[P. Cha]

Sorry if I stuck this in the wrong spot...forgot if reviews go here or off topic. If I messed up, please move me to the right place .

Stats:
Blade 28 inches
Tsuba 11 inches
Weight 2 lbs 3 ounces
PoB 5.5 inches
Thickness at base 7mm
Thickness at tip 5mm
Differentially hardened 1045 steel.











The Saya

Mine fits the blade very well and snuggly. The finish is even and almost flawless. There is one small bump in the entire finish as the only blemish. Very impressive for a sub $100 sword. The sageo on the other hand is cheap. Very cheap. It's already fraying apart at the ends.

The Blade

The hamon looks very nice. I have 2 surface scracthes about 2mm long on one side of the blade on the hamon. The blade is something between a mirror finish and a satin finish. I find I actually like this inbetween quite a bit actually. The kissaki is of course cosmetic. The blade is VERY sharp. Will shave paper with no issue. The tip on this sword is soft. I wouldn't stab with this sword.

The Tsuka
The ito is done in the usual chinese diamond pattern. No surprise. It is the same cheap material as the sageo. It is however done nice and tightly. The mekugi pin is also pinned properly. The size of the core however is one the small side...but I like my tsuka this way so it's good for me. Other's with beefer hands may find it too small however.

Other Fittings
The menuki seems to be metal...but has a pretty horrid paint over it. It is also used on the saya as well on the small orniment on the kurikata. I would have prefered is they were not painted this way. The tsuba feels pretty sturdy and it should as it is a nice hunk of iron. The finish on it however is pretty flimsy and mine came with some light flaking. The same is true of the fuchi and kashira finish as well.

Handling
Oh....boy do I like how this katana handles. I mean I actually like how it feels more then the MAS katana I got hold a year ago. It just seems to flow for me. I can tell that the mass distribution is wrong on this katana for optimized cutting like on the MAS...but I'm not expecting that. It does however feel different from the nihonto I have had the chance to get my grubby hands on as well. But this sword likes to dance in my hands.

Value for the money
Oh boy is this a good value for the money. Yeah I find some things I can tinker with and improve...and I probably will, but for the money, this is one heck of a sword.

And for my final picture, my housemate's reaction to the sword .




Historical accuracy: 3/5 (the ito is wrong, the kissaki is cosmetic...tacky achronoistic fitting bits)
Fit and Finish: 4/5 (Everything is fitted nice and tight, but some of the finish is flimsy and tacky)
Handling: 4.5/5 (despite how much I personally like it, it's not quite what is perfect for a katana...so I can't give it a perfect score).
Structural Integrity: 4.5/5 (Soft tip...I would deduct more...but the katana wasn't much of a stabbing weapon)
Value for the Money: 5/5
Overall: 4.2(including historical accuracy) 4.5(without).