Katana advice

http://www.musashiswords.com/shop/home.php

Looking for authentic custom Japanese made Katanas that will set you back a couple thousand dollars? We are not that place. Looking for more than just a wall hanger? Musashi Swords is your first choice whether you are a collector or practitioner.

Click to expand...

Personally I recommend the Zetsurin Katana with Kozuka for [practical uses.

Mamertine said:

I'm interested in buying a Katana and/or Wakazashi.

Click to expand...

What is the intended use?

At least one US Army officer carried a waki in the first Gulf War....maybe he wants a katana for the next......

Sorry, I am just in a playful mood today.

-kBob

If you plan to use it in class ask your instructor before you buy. He will definitely have an opinion and is your best resource.
Assume anything you see on Craig's list, eBay or pawnshops is junk and not safe.
Having a sword come apart while swinging won't be a good thing.
If you want to learn about real swords there are many good books in English. Search amazon for Nihonto.

Basic categories (my list):
-Sword like objects. Junk only suitable for display for people who don't know what to look for. Don't swing or buy them.
-Choppers. Better made with an effort to keep them from coming apart. How likely they are to come apart varies greatly as does the price and appearance. From $150-$5000.
-Dojo practice swords. Higher quality with emphasis on sword balance and appearance. Look and feel more like real swords. $800-$5000
-Traditional swords called Nihonto. Made from mixing raw steels fired with wood charcoal and hand fordged and differential clay heat treatment giving them a distinctive temper line, performance and beauty. New $5000-???+++ Many older blades are family or national heirlooms. Some are just old worn out and not worth repairing or safe to swing.
-Gunto. Japanese military blades made from "modern" homogeneous steel. 1890-1945. Now historic and collectable but never presented or displayed by Japanese. Illegal in japan and many Japanese find them an offensive reminder of history. $500-$5000
Collectables are never used for cutting. Condition is everything.

If you are willing to do a little work, I've been eye-balling THESE

I purchased mine from this gentleman. He is close enough to me that I was able to participate in the forging, claying, heat treating and polishing, spread out over about several months. He instructed me in the making of a habaki for it too, although after making it I chose to have him make the one on the sword currently. He is truly an artist.

http://www.barrettcustomknives.com/home

500$? Cold steel or musashi swords. You will NOT find a better blade, maybe something a bit more pretty but you wont find one stronger or more durable. Heck I had a 80$ "samurai special" musashi katana I used to hack up trees and what not. It wasent perfectly straight (it was bent at the tang before being hardend so there was no way to straighten it) I split wood with it, cut down fairly large trees (8inches in diameter) split bamboo, cut through steel tubing. I abused my katana ALOT, it collided with cinder blocks more than just a few times as well. I never actually broke the blade. I did snap the sheath during a form. The handle shattered only when I was doing a verticle cut into a log and only after going through the log and wedging into the oak base a good 4inches.
All of that said, was it just as durable as my dojo's cold steel ko katana? possibly, would I bet money on it? No.