Cold Steel Warrior Series Katana Samurai Sword with Ray Skin Handle, Black Lacquered Wood Scabbard, Black Braid Cord and Brass Menuki, Chisa Katana

I love it! I’m not a tall man and this sword is the perfect length. Quality is better than I expected.

I have several Katanas made by different manufacturers and also many Cold Steel products but this has been my first Cold Steel sword purchase. I was pretty impressed with the quality and craftsmanship. It came well packaged and no damage. It was razor sharp right out the box. I know some people have complained about the Chisa being too heavy. I find it about the same in weight as my Cheness Tenchi Wakazashi. The Chisa is actually a Ko Katana, right in between a regular size Katana and a Wakazashi. The Chisa does not have much of a curve, which is something I wanted as I wanted to be able to carry it on my back and be able to draw from that position as well. This sword serves that purpose very well. The sword cuts like a beast and will make a very good all day heavy cutter. I like to train with heavier swords because when I go to a lighter sword I am lightening fast, this is something people may want to consider if their goal is to gain speed. I am 6’1 and 210 lbs, so someone of a smaller stature may have some difficulty with this sword. I remember an old Cold Steel video from years back that they stated that they made their swords heavier than traditional swords because people in the West have become bigger and stronger and able to wield a heavier sword. This makes sense. With all the weight of this sword which is not uncomfortable to me at all and it’s razor sharpness, it makes a devastating cutting weapon. If you are looking for a good quality battle ready sword, that is heavy, sharp and well made that can stand up to abuse, this is it. You won’t be disappointed. I’m surely not, and will be adding more Cold Steel Japanese swords to my collection.

This was my first sword purchase from Cold Steel. Over the years I have bought probably 100 different Cold Steel knives of all styles and prices, I literally never had a quality issue. This however was a great disappointment. There was a rolled burr along the entire cutting edge, not quite the razor sharp "same as emperor series" edge. The sword would not seat fully in the scabbard, it stuck out by more than 1/2" and was very difficult to draw out. Don't get me wrong, both issues can certainly be fixed, however that is not something the consumer should have to do.

This was just mean't to be a practice sword as I don't currently have access to my main sword (shinkan). I wanted to get something that was smaller for my partner whom had recently taken up kenjutsu with me. We wanted something that was shorter for her and not too high quality for us to practice with and not regret it.When this blade arrived I was seriously shocked with the quality. It has a good solid weight to it, the blade thickness is very good. The ito wrap around the tusk (handle) is excellent for the price. The straightness of the blade is perfect. The one area that I did not expect to stand out when ordering this was the Kissaki and Yokote (tip) This shows off the level of detail that the forger has come to accomplish for low pricing - I was very impressed.Will it come close to a real Nihonto (live blade - made in Japan)? No. Not even close.Is this a good quality product to employ for tameshigiri until then? YES.I have no hesitation in recommending this.

The sword was delivered very fast and the packaging was more than secure. This sword is amazing to say the least. I "tested" this sword by hitting small to large trees, aluminum, large plastic jugs, and even 2x4 pieces of wood. There was no problem going through any of this, without even bending, denting or dulling the blade. You must clean the blade after each use because it is not rust proof, but you should practice this with any sword. I have the longer O Katana and this short sword is much easier to handle. I recommend this for any seasoned martial artist, or any redneck who likes to chop stuff up as much as I do!

A one eyed monkey with a wood rasp could have put a better edge on it, it has a very obvious roll on the edge.