Cold SteelWarrior Series Katana Samurai Sword with Ray Skin Handle, Black Lacquered Wood Scabbard, Black Braid Cord and Brass Menuki, Chisa Katana

I have several Katanas made by different manufacturers and also many Cold Steel products but this has been my first Cold Steel sword purchase. I was pretty impressed with the quality and craftsmanship. It came well packaged and no damage. It was razor sharp right out the box. I know some people have complained about the Chisa being too heavy. I find it about the same in weight as my Cheness Tenchi Wakazashi. The Chisa is actually a Ko Katana, right in between a regular size Katana and a Wakazashi. The Chisa does not have much of a curve, which is something I wanted as I wanted to be able to carry it on my back and be able to draw from that position as well. This sword serves that purpose very well. The sword cuts like a beast and will make a very good all day heavy cutter. I like to train with heavier swords because when I go to a lighter sword I am lightening fast, this is something people may want to consider if their goal is to gain speed. I am 6’1 and 210 lbs, so someone of a smaller stature may have some difficulty with this sword. I remember an old Cold Steel video from years back that they stated that they made their swords heavier than traditional swords because people in the West have become bigger and stronger and able to wield a heavier sword. This makes sense. With all the weight of this sword which is not uncomfortable to me at all and it’s razor sharpness, it makes a devastating cutting weapon. If you are looking for a good quality battle ready sword, that is heavy, sharp and well made that can stand up to abuse, this is it. You won’t be disappointed. I’m surely not, and will be adding more Cold Steel Japanese swords to my collection.

This was just mean't to be a practice sword as I don't currently have access to my main sword (shinkan). I wanted to get something that was smaller for my partner whom had recently taken up kenjutsu with me. We wanted something that was shorter for her and not too high quality for us to practice with and not regret it.When this blade arrived I was seriously shocked with the quality. It has a good solid weight to it, the blade thickness is very good. The ito wrap around the tusk (handle) is excellent for the price. The straightness of the blade is perfect. The one area that I did not expect to stand out when ordering this was the Kissaki and Yokote (tip) This shows off the level of detail that the forger has come to accomplish for low pricing - I was very impressed.Will it come close to a real Nihonto (live blade - made in Japan)? No. Not even close.Is this a good quality product to employ for tameshigiri until then? YES.I have no hesitation in recommending this.

This was my first sword purchase from Cold Steel. Over the years I have bought probably 100 different Cold Steel knives of all styles and prices, I literally never had a quality issue. This however was a great disappointment. There was a rolled burr along the entire cutting edge, not quite the razor sharp "same as emperor series" edge. The sword would not seat fully in the scabbard, it stuck out by more than 1/2" and was very difficult to draw out. Don't get me wrong, both issues can certainly be fixed, however that is not something the consumer should have to do.

I love it! I’m not a tall man and this sword is the perfect length. Quality is better than I expected.

Razor sharp and durable, this Katana is the real deal. I always wanted an actual functioning Katana not just a sharp sword that could cut through paper but a real sword that could be used in a real sword to sword fight and this is it. It's a bit heavy but an excellent carbon steel sword, especially for the price.

It shipped quickly. When it arrived the end of the scabbord was broken off. I could not find the missing broken piece. Dissapointed with the packing. It was loose and moved around in the box alot. I do like the sword itself. Like the quality of the blade and handle. Satisfied with sword itself.

Honestly, I had to see what on Earth Cold Steel was calling a "Chisa Katana" so I bought one for myself and one for my son. It really feels like one of Lynn's custom designs at Cold Steel because I have never encountered one of these in the Martial Arts World. The closest thing to it is what some call a "Shinobi Katana" you see in Kabuki Theater and Ninja Films because the blade length is the same 24, 1/2 inch and is mostly straight. However, it does not have a Tanto tip for piercing armor but is a hybrid of a curved Ibis tip to accelerate slashing cuts with extra width on the end presumably as reenforcement for punching through heavy materials in a thrust. that makes it top heavy though and at around 4 pounds you wouldn't call it a light and fast close quarters fighting weapon unless you had the strength and practice to whip it around. the hilt (tsuka) has an extra 1,1/2 inches on the end making it longer than usual at 11, 1/2 inches. this separates the hands farther apart requiring more rotation of the hilt for cuts but causing your back hand to come close to your body often. The hand placement and top heavy blade make it a very poor choice for dueling...assuming you had to take on another swordsman with a longer blade that is better balanced and possibly lighter. the width of the blade is also wider than usual and a blood groove runs the length of the spine. the conclusion is that the design is really for Tamashagiri or "test cutting" to develop proper edge placement and power. Lynn at Cold Steel designs many of his pieces exactly for that as he enjoys cutting up things on videos. That said, the ones I got are built pretty solid. I feel like I could in fact do chin ups with them as he demonstrates often. nothing is loose, everything is tight including the wrap on the hilt. Diamonds in the Tsuka-Maki are aligned correctly and everything feels like it will stand up to the shock of cutting materials or taking impacts on the blade. As a point of fact though in proper swordsmanship you are supposed to avoid taking impacts on your blade anyway because they have always been expensive and not to be damaged. You are supposed to slip an attack and attack where there is no defense. I took one of these into the Dojo where we do Aikido, Jodo and Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu because they also teach Iaido there and both the Aikido Sensei and Iaido Sensei remarked "It's an axe!" This is because the blade is wider and heavier than the thinner lighter dueling swords used for self-defense. this design and the Warrior Series reflects a more military application suited for penetrating armor and hence is wider and heavier. As a self-Defense weapon it is between a Katana and Wakazashi and could be drawn faster if you could close in quickly. It would achieve tactical superiority over most other hand held weapons but is probably too short for grappling with the blade or dueling against a longer blade. You would have to get right up in their face and use push/pull cuts or use body movement with powerful cuts and thrusts. As a tool it would be superb for clearing brush and if you happened to get attacked by a Ninja hit squad while doing your yard work you would fit right in. the extra hilt length makes it feel awkward to wear on your hip because it sticks out kind of far and would also make it easy to grab by an attacker but that's where you pull your .45 instead. It's enough of a curiosity to be a conversation piece if around the house among other martial artists and is crafted well enough to look both powerful and attractive. Historical Shinobi Katanas were rough lengths of iron roughly sharpened and meant to be used for a single mission where they were likely to be discarded but the design fits into that style of swordsmanship allowing for hiding of the blade with the body as in Ninpo Happo Bikenjutsu. In any case it is actually a solid piece that would make a devastating self-defense weapon, an odd curiosity or a useful woodsman tool or part of any Hunter's or Hikers kit. I'm satisfied with the ones we have.