Bushido Sakura Katana

Like my other review, I chose this as the first real katana of my collection, along with the economical Musashi Katana, which I intend to use for cutting practice. The cherry blossom is one of the ultimate symbols of Japanese culture and the Japanese warrior, so it seemed fitting that this be my first. This is weapon is no mere "flower". Both katana arrived 2 days after placing the order, and in pristine condition. I must confess that I don't know just how sharp a katana should be, but, in a "super scientific test" that consisted of fixing a strip of paper on the end of a ribbon hanging from a helium-filled balloon, I found the Sakura to outmatch the Musashi in raw cutting capability. The Sakura also seemed lighter to me; but upon weighing both katana, I found them to be of near-equal weight, so I suspect the Sakura has more of a balanced feel (Musashi blades tend toward the heavy side, perhaps). (The Musashi though, at half the price, has its merits as well.) After handling it, I picked up my Dai-sho wall hanger I bought in Japan (at probably twice the price) and the difference in balance, tsuka fit to the hand, and overall construction was amazing. The Sakura is a beautiful katana. It's tight in the saya, the ito seems wrapped very well, and the real same makes it hard to beat at its price point. Thanks SOM, I'm not wasting my time with anyone else as I build my collection.

Just recieved this sword. took only two days to ship all the way to Canada. Very Fast. This sword is actually the first start to my personal sword collection. I find it very beautiful and well put-together. The saya featuring a burgundy-purplish coating with little cherry blossoms fluttering about at the bottom makes a really aesthetically worthy sword. The purple sageo goes great with the black tsukamaki cord. Sword came with no damage and was wrapped excellent and was covered in peanut packaging. Great sword, Swords Of Might you shall see me again!