"Real, live, functional" sword sought...

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drjones

Joined
Sep 6, 2000
Messages
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Hi. I am seriously considering the purchase of a katana. I know that there is huge variation in quality with price. I am looking for something around several hundred dollars, probably no more than $400. I have heard good things about kris cutlery, as well as Paul Chen. I like the appearance of these swords, as I like form AND function. Please advise!

Strati
 
I have no real experience with Kris cutlery so I will allow someone to speak for or against them.

Cold Steel katana is OK. List $750
Paul Chen - Musashi, Golden Oriole, and Shinto all run about $650
Paul Chen - Practical katana runs about $175

For the money you want to spend though, I would recommend Swordstore.com. This was recommended to me by a friend and their katanas start at $400 to infinity, depending on what you want.

And the more modern katana (which a lot of people hate because it is far from traditional) is the Rob Criswell which runs about $300

Rob's sword is the next one on MY list.

Good luck.
 
Kris Cutlery's stuff is good for the money, I think they recently raised their prices though. But overall Kris is worth it. If you happen to get a bad one I think they'll even replace it for you.
 
KC's stuff is great for the $, and yes, if you're not happy with the unit they send, they'll keep replacing it until you are (though you've got to cover shipping).
 
KC is hard to beat for the dollars. There was also a blacksmith/swordmaker in Mexico that was turning out some nice Katanas for about $250.00. I'll see if I can find his email.
 
drjones,
What do you intend to do with the sword? "Functional", meaning, good for cutting practice? If so, I would recommend the Paul Chen Practical Katana. IMO, there is no reason to spend big $$$ on a serious sword and potentially damage it with practice. Many other high price swords may be decorative as well as functional, yet enter the realm of too good to damage. Unless you are very skilled at cutting with a katana, that is the direction that I would go.
Good Luck!
FM.
 
The Cold steel katana is getting pretty good reviews. Street price is in the mid 400s. I know the list is still over $700 but most vendors are selling them for a lot less. ie; Tuscany Trading prices this at $435usd

The Hanwei (Paul Chen) practical has been vastly improved and comes highly recommended as a starter sword.

Cheers
 
Does Kriss cutlery have a website, if so will some one post me a link?
I use to have one of their catalogs, and I ordered a Kriss knife from them and I was semi-impressed.

Thanx
 
if functionality and price rank before tradition, a Rob Criswell katana is well worth considering. A2 tool steel in quarter-inch thickness, RC 58(?)/60+ 27" blade, spots an either love or hate tip and a less than desirable (hmmmm....) Kydex sheath. I didn't like the feel at first, in terms of fittings and blade geometry it's not old school at all, but as a sword it's very simple and very practical.
The price should be around USD$300. Do have a peek and see what you think~~
 
We don't particularly know what you plan to do with this sword, so it makes an absolute recommendation more difficult...but here's my take on the issue.

You said you like form as well as function...might be a good idea to leave the Criswells, Himalayan Imports, and KC out of the picture for now due to not meeting the "form" criteria. If you look at them and decide you like their design for what they are, by all means go for it...nobody has said any of those three are fragile or useless. But for the sake of aesthetic adherence to the kat, I will bypass these options for now.

Within the $400 range you have probably one fair choice: Hanwei. There are 3 primary models to deal with in their midrange area, and those are the Shinto, Golden Oriole, and Musashi models. The PK is far cheaper but you basically get what you pay for. Hanwei's swords are not customs, and should not be held to the same standards. That being said, they are fairly attractive and can work well. While they aren't as nice as, say, a Cicada Forge kat in the $650 range, they are a very good value in a sword.

Good luck in your searches.
 
Check out Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works...For $400 you can buy two, and if you need one, then you really need two anyway...:)
They are very high quality, practical blades, in many sizes and styles...
 
If the blade is legal in your area in Canada you can get one imported. At least that's what the Customs guy said when I asked. No difference between sharpened or unsharpened ones. I've bought a couple of items from Christian Fletcher but he only sells European type swords. (christianfletcher.com)
 
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