So you want to buy a Samurai Sword
So your favorite knife catalog comes and you are thinking about a Samurai sword advertised. Is it any good? Its only $200. Or the knife shop in the mall. Razor sharp they say.
Ok may not be everyone's go to melee weapon but that chick on Walking Dead is working her mojo.
The traditional forging of a blade with softer steel in the spine and harder steel making the business end of the blade is replicated in modern forging techniques where a compound is applied to the spine before the final heating and cooling bath making them almost the same in feel and cutting. Unless you really wanted to spend the extra for the skills going into such a blade you don't have to just for a working blade great for cutting, balanced well and similar wraps on the grip.
So what do I spend money on? I have a heavy wooden sword for practice from crane mountain. They make really nice wooden weapons. My practice sword or iaito is not sharp but has good weight distribution, wraps and a blood grove that will cause the sword to sing when you swing it properly. Cas Hanwei, E-Bogu or Century Martial Arts Dana Abbott series are choices for places for a practice weapon.
For business swords Cas Hanwei practical or practical plus from various sources without blood grove. It is great for practice for the sound feedback and lightening the blade but really makes cutting more difficult. Around $450-700 depending on who they are making for and how fancy the wraps etc are. These will be sharp enough for any cutting and they are what we use for our tatami mat cutting.
I have my wooden bokken and the shorter sword wakisashi with me at all times.
If you want more specific info please pm me. My friends dojo in Aurora is expanding so we will be starting up our sword program again. Main system is cardio kick boxing, heavy Krav Maga self defense, some weapons and forms. His expansion will include cross fit and zumba.
So you want to buy a Samurai Sword
I went to the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. The craftsmanship that existed many, many centuries ago was incredible. I would have loved to handle one of them to see what it felt like in hand.
