei" swords. I know they are pricy up to 800 a piece (which i don't mind at all) but i am not sure those henwei swords fits my requirement.

do you know what i mean? Any recommandation? Any brand? Any model?
i have no clue of everything, Just know I want to buy real working sword.

Need Your Help. Thanks for reading & suggestion.
 
Hanwei is actually the more affordable brand on the market, and anything cheaper than a Hanwei, is honestly not worth purchasing, especially if you are indeed after a functional, handmade, traditionally forged, or folded katana, for anything cheaper is simply a "wallhanger". For someone that does not really know much about swords at this point in time, and from reading your description of what you are after, I would suggest that the Hanwei products be a recommended first purchase.

The $800 Hanwei swords, are at the top end of the Hanwei line, and the katana's at this level, are the cheapest you will find for a quality "folded" katana, (note: folded katana's are stronger than forged, yet considerably more expensive).
From here on up, is when we start to approach the quality katana's, and the top of the line stuff like Bugei, Last Legend, and this is when it gets expensive, yet the katana's are of superb quality.

From reading your post, it is clear that you wish to acquire a traditionally styled katana, that is both functional, and of good quality, however you say you don't think the $800 Hanwei swords may fit your requirements, although you mention that you really do not know.....

Well it all depends on what you want, and what you plan on doing with the sword, such as merely just for display, yet I assume you want one that is still functional to some extent, and then there are those which are built to withstand the rigors of cutting exercises.

The Hanwei "Practical Series" swords, are the most affordable, functional and traditionally hand forged swords on the market at around the $200-$400 price range. These are excellent swords for the first time buyer, and the avergae individual, whom just wants a reasonably good quality sword, to display, or withstand some light cutting. They feature good blades, but with cheaper fittings, to lower the cost.

So basically, Hanwei is a well known brand, and many individuals purchase Hanwei products when they are after a good quality sword, for either display, or some light cutting, and the price tells the story, in that;
- $200-$400 will get you a reasonable, handmade, forged sword
- $400-$700 is the middle of the Hanwei line,
forged with higher quality fittings
- $800 + - upwards of $1,000, gets you the top of Hanwei's line, which are the folded swords, with quality fittings.

Honestly, Hanwei covers a wide range of the market, and really manufactures traditional quality production swords for the averge individual. Those whom require something more will be paying thousand's for custom's, or what have you.

Hanwei swords are functional to some degree, in that they will cut, but will obviously eventually wear if used in this way. Any functional sword should not be used for cutting, unless by someone whom is adequately trained through martial arts, or else you can do damage to yourself, and the sword itself. So any one of these swords is excellent to have in your home on display, and so the price and quality is up to you, in that you get what you pay for. Any sword that is made with high-carbon steel is good, with stainless steel being strictly a "wallhanger".

Carbon steel swords also need regular care and maintenance, or else they will rust, and so you must clean, and oil a sword such as any of Hanwei's, on a regular basis.

So really, it's up to you to determine what it is you require of a sword, and then it will be easier to choose, since the price determines the quality, and usefulness of each particular sword. I hope this brief info helps in some way.
There is so much information out there, and so you should do a search on some of the topics I mention in this post. There is much to learn, and much to decide on and think about, and I tried to describe this post in a way which is easy for you, being someone with little knowledge and experience with swords, to understand..... so hopefully you get an idea of what you need to consider, and what you should be aiming to purchase.
Hanwei is indeed a good start for a beginner looking for a reasonabe quality sword. :) Good luck.
 
Thanks for the information!

Now i know what i should be looking into and where.

Looks like i was worrying too much about Hanwei. I will look more into that.

question:
Any functional sword should not be used for cutting, unless by someone whom is adequately trained through martial arts
really I thought that is the reason people go for swords from knife because swords has longer blade for a cut. if just for sliding, 90% of job a knife can achieve. a lot of modern fix and do cut pretty well. can you explain farther?

btw, ha, interesting name you have. What did you do made you so infamous?
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Just to note there are other swords out there besides katana. You mentioned katana so I assume that is what you want however. I think infamous has basically nailed it, if you want something better then hanwei swords you are talking about a custom sword with roughly four times the price (at LEAST). Some of the best custom makers include:

Howard Clark
Rick Barrett
Michael Bell
Scott Slobodian
Randal Graham

and I'm sure there are others that I can't think of off the top of my head. I would suggest going through Bugei for a production sword, they are more expensive... but with swords as everything you get what you pay for. Bugei does a good job making sure that their swords are of the highest quality and I believe they even offer some exclusive Hanwei models that no one else has. Bugei is also the only place so far as I know that sells Howard Clark L6 stuff.
 
If you are interested in something that is not a "traditional" katana, but will cut and stand up to some use, check out the Himalayan Imports Katana (or any of its swords). It is about $250.00 and from what I've read seems to be well worth hit.
 
wuyeah said:
really I thought that is the reason people go for swords from knife because swords has longer blade for a cut. if just for sliding, 90% of job a knife can achieve. a lot of modern fix and do cut pretty well. can you explain farther?
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Swords and knives are really different creatures - both have an edge, but that's about it. Knives can be made for a multitude of tasks, but the point of a sword (har, har, har) is to cut and poke living things. A nihonto collecter would probably be after your blood if you used an old sword to chop shrubs. Western smiths would probably not approve of their pieces being used as pumpkin carvers or the like. They might not care, but it probably wouldn't be the fate they'd choose for their work. Japanese swords are built the way they are to kill people in a certain way. Western swords, likewise, are designed to kill people. If you need a long blade, you can get a long blade for any task you might need of it. But in my opinion, it wouldn't be a sword if it wasn't optimized for the task of putting bloody, messy, hopefully lethal holes in people and/or animals.

Back to the first poster's statements - stainless steel is not good for swords. A very general statement that may have exceptions, but is still very serviceable as a rule. Toughness being a key issue here, you really can't have sword-length blades in stainless steel that will stand up to the stresses that sword-length blades must endure.
 
http://www.himalayan-imports.com/sword.html

Not very traditional, not Japanese, not a wallhanger. 5160, differentially hardened, well made, hand forged and extremely sturdy. I've been very satisfied with mine.

I've heard good things about the Kris Cutlery kats as well but I've never played with one.

Have you asked this question on SFI yet?
 
got mine from Bailey Bradshaw...made of W2 and awesome hira zukuri style katana. very very VERY functional. this baby sings when handled correctly. so she kinda helps you with your form. :D not a bad wall-hanger either!

 
The hanwei practical series is a very good bet, especially if you can get the seller to inspect it first, or better yet, inspect it yourself before you buy. You can find the baseline practical for about $175. It looks very nice, quite comfortable, and it has a nice balance. All I've cut with mine is a sheet of paper (which it push-cut through very nicely, it ships with quite a lively edge). However, I've seen my friend abuse his often, even being used like an axe once in awhile. If you can find one that isnt a dud that slipped through the cracks, it's an excellent blade for the price.
 
If you wish to abuse a sword-like object, buy from Badger Blades, excellent as a theatrical blunt but not quite that good a sword.

Kris Cutlery is decent for the price, Hanwei's production is very high so getting a mediocre piece is pretty much standard. Some pieces are excellent, some have fatal flaws, good luck. Check out Furuyama at least. Excellent for the price (about 400 or so) but not amazing either. I personally am going for a DGuertin katana (he gets them made in a Chinese forge) and, while lacking some class in fittings and tsuka shaping, the blade geometry is said to be unbelievable for the price.

A good place to ask would be at swordforum.com (as others have already stated).
 
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