I expected a fairly cheap blade to hang on my wall for looks, but I must say, I was astounded to find that this is very well made and very sharp. I did have to clean the blade upon receiving it. The blade did come pre-oiled though, which made cleaning it as simple as taking a soft rag and wiping down the surfaces. While oiling the blade myself, I did slip and I managed to cut my hand. I was amazed at how little it took to give me a cut, so be warned if you buy this, it is not a toy, and it is very sharp. It is the sharpest around half way up the blade. Further down, it becomes duller, but not false-edge dull, just not sharp enough to cut you super easily. I only found this to be the bottom three inches of the blade. Any further than that, I would definitely not care to run my finger along it.

The bamboo peg, or mekugi, is not completely flush with the handle, but only sticks up about 1/2 mm. The sword is fairly tight in the scabbard, but not tight to the point where you would struggle to draw it. I think that once it has been drawn a few more times, it will loosen up, but as it is now, it is somewhat tighter that I would like.

The weight of the sword is very nice. I read one comment that was questioning whether it was full tang, but judging from the weight and balance, I would say that it is.

There was a small area near the end of the blade that had a small metal spur, but that was easily removed with some very fine sand paper and a couple seconds at a whet stone.

The only real complaint I have is that the word "china" is printed right on the blade. It's not very big and you can't see it unless you are quite close, but it still irks me to a degree every time a blade is stamped like that.

Long story short, this makes for a beautiful wall piece that is also very well constructed and could be used in a pinch. (I just hope the ninjas don't come back again)

I must say, I wasn't sure what to expect when I purchased this katana, because I had heard mixed things about Musha. Musha is a sword manufacturing company that basically is an offshoot of Musashi. While the Musashi swords are fully functional and higher-end quality, both in terms of aesthetics and durability, Musha's swords are more affordable and intended mostly for display, though they can still be used for a number of things.

The shirasaya is a great sword. It's not your traditional ornate katana, but it has a simple elegance and sophistication to it, as well as a utilitarianism that I admire. One of the benefits of a shirasaya is that it's slightly lighter and more balanced due to the basic wooden saya (scabbard) and tsuka (handle), as well as due to the absence of a tsuba (handguard), which makes it an ideal weapon for practicing your katas (the stances, form, and movements of basic martial arts) and iaido (sword drawing, cutting, and re-sheathing techniques). There are plenty of expensive shirasaya swords that are in the $200-$500 price range, but at this time, those are a little too expensive for me on my income and I'm prioritizing what katana I buy based on cost and quality. I've never owned a Musha before and for around $45, this seemed like the perfect time to purchase a couple, and test them out.

I have now purchased two of these blades and I have to admit that I've been pleasantly surprised. The blade itself is full tang, which is a must for me, as I wanted a sword that I could actually use for cutting and even light sparring, and it's also 1045 carbon steel (never buy a stainless steel sword for sparring or cutting as they aren't intended for it and may result in accidental injury if the sword snaps or shatters). The swords have a dark reddish lacquered saya and tsuka that I hesitate to call maroon even though it can look more reddish-brown in certain lighting. The wood seems to be a little soft and does scratch easily, so I don't recommend tossing the saya around, because this is a very handsome weapon and all katana deserve respect regardless of their cost. The blade is 1045 carbon steel and features a decorative hamon - more about that later - and a bo-hi, or blood groove, which makes the blade a bit lighter as it runs the better part of the length of the blade's spine. The sword's presentation is very attractive in its simplicity and looks great whether displayed with the blade exposed or sheathed in the saya. It also comes with a basic black cotton sword bag which helps to protect the lacquered wood.

My first of these two swords I ordered from Martial Arts Land. It arrived in a long rectangular cardboard tube. Upon taking it out, I noticed a slight cosmetic defect in the handle, where there was a small fracture in the wood, but it in no way had any effect on the blade's use. In fact, I abused this first sword rather gleefully, cutting down bamboo stalks, cutting through plastic bottles and even aluminum beer cans (don't wield a weapon while drunk, kids). Unsurprisingly, this left a few dings and dents in the blade as a result, which didn't really bother me in the least as I mostly bought this first sword for practicing iaido and for slicing and chopping. In that respect, I've been impressed, but again I do have to point out that this is a cheaper-made sword and the blade is only 1045 carbon, so it's a bit soft, and will mushroom upon impact with hard and dense objects (such as thick and dry bamboo stalks). The handle and the saya also have taken some minor scratches and scrapes. But in no way am I disappointed. On the contrary, considering what I put it through, it held up extremely well.

Now, my second sword I ordered from Amazon mainly because they offered it for five dollars less. It arrived in the same packaging as the other sword (both swords conveniently arrived within 48 hours of ordering using the free shipping option). This time there was no defect in the handle. There were also some other minor differences. The first thing I noticed was that the newer katana was just slightly lighter and better balanced. I also realized that it had a more thoroughly oiled blade. Because of these subtle, yet important differences, I decided that the newer of the two swords I would keep in mint condition and use it as a nice display sword.

I'm very pleased with both purchases and will likely order other Musha swords for display and possibly iaido training as they are ideal for both. I definitely will order swords from Amazon and Martial Arts Land in the future.

Pros:
Lightweight and balanced blade
Very affordable
Elegant design and presentation
Arrived very sharp (though not quite razor sharp)

Cons:
False hamon *

*The only con I can really bring up is that the sword has a false hamon. A hamon is the jagged or curved line on the edge of a katana's blade. A true hamon is either created in the blade making process using clay on the blade while heating or hand polished on. A false hamon can be created by either laser printing it onto the blade or wire brushing it on. The problem with the false hamon is that it will wear off during use and sharpening and this can diminish the beauty of the blade overall. From what I understand, most of, if not all of, Musha's katana have a false hamon, which looks decorative and nice for display, but makes the sword a bit less functional as a battle-ready weapon.

Long in depth review! I'm a first time katana buyer but I've done a lot of research before buying because beong a responsible sword owner means being proactive and learning what you own. Hope you enjoy my review, thanks for reading!

I've had my Shirasaya for about four days now and I can tell you, it is well worth it. The quality and the price is absolutely astounding, I got mine at 45$ but even the base price at 70$ is great too. I'll start by saying it is beautiful, bareblade katanas are my preference, and the color and slickness of this particular one is right up my alley. The finish on the wood looks great in room light, and espcially in the sun. When you take the sword out of the saya, the blade shines and you truly can see it is a robust sword. That being said, when first unboxed it really does need a cleaning. The blade is factory greased and has some gunk on it. I went ahead and bought a katana cleaning kit for 9$ that came with choji oil, rice cleaning cloth, and an uchiko ball. Keeping the blade away from body, I first wiped it down with the cloth, then powdered the blade, then wiped that off, and finally used the oil with the rice cloth to wipe the blade down which is really what maintains the sword. However, I ran out of the rice cloth instantly, a bit disappointed that the kit came with about 5 cloths, but I reaearched that using regualr tissue paper will substitue just fine. After doing this, bam! The blade looks perfect. Now about the blade and its strength! Out of the box, razor sharp and can easily cut paper diagonally. This blade is said to be practical against water bottles or jugs, and fruit. I beg to differ though, as the strength of this blade and sharpness could easily be used to cut rolled bamboo mats, or possibly even bamboo poles. 1045 Carbon Steel is durable, and has a nice denisty, but this blade is flexiable as well which is what it needs anyways. This isn't folded carbon steel, but there is a full tang and that means the blade is secure and very strong. I would not advise hitting tree logs, stumps, bricks, or plywood though. Enjoy the sword and test how strong it is, but do not jeopardize it, or the safety of yourself and others. So yes, this blade is battle ready. Sharp enough to cut clothes and skin, and as home defense weapon, if it came down to it you could rely on this katana. Do not attack someone unless you absolutely have to though, because even in self defense you may have charges pressed on you, if your judgement is bad. As a beginner of sword collecting, it's important to practice before actually picking up the katana and thrashing it around wildly. Bokken is a formidable technique and great to learn for cutting and or slashing with a woden katana, before using the real katana. For those who may question can this blade deflect another blade, I would say hypothetically yes. Using the backside of the katana would be the way to do this, or if you had to the bottom of the actual blade. I would never ever recommend blocking with the blade (ha) but when you cut with the katana you are only using the top 10 or so inches anyways, so if the bottom blunts it would not be the end for the katana. Althogh there is no tsuba which means the blade of your oppoent would clash on your hand if the blade slid down. The ha very may well crack or chip, just as any of the blade can if it the object it contacts is harder than itself.
Honestly though, I really have few complaints about this katana. Mostly regarding the interior or the saya, surround the top and depth of it. It's kind of rough and looks splintered, if I was skilled with sanding I may attempt to do so myself but as a buyer, have to do that anyways though. Other than though, no catch to this blade, a great deal for the quality that it is at. I could not be happier, and I would like to expand my collection even more now! Great for any katana or sword collection, can't beat the price, and is actually usuable! Like I said this is sharp, so always be weary of the surrounding area and use safety. This is all my opinion, and based off the product I recieved, and I'm not a professional katana expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Really is one of a kind, and a great deal though, Ace Martial Arts has brought you a good one!

I have had this sword for just over a year now and was my first katana purchase. I had always wanted to own one and after seeing it on amazon while casually browsing I decided to get one. The price helped and the reviews were highly positive. I have bought two other more better and more expensive swords since then but this sword still holds a special meaning for me. First of all this isn't a real katana (my opinion anyway). Its what I and some other sword enthusiasts refer to as a katana-like object. The only real Katanas are Nihonto Shinken which are traditionally made Japanese swords which would cost thousands of dollars. However, given that owning those are still a far-fetched dream, this sword still gives off some of that katana-like feel. The sword looks exactly like the picture and came sharp right out of the box. I used the shipping box as the first target and it gave a clean, even cut. Since then I have used this sword to usually cut down milk jars, and thin branches and other amazon shipping boxes. But do realize that you should use EXTREME CAUTION when using this sword for cutting as it is a shirasaya and lacks the necessary mountings that makes it safe for handling cuts. As it lacks a tsuba and koshirae, it could easily slip out of your hand when swinging it forcefully. So I can't stress this enough... Be CAREFUL while handling it. The sword is 1045 steel which is the minimum acceptable steel for a functional blade. The hamon is wire-brushed so it lacks the aesthetic quality of a real hamon. Apart from that the blade itself is nice and sturdy and the fittings are all excellent. There is no rattle of any sort and the sword fits the saya like a glove.
Do realize that this sword is mostly for decorative and maybe extremely light cutting purposes. If you want tougher cutting purpose blades there are plenty of them out there, the price for which can range anywhere from $200 and up. I would suggest checking out different sword forums like sword buyers guide or sword forum international amongst others to get more information. I keep this sword oiled and regularly maintained and even after a year, it still looks and feels brand new. The blade did receive a few scratches from a messed up cutting attempt but was quickly removed after a little bit of polishing. Also to note is that you will need proper training on using swords to the fullest and a bad form and swing could damage even the toughest of blades.
All is all this makes a fine first blade and could start you off on a new and expensive hobby - sword collecting. If nothing less, it makes for an excellent gift for your friends and family who do appreciate arms and do like their samurai movies.

Very strong. For swords in this price range, it is extremely well built. Sturdy, no cheap rattle, and excellent finish. Don't believe the other people on here and other places about the lack of Ito-Maki (hand wrapping) and smooth finish making this difficult to get a good grip on. It is pretty well balanced for a sword in this price range, the center weight being about 5 1/2 inches from the base of the blade. It weighs very little, and is very strong. You cannot beat this price, it is sold for around $100 on other sites. I did a bit of messing around with it, hacking up bamboo (~3" thick) and after 10-15 whacks I couldn't see or feel any degradation in the edge at all (good ol' carbon steel). It is gorgeous too, so it looks great as a piece in the living room, keep it oiled!

Keep in mind, the "matte" finish along the edge of the blade is machined; this look is *normally* caused by the way it is manufactured by differentially hardening the steel, and is sometimes acid-enhanced. The presence of this doesn't mean its a better sword, the acid-enhancing of it is only done as a sort of decoration, and technically weakens the blade. However, there was no acid involved on this particular blade, the edge was just taken to a grinder after they put the mirror finish on the blade. I think "hand made", for them, really just means their hands touched it while they were machining it; whereas normally "hand made" means it was actually folded steel, which I HIGHLY doubt.

If you want a "real" katana made by a master blacksmith, expect to be paying anywhere from 5-15k. Sometimes you can find them as "cheap" as 1-2k, but they are usually "cheap" for a reason. That being said, you wont find a better sword for the price. You can get katana that are manufactured the correct way, although not made of proper Tamahagane, for $300-$1000, that are much more suited for combat. Then again, if I was going to fight someone to the death I would just bring a gun. This katana is a "Hagane Maru", meaning its made of homogeneous hard carbon steel, this type of sword would be used either as decoration, or if in a bind, in combat. However, being made entirely of hard carbon steel, it is more brittle and thus more likely to break if you strike surfaces with it that don't give much under pressure (ie. another sword). So to sum up this paragraph, don't expect to go toe-to-toe with someone of skill with a $1k+ sword and live.

Note: Something to buy with this is a sharpening stone, and some mineral oil, especially if you plan on using it at all, or have people come over who can't keep their hands off of anything. The sword does come pre-oiled, which isn't bad, but carbon steel rusts like crazy. So if your friend comes over and rubs their nasty-dirty fingers all over it, be prepared to re-coat it before putting it away, or have a big rusty spot on your otherwise perfect finish.