MAKOTO Handmade Sharp Samurai Shirasaya Sword Wooden Scabbard Saya

(This is a long review) Normally I never do reviews but in this case I am. Before buying anything on Amazon I usu. read the reviews. I am constantly amazed at the (I hate to call it stupidity) reviews that sometimes aren’t even understandable; so many mispelled words; and sentence syntax that is that of an eight year old; and then there are the ones that try to answer a question ‘is it sharp?’ and the first guy says “very sharp” and the very next guy says “dull”. I don’t get it. I did not see a review for the Rosewood Katana so here is my ‘stab’ at it. Let’s start with what it actually is: SHIRASAYA: Japanese sword mountings are the various housings and associated fittings that hold the blade of a Japanese sword when it is being worn or stored. Koshirae refers to the ornate mountings of a Japanese sword used when the sword blade is being worn by its owner, whereas the shirasaya is a plain undecorated wooden mounting composed of a saya (scabbard) and tsuka (handle) that the sword blade is stored in when not being used. HAMON (Temper line): ‘Is it real?’ No, it is not real and the mfg. even states that it is not real. It is too much of a ‘perfect’ wave pattern to be the real thing anyway. WEIGHT: The handle and blade weighs 1# 15oz. (31.3 oz.) (888g) The scabbard alone weighs 6.6 oz. (187g) Total weight is 2#6oz. (37.95oz) (1,075g) MEASUREMENTS: Handle is 11”; Blade is 28.5”; Overall including scabbard is 40.5” (for those of you who are actually counting, the ‘extra’ inch is because the blade does not go all the way to the end of the scabbard-one inch away) HIGH CARBON STEEL: For those who asked the question of ‘why is there oily stuff all over the blade?’ there is a very good reason. Yes, it is oil and it is there to protect the blade from rust and/or corrosion. Steel =Iron = Ferrous= Fe; in contact with the Air = Oxygen = O2; and what you get is FeO2 (commonly called Ferrous Oxide, also known as “Rust”) If you wipe this oily coating off the blade when you first get it and then when you are done with it you should always put a light coat of oil back on the blade. 3in1 lightweight oil works great. TANG: The mfg says that it IS a full handle tang. Some of the reviews said “NOT a full tang” and then another one said it “It is a full handle tang”. Who are you going to believe? Some people said they even took it apart. WHY? There is no way I’m going to take my handle apart and then try to put it back together and try to match the matte finish on the Rosewood handle with the scabbard. I happen to have several ‘very strong’ magnets and I put one on the blade and it clung very tight to the blade. Then I took another magnet and went down along the handle and it ‘sensed’ the metal of the tang right through the wood of the handle all the way to about 1” from the end. IT IS a full length tang. One of my pics shows the magnets clinging to the wood of the handle. “A picture is worth a 1000 words” SHARPNESS: Again, here we go….one guy says “Its dull” and another says “Very sharp”. What’s with these reviewers?? Here’s the facts. I got my blade and ran my thumb ‘across’ it very carefully. It IS sharp. Sharp enough that I would not run my finger ‘along’ the blade as it is very capable of cutting skin. I have a “Chefs Choice” Trizor Edge XV knife sharpener (that I happened to buy on Amazon and am VERY happy with it) It has 2 diamond cutting wheels and the third is a buffing wheel. I was amazed that the thickness of the blade did fit in the wheels. I did not want to actually re-cut the blade so I put it through the third ‘buffing’ wheel….3 times on each side and it was SO SHARP that I literally could not run my finger ‘across’ it. So I tried it on a piece of regular copy paper; held it with my left hand and ran the blade across it with my other hand and one slice down went right down the paper in one smooth motion. Again, the pic tells the story. FINISH: The Rosewood is beautiful and the handle matches the scabbard perfectly. There is no difference in the finish or the wood from one end to the other. There is no small gap between the two either. For example, I was showing it to a friend and pulled it out of the sword bag (provided) and he didn’t know what it was. He thought it was a long piece of wood. I said to pull it apart and he nearly dropped it!! He was amazed. FIT: The blade slides into the scabbard easily and when the ferrule (Habaki) enters the scabbard it is a very nice snug fit. There is no ‘looseness’ in the fit and the blade is also snug inside. No rattles of any kind. Overall I am very pleased with this Katana. For the price of $53 you can’t beat it. For those reviewers who said that I ‘was fighting with another sword’ and the blade was all beat up, I have to say this to them; This is NOT a fighting sword, it is a showpiece and that is it’s intended purpose. If you want to practice with another steel blade you have to expect it to get ‘beat up’. It is not a Damascus steel blade otherwise you would be paying upwards of $900 for that kind of blade. You get what you pay for!! With this sword I can say that I feel that I got more than what I paid for. It is worth every dollar. I apologize for the length of this review but I had a lot to say. Thank you for letting me share.

Okay....first a disclaimer. I am NOT a sword expert. I know about good knives, but swords are totally foreign to me. So this review is from an average guy.... like many of you. Okay, let's get to it. First, the heft was impressive. Not heavy, but you know you're holding something. The sword was well packed, so there was absolutely no damage such as scuffs, dings, or knicks. The sword comes in a black soft sleeve to further protect it from being scratched. Upon visual inspection, the finish is a beautiful glossy light honey color. It fits tightly in the sheath with no rattling whatsoever. Upon drawing it, the blade was sharp. Not razor sharp, but if you took a sincere swing at a soft target, it would definitely do respectable damage. I'm confident I can put a much better edge on it with a stone and some patient grinding. The edge has that wavy line along it....I know there is a specific term for it, but again, I am not an expert or versed in Japanese. Overall, it is simplistic and elegant in its design. I didn't want an overly ornate sword with wraps, etching, or even a hand guard (again there is a term, but offhand, I'm at a loss). For $50, I was solidly impressed. I do know that swords can range up to the thousands, so I wasn't expecting much. I'm happy to report I was pleasantly surprised. It's beautifully crafted for its price, and the blade itself certainly warrants a respectable nod. The description says full tang, and another buyer stated they took it apart, and found it to be indeed, full tang. I'm inclined to believe that it is. For the money, I would say this one is certainly worthy of consideration. I'm a hardcore critic, but really found no shortcomings to speak of. For decorative purposes, it's a beauty. Even for you water-bottle killing samurai, I'm sure you'll be capable of littering the yard with fallen Dasani bottles. For you hardcore sword aficionados, you may find fault with its design....but remember, this is NOT a high end several thousand dollar Shirisaya. I don't know if I'd depend on it during the zombie apocalypse, but for the average Amazon shopper.....it's $50 very well spent in my opinion. I hope this aids you in your decision.

A few mentions at the start: I realized that I was not buying a work of art or an 'addition to my collection of fine swords'. In truth, I purchased it accidentally. I should know better than to shop late at night, when I'm tired, especially when not wearing my glasses. Long story aside, it ended up in my cart with a handful of other items, and with such a low price, especially compared to the other things I was buying, I didn't know it was there until my confirmation email was viewed the next day. What the heck, thought I, it can always be returned. That was well over six months ago, and I still have it as I am truly pleased with the craftsmanship! THE ONLY REASON I AM KNOCKING ONE STAR OFF IS DUE TO FALSE REPRESENTATION WITH REGARD TO THE PICTURE, AS STATED BELOW... What others have said is true of mine as well as: the wood doesn't match (slight variation in color or shade), there is a black band, about as wide as a piece of electrician's tape, marking the point at which the handle and scabbard meet,( I know, not the proper terms, but neither have I mastered the use of chopsticks.) It is at this point that the disappointment stops. Use a bit of caution when withdrawing the blade, or have your wife learn to sew back together various lengths of rips in meat (mainly your own), as the dangerous side of this edged weapon is sharp!! I heard a saying some time ago that once a blade tastes blood, it develops a hunger for it. I tend to believe that whomever first said that must have been as spastic as I am when handling long, pointy, sharp objects. The wood has a glass-smooth high gloss to it, great for looking at, bad for killing "Walkers" if you have even marginally sweaty sword-holders. The scabbard fits exceptionally well, as a fairly stout tug is required to deploy the sharp pointy thing, unless, of course, you merely want to tenderize your zombies by beating them with the scabbard on. I have yet to hear one single rattle from either scabbard, sword, or complete device when assembled. The tang stops approximately 1 1/2 inches from the end of the handle. Of course I had to disassemble it, or how would I ever get all of the zombie blood and zombie entrails out of all the cracks and crevices? Just imagine the smell after a battle or two! Now I feel safer every time The Walking Dead comes on, knowing that I can protect my dear wife and myself! Practically every week, I pick up pointers from Michonne, if she happens to go out on a supply run. That reminds me, I need to get more bandaids.

When I got the package, I immediately noticed it was real heavy and I dropped it on my toe and fell in a rush of pain and a mixture of joy, but when I gently took it out of all the packaging and wrapping, the gloss shined so bright directly into my eyes, I almost went blind. The wood grain is beautiful, and made me feel nervous to ask it out on a date. Opening the Saya, it is very steady and tight, and very satisfying, mhm. The blade was very sharp and shiny, I nearly went blind again. It doesn't really pass the paper test, but no sword is perfect, considering it is only about half tang and low grade steel. It is an amazing decoration piece and every time I look at it on my sword rack, I'm like ooh girl wassup what you doing tonight huh. Honestly and in all seriousness, I prefer this sword over my actual katanas just because the simplicity is refreshing and it overall feels good in your hands, let alone how sturdy and strong it seems to be. I was very pleased with this purchase, and for the price, it is definitely worth it.

For the price I was very surprised it was so well constructed. It's sturdy all around. Doesn't have any imprints on the sword itself saying made in China or 1045 Stainless steel which is a good thing. I was purposely looking for a Katana that was low key and plain. This isn't like many other swords that are decorated to look like an antique and feels more functional. For the price it's amazing. Very sharp and some people were wondering why the blade feels sticky and why it has shaving, the blade has been oiled so that it doesn't rust and the only downside is that the sheath has small wood particles inside that stick to the oiled blade after you pull it out.

Okay so first i wanted to say the only other swords i have ever purchased have been under 15 dollars so i never had a good sword. When i purchased this sword i figured that it was going to be an ok sword not great not horrible and boy was i wrong. It is way better than okay. Blade was perfectly straight, and it came so sharp i cut the box it came in, into 4 peices with three consecutive strikes back and forth. I have always been an avid Knife collector and recently have been getting into larger items. I could not be happier with this purchase if you are thinking about it getting this sword i wouldn't think twice i would gladly pay up to 60 dollars for this sword and its only 40. Trust me it is amazing. Pros: Very Sharp Beautiful finish on handle and sheath Good Weight Cons: Rattles slightly inside sheath (really not a problem at all) At the top of the sword handle there is a wooden peg where there should be a metal peg not a problem for me actually gives me better grip Trust me this is an amazing Purchase Couldn't be happier

I'll keep it brief: you get what you pay for with this. Pros: It's pretty sturdy! I gave it a mild stress test of chopping thin branches, and cutting filled bottles and fruit. So far it's endured no damage that I can observe. The sword in its saya is very flush, so it looks pretty pleasing in that regard. Cons: The blade wasn't entirely straight, though that's to be expected with any low-budget sword. The color isn't super appealing in my opinion, though it looks fine enough. Fake hamon is always bleh, but they don't try to mislead the viewer into thinking it's a real hamon on the store page so I can't complain about that too much. It only has one pin, which I know isn't uncommon for katanas but still gives me a bit of paranoia when I use it. The lack of furnishings also means the point of balance is a bit farther towards the tip than I would like, though that's not really uncommon on swords of this type. If you want to skip eating out somewhere with the family and buy a sword with the money saved instead, you can do worse than this one. It's good for padding out your sword collection or chopping stuff up in your yard. For twice the price you can have a much better sword (the Musashi swords), but not everyone has the extra money to spend, and not everyone cares to spend more than this on something that (let's face it) is pretty useless aside from the fun of it. tldr: If you wanna blow $60 on a fun sword that won't break hitting bottles and fruit, go for it! I certainly don't regret buying it! If you're new to swords it's not a bad place to start, though I'd recommend saving up another $60 and buying a Musashi. If your budget is really low though, just get this and enjoy :)

The packaging was superb, the sword itself is made very well with a secured seal between the sword and the Saya. The sword arrived sharpened,straight,and balanced with a perfect clearcoat finish on the Tsuka and the Saya!

Belle épée pour le prix et coupant mais lorsque je l'ai tester la lame ses plier ses pour cela que je lui donne trois étoiles