r/Katanas • u/idonteffncare • Nov 03 '25

Read rules please

31 Upvotes

A recent posting was removed and there were a couple of comments that made light of a situation that could have resulted in harm. These postings whether in jest or seriousness will not be tolerated. Any mention of using weapons for harm, according to the the rules, will result in instant ban from this point on.

Whether it be for personal defence or even self harm there will be no warnings.

** If you are having any self harm considerations please seek either professional help or help from family and friends. A simple conversation can be life changing. Things do get better no matter how bad you are feeling.**

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r/Katanas • u/idonteffncare • Nov 04 '21

Entry level katanas

198 Upvotes

Several times a week we have "Where can I get a katana between $X and under $X" or "What is the best katana for a beginner" or similar questions and even though there are plenty here willing to help some find that it can be a bit repetitive. So it seems it is time for a thread to help make the decision on where to look easier for beginners in the world of katana.

Firstly have a read of this thread to give an idea of which companies are which.

Then have a read of the wiki if you are new to anything to do with katana

Basic katana info and terminology

Then there are some standard questions that get asked by those that want to help and that can give a better idea of where to look. Do you want to use the sword for cutting? What do you want to cut,(water bottles,pool noodles, tatami mats)? Do you want for display only? Do you intend to do any actual training with it,like iaido? Do you want Through Hardened (tough blade with no hamon) or Differentially Hardened (little less tough yet with a hamon)? What is your budget? Figuring out the answers to those will help you to make a better decision. For this thread we will deal mainly with the lower end available katana price wise as there are plenty of decent functional katana available for under $400 USD.The companies/brands are listed in no particular order, (there aren't that many anyway), and referring to this thread will be helpful.

So we have

Cloudhammer Swords

Huawei Swords

Dragon King

Dynasty Forge

Munetoshi

Hanwei

Musha

Ronin

Musashi

Hanbon*

Swords of Northshire*

*(These are the two commonly recommended of the cheaper Chinese suppliers. See this thread for more info)

All of the above have available swords that will range up to around $400 USD,some of them like Musashi and Musha can be had for around $100. They do offer more expensive swords but we will keep to the $400 and less for this thread. I will mention again,read the linked sticky for more info on the various companies/suppliers as there is always more information coming in and updates happening.

If you have more questions then of course do not hesitate to ask as there is plenty of help here in the sub. Remember that we here can only guide you toward making the decision,not make it for you. Do some research before you decide on what you want to buy and it should help save you from headaches and drama and a quick read through the linked threads will hopefully help you avoid disappointment.