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Tournament quality swords


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I'm looking to get a sword which can be used for tournaments (kata, tameshigiri, etc) and I'm unsure of which sources to go with. I've been considering getting an antique sword and having it fit with koshirae. Though I'm unsure. I'm curious if anyone knows any sword makers that make tournament quality swords. I've talked to makers from Japan, but their prices to commission a sword are far beyond what I can pay. 

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Probably won't get the answer you are looking for here as most are against the use of antique blades for sport (myself included). Almost all are going to recommend picking up a shinsakuto, they have fairly good prices on the second hand market compared to older blades.

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You'd be best suited to getting a modern-made sword or having one made to your specifications; that way, you'll know exactly what you're getting. If you get an antique one, not only would you be destroying a piece of history/art work, but you'd run the risk of having it fail spectacularly due to a higher chance of an unseen flaw. There's a lot of modern made blades/shinsakuto that would suit your needs. Paul Chen are good I've heard, as well as any number of modern Japanese-made shinsakuto.

If price is a concern, I'd go with Chinese-made ones like Paul Chen (Hanwei I believe is the brand name) or even Korean-made blades. In the end, only you would know its origin and the performance is nearly the same when comparing Chinese/Korean to Japanese made modern blades.

There's lots of sites like this one: https://www.martialartswords.com/ where you can get a sword made more or less custom to your needs. I know I've seen sites where you can even specify the steel used/hamon pattern.
 

 

 

 

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As chris just mentioned.  Reminds me 

 

One of the best cutting blades I've ever used is the Hanwei paul chen Tori XL. 

In the US its about 800 dollars or cheaper.

Another great hanwei cutting blades are the bamboo mat blade which were tested on hard targets. 

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Hey there,

 

1- Def ask your sensei.

 

2- Motohara / EB  https://motoharablades.com

 

3- Ask your sempai if you can try out their swords, to try and see what you like. Try and handle as many swords as possible.

 

4- Don't rush a purchase (I really need to heed my own advise on this one lol).

 

I'm a JSA student, and if a Moto is in your budget, you cannot go wrong. Jason is a fellow practitioner, and will steer you in the right direction.

 

Cheers

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Keep in mind modern steel blades are usually more forgiving than tamahagane blades , usually made of monosteel. I have a Japanese shinsakuto with bohi that will bend if you look at it the wrong way. Steel iaito from swordstore.com is a good choice.  Talk to rick Polland about your needs . For under $2000usd you'll be able to get a really good sword with Japanese fittings but with a Chinese made monosteel blade .

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So. Many. Threads. About. This. 
 

In terms of training tools, it’s never been a better time for serious students of Japanese sword arts. 

 

Do some searching and you’ll find good advice elsewhere on this forum. 
 

No, never use an antique. 
 

Yes, Evolution Blades are the best modern “non-Japanese” swords. 
 

Here’s an article you might find helpful: https://www.brooklynbattodo.com/reading/5-6-2021/how-to-buy-a-real-sword

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1 hour ago, Katsujinken said:

So. Many. Threads. About. This. 
 

In terms of training tools, it’s never been a better time for serious students of Japanese sword arts. 

 

Do some searching and you’ll find good advice elsewhere on this forum. 
 

No, never use an antique. 
 

Yes, Evolution Blades are the best modern “non-Japanese” swords. 
 

Here’s an article you might find helpful: https://www.brooklynbattodo.com/reading/5-6-2021/how-to-buy-a-real-sword

Great link! Thanks for sharing 

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