Honshu Boshin Katana - Tactical Sword, Hand Forged 1060 Carbon Steel

I have both the Honshu Boshin Katana and Wakazashi. (2 of the Wakazashi). They are excellent modern representatives of the class. I use one Wak for actual cutting and liked it so much I now have the full daisho. Happy am I. Duomo arigatou gozaimasu.

While I love the design I can't help being surprised by this product's description (and the video) where they say "incredibly sharp". I definitely wouldn't class this as "incredibly sharp". I have 2 "Samurai 3000" blades and THEY are incredibly sharp, with the blade thinning all the way down to a fine SHARP edge. This one though (and I LOVE the "functional/tactical" look of it) comes mostly straight down to it's edge, and then just a couple of mm from the edge angles in. I can run my finger on it and nothing happens. Actually, I tried running it down the edge of a piece of paper and it doesn't cut. The Samurai 3000 would remove my finger. I think that saying it's "incredibly sharp" is somewhat misleading. I contacted the seller, and described the issue and got "yeah, some of the shipment we received wasn't too sharp" and that was it!

First thing I did after receiving this katana was take it outside and chop into a stump as hard as I could, No damage to the blade at all! Feels solid and holds up to solid wood, handle is comfortable and grippy not that hard plastic crap. Overall I'd say they were spot on with there battle ready statement great sword for the price. Thanks budk

I received this as a gift from a friend and i absolutely love it. I do have some complaints but they're more nitpicky and on the cosmetic end like the tsuba being way to small and the handle being about an inch or two too short. Other than that I absolutely love it

I have other Honshus and love them. I've been thinking about buying one of these for a couple years now and I finally pulled the trigger. I'm glad I did. This Katana is a very simple, elegant, well made work of art that works. Solid as a rock. Fit and finish is superb. Shaving sharp down the length of the blade. The scabbard is sturdy and well made, should stand up to rugged use. Overall, Just gorgeous. Really pleased with this one.. Don't wait as long as I did. Get one NOW!

I was not an enthusiastic sword collector until two months ago I bought a Katana 30 years ago and put it in a closet and never looked at it. Recently I acquired an interest. Looking through the BudK on line catalog I decided to purchase a Katana. I choose a Honshu Boshin katana. When I received the sword this is my impression of the product. Looking at the saya it was black wood with a very smooth tough good looking saya that looked like high tech plastic used to make helicopter blades and guitars, a local product in my area. Looking at the saya I saw that it was wrapped with a vinyl type wrapping. Which was bright shiny and attractive. Over the vinyl was cotton ribbon that was tied by an artist. It was neat consistant tightly bound. A triumph of the knot tiers art. Moving up to the Tsuba it is a modern rugged piece of steel? That looked like a hilt in high end knives, rugged and attractive. The Rtk handle is one of the features that attracted me. Modern, tough, and practical with friction coaficiant and stippling that provided a secure.grip the pommel has a nice shape for pummeling. It has an attaching hole for a security lanyard. Withdrawing the blade it was a thing of beauty and I was extremely satisfied. The katana is a thing of beauty and I am very glad to have purchased it. In the box was a Budk catalog which I looked through. OMG Hell Fyre.

Just received my new Sword . very impressed . well made , very good product , very good priced .

Received my sword and I must say I was very pleased as I stated in my head vine it was sharp enough to shave right out the box the weight beautiful well balanced and very solid haven't gave it the cutting test yet cause it look so fine but I will soon thats another review coming up lol

Great sword! Very nice quality and a good price too. BUDK is an outstanding store to shop from!!! Always on point and fast shipping plus great customer service!

I was a skeptical, about anything that says. It will cut through a cinder block. So, I asked if it was true? I was sent a link to you tube. There it was cutting a cinder block. I own this sword. I have cut the top off of a very large pumpkin and saw it just spin in the same place it was cut from. Love it so much, I have the smaller one too.

Killer

I absolutely love it. Myself being 6'2 or 6'3. It is the perfect size and with it's battle ready construction. The weight is definitely a little heavier than those cheap wall swords. Perfect for my katas and provides a fantastic workout. Only recommend open blade workouts for experts. It is razor sharp so extreme caution needs to be used. If little experience enthusiasts, I recommend a foundation using a boken. Then start very slow and safe. A battle tested beautiful Katana. My favorite right now and I've been doing Martial arts for over 20 years.

sword is very strong light weight for me im 5-10 195bls the sheath in strong to not wooden but never the less good.my sword is tight no lose fitings destoryed a few brick with it. over all light strong full cobtact ready and for that price i see this being used in SHTF and WW3.

This blade has much more weight due to the pommel but it is well balanced. I can wield it with one hand but I train regularly so it might be a bit unwieldy for a beginner. I love this katana. The style and balance are excellent and it is a bit of an update on the traditional katana. I actually ordered this katana and the wakizashi and I am very happy with both.

Swords has good weight and feel to it sharp edge also but when it was delivered it was missing a screw in the handle a blade badly bowed

Got my swords and their awesome and they seem pretty sturdy and well made I own a couple different types of swords and I like these the best. Now I need them to make a tanto.

I was so impressed with this sword that I just purchased the Samurai version to go with it. It's certainly a unique weapon and performance is worthy of battle ready! I only wish Honshu would make a tanto version to complete the set.

i love it cut down sum trees out of the box, needs a proper edge put on it, but 4 119 its a steel. this is the budget zombie apocolypse sword complete with sthe perfect blood groove and beautiful scabbard

An unbelevable work of art. Very well made and balanced. After several years in Japan this is the first Katana I was willing to own. Most American made Katanas are made to hang on a wall not use as a working weapon. This is a weapon I will put my trust in.

Thus far , thus good ! My blades arrived in good order and weren't bent ! Both the Katana and the Short Sword look like they'll be able to do the work when needed. Nothing rattled and both felt tight and solid when making cuts in the air . Good show ! Gregg. 5 stars here so far !

Just a shout out about keeping the oxidation off your blades! I have found over the years of maintaining my blades, that two of the best products to use is the great old standby Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound and Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. The polishing compound will leave a very moisture resistant coating that last quite a while. I've also learned thru the years why butchers use a "Butchers Steel" to keep their blade at it's best. They all work for me, but I'm sure most collectors have a preferred MO!

I just got this on Friday after work, this sword is beautiful. The weight is quite nice, and feels strong in the hand. I would reccomend this to anyone who want form as well as function. I love this piece, a great addition to my collection.

Lots of swords on the market today (especially at this price range) are made with aesthetics, rather than performance, in mind. Honshu went in the exact opposite direction with this katana, and that’s why I love it. It has a forward weighted design that lends itself well to slashing forms, but also retains enough mass in the tsuka for an effective counterbalance. This is in no small part do to the “kashira” style pommel, which makes for a affective blunt force weapon itself. The blade edge is extremely sharp out of the box, and is easy to maintain with a fine grit whetstone and honing steel. My only gripe is that the minimalist style of the tsuba makes it all but impossible to perform an “unlocking” gesture with your thumb. That’s a very small grievance for an excellent sword. I highly recommend picking up this katana, and the matching wakizashi and tanto as well.

I am a knife man. Never had much to do with swords. My room mate saw this sword and the video and she decided to get one. When it came in she took it and loved it the moment she first held it. I held her sword and went to my computer to order mine. First sword I ever owned and love the feel of it. Well balanced and sturdy. The grip feels great and will not slip out of my hand. Also I always heard that swords made any more wll come loose at the handle and can fly off. I don't believe it any more. They do make quality swords and it is this sword. Thanks for carrying it BUDK.

A true black ops wakisashi... Well made in the Honshu tradition. Well balanced and durable. The grip is unsurpassed. Honshu never disappoints. Trueswords never disappoints... I'm truly suprised this item wasn't backordered....I'm glad it wasn't... I haven't researched it yet but a tango & katana would truly be a blessing... Very satisfied.... I'll probably get another one for Nito...

This sword got here in only a week and was a lot more than i was expecting out of it! The blade is razor sharp, the sheath is a perfect mix of old style wood and new innovative plastics, and the handle is long enough to weild with both hands. This is truly a united cutlery classic and im glad to have bought it!

I got a request from a customer to find this sword for him. Once I got it I realized that not only did my customer know his swords but I had to get one of these for myself. So I now have one mounted on a Honshu Sword Mount in my living room. I also had the pleasure of holding one of these magnificent swords in each hand at the same time, and it is doable. For the price, it is a give-away. So buy yours now before they raise the price.

Just received my sword today!!!! 5 stars!!!! I am very well pleased!!! You guys should make a series of these ! love it! my first time buying from True Swords, I will be buying again to add to my collection!! 100!!!!

This is a perfect example of a modern sword in quality, build, and looks.It is sharp and easy to use..

For the price category, it is worth every penny and did not disappoint in construction, appearance, function or sharpness.

I ordered the Honshu Boshin Katana, got it in July 31, 2017 Best investment I ever made, The Sword is Awesome! and beat my expectation's, very well balanced, feel's like it float's in my hand's, very well made sword, and make No mistake's this is no Toy Sword, it's Deadly Sharp! Thank You! BUDK

I have over 20yrs in the arts and here's my review...Overall it's well made. 1060 is great steel however mine did not come sharp...had a very weak edge but I fixed easily to a razors edge being 1060 sharpens well. The blade itself is thicker and heavier then I would normally like but it is well balanced for a sword it's size and weight. This is a fully functional battle ready sword but is not a daily swinger due to its weight to weight ratio unless you are extremely muscular in the arms. Overall it's a $120 sword with a great solid build and tactical feel. Only real flaw is the barley sharp edge.

Overall it's a beautiful battle ready sword BUT it could of been sharper :) I remember buying a 50$ katana years ago way sharper then this. But it's still sharp. I love it!

Over all build is great the saya is amazing but the blade grind was horrible , I spent more than 3 hours with a metal file to put a better profile, then a series of diamond stones to really bring the edge out . The fit n finish is wonderful, easy to draw and to line back up for liado, overall it’s amazing for the price

its honestly really nice the only complaint i have is that its not as sharp as I would have liked and its a little blade heavy

First, United did very well to go with well tempered 1060 on this one. I also was not turned off by the rubberized handle when I got it. The rubber is more plastic with a little give. There was a slight play that could be felt inside the handle when swinging but given it is likely compressing slightly it made sense. I didn't mind. It came sharp but not razor. It was functionally sharp for a sword. Where this falls short is weight. Katanas are meant to be more tip heavy then most middle age European swords but this is much more tip heavy then other well made katanas I've held. I noted there is NOT DISTAL TAPER. This is as thick on the end as it is near the handle and it feels like it. It's like swinging a crowbar...only much cooler. With two hands it's still quite weild-able, just like a crow bar is weild-able. It's certainly good for a beater if you think the zombies are coming, the slow moving ones....Romero zombies and not the new fast running ones. If you know what you're getting then go for it, it seems to be good steel and is well built, just not crafted to be an actual good functioning sword. I'm keeping mine tucked away for now. I may hit the belt sander with it and put in a distal taper so it feels like an actual katana one day.