No comments about Practical Katana.

No comments about All Men Sizes Competition Wushu Straight Sword - For Wu Shu Shaolin Kung Fu Tai Chi Martial Arts Kungfu Broad Swords.

No comments about USMC Marine Corps Officers Mameluke Sword Sabre Replica.

No comments about Typhoon Swell Anime Samurai Sword, Japanese Replica, Metal Blade.

No comments about LOTR Uruk-Hai Scimitar.

No comments about Sharpened Samurai Tanto.

No comments about Masahiro Sword Handmade Wise Sage Katana Sharp.

No comments about Sword 30" w/Metal/Resin Handle & Wood Wall Holder.

1 comments about Masahiro Japanese Sword Black Katana Assembly Kit.

1. I really wanted a Katana that could somewhat customized to my flavor and at the same time be some cheaper (price wise). The Masahiro Assemble yourself was the ticket...or was it? Well first off I must say that there are several different types available. The kit comes with two tsubas (wheel and one that appears to have a dragon on it), your choice of saya color (I got my Masahiro from another vendor that offers more options) either white, blue, red, gold or black. The ito color depends mainly on the picture being shown (well it depends, I'll get to that later..).
   
   The Pros.
   Without a doubt the blade is very well made for the price. It has a nice curve (sori) and tip (kissaki) and the polish is very well done. It does have a fake hamon (wire brush by the looks) but it is done quite well. The habaki is made of brass and fits nice and tight. The tsubas, to my surprise are made of iron. The finish on them is not too good, but that can be easily fixed. The fuchi and kashira are made of an alloy, looks like copper to me. The fuchi is removable, but the kashira is epoxied on to the wood, which for a lower priced katana you'd expect. To my surprise the ito was wrapped nice and tight. The Menuki is your typical alloy copper dragon, which is ok (works with one of the tsubas). Nice tight fit in the saya which will loosen up over time with use. The tsuka also has real rayskin panels, which also to my surprise was not inlayed (which is good!) Cutting is a breeze. It's that sharp. I'm quite surprise on how well it has held up to cutting bottles and mats.
   
   The cons
   Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this kit is necessarily bad, but it could use a bit more work even if they slightly increased the price it is certainly worth it. One problem I found was the angle of the meguki holes was way too much. So much that it compressed the bamboo meguki down to almost half it's size! That's pretty bad in my opinion and also the meguki were not very good. One was already breaking from the stress. The other thing is the saya had some flaws. The finish on mine (I ordered the white saya one) was damaged on the kurigata. Not only that it is VERY sensitive to dents. A slight hit and it will dent in deeply. It seems the finish was not well done as in some areas it was exposed somewhat. The seppas are a bit too thin for my flavor. One of the tsubas as also loose fitting (the wheel) that it felt really annoying every time you swang at a target. Another thing which I think is the most critical of them all is the way the tsuka fit. It was wayyyy too tight, even for a production sword I think. I had to hammer the thing in pretty good. After that there still was a slight gap in between the seppa and tsuka. You can't really tell unless you put it up in light, but well...maybe I'm just being picky. Back again to the tsuka. Since I had to hammer it in pretty good and also took it apart since I was concerned that the mekugi would break, I notice the tsuka had a small crack (DOH!) most likely from hammering it in. That was a big let down, but it made look on the positive side of things that I could just make another one to fit it just like a glove. Besides the ito wrapping (which the picture showed black but in reality is a dark blue green color) that I wasn't particularly fond this was a chance for improvements on the katana, since I thought it well made. It appears it is 1045 which should handle stuff like water bottles and your ocassional tatami mat.
   
   In conclusion, I think the price is good for this katana. Even for just the blade, because it's pretty darn good and very very sharp. The only thing I think needs major work is the tsuka. Seriously, the tang should fit like a glove, but I somewhat expected this but felt it should have had a better fit. If you are a beginner and just to learn a bit about swords, this is definitely a good blade for you. In all, I give it a 3.5.

No comments about Full Tang Chinese War Sword.