Sword Buyers Guide: What To Look For When Buying a Sword

This week for Weapons Wednesday, I decided to show off some of our newest swords and give you a better idea of what's important when buying a sword of your own. Don't buy a sword until you watch this video!

In order to give you the best idea of what to look for when buying a sword, I grabbed 10 different swords from our warehouse to show you some of the things to watch for when purchasing your first sword.

The first sword I looked at was the Traditional Samurai Katana. This sword is a perfect example of an inexpensive sword that looks awesome, but has some things about it that allow it to be a less expensive sword. For one, it uses an imitation ray skin for the handle instead of authentic ray skin. Some people really prefer imitation (synthetic) rayskin, but it should be known that a sword should be less expensive if it doesn't include genuine rayskin on the sword tsuka. The other thing that is interesting about this sword is that the scabbard is made out of a PVC material instead of wood. Watch the video to see my full review.

The second sword I reviewed was the Copper Storm Katana. This is another inexpensive sword, but features a beautiful black and copper colored wind pattern on the blade. Also, unlike the previous sword, it includes a wooden saya instead of a PVC scabbard.

The third sword I checked out was the Crimson Warrior Hand Forged Katana. This sword is a step up from the previous two swords and features a 1060 carbon steel blade with an authentic clay tempered hamon line. It also features authentic rayskin on the handle and a high-gloss red scabbard. Overall, this is a magnificent sword at a very reasonable price. See my full review in the video.

The fourth sword I looked at was the Handmade Ceremonial Tachi Sword. Tachi are the predecessors to katana and generally have a longer and more curved blade. This specific tachi sword is modeled after an imperial Japanese military style tachi and features a beautiful 1060 carbon steel blade and metallic gold colored scabbard. You will definitely want to see my full review of this sword in the video.

The fifth sword I reviewed was the Natural Wood Hand-Forged Shirasaya Sword. There are a lot of misconceptions about shirasaya swords, so I thought it was important to talk about what they are actually used for. This specific shirasaya sword features a beautifully lacquered wooden scabbard and a 1045 carbon steel blade with a hamon line added for aesthetic appeal.

The sixth sword I checked out was the Black Venom Carbon Steel Katana. This is the first sword I showed off in the video that featured a 1095 carbon steel blade. A 1095 blade is a very popular steel used for swords because it is a very hard steel that can hold an edge for a long time. Watch the video to see my full review on this beautiful sword.

The seventh sword I reviewed was the Full-Tang Tactical Katana. This sword is different from the prior swords I reviewed because instead of a traditional handle, it features an ABS plastic handle, which gives it a more modern look and feel. The other thing that is very unique about this samurai sword is that it has a very obvious full-tang blade that extends all the way through the handle.

The eighth sword I looked at was the Unsharpened Training Katana. This sword is unique from the other swords I reviewed in that it has an unsharpened blade. Unsharpened training swords are very nice to have because they help to keep you from cutting yourself when you are first learning how to use a sword. This specific training katana is especially nice because of it's ideal weight and comfortable handle.

The ninth sword I reviewed was the Qing Dynasty Sword. Unlike the previous swords, this is the first Chinese sword I reviewed in this video. Unlike a Chinese long sword, the Qing Dynasty Sword is a Chinese Doa sword similar to those used in imperial China. It features a curved single edge blade which made it great for thrusting and cutting. This specific sword features a hand-crafted spring steel blade and ornate gold colored metal scabbard decorations, pommel and handguard.

The last sword I looked at was the Ming Dynasty Sword. Modeled after a Chinese Jian Sword, this beautiful sword features a double fullered blade and heavy brass-plated castings all over the wooden scabbard and handle. This is truly a beautiful Chinese sword. Make sure to watch the video to see an up-close and personal review.

Here's the video: