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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dremen" data-source="post: 517932" data-attributes="member: 6773">EBAY is a very dangerous place to get a sword if you don't know what you are looking for. If you want information on REAL swords spend a few hours or more on <a href="http://swordforum.com" target="_blank">Sword Forum (SFI)</a> . In short there are Sword Like Objects. Things that look like swords, but lack any real perfomance characteristics, refered to as SLO. Then there are real swords.On the low end under $300 you can get a few decent swords.1. <a href="http://kriscutlery.com/" target="_blank">Kris Cutlery</a> has a couple Katana a 26' for $220, and 29' for $225. These are 5160 spring steel. These are not very traditional looking, or traditional construction. They are a tad heavy. Good quality, decent workmanship. I have one. Cecil is the owner and is an upstanding guy and able to answer your questions. These are good intro swords. The polish is satin and no temper line (Hamon) is visible. These are differentialy tempered. (The spine is soft the blade is hard)2. Paul Chen (Hanwei) Practical Katana.  You want the 4th generation. This is 1095 high carbon steel. Hanwei is concered about quality and continually improves. This has a plastic same (ray skin) and cotton cord wrap. This is a basic sword, and is another good beginer sword. This is differentialy heat treated and does have a visible hamon (temper line). This looks traditional only in comparison to Kris cutlery's. I belive you can find them for less than $200. Check Sword forum for dealers. You don't want the earlier generations.3. Paul Chen Practical PLUS Katana. This is closer to traditional and is a better version of the pratical katana. The tsuba (handle) is dismaountable has real same (ray skin) and the fittings are nicer. This has a hamon. It is 1095 high carbon steel. These go for around $250 - $300 if I remember correctly.In the mid range I'm not too familiar with. $500-$900 I belive Kris cutlery (link above) has a ELITE Katana that goes for around $700. There is not a pic on the web site yet. This I belive is forge folded (I'm not positive on this). This has a fuller and is closer to the traditionaly mounted katanas.In this range is the Shinto by Hanwei, and several other models. Get detains from a Paul Chen (Hanwei) distributor. These are traditionaly mounted and decent blades. You can read many reviews on Sword Foums web site.Then you have the high range prices start at $1000 and up.<a href="http://www.bugei.com/" target="_blank">Bugei Trading Company</a> has good swords.Michael Bell - Traditionaly trained smithHoward Clark - makes a bananite L6 katana read about it on SFI.Randal Graham Don FoggThese are some western smiths who make high end custom katana. Some people feel only the Japanese can make a good katana, but this is usually snobery. The japanese smiths must follow many strick laws in sword making and this limits the materials and techniques they can use to make a sword ( This is a traditional art form and is protected ). There is definately something to say about the beauty of these works of art. But the western smiths are free to use technical and material inovations to improve upon the sword and they have. A L6 bananite katana can flex more than 90 degrees and return true. A traditional katana is usually limited to less than 30 degrees before it will take a set. Western katana are their own art form, and differ in some ways to japanese swords. Michale Bell does make traditional swords with traditional materials. If you are serious about getting a good sword  then spend a few weeks getting educated on sword forum. They are great and have many resources, and always willing to help newbies.If you see Stainless Steel or Hollow Ground or Blood grove in the same sentance as Katana or Sword; you are looking at a Sword Like Object, not a sword. Stainless Steel is brittle and can not be differentialy tempered. This is good for knives and not for swords. Knives and swords are 2 VERY different weapons.Hollow grinding is another vialble option on a knife but not good for a sword. The edge will be too narrow and delicate. It also will not displace material as it cuts through it. This is only good on a knife.Blodd Groves is a misnomer used buy people who don't know what it is. This shows ignorence on the subject of swords but sounds cool. Blood Groves are really called FULLERS. They are ground in or forged in to decrease weight and increase rigidity. Think I beam.Thoose 3 terms should steer you in the right direction.-D</blockquote>

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