Slightly OT: Where to buy a good katana?

[Xibalba]

After helping a friend do a Japanese weapons demonstration recently, I have once again been bitten by the sword bug. I already own a katana, but the handle is a bit short and the balance is a bit off for my liking. I had intended on making a new weighted handle for it myself, but upon disassembling it, I found it was a piece of crap (too bad, because I like the cutting edge - wicked sharp!). Anyway, a new handle is out of the question, so I want a new sword! Any ideas anyone? I already am aware of martial arts suppliers like Century, and my local knife store has a couple on their back wall, but I want to know if my fellow forumites know of any hidden gems that I don't. I don't want to break the bank, but I want a decent blade with a live edge that I can actually practice with. It doesn't have to be especially decorative - function over form, as I always say.

Thanks in advance for your help.



Mike



"'Good!' said Legolas. 'But my count is now two dozen. It has been knife-work up here.'" -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

[Sword and Shield]

CAS Iberia supposedly makes some nice ones, as does Museum Replicas. I doubt the Museum ones come sharpened though.

Worst comes to worst, Wally Hayes makes some gorgeous ones. Dropping $300+ is a lot, but the workmanship is peerless.

Never underestimate the impossible.

[Zrexxer]

You might pop over to Blade Forums and do a search for a fellow named Win Heger, as I hear it, he's the man to see if you're looking for swords. I don't know anything about swords, but I know Win's a good fella.

Dan

"We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail." Oh well, I guess zero out of three isn't bad for Bush.

Edited by - Zrexxer on 3/8/2003 5:22:21 PM

[mschwoeb]

try here:
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/dbrunne2/bancust.htm

Paul Chen makes some good ones.

[sam the man..]

dude check out this link ~ http://www.seki-cut.com/AbSk.htm you might be able to find some good Japanese blade here.. <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0><img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0><img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Sam

have scars will travel..

[sven]

www.swords.com



sven

steel is unforgiving... sharp steel even more so

[zardoz]

Hiya, try http://www.bugei.com/

[dialex]

I have some good news and some bad ones:
The good news is there is that Murasama guy, he used to make some pretty good swords <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
The bad news is he'd dead (a few hundred years ago) <img src="tongue.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

<marquee loop=infinite ><a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a></marquee>