Ace Martial Arts Supply Unsharpened Carbon Steel Iaito Practice Katana Sword

If you are interested in casually learning Iaido, this sword will work for you. Keep in mind that if you are in formal training you will need to have a sword approved prior to purchasing it! Do not buy this sword thinking you need to prepare ahead of time. There is more to an Iaito (Practice Sword) than just build quality, but also length and weight. At the very least you will also need a Kaku Obi (Sash/Belt), even as a casual, as it will stabilize your sheath. I'm 5'6" and this sword is slightly too long for me. It's manageable, but for a clean draw and sheath the blade should be 1-2cm shorter for my height and wingspan. Now to the review! The weight is great for practice as it is similar in weight to many real katana. Modern sharp katana have fullers (the groove that runs along the blade) to decrease their weight as well so there is no longer a significant difference between the two. It's satisfying knowing that you will be familiar with the weight of a real sword if you decide to get formal training to do some mat cutting. The wrapped bits are all cotton and not nylon like cheap display swords. Cotton is meant to wick away sweat and provide grip and it's a sign that this is a more serious training tool rather than a display piece. I cannot be sure if the inner lining for the handle is real ray skin as I'm not educated on what that looks or feels like, but it is definitely not plastic. Not a huge thing I look for in a sword but I'm impressed they didn't cheap out on this. The blade is great, well polished, and pretty. It is blunt and has no illusions of being sharp. The tip is still pointed and there is no doubt that with enough force you can break skin with a slice, but unlike cheap display katana the edge of this blade is ground flat. You can only tell close up. The sheath is matte, unlike the second photo. It's similar to the last photo. It's made of wood and the quality is good enough. The sword is able to stay in the sheath upside-down without falling out and requires very little thumb pressure to slide out. No complaints. The parts of this katana that are on the cheaper side are the charms on the handle and the hand guard itself. While they are beautiful and detailed, they appear to be pure iron. That means that touching the guard or being near it will cause your hands to smell of iron. Since the charms are also iron your fingertips will smell of iron even after a good rinsing. And there you have it. A katana that is well made in all the parts that matter while reducing costs on the parts that are more decorative. A pure win for anyone interested in Iaido. Lastly, if you are NOT interested in Iaido or sword practice and instead are more interested in theatrics or movie style stunts you should look into a bamboo sword instead. Bamboo swords, or Takemitsu, are what they use in the movies. No shade at all. In fact, more power to you! But this simply isn't the right tool for that. An iaito is needlessly heavy and relies on momentum for fluidity of movement. Stunt moves are impressive because of their sudden changes in direction and speed. You can mimic a heavy hit with a bamboo sword but you can't go fast with an Iaito. If something like Ghost of Tsushima has really piqued your interest you will only be able to replicate those moves fluidly with a takemitsu. I don't know of any particular swords on amazon to recommend, but I have seen several Demon Slayer bamboo swords that I might try in the near future. Have fun and stay safe!

Great for under $100. I'd recommend at least redoing the ito wrap, increases the training experience a hundred fold (can find around $10 - $15). Even if you decide to upgrade, this iaito can be used to increase strength and form. Since it's a bit heavier than traditional Japanese made iaitos. My opinion is train with this iaito or get an iaito made in Japan (others you see on Amazon look great with colors and fancy fittings, but aren't practical for the price). (a) This iaito is like an unrefined sword with great potential. As a beginner it'll grow with you. It's weight will tell you when your grip and sword movement is lacking. (b) A traditional iaito from Japan is greatly refined. The quality of materials and the consistency of craftsmanship is the highest. These swords will work with you and feel very natural and apart of your body. Conclusion: $100 iaito with redone tight ito wrap is AMAZING to work on strength, proper grip, and sword movement. If you ever want something better just get a Japanese made iaito (can be as low as $350). *The more you upgrade this iaito, the more unique and original it is to you. Example upgrades tsuba, fuchi, kochira, ito wrap (different wraps you can try out / prefer), polishing of the blade or even sharpening if in the future you'd like to cut.

Well made and feels solid. However it is a bit heavier than an actual sharp bladed katana. It is perfectly dull for practice and learning but it is not balanced well at all. Very much blade side heavy. For practice and forms I believe it will do well and if nothing else the weight will strengthen my wrists making using a normal weighted katana easier. It is worth the price but wished it was a little lighter and better balanced.

This is an under $100 blade. It is not great, it is not good, it is just ok, it is an under $100 blade. This is not a hidden gem for a cheap price. If you are just starting out learning the sword or you have started practicing Iaido this is a good blade for that. The handle is a little bit bigger and my live blades I have, so if you have small hand it might be a little big. My only issues that I have with this blade is One, it is only a single pin. Two, I think their is epoxy holding it together out side of the one pin, so I will not take it apart and clean it. Three the Edge is not as thick as I thought it would be, and there is a place on it that is not all that dull. All in all it is an ok blade, and it cost under $100.

This was my first Iaito and I am a beginner. I just earned my 7th Kyu (Yellow rank) in our school. I've been using this Iaito for about five months at this point and for my purposes, it's fantastic. I did put laquer on the tsuka ito to solidify them (they're cotton, which is commonly used in Japan for the purpose), and once they dried, everything was fine. I've been practicing with it every day since February (it's July now) and I've experienced no issues. I keep the blade clean and I oil it and wipe it down about once or twice a week... I know that's not frequently enough for a real Katana, but I'm not cutting anything with my Iaito. I've seen the negative reviews here, and I don't understand them. I know I'm a beginner, but this Iaito is quickly becoming one of those things I miss when I'm away from it. Like when I was a kid at summer camp, I missed my Nintendo... I went away for the weekend a few weeks back and couldn't take my Iaito through TSA, so I left it at home... and was really looking forward to getting back to training with it. It's solid, it's beautiful, it's safe, it's functional as a training Katana, and it's affordable for those of us who are not independently wealthy. It's fantastic, and I highly recommend it.

Really good build and great for practicing Iaido... a little heavier than the ones I'm used to and due to its shape and weight I can't get the swoosh as easily. Sensei approved but it's not an authentic one... For it's price you can't find better