Hand Forged Pudao

First impressions: The over all look of this weapon is menacing. Moreover, I looked at the Pudao thinking "I can't believe I got such a well crafted weapon for only $60!". Though it's nothing fancy to look at, it functionality overshadows its plain look. The pros: Despite the fact that it weights around 4 lbs it's surprisingly fast and agile. This weapon is very well balanced. When doing some basic katas I found that the wood sections on the handle help a great deal when switching leading hands so one hand can always keep its grip, and allows for easy sliding between wraps. The wraps are tight and stay in place, plus they really help with the overall handling. The blade is very sharp and seemed to cut paper like it cuts threw air, with no problem at all. The pommel is sturdy as well and could easily crack ones head open should they be unfortunate enough to get thrusted with it. The cons: The scabbard only covers the edge of the blade, but even with it buckled in place it is still easy to do a quick draw should one need to. The rounded handle can make it a little difficult to get feel for which way the blades edge is pointing. When doing some staff flower movements (figure eights) I had to keep an eye on the blade so as not to get cut, or slapped by the side of the blade. Though I haven't done any test cuts, I feel very confident that the Pudao will hold up with no problems at all.