Buying a Real Katana: A Comprehensive Guide
It can be a daunting task to find the perfect sword for your needs. The best way to buy a katana is to educate yourself about them, their history, the materials used to make them, and their market before you start shopping.
This article will help guide you through the process of making such an important purchase. Read along this comprehensive guide so that you can buy a real katana.
Katanas Today
First thing’s first: katanas are NOT what they used to be! Today, most swords on the market are replicas made in China. These swords may look the same and even the same, but they do not serve any real purpose (such as cutting or displaying) and should be considered as ornamental only.
Why does this distinction matter? When buying a katana for use, its quality needs to be evaluated by how it will perform when called upon. If the weapon is not real, it will not be able to perform as expected.
Also, because most these blades on the market are replicas, they do not have any collectable value and thus should not be bought for that purpose.
So if you want a katana that both looks great and performs well, what exactly should you look for? More importantly, how can you ensure that your purchase is from a reputable seller who won’t sell you any garbage?
Here are some things to keep in mind when buying a katana.
What to Look For When Purchasing a Katana
Cost
One thing to remember is that katanas range widely in price depending on their quality. An expensive forged Koto Katana with an authentic blade is the real deal, with real value.
On the other hand, a katana with a fake hamon (the tempering pattern) and no tsuba (guard) is not even worth more than $50. The price of Katanas on the market varies widely so it’s important to keep these things in mind when shopping around.
Steel
A katana is a Japanese sword that has been used in combat for centuries. If it is authentic, then it is crafted from special steel which has been folded many times to create a strong metal with an excellent cutting edge.
Thus, the real deal must be forged from high quality steel. This requires a great deal of skill on the part of the swordsmith and is one of the reasons why they are so expensive. They require time and resources to make!
Geometry and Balance
Also important is the blade’s geometry and balance point. In order for this weapon to work as intended, its weight must fall just behind its sharp tip in order to maximize cutting power. If the blade is not balanced correctly, it therefore not be an effective weapon.
Hamon and The Edge
In order to ensure that the blade you are eyeing is authentic and of quality, look at its hamon or tempering line. This is the visible line of hardened metal on the blade which was created during the forging process. This can be time consuming to forge and many cheap katanas don’t have these lines since they’re created by hand!
Along with this, look for sharpness and edge retention when holding the weapon in your hands. The edges should feel sharp enough to easily cut through paper or targets without any resistance while remaining strong enough to withstand impact without chipping.
In addition, these are often made with different handle materials that include wood, ivory, or even more exotic substances. These can vary greatly in price depending on what they’re made of so it’s important to consider this when making your purchase.
How it is Shipped
Lastly, real katanas must be purchased from a reputable vendor. If the blade you have your eyes on doesn’t come in a box inside another box, or isn’t offered by someone who has been involved in katana sales for some time, chances are it’s not authentic.
Katanas are shipped very carefully for obvious reasons and will therefore not be sent without proper packaging!
Keep Your Eyes Open For a Real Katana
The katana is one of the most iconic weapons in human history. It’s beautiful, elegant, and deadly. Owning a real katana can be exhilarating because each blade carries with it an incredible amount of weight and art behind its design.
Whether you are looking to use it as a decoration or for training purposes, there are many factors that need to be considered when buying a real katana.
The only real katanas worth buying are ones forged from high quality materials, hand-tempered with a real hamon tempering line, has good blade geometry and balance, and feels right when the user handles it.
Another important factor is it’s bought from a reputable seller who will send it to the buyer in a wooden box inside another cardboard box. This ensures that it arrives safely.
If none of this applies to the Katana you have your eyes on, it’s probably a replica and is best avoided!
We hope this guide has helped you find the best option for your needs!
You might also wanna check the TOP STORES TO BUY REAL ANIME SWORDS.
