Hi everybody + Help to buy my first Katana!

Hello. I believe that this set is one of their 1045 carbon steel sets. You could probably cut very light targets like half-mats and foam pool noodles. They are lightweight and passably sharp. If your set on getting a set, then this is probably a good deal as you could spend a great deal more for not much better quality in your price range. If you want just one then for $150-$200 you can get a good quality sword. Any of Hanwei's Practical line can be had at paulchenhanweiswords.com for about $167 after shipping. Swordnarmory.com sells the Munetoshi T10 line, with several under $200. Roninkatana.com has the Dojo 1045 series for about $175. All of these are really head and shoulders above the Musashi line as far as performance and fit/finish and can be used as cutters and display pieces, but are all single swords.

i agree with Elheru on this. i bought a musashi sword and deff wasnt pleased with. i wudnt want 3

Hey guys thanks a lot, for the help and patience!

First of all:




Link is not working


Anyway,


I've checked every single katana you guys posted, and of course they seem to be perfect for all kinds of cuts. The only "problem" for me, is they look pretty much the same. non of them really got my attention in the sense of design and beauty. I know it might sound silly!



It's weird but seems that just the cheap brands makes really beautiful swords as you guys can see here:

www.trueswords.com/masahiro-fold ... -5524.html

www.samuraisupply.com/store-prod ... 05763.html

www.trueswords.com/musashi-1095- ... -4646.html

www.trueswords.com/storm-shadow- ... -5462.html

kultofathena.com/product.asp?ite ... %27s+Sword

www.samuraisupply.com/store-prod ... 62118.html

Is that hard to find a sword like these above, but with decent quality?

The Musashi set I posted in terms of design, for me, is just perfect. I wouldn't mind pay even double price if the set has a decent quality (as all the rest of swords you guys posted)


Another question, 1060 is always better than 1045?

Paul here at the SBG sword store is selling a three piece set of Hanwei Raptors. As I understand it, these are some of the best quality, functional swords you can get. It is $429 and a steal at that price. There is also an international transaction fee, as he is in Australia. I don't know if they are visually to your taste or in your price range, but I just remembered them and thought I'd sail that out to you.

Still doesn't work, Tom.

Do you mean the Munetoshi Matsu? If so....

www.swordnarmory.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=matsu

THAT should work.

....I hope.

-Slayer

I think Masahiro and Musashi both tailor more to the type of buyer who might buy a sword primarily for its decorative/collectible value than to the type who might be more interested in a sword for its functionality (for martial arts application, backyard cutting, practicing for zombie apocalypse... etc.). The swords linked above certainly have flashier styles than something like, say... a Hanwei Raptor, for example. They're supposed to. Their primary function is to look cool, not to meet the rigors of a JSA dojo.

Now, I'm not suggesting that I think they're all terrible swords (that 1095 carbon steel Musashi looks like it might be a decent cutter, actually). My point is that you don't really know what something is until it's in your hands. And in my experience, low end katanas with fancier fittings might look good in pictures but in the flesh, more often than not, you'll quickly start to notice their deficiencies. That's why some of the kats recommended by folks around here look rather bland to you. They're designed to function first and look cool second.

The Munetoshi Take T10 kat looks pretty good. It's under your budget and comes in 3 flavors!
www.swordnarmory.com/Munetoshi-Brand-Take-Sword-Collection-s/340.htm

SBG store custom sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-gui ... atana.html

Remember to check the classifieds at Sword Forum International, myarmoury, and here at SBG, of course. I see so many katanas passing through worth easily two times to three times what the owner is asking.

A bo-hi lightens the blade, pushing the point of balance closer to the handle, which makes the sword feel lighter and more agile. Plus, when you make a cutting stroke with good edge alignment and speed, a bo-hi blade will make a loud and distinct swishing sound (tachikaze).

You can still make tachikaze without bo-hi but it won't be as audible. I think this is why some people recommend bo-hi blades to beginners, since you'll be able to hear that swish even in a noisy dojo. A blade without bo-hi is more structurally sound and tend to cut through heavier targets better.

The katanas you list above are all good swords.

What do you want to know about hamon?