MAKOTO Handmade White Sharp Katana Samurai Sword 40", Japanese Woman Geisha

Much better, actually, with that iron Tsuba. I had limited expectations for this sword when I ordered it, which is probably why I was so impressed with the overall quality and value. This modest beauty is tastefully done, and worth every bit of the asking price. Lots of decorative garbage (imitation katanas) get priced as high as this, including some of the Makoto swords, but this Geisha katana is (easily) worth every penny. This good of a deal makes me suspect it (probably) could be an inventory liquidation for a product that isn't moving as fast as expected, and might not be restocked after this batch gets sold - it wouldn't be the first time this kind of thing has played out.. The Seppa washer is marked "Ryujin" on the left side and CHINA is marked on the right side. I don't know what relationship Makoto has with Ryujin, but I am impressed with the effective value of this particular katana, regardless of who sells it today. Chinese made katanas work well enough that I don't feel to compelled to own an actual Japanese made sword. The blade is 28.25 inches long from the iron Tsuba. It is sharpened and straight. Keep the blade wet with Corrosion-X (or CLP or petroleum jelly) and it should stay pretty. Sori angle is an optimal 3/4 inch. Weight of the Geisha Girl katana is 2lb & 7oz, which is about mid-weight for a katana. Even with Bohi, the point of balance is just over 5.5" forward of the Tsuba due to that minimal distal taper. Thickness of the blade starts at 6.5mm (at the Habaki), and tapers down to just under 5mm around the Kisaki area. If you prefer to have your P.O.B. resting a little bit forward, you will probably enjoy the balance of this sword, because it is kind of a chopper. Handling is similar to a No-Bohi katana. The hardware doesn't draw a magnet but the iron Tsuba does - and so does the tang until the last 2.8 inches of Tsuka handle. The Tsuka handle is 10.8 inches long, with 2 mekugi pegs used to fasten the Tsuka handle to the tang of this katana. The samegowa is artificial (as mentioned in the advertisement), and that's perfectly fine with me. The Itomaki wrap isn't loose or sloppy (better than expected), but I prefer to apply a tight wrap of hockey stick tape over the Itomaki to improve the grip and keep the diamond pattern from deforming. The Habaki/Saya fit is perfectly adequate, with some minor blade slap experienced, but I have an effective remedy for that particular gripe with a folded piece of milk jug plastic. Just push it down 28.5" with a rifle cleaning rod or (very carefully) a 1/4" dowel rod. The Geisha Girl depiction is 5 inches tall. There have been other "Geisha" themed katana designs that were quite tacky and garish, but this model is modest, subtle and tastefully done, and it looks just as nice as the pictures. Once drawn from the Saya, there's no specific theme to the actual katana remaining at all, because the blade, Tsuba and Tsuka handle are quite nondescript. The only included accessory is a Ryujin embroidered sword bag, and that is perfectly acceptable given the quality and value of the sword. Besides that Ryujin sword bag, the Geisha katana was delivered inside of a Makoto box with a few pieces of Styrofoam holding it in place (no plastic sleeves). But even with the bare minimum of shipping materials, this katana and Saya arrived in (surprisingly) great condition. The Makoto marked box arrived inside of Amazon's generic sword box, and that extra effort of protection and discretion is appreciated. I prefer to use a $4 shotgun sock in combination with a $9 (carry-strap) sword bag instead of the provided Ryujin bag, but it is still nice to have the katana arrive inside of something that protects it from all of the bumps from shipping & handling. Sometimes these sword boxes arrive with a hole cut through the side (at the hand guard), and SOMETIMES that last remaining bit of protection ends up being that simple, inexpensive sword bag - I've experienced this more than a few times..

Bought this for my girlfriend. It was heavier than I expected & very well built! The blade is sharp & it could be used as weapon. It's actually a pretty nice sword & the scabbard is really nice too! Great buy for the price. My girlfriend loves it !