Japanese swords

Hey guys,

So is anybody here practising some Japanese sword arts?
Or just know a bit about currently available stuff on the market?

I'm asking because, I'm getting serious about purchasing an entry-level katana (which will, by the way, be used for tameshigiri every now and then, so sub-$200 is a no go).

I have read up a dozen or so reviews of the low-budget-end katanas available, and I have concluded that Tactical Katana from CAS Hanwei should be my first choice...


Now, there are couple of things to mention -

First, it's not a differentially hardened 10XY series steel, it's actually a 5160 spring steel, which should tolerate the abuse of my crude and imperfect cutting technique (I'm afraid that high-carbon steel blade may chip or any way damage if I lack the required amount of caffeeine during tameshigiri), which I hope to improve to a satisfying level.

I also like the modern style of the tsuka and the fact that katana is only 900 grams, compared to 1.15 or 1.2 kg standard weight.

Now, I realise a very fine alternative would be Cheness but unfortunately there is no distributor in Croatia that I know of, and explaining myself to customs will be something I'd rather shoot myself over, because it took like 15 phonecalls and 3 trips to post office and the some more arguing over the phone to get the Arctic over the border.

Would anybody here perhaps have anything of Hanwei's Tactical series, or a suggestion of a better alternative?

P.S. Oh yeah, I'm looking for a katana exclusively, not a wakizashi. And yes it's my first sword, and yes I know how to use and maintain it.

I should actually be getting one in the mail today (not from hanwei though). Most High-Carbon swords of qaulity are forged and then tempered to relax the internal stress. Although Spring steel is a great choice and is more forgiving than say a 1095...

Like yourself though I too just started into these swords and techniques as well

Any good katana should cut the tameshigiri with no problem. ANSI 1060, 1095 or any steel has little problem against thin bamboo. You should work on your technique and to do so you need a cheap lightweight katana. At this stague $200 is enough. If you master it than it is time to buy more better one.

The sword is only so strong as the hand that wield it.

Thanks guys, I see both of you are knowledgeable on the subject, though I'd like to correct one tiny mistake Blord made,

Tameshigiri is the name of the practise, or excercise in which the skill of swordsman and/or quality of the sword is put to the test.

In it, objects you cut are either bamboo or rolled tatami mats or other stuff.

So, no concrete reccomendations on any specific models?

Which katana did are you getting in the mail, Rainfade?

Cool!

Sorry, I don't know much about katanas, even though I'm very interested in them BUT!

I used to practice kyudo, and we would rent a place to practice at the Dojo of the Four Winds. It's owed by James Williams, a master in the Samurai arts, and a really nice guy. (Check out some of his cutting videos on that site, they're amazing.)

ANYWAY.... He's got a few links on that website of places where you can buy blades. Like I said, I'm not very familiar with the nuances of Japanese swords, but I know that James is legit, and figured that his links would be too.

Side story: One night we were at the dojo shooting, and Mr. Williams came in - not something he'd regularly do... Apparently he'd gotten a new sword shipped in that day and wanted to take a look at it, so I took a little time out from my shooting to watch him unsheathe and test his new katana. That thing sliced and diced like there was no tomorrow.

Man, I should really start practicing again...

I use A Boker sword thats made of 1045, the one I'm getting in the mail is more of a show piece, Its a black damascus steel, and this one is a ninja-to so it's straight instead of having a curve in the blade. That one is probably going to stay on the wall since modern damascus has a tendency to possibly have weak points (inclusions) in the steel.

I'm pretty excited to get it

As far as recommendations go I would say just pay close attention to the steel it is made from and how it is crafted. Stay away from stainless, etc. Which it looks like you already know from what I read in the OP

I appreciate the thought, but as I said, I'd rather not order anything online.

I just wanted some thoughts or reccomendations on what to look for here.

Kyudo you say? Looks incredibly cool. Did you participate in any competitions perhaps? (if there are any)

EDIT - Rainfade, once I get stuck to something, I tend to thoroughly inform myself of it. I know all about display pieces, battle ready pieces, high end katanas, and actual REAL katanas made by licenced forgerers in Japan which will cost half of Croatia.

Fun fact of the day - Ninjato, or Ninjaken, is actually a fiction-based weapon, originating from Hollywood movies, real ninjas of that period actually never used anything like that, but instead used a variety of weapons.
Also real ninjas actually never wore the "ninja outfits" seen in stores and movies, they actually wore normal every day clothes because, how else do you fit into the crowd?

Eudaimonium said:

Tameshigiri is the name of the practise, or excercise in which the skill of swordsman and/or quality of the sword is put to the test.

In it, objects you cut are either bamboo or rolled tatami mats or other stuff.

Click to expand...

You are correct ! I was in middle of green laser building and my head wasn't clear :thinking:.
I was thinking about cutting tatami omote.

Eudaimonium said:

I appreciate the thought, but as I said, I'd rather not order anything online.

I just wanted some thoughts or reccomendations on what to look for here.

Click to expand...

Whoops, missed the online part, sorry.

Eudaimonium said:

Kyudo you say? Looks incredibly cool. Did you participate in any competitions perhaps? (if there are any)

Click to expand...

I've done a competition that was held during a California meet-up, but nothing too exciting. Came in second place out of the lower-ranked people.

There are competitions throughout the year, most of them are held in Japan as kuydo is something of an obscure art form outside of it's mother country. There is an international seminar once yearly, where people from all over the world go to learn and to test for rank, as well as compete against their fellow kyudoka. The location changes every year, but ranks over Go Dan, (5th rank) can only be tested for in Japan. It's pretty old-school. Tests are done in a group and are extremely formal. I've never had the opportunity to test because of money, location, family, etc, so I've always just tried to concentrate on improvement and try to be more like the rouge practitioners to whom rank doesn't matter. Perhaps someday I'll get the opportunity to test for rank, but it's ok if I don't.


Here's a pretty good rundown on the Way of the Bow

I noticed

Nice eye Eud yeah I forgot to mention that in my post, Indeed a ninjato is not an actual sword with a historical background. Just a hollywood rendition of something that looks cool lol

Just wondering since your not going to purchase online, where are you getting one from?

Well, there is a distributor of primarily Hanwei stuff (among others), called Replikart,

See link here:
ReplikArt - Japanski ma

You will notice that the Hanwei Tactical (on 3rd page) costs near $300.
Due to large import taxes and general shittiness of the country I live in, that is exactly DOUBLE of what you guys can get it there.

Nevertheless, not like I have a lot of options. Might as well go for it, sometime in near future (there's plenty of time to change my mind). I was about to save money and get it sometime maybe after Christmass or January perhaps. Not really sure.

Our local Kenjutsu club does plan on ordering a few katanas for tameshigiri practises we will have soon, so that's also a plenty of time to learn and brush up my technique before I destroy my sword (I tend to be real careful with somebody else's property, don't worry ).

I have searched a lot on the internet, and while I do find incredible amount of reviews on Tactical Wakizashi, I find virtually none on Katana. Weird.

do you want to display it or use for cutting? because there are very good functional Tameshigiri swords meant for cutting bamboo and practice your cutting form

@genuis, he's in for functional

Eud, yeah that is weird, I find it hard to beileve that if their Wakizashi has such great reviews that their katana would remain almost unreveiwed, well on the good side I guess nobodies has had anything bad to say about it

That's cool that you have a place to practice your techniques though!


Little off topic and I'm pretty sure you have thought of this but... could somebody purchase one you like a lot from an online source and then ship it to you (from another country) to avoid the purchase taxes or would they get you either way :thinking:

It's easy passing a laser as a flashlight. Who can tell?

It is difficult to pass katana as katana as it is, let alone something else.
The only thing that I could possibly do is have the drop-shipped list a very low retail price so the taxes are kept to a minimum.

But then again, the wait and all, not sure if it's all worth it. God forbid I have to return it for whatever reason.

Besides, at Replikart's centre I can hold and try out everything from their selection on the spot, so I can be assured of what I am buying.

Yeah, it wouldn't be worth that hassle or the risk if it got lost or broken... The wait alone for something like that would drive someone crazy (I know it would me )

Thats neat, if you actually have a place where you can hold and evalute a blade in front of you I don't know if I would order something form online