Placed the order on July 14th and received the sword today. Apparently when TrueKatana says "in stock" that means in stock in China.....still, the tracking was not bad at all, I could log on and get info anytime, right up until delivery. I admit I was apprehensive about paying this much for a Katana, but I have to say that it has exceeded my expectations and I am very happy with this purchase. r
The fit and finish is absolutely perfect, I cannot find a flaw in this blade, handle or scabbard. It even came with a neat silk lined case that I wasn't expecting. The Hamon is perfect, the blade has a beautiful taper and it is true to all the features of a WWII type 98 Shin Gunto. Anyone worried about the quality matching the price should buy with confidence, you will not be disappointed with this Katana!!!!!!

High-performance Wwii Japanese Type 98 Army Shin Gunto Officer’s Saber Sword With Brown Scabbard

The blade itself is beautiful And it arrived pretty quick. The fittings feel solid, and the overall aesthetic is exactly what I was looking for. However, the main issue is with the scabbard. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit properly; the sword shakes inside, and if pointed downward, it falls out on its own. With that said if the saya had been properly fitted, this would have been nearly perfect.

Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With Black Scabbard

The katana arrived in 7 days. It is a beautiful blade and cuts smoothly and precisely.

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With Silk Thread Scabbard

It arrived better than expected this is the perfect sword to start off your collection with

Handmade Japanese Katana T10 Carbon Steel Hand Forged With Black Scabbard

It's a great sword. Gaurd is slightly wobbly and the inside of the sheath could have been painted black, but in general...... well done!

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With Black Scabbard

Spectacular I'm very impressed and happy thank you all

Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With Black Scabbard

Love it. Great quality and weight. Came very sharp.

Handmade Japanese Katana T10 Carbon Steel With Orange Scabbard

The sword is a darker blue than it looks and so is the scabbard however. The scabbard is about the color of the sword in the photo and the sword is very dark. Almost black. Both look very nice though. Sword is straight and it is sharp. Pretty decent balance. I'd say for the price you really won't beat it. Pretty fast shipping as well. Believe I got it in about 11 days. I'm not gonna say there aren't better but for a first sword or practice sword at this price I don't see you getting anything better. Metal seams to hold its edge good but I haven't done enough testing yet for that.

Handmade Japanese Samurai Sword With Blue Blade And Scabbard

Great product, I'm very happy with it, so happy I'm thinking of another one

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Carbon Steel With Black Scabbard

It's a masterpiece. The T10 is incredibly durable and sharp while looking nice too. The black/brown/gold color scheme is perfect. This dragonfly sword is genuinely something to behold.

Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With Black Scabbard

Great price and a great quality product. You can't go wrong with the purchase of the items from Truekatana

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With White Scabbard

It came in within a week, the blade was so sharp I accidently cut my finger testing it. Quality is okay for the price, visually it looks good and if you take care of it should last a long time.

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Carbon Steel With Black Scabbard

I have purchased these three swords as samples to see if they would be a viable product line to offer in our businesses and martial art centers.

Here are my findings:

All three swords are aesthetically pleasing and the fittings are ornate. I feel these would be a pleasant addition to a display or collection or for a beginning practitioner.

For someone looking for a sword to practice or cut with regularly, the product we received may not be the best products. Here are some reasons for this.

Two of the three blades were noticeable sharpened on a belt grinder and the edge geometry was a bit inconsistent. 2 of the 3 passed a paper cut test.

The two "folded" blades (the katana and naginata) are not folded steel, even under magnification. We have also observed a few imperfections such as chipping, staining and rolled tips but those appear to only be cosmetic. While the folding is not critical with modern steel, the appearance it provides would help sell the product and was a reason we chose them. The unfolded T10 material would be functionally sufficient. Also note that the cost was higher for these "folded" versions.

The hamon on each blade was very light, though looks nice, does not carry the deep gray appearance despite the fine polish. I am concerned how sufficiently heat treated the edge may truly be.

The fitment of the habaki is fairly loose, only fitting the mune and ha properly.

The Tachi shares the same profile and curvature as the katana and is the same length despite being listed as a longer blade.

All three swords show some fitment issues where things are misaligned or roughly ground to fit. The koiguchi and shito-dome are prime examples of this on the naginata as they exhibit grinding or chisel marks of fitting the blade. The naginata Saya sticks at every insertion and retraction of the blade.

The tsuka profiles of each were a bit blocky and the tsuka-ito is fairly wide, adding bulk to the grip. Very much a factory made handle.

Each sword came with manual the states the blades should not be used for cutting. We were able to confirm with customer service that it was ok to perform tameshigiri with the blades. They expressed the manual was a meant to be more of a cautionary document than a disclaimer.

We completed testing the sample products. In short, they do cut but only ok. We performed 6 cuts with each blade on rolled tatami omote, mounted on a regulation stand, in a vertical fashion. The tatami was rolled tight with no center material such as bamboo to ensure consistency in each cut.

We observed some ha (edge) deformation and marks left on the hiraji and shinogi (angled blade body surface) but nothing substantial. This is likely due to the edge and blade geometry being fairly flat (vs more convex) and a maybe the blades not being heat treated as hard as they could be.

We also did notice the fuchi was loose on the katana after completing the cuts. This can be corrected easily but should not happen on a new blade.

For a newer practitioner, these swords would be fine.

I am a bit discouraged with the customer service when we provided similar feedback and asked about the katana and naginate not being folded. They were somewhat accusatory and reluctantly did provide an RMA stating that we could return the blades only if they were still in the original packaging and unused. In short, we opted not to return the swords due to the packaging being discarded and to continue our testing. Our intent is to keep these products as examples for our clients and students and to showcase features that may or may not be satisfactory.

For practitioners seeking a functional sword, there may be some value at investigating True Katana's performance line. My experience may not be inclusive to all their products but the customer service was disconcerting. I will recommend the hanwei product line before True Katana in the future.

Handmade Japanese Tachi Odachi Sword High Manganese Steel Real Hamon Full Tang

Very surprised and happy with the quality of this item. Was not expecting It to be this good and ended up purchasing another.

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Carbon Steel Blade

Wow, what can I say. I have had swords before, but this time I decided to take a chance with a slightly higher grade sword from a supplier (TrueKatana) I have not used before and without seeing it in person first. I will say that the risk paid off. This is one of the nicest swords I have held. The ad said genuine rayskin, it feels real and looks great, so I am impressed. While at this price point you should expect quality, sometimes it’s just nice to actually get the quality that you’re expecting. This is one beautiful sword you can see the blade tempering is very well done. I have not used it to cut mats yet, but so far this feels extremely durable and up to the task. This is my second sword order from TrueKatana (my Chinese sword just arrived as well) and so far, this relationship is a win! If you are unsure, try a sword at a lesser price point from them and see for yourself. Be sure you know what you are going to do with the sword before buying so you pick the correct metal and type and you can’t go wrong. So far they get a passing grade from me!

High-performance Japanese Katana T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel

Fantastic
Sharp, beautiful and light. Attention to detail. Never bought a better sword at a better price, and I own a lot. Will definitely buy more.

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel Real Hamon With Dragon Tsuba

Was just as pictured. Nice sword. Arrived in perfect condition. Well made

Authentic Japanese Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel Sturdy Tactical Swords

It's a really nice sword, sharp too. Looks great on the wall thank you so much.

Handmade Japanese Tachi Odachi Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel Real Hamon Full Tang

I purchased the silk thread katana ,t10 folded steel. It came sharpened , razor sharp. Beautifully done and finished. The blade has a Sabre style near the tip on the spine. Its 2 lb very maneuverable and well balanced. Very pleased.

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With Silk Thread Scabbard

Came exactly as seen and described. I am very satisfied with the product, and for the price, it provides serious quality. The blade was oiled well, and the finish on everything looks great.

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel Real Hamon