Are you looking for an authentic Japanese katana for display or live use? If so, I would like to give my hearty recommendation for the Cold Steel Battle Ready Dragonfly Katana for many reasons.
You know as well as I do that it’s hard to find a real katana that has the three main features: Attractive design, high quality, and able to be used for live action. In my experience (and I’m sure you’d agree), most swords stop at the appealing design! Well, the Dragonfly Katana has all three and more.
Let’s talk first about its looks, which really are appealing and first-class. The sword itself looks like any other katana at first, but upon closer investigation, it reveals several distinct traits. First, the handle is wrapped in a kind of aqua green, silk cord-wrap, which provides an attractive appearance while retaining a secure grip. The wrap does not become unraveled easily, as is the case with many other swords. Secondly, the sword is true to its name and features dragonfly images on the pommel and guard. These images are hand-carved and really demonstrate an eye for detail. The scabbard is a traditional black lacquer wood, which is known for its quality and durability.
The second thing we’re looking for is high quality, which the Dragonfly Katana delivers. As you hold the sword in your hand, its feel says anything but “cheap.” As I said before, the handle* is well-designed and fits perfectly in the hand. The katana is very well-balanced and does not feel clumsy when wielding, which is owed in part to its full-tang assembly. Unfortunately, many replica swords (and some originals) are too blade-heavy or handle-heavy, resulting in an extra effort required on the part of the user. This is not so with the Dragonfly Katana; it literally feels like an extension of your arm and can be used just as easily. However, these things are just details: the blade is the most important part of the sword, and the manufacturer obviously realizes this. The blade is very strong, which is necessary for live action use. As previously stated, the blade is full-tang, meaning that the steel continues into the handle and is not merely glued onto the guard. The full-tang construction gives far better balance and more durability than a half-tang blade.
Lastly, the suitability for live action use is what sets the Dragonfly Katana apart from all the rest. In today’s market, it is rare to find a sword that is both razor-sharp and able to be used in actual combat — you either get a sharp sword that’s for display only, or a dull one to use for combat. It is refreshing to find a break from that tradition, but at the same time, it needs to be stated that the user should practice utmost caution with this sword, since it really is VERY sharp and dangerous if used improperly.
The Dragonfly Katana is certainly an incredible sword for the price. It’s my opinion that any serious sword enthusiast should pick up this weapon right away! Click here to check it out.
The history of the Japans swords dates back to very early days when swords were designed simply in a straight way. But through the period the art of sword making developed and new techniques were used to design it that was brought from China. The ancient people of Japan also used wooden swords to defend them selves. Amakunia a Japanese smith, according to ancient legends was the one who invented the sword and by the 10th century the folded steel process was used to design the single edged sword. And with changing times the design and the curve of the blade changed and tended to move up the blade. The sword was a warriors pride when he rode on horseback and fought wars with it defending himself and attacking his enemies with a sword that was considered the most efficient weapon of the time. The curve of the blade helps in the downward force of the cutting action.
The katana sword is worn suspended with the cutting edge down and was part of the uniform of a warrior. People carried the sword thrust in their belts with the edge up and anther sword called Tachi, was worn slung across the left hip. And the signature of the designer was splashed in the side of the sword and it was worn so the signature was visible on the front and this helped in recognizing the development and function of the sword. Later on the japans Samurai found that their Samurai swords were prone to damage when used to protect the armor suits of their enemies and this is the reason that the Japanese Sword smith started to use thinner templar lines and they also started making blade that had a thicker back and bigger points.
The feudal Japanese Sword and the katana swords are associated together and are famous throughout the world for its sharpness and cutting edge ability. The quality of the steel used is simply of a very good quality and the special forging techniques make it a real masterpiece.
In Japan there are strict rules and regulations to follow if you own or in possession of the Japanese swords. Whether they are antique or modern versions that are categorized as art objects and people should have a certification of ownership if they are the rightful owners. The replicas of these samurai and katana swords are being produce don a vast scale for different countries around the world and some countries have also banned these Japanese swords because they have been used in some bank robberies.
The Samurai were an elite group of Japanese warriors. Among their arsenal of weapons was the deadly Katana Sword. Today there are many companies producing quality katana swords that are available at either large or small budgets. This article aims to inform you of what you should look for when buying any sword but more particularly a buying a katana sword.
The desired purpose for the sword will differ greatly. If you only want to buy a katana sword to display in your home you can get away with spending a lot less money than if you actually want to use your sword for practicing swordsmanship. For this you will need a full tang sword(this is where the blade and the handle are made from the same piece of metal).
Firstly always buy your sword from a reputable dealer that stocks main brand weapons. There are many very cheap sword retailers n the Internet and what they sell are cheap imitations of a real sword. These neither perform nor look good. At the end of this article I will post a few selections of katana swords that are both value for money while being a quality item. If you are buying your first sword and will be using it solely to practice swordsmanship moves with it consider a wooden katana. These are great for practice and wont get near as damaged that a steel katana sword.
There are two types of katana swords available today. A battle ready sword is a sword that is sharpened and ready to use in practice. This type of sword though requires careful care. Because the blade is sharpened it can be prone to rust. A sword that is solely meant for display will most likely be coated in a special layer to protect it from rusting, the flip side to this is that the sword wont be sharp.
Always keep your battle ready katana sword in its scabbard when you are not using it. The sheaths are designed for a reason and they help protect the blade of the sword and ensures you get years of enjoyment from your sword. A sword mount is perfect if you want to display your sword in your home or bedroom.
Always keep your sword clean. If you have a particularly valuable or delicate sword you may want to consider purchasing a cleaning kit. Coat your katana with a non grease oil to keep rust at bay and ensure your blade stays sharp.
Below we have picked out some entry level along with some expensive models that we think offer both value and usability.
Click on the pictures for more details.
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The full tang Lord Dragon Katana is the first sword we chose mainly because of its stylish looks and its very affordable price for a full tang.
The katana blade blade is made from 440 steel and is curved.
This katana would be a great first buy for the person looking to get into collecting swords or for someone looking for something a little different. This sword is available from only $40. Click here for more information.
Overall this katana feels nice in your hands but you may be looking for a more traditional style weapon. Read on to find out what else we have to show off.
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This next katana sword available to buy is a spectular 41 inch katana with hard wood handle and brass end caps. It really does look smashing.
This katana has a straight blade made from hard steel. It also has a beautifully decorated scabbard with a nice design which really finishes off the look of this sword.
This sword is full tang and the blade comes sharp to the touch, remember the blade of this sword will require care in order to avoid rust and bluntness.
This Katana sword is available to buy from swblades from $40. Click here for more information or to buy. Next up we have a more expensive model although the quality is a lot higher than the first two models.
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The full tang dark orient katana is a real weapon. It has been built by master craftsmen and is a true weapon in every sense of the word. It has a heat tempered stainless steel blade, hardwood handle.
This katana sword is a great buy and even comes with a high quality sheath. This sword is only $60 over at swblades. Click here for more info.
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This final sword is an amazing piece of work at only twenty dollars. This is a quality fully functional sword that would be great for your first or 100th sword purchase. Click here for more info.
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The feature of this article is the awesome Hattori Hanzo sword from the movie Kill Bill. This sword is full tang which means it is fully functional for real sword training and use. What more it is accurately styled on the real sword from the movie so it looks and feels astonishing.
This samurai sword has a hand forged full tang blade which sets it a notch bove most replica swords. The blade is made of HRC1045 high carbon steel with an engraved signature in the blade, it also had the Kill Bill emblem engraved on the blade and appears very stylish. The handle is covered in real ray skin and has a black leather braid.
The scabbard is also very well styled and is constructed from a high quality lacquered wood with a piano finish, it also has a tasteful gold trim on each side.
This samurai sword is the perfect buy for either a sword to proudly display in your house or to use for real swordsmanship. The overall length of this samurai sword is 41 inches with the blade coming in at 29 inches. This is a good ratio of blade to handle. The blade is made from high quality carbon steel and has a high hardness rating. Overall the whole package is bundled very nicely with the scabbard and good detail in general.
A full tang, battle ready sword at a keen price it is comparable to Paul Chen swords in quality. This would be a great buy for any movie buff or for someone just getting started in buying swords. Visit TrueSword to get a better look at this sword now.
So you are thinking to buy a samurai sword, this article is going to give you some background information on samurai swords so you can make some educated decisions when buying you one.
Samurai swords originated from Korea and China and were originally know as chokuto. These swords had a straight blade and were sharpened only on one side. These swords were later replaced by curved blade swords. These new curved blades were know as tachi. Curved blades offered a lot of benefits over straight bladed samurai swords in that they could be withdrawn from the scabbard faster and they gave a better cutting angle. These curved blade swords quickly took the place of straight bladed swords in any samurais hand.
The hardest and sharpest part of the samurai sword is the tip and if you are going to buy a Samurai sword you should know that this is also the hardest part to polish and to sharpen. The value and usefulness of a samurai sword is often placed on the quality and durability of its tip.
IF you practice swordsmanship it is wise to use a wooden otherwise known as bokken. This is a proces the Samurai used so as not to damage their real swords from unnecessary damage.
Samurais would often give names to their sword. They believed this helped give their swords a spirit and perform better in battle. I have followed this tradition, albeit I have given slightly newer more Rock’n Roll names to my collection. How does a Wooden Samurai Sword call Dummy sound.
There are three distinct types of swords that can be classed as samurai swords. Firstly there is the Katana sword, this is the longest of all the samurai swords and was used in outdoor battle. The Wakizashi is slightly shorter than the katana and is normally about two thirds its length. This is normally used when a samurai was indoors as it has obvious benefits in enclosed spaces. The third type of samurai sword is know as the tanto, this is a much smaller sword and was used in a simlar manner to the wakizashi.
In ancient times the sword makers would test their new creation on corpses of prisoners and captives. The started by cutting through the small weak bones of their dead foes and would gradually work towards the harder to cut areas. The swords were graded by this method and heir price fixed.
The most powerful samurai was know as the shogun. This legendary warrior would wear two samurai swords and was a frightening oppenent in battle. Any of your enemies will be struck with fear if they see you, a modern day samurai with matching samurai swords as their enemy.