Recent Purchases and Good Finds Thread

Damascus (specialty high carbon) steel folded to 2048 layers. heat-tempered, dual-edge hand-honed blade. Cast iron tsuba. Full tang. genuine ray skin. full bo-hi (blood groove). extremely high edge retention and excellent shock resistance, resilient. will bend instead of breaking when striking harder objects. black-painted sheath made of oak wood.

Durability: 4.5/5 very impressive durability. I use it for intense, full-contact sparring with my sensei and his 8192 layer, folded steel nodachi, which is by definition about 4 times as durable as my own blade. Only minor damages have thus far occurred, as dings in the blade from sparring with my sensei's sword.

Useability: 4/5 good balance, making it easy to wield with either one of both hands. The weight is medium, it weighs about 6 lbs, not lightweight but not ridiculously heavy, either.

Defense: 3.5/5 the guard could be done without, though, because my sword style does not focus on blocking with the guard, but rather, the blade. This would also shave a few ounces off the weight and slightly improve the balance.

Cost efficiency: 4/5 would definitely recommend this blade to anyone looking for an extremely durable sword for the sub-200 price range (i got mine 50% off), although I also recommend developing a sword style of your own that makes the most effective defensive and offensive use of the double-edge blade. Improper use will result in self-injury or the injury of others. Learning to wield a sword from someone who is skilled is a must. at any rate, the excellent base materials and the proper forging methods make this blade a fine addition to any sword user's arsenal.

Overall rating: 4/5, not the best sword on earth but definitely a gem worth keeping, and using to the fullest extent of the law (or against the law, if that's what you're into. don't blame me if you end up taking bullets though)