Handmade Sword - Aluminium Alloy Unsharpened Iaido Training Katana Sword, Handmade, Full Tang, Dragon Tsuba, Black Scabbard

Great, great! I bought this when I began training Iaido. I was worried about the build but... After a couple of weeks the habaki (collar that fits into the saya) started to wobble. I purchased a cleaning / repair kit and broke it down. I cleaned up the tang and added a few shims between the fuchi and put it back together and have not had an issue yet. The only other issue I had was the sageo on this isn't the best. Which is an important part of Iaido, however to purchase a high quality sageo isn't a problem to replace it. If you are looking for a reliable well put together Iaido training sword this is it. Any tool that gets heavy use, you'll have to expect to do some work to. If you don't want to do that, consider a training sword in the $600 - $1,200 range.

My Sensei bought this same Iaito about six months back. It performs so well for him that I decided to buy one. I am completely impressed. Good value for the money.

The sword is very well made, its balance is perfect and all fittings are tight. A very elegant sword. But unfortunately it bends easily.

If you are looking for a sword for class, this isn't it. It weighs next to nothing and is not very useful for training. It will likely make a nice, expensive decoration. They charge for returns and take a restock fee, so be careful when ordering from this company.

C’mon. To say it’s handmade and made out of aluminum sounds pretty ridiculous. It’s machine-made, and not very well made. If it was well made, the balance would be correct, and the tang would not feel loose. Congrats, you have some scrap metal you made into the SHAPE of a katana. But it’s just metal in the SHAPE, nothing comparable to the real deal.

For a low cost training sword definitely would suggest.

I use aluminum swords fro practicing forms in Kumdo, and I like this one because it is a little heavier and sturdier than others I've used. If they are too light, then after a while the blade will start to curve sideways if you make a lot of high speed cuts. Also, too light a blade doesn't simulate the experience of the stroke of a live, steel blade. The scabbard is cheaply made, which is why I don't give it a 5 star rating. (That's a saya for those of you who think we have to use Japanese language to describe something, even when there is a direct equivalence in English). All in all, I think that it is a good bargain for the price.

Quality craftmanship, lightweight and easy to practice Iai. great finish on the saya. nice length on the segao ( belting cord ). Double pinned for safety. Brightly polished blade with good hamon ( etching where blades are folded ). I highly recommend these for my students.Soke Butch LambertJi Kai Martial Arts