samurai swords?

Question

If I was to buy a Samurai Katana, where should I go and is there a certain brand I should look for? Which type of material would be the best?
Thanks

Yes, as of now I am currently looking for an swords master. As I have already studied various forms of martial arts. So I am in need to something durable, and something that will last for a long period of time. All with the proper care from me of course.....

Answer 1

440 steel is fairly durable, and not particularly brittle. If you're looking for a live-bladed practical katana, then purchasing a traditionally handmade one as opposed to a factory processed one is essential. You will have to pay for quality though.

Look online for swordsmiths who make their swords by hand. Over-elaborate designs are almost always inferior procucts. To spot a genuine one you will need to look for a good few telltale signs- A ribbon on the scabbard, so it can be attached to a belt etc, a traditional handle, with ribbon as a grip, and usually a black circular handguard.

I came across this site- It's fairly cheap and the blades look great:

http://www.japanese-armor.com/japanese-swords.shtml

These are a bit more fancy- but still look good:

http://www.jidai.jp/

Plus there is a large selection here:

http://www.tozandoshop.com/

Answer 2

Katana is a type of Japanese backsword or longsword . The term is also frequently mis-used as general name for Japanese swords. In use after the 1400s, the Katana is a curved, single-edged sword traditionally used by the samurai. Pronounced [kah-tah-nah] in the kun'yomi (Japanese reading) of the kanji the word has been adopted as a loan word by the English language; as Japanese does not have separate plural and singular forms, both "katanas" and "katana" are considered acceptable plural forms in English. The katana was typically paired with the wakizashi or shōtō, a similarly made but shorter sword, both worn by the members of the warrior class. It could also be worn with the tantō, an even smaller similarly shaped blade. The two weapons together were called the daishō, and represented the social power and personal honor of the samurai. The long blade was used for open combat, while the shorter blade was considered a side arm, more suited for stabbing, close quarters combat, decapitating beaten opponents when taking heads on the battlefield, and seppuku, a form of ritual suicide.

Japanese swords are fairly common today, antique and even modern forged swords can still be found and purchased. Modern nihontō are only made by a couple hundred smiths in Japan today at contests hosted by the All Japan Swordsmiths Association.

Please check the following link for the website where you can place order for the Smurai sword.

http://www.karatedepot.com/samurai_swords.html

Answer 3

If you want the real deal you are going to be paying huge!!!

You've got to remember that these swords werre hand crafted by true craftsmen of that time period so what are you going for a replica to wave around at your friends and say look at me look at me,
do you plan to study and utilize the blade,
do you collect swords and are ready to pay through the nose for a

Katana?

Answer 4

Ok, first off if you are looking for a decent quality katana (samurai sword) expect to spend in the neighborhood of $1000. That isn't the best quality, but it will at least be passable.

You might be able to find a good quality sword for cheaper, but the fact that you are asking on the internet where to buy indicates that you wouldn't know how to discern quality when you see it.

You need to ask yourself WHY you want it. There is no certain "brand" per se, but you want to look at the smith who makes it and the reputation of the company. Do they use proper heat treatment? what kind of steel do they use?

If they use any kind of stainless steel it is crap. I'm including some articles about discerning a well-made sword, the parts (anatomy) of a japanese sword and heat treatment.

I can give you links to some reputable websites for japanese swords.

http://www.bugei.com/ for japanese swords

www.swordstore.com for custom japanese swords (more expensive)

Some articles regarding sword quality and buying a sword:

1- from bugei- ten things you should know before buying a sword:
http://www.bugei.com/tenthings.html...

2- steels for japanese swords:
http://swordforum.com/sfu/japanese/moder...

3- heat treatment article:
http://swordforum.com/sfu/primer/heattre...

4- anatomy of a japanese sword:
http://swordforum.com/sfu/japanese/anatomy.html

5- what list would be complete without everyone's favorite video of what happens when you use a stainless steel sword:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s0drcdyi...

NOTE: you might also want to consider purchasing a bokuto before a live blade if you are really considering taking sword lessons. I would reccomend however that you find a place to train.

Answer 5

Asia World of Martial Arts has a nice respectable katana for about $100. I use mine for iaido.

Answer 6

You can get Samurai Swords at

Continental Martial Arts
http://www.cmasports.com/

Probably just about any other martial arts store sells them too!

It may be illegal to sell them on-line.

Answer 7

i can get you a real samurai sword from the 1500s if you wanna pay