Spyderco Forums

So, I've been thinking about buying a sword. I honestly have no idea where to begin, and I don't really know much about swords. I would want something durable, fairly cheap, and well built. I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I would appreciate any suggestions! Thanks!

Matt

I know bupkis about swords, but have a bit of an itch for one as well.

One that caught my eye on another forum is the "Tactical Katana Machete" which is a new offering by Cold Steel, doesn't look like it's for sale yet though. (For the record, I also know nothing about Cold Steel.) If the street price is ~$50 or less I might give it a go. Hopefully others here can chime in with more suggestions.



http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/97TKMS ... chete.aspx" target="_blank

I have also heard good things about Windlass Steelcrafts (http://www.museumreplicas.com/" target="_blank) and Hanwei Forge for entry level stuff (http://www.paulchenhanweiswords.com/" target="_blank) depending on what "fairly cheap" is for you, but no direct experience with either.

Apophis wrote:I know bupkis about swords, but have a bit of an itch for one as well.

One that caught my eye on another forum is the "Tactical Katana Machete" which is a new offering by Cold Steel, doesn't look like it's for sale yet though. (For the record, I also know nothing about Cold Steel.) If the street price is ~$50 or less I might give it a go. Hopefully others here can chime in with more suggestions.



http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/97TKMS ... chete.aspx" target="_blank

I have also heard good things about Windlass Steelcrafts (http://www.museumreplicas.com/" target="_blank) and Hanwei Forge for entry level stuff (http://www.paulchenhanweiswords.com/" target="_blank) depending on what "fairly cheap" is for you, but no direct experience with either.

Thanks! I also know nothing about Cold Steel. I just suddenly felt the need to give swords a try! I also did a quick google search, and the cheapest I could find any cold steel katana for was about $280. Maybe this one will be different in some way, and maybe cheaper? I didn't look into it very much.
I really have no idea what I'm looking for in a sword, and I'm not really sure what a reasonable price-point would be. I'd most likely pay up to $200. If I like it, I might get something nicer. That's what I did with Spydercos! :)

Matt

It sounds like we need some sword education here. Thank goodness we have the Discovery Channel putting out quality T.V. like this:

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/big-giant-swords/" target="_blank

O.K., maybe this isn't all that educational. Two episodes down and all I've learned is that it looks very difficult to wield a big giant sword. :eek: :eek:

You might take a look at one of these. If you aren't very tall, might want to use it in closer quarters, but still want a two hand grip for control. This one works well enough. It's about as cheap as you'll find for a cutter that works well. I got one for fun and it is good for cutting water bottles, milk jugs, etc. I did sharpen it some as it was fairly dull when it arrived. The 21" blade is fine for me, as I'm only 5'7" tall and a full size katana is a bit too big for me to carry comfortably. This one has a wider blade than the standard katana, but has enough weight to plow through cuts easily. As always with cutting, technique is better than brute strength and a sharp edge will slice cleanly & easily. It wouldn't cut paper easily when it arrived, but it does now.

http://www.chenessinc.com/yamakami_kokat.htm" target="_blank
https://youtu.be/7GuxNhCTniE" target="_blank

Cold steel ain't bad as long as you have reasonable expectations and don't mind tinkering. Their tomahawks are great DIY opportunities for instance, but don't expect it to be perfect out of the box. The Katana is probably similar.

If you put a decent edge on it, that machete katana might be a decent place to start. without holding/using one, it's difficult to say how it will perform. the polypropylene handle should be less brittle than the Grivory ones.

This site has a pretty good range of products - http://www.kultofathena.com" target="_blank

MattM68 wrote:I also did a quick google search, and the cheapest I could find any cold steel katana for was about $280. Maybe this one will be different in some way, and maybe cheaper?

Matt

If msrp is $69.99 (link under pic above,) then I figure a ~$50 street price is possible.

I may be willing to spend $200 or more on something good, but I am wary of buying something that is basically "for display purposes only" and maybe dangerous to use. At this point I just want a decent beater out of curiosity.

Apophis wrote:

MattM68 wrote:I also did a quick google search, and the cheapest I could find any cold steel katana for was about $280. Maybe this one will be different in some way, and maybe cheaper?

Matt

If msrp is $69.99 (link under pic above,) then I figure a ~$50 street price is possible.

I may be willing to spend $200 or more on something good, but I am wary of buying something that is basically "for display purposes only" and maybe dangerous to use. At this point I just want a decent beater out of curiosity.

Oh, sorry! I just quickly google searched for Cold Steel Katanas, and the ones I saw were all pretty expensive. $50 seems like almost too good of a deal. You could get one for less than a Delica.

Matt

If you want a katana that is going to be in that price range and have the approximate dimensions of an actual sword, you're going to want to go with noseoil's suggestion of a Cheness katana. The Hanwei Raptor katanas are also a bang-for-the-buck katana that does a good job of balancing actual capability with budget. On a katana, the handle wrap needs to be properly done to be of any use. To get a well-wrapped handle from cold steel, you need to go up a line on their katanas.

The handle and blade geometries on the Cheness swords make them favorite beaters for the Japanese sword community to push the limits of their tameshigiri (test cutting). The handles are not the best, but the blades are generally very good for the price. My brother, who competes in the Mugai Ryu school of kenjutsu has used his Cheness katana to place in tameshigiri competition at national tai kais. I've put one through the equivalent resistance of two legs at the thigh (two single roles with 1" bamboo centers), and it was smooth as silk.

If you're into sword pics and drooling, check these out:
http://www.summerchild.com" target="_blank
http://www.legacyswords.com" target="_blank
http://www.bugei.com" target="_blank

noseoil wrote:You might take a look at one of these...

Thanks for mentioning the Cheness SGC Series. The maker's website is really interesting.

I have one of Cold Steel's Gurkha Kukri knives ( which is like a machete) and I got one of the 1/4 inch thick versions from the time they were using Carbon V blade steel. It is a high carbon steel and needs to be coated to prevent corrosion which is one of the only aspects I don't like about it. But the Gurkha Kukri literally saved my life one night about 5 years ago and it was the best $100+ that I ever spent.

OK I know this is a "sword" thread>> but this Gurkha Kukri is truly like a small to medium sized sword. Cold Steel does sell a lot of conventional type/sized swords and I've heard that for the money they aren't bad at all. Now I would go as far as to say they are a premium unit because I truly don't know much about swords and what type of steel makes an ideal sword. But anything I ever bought with Cold Steel's name on it I've always felt like I got a decent deal for the amount of money I spent.

I would love to have one of their newer laminated Gurkha Kukri knives. I would also love to have one of their medium sized Katana Swords just to get my feet wet so to speak.

Here's another option for a katana which is reasonably price & can cut well. I have one of these as well and it is a decent beginner's blade. This would be the bare minimum for a cutting katana IMO. 1065 steel 60 at the edge & 40 at the spine, according to the hype, but who knows if this is true or not? It will cut & was sharper from the factory than the dojo cutter I mentioned above.

http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/Paul-Chen-Swords.html" target="_blank
http://www.katerno.com/detail/s/222931/ ... a---SH2073" target="_blank
http://www.katerno.com/detail/s/222934/p/SH2162_vk/" target="_blank

My sword knowledge is minimal as well but specifics are important. Are you thinking display, something to hack at trees with, Tameshikiri/cutting grade, etc. Are you set on the Japanese Katana/Waki look?

I bought a Condor Tool Dadao just wanting a big piece of steel to whack tree branches with and be ready for zombies :p. It's like 2 pounds, quarter inch thick 1075, full tang, convex edge, and has plenty of handle for baseball swings. Certainly not razor sharp (still cuts paper) or graceful but chipping or breaking it is nigh-impossible.

Condor has a few other cool looking products in that $50-80 range. They are mainly dolled-up machetes (light to heavy duty). Then again, the idea of spending $600-2000 for a katana to de-limb trees with makes me cringe.

Of course sword-buyers-guide.com exists...

A good review, though, I enjoyed reading it. I feel like the concept that they are generally useful is central to my ability to keep buying knives. I'm pretty sure the arrival of a samurai sword would only serve to topple that house of cards...

Thanks guys! :) I have no idea what I want to be honest. It also doesn't need to be a katana. Just anything that would be good for a begginer. I'll probably pick up a few more folders before any swords.

Matt

I definitely would like to get either a katana or another similarly curved sword that would be in the same ballpark of basic length/function/cutting ability. I have fun with my machete, but I'd like to actually develop some proper technique. Would most likely use on bamboo/river cane, small trees, and whatever makeshift targets I find. There are some excellent suggestions here.

Well, I took the plunge.

Someone offered me a Cheness "Tenchi" katana and we were able to work out a trade.

First impressions are favorable. It meets my expectations of being a basic "no frills" sword in the entry level beginner/beater category. Everything seems very solid. The 28" 9260 blade is pretty serious slab of steel. I can definitely see that a ko-katana would be more nimble and practical, but I am over 6'2" so the weight and length don't feel over the top to me. I really wasn't going for practical here anyway :D

It will probably be a while before I can get out for any test cutting, but it is a cool/fun thing to have in my modest collection of blades. I am already thinking of ways to pimp it out a bit. May re-wrap the tsuka with nicer ito. I also have a sculpter friend who does a lot of metal work and is interested in making a custom tsuba for me, which would be awesome.

If you do a re-wrap, Thomas L. Buck has the best info http://www.tsukamaki.net/tsuka/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is much more difficult to do than it looks, or at least to do properly. The finishing knots are no joke.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the tip!

I've looked at a couple of tutorials already and it looks tedious, but not insurmountable. Those knots do look tricky though...

The stock ito on the Tenchi is probably fine for anything I'll do with the sword, but the material is a little worn (it's used after all,) and a bit shoelace-like.

Oh, and if anyone wants to drool over more pics, this guy's work is pretty incredible:
http://islandblacksmith.ca/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;