Customer Reviews

Kenshin Reverse Blade Sword Sakabato

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although there are some obvious discrepencies if you painstakingly compare this sword to the fictional blade it's based upon, it's just about the best reverse-blade katana you could ask for. I'm in no position to comment on its claim that it's built for functional and practical use, but to these inexperienced hands, it feels very sturdy. Although I'm not exactly swimming in money, I'm glad I bought myself this little birthday present. You very well may be, too. I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for either a high-quality display sword or a very good replica of Kenshin Himura's Sakabato.

Keep in mind that this *is* made of high-carbon steel and will require maintenance in order to ward off rusting, however.

When I first opened it I thought it was perfect, because I have always wanted one. But within a few days of having it, things started going wrong. I swung it around a few times (never hit anything with it) and it feels like the hand guard is loose or something, as I feel something rattle weakly with every swing. Also the wrappings around the hilt keep coming up and down, which makes fixing it annoying.

I couldn't vouch for the "vacuum" purpose of the "Hi" (I've never had to stab anyone to find out). But it does serve a very practical purpose. The "Hi" shouln't be viewed so much as a "dent" in the blade as it should be viewed as a structure. If you don't believe me then try testing this with a couple pieces of paper folded into the shape of a hollow "blade" lenth wise; one with a "Hi" and one without. I'm sure that you will find that the one without is more flexible, therefore more likely to snap from a thrusting technique. This structure was designed out of the need for swordsmen to use a slightly lighter varient of the Katana that could be easily wielded with one hand, without sacrificing power or stability. This resulted in weapons, such as the Iaito (named for the Iaido technique) which were slightly shorter, notably lighter, and had the groove running the length of the blade to balance out the defecit. Overall, this Sakabatou isn't of such a design that it would need a "Hi", but it looks nice anyway. And admitably, it is not faithful to the principle forge. But it is a good, durable blade as display pieces go, with good attention to the details. I found it a little bizarre that a sword with this legacy has a sharper blade than my shoe-cutting knives at home, which is why it lost a star. In the end, I'm glad I bought it.

Complete accuracey i was actualy watching some kenshin episodes and i noticed a faint HI on the right side of his sword very nice and sturdy too strong as heck, sharp enough to cut a hair. awsome buy for the price.

Great sword and fast shipping. Haven't used it but seems very sturdy. Perfect sword to buy if you like Rurouni Kenshin.

Great sword. Solid, sharp. I couldn't have asked for more. I can't say anything for accuracy, as I don't know, but as far as product goes, this one is a keeper.

first lets be honest for around $200 a top notch authentic katana (not to say its not in working condition) is not to be expected and weather or not it has a "HI" or not is really irrelevant because its not the first sword to have one nor will it be the last even if its not traditional to ancient katana making methods in my particular case everything was top notch except for a few things my "HABAKI" or scabbard sleeve was loose so it jingles if swing around Also the lower "MEKUGI" (the bamboo pins that hold Full tang swords in place) missed the hole and pushed the "SAME" (fish skin cover underneath the handle wrappings "TSUKAITO") out at a bulge on the handle other than that great sword

Well I would like to say that it's durable and wields well. I kinda stepped on the kashira and broke a bit of it carelessly walking around in the dark. I was wondering if maintenance can be done to it. x.x; Secondly, I've been maintaining the steel with the katana cleaning kit and using it to preform actual kenjutsu moves that I've learned from reading and watching vids over the internet. I've always been interested in Japan and it's history as well as martial arts. I would like it if I could get it repaired though if possible. Another thing that bothers me is the tsuka ito (cord wrapping) around the handle slides too much after a while and you have to re-adjust it. Over all I was just wondering if it would be possible to send it over for repairs. But anyway it's the most accurate sakabato I've ever seen and for a reasonable price.

How are you gonna go and tell someone that actually knows how to forge that they're wrong, and yes I am a practitioner of the sword as well and anyone who is and not retarded knows that a "hi" or actually "bo-hi" as it is properly termed is merely to lighten the blade, all that blood groove so the blade doesn't get stuck is a bunch of BS, just like the blacksmith said. For one thing in techniqiue you wouldn't run someone through all the way to the tsuba(guard) you just thrust and at most put the top six inches or so in the person.(not that I have ever done that but I am not one to study watered down martial arts so I like it how it really is.) If you ever see real katanas(ie japanese made from a long time ago) especially the ones from eras where Japan was constantly at war, there is never a bo hi, a bo hi causes a sword to essentially not have as powerful a cut. Anyone who has even touched iaido or batto knows this, for people who just go around stabbing random stuff and has never even performed a legitimate tameshigiri(practice cutting)with the bamboo roll doesn't know a damn thing. Plus I guarantee you, any katana that is even remotely usable will cost at the very least two hundred to three hundred dollars and that is a great deal ! Cheness produce some nice ones, and hanwei has some decent ones in the lower end but very very nice ones in the upper end. I am pretty sure this blade is just surface hardened and not thorough hardened.(meaning it is not fully tempered inside and will break) And as far as full tang goes that can mean alot of different things, I have an old hanwei katana that snapped on me during a cut one day after a few years of training with it, so I dissaembled it the handle and was comparing the tang from the hanwei katana and a cheness katana the hanwei was almost half the thickness, both sowrds are considered "full tang" I'm pretty sure this blade would snap in a second if you really tried to strike something. And that means your gonna have ten or so inches of sharpened steel blade flying up at you so hopefully you luck out like me and it doesn't hit you in the face. I am giving this four stars for a nice decoration sword that can be swung around here and there but never would I consider this suitable for practice kata and absolutely never would i strike something with this, from the way it looks i could probably cut or break cut this sword in two with one of my better katanas. Just be careful not to hurt yourself and don't knock people with way more experience than you.(ie talkin crap to the blacksmith, that guy is far closer to the essence of these things than you ever will be and your ignorance and big mouth just makes you all the more stupid sounding.

there is only one review of this item and it sickens me. the "hi" as the other review says is called a blood groove in English and is put on all swords that are to serve functional purposes. the blood groove, the valley on the blade, is put there so that when you stab someone with it it doesn't create a vacuum so that the sword is hard to pull out. without the blood groove the sword would be stuck in the person you stabbed and hard to pull out. it is true that the sword is not accurate. i love the story of the ancient man-slayer Kenshin. it is true that on the anime his sword does not have a blood groove. but its anime. its Japanese animation. there are also animes called Bleach and Naruto and you could never get the swords or do the things you see them doing. it is still a good replica and besides the blood groove, which you would need to actually call it a practical use sword, it is extremely accurate. and for all of those who pose as blacksmiths... do your homework like i did.