Reliable Japanese swords can and normally do cost a small fortune.
In simple fact many (however not all) sword collectors maintain that to get a 50 percent way good sword you require to be paying close to US$one thousand. And the maximum? Properly, the sky is the limit (there are fairly a few Japanese produced Katana that promote for about the US$25,000 mark).
So what about all those $50 swords currently being sold on eBay and everywhere else?
Nicely, at the conclude of the working day, these swords are often junky ornamental “sword like objects”. They can’t be employed as a martial arts weapon. Even just swinging them all around with moderate pressure dangers the blade snapping off at the take care of…
But if you know what to appear for, acquiring genuine Japanese swords at a reasonable value – say for around US$a hundred and fifty to $five hundred is really attainable. And in some cases, for even much less than this amount of funds, it really is achievable to get a good sword that is effectively balanced, sharp, robust and an superb ‘bang for your buck’ buy.
For start although – let’s take a quite swift appear at what divided the genuine Japanese swords from the ornamentals:
Japanese swords are marginally curved, sharp and single edged
Genuine Japanese swords are light-weight, quick weapons and need to weigh no far more than 3lbs max. They are also quite nicely balanced
True Japanese swords usually are not produced from stainless metal – they are manufactured from high carbon steel. They also have what is named a “differentially tempered blade” – meaning that the sharp edge of the sword is more difficult than the spine, providing the sword versatility (so it does not shatter on affect) but also severe chopping electricity.
Real Japanese swords also have a tang (the part of the blade that goes into the manage) that is created as component of the blade, not a size of metal welded on afterwards (referred to as a “rat tail” tang).
There are also a few other elements, this kind of as conventional look and fittings to contemplate…
Now in our goal cost range of US$a hundred and fifty to $five hundred – there are only a few swords which qualify – and you’d be stunned, it isn’t really essentially the most high-priced ones both…
The first is the Era two BWT Katana (about US$329 + transport)
While I really like Gen2s line of European swords as best quality nevertheless quite inexpensive “beater” swords, their BWT Katana – although a good choice, nevertheless has a number of main negatives. There are two versions of this sword – a a lot more classic but fairly basic looking 1 and an additional that utilizes a lot of brown suede and has an virtually surreal “cowboy” quality to it…
Neither are particularly attractive. But the most significant difficulty is a structural flaw – in that the BWT Katana makes use of water buffalo horn for the little but vital band underneath the hand guard (named the fuchi) that has truly been identified to from time to time crack on impact…
Transferring on…
A lot of men and women like the Nahuarra of Mexico Katana (RRP around US$200 – but they are practically not possible to truly buy at this cost and are inclined to go for US$400+)
Regrettably, they are a bit too basic, too heavy (around 3.52lbs), poorly balanced, sharp (but not as sharp as they need to be), hard to discover and – properly…
Relocating on…
Cold Metal make a really sturdy “Katana” for just a tad over the US$three hundred mark. These swords are sharp and incredibly sturdy. But they aren’t in any way classic. They aren’t differentially tempered (they are a mono-steel sword, like a European blade – all of a single uniform hardness) and they are not well balanced appropriately…
BUT – they aren’t a Bad decision… Only thing is, in my view (and in the impression of many Japanese sword fans the world more than) there is a far better and even less costly option.
If you are genuinely searching for an cost-effective “entry level” Japanese sword – there really is only one selection, and which is the Practical Katana and the Functional Plus Katana by Paul Chen’s Hanwei Forge.
These swords have it all – and for an on the internet value tag of about US$279 for the Sensible In addition Katana and US$169 for the basic vanilla product – they offer you excellent worth for money.
They are mild (underneath 3lbs) and incredibly effectively balanced. They are made from leading high quality large carbon metal. They have a “differentially tempered” blade, a solidly built tang and boy – are these infants sharp! I’ve reduce everything from cardboard bins to lengths of rope, water loaded plastic bottles (of all designs and dimensions in a row and hanging), bamboo and traditional rolled tatami mats and it is no exaggeration to say that I have by no means once truly felt any resistance to my cuts. In simple fact, numerous of my buddies who are not sword nuts are capable to easily lower a plastic drinking water bottle crammed with drinking water so effortlessly that they swore that they missed (till the h2o arrives gushing out more than their toes that is).
I just enjoy these swords! And what’s so great about them is the cost! واكيزاشي Nothing Arrives Near!
Now certain, they usually are not the same as swords ten times the value. But I bear in mind viewing on a web site when I was first examining them out a side by aspect comparison of quite a number of distinct “entry stage” Katana – and these had been the only low-cost Japanese swords that even obtained a look in – and all round, they ended up just 33% driving swords Ten Occasions THE Cost!
In any case – at the finish of the day, if you really like authentic Japanese swords, and will not have (or do not want to spend) a complete lot of funds, you ought to have a critical seem at these swords! I assure, you’ll be a part of me and a modest military of raving fans throughout the globe…