Cold Steel Warrior Series Katana

This review is on 02-03-15. People have given unfavorable reviews on this Katana, perhaps Cold Steel Quality has improved. Either way, here we go. The only Con I have was that the sword was delivered in a box (which was bent) and it was wrapped in a bubble bag. A thicker cloth black bag was folded inside. There was no warranty or any paperwork. Perhaps this is why it cost only 289.48 instead of 500.00. Out of the box, I was impressed. The blade is quality steel and flawless, no bumps or scratches and the blade is straight. Finish on the blade is satin not a high gloss mirror finish. No Hamon (since these are usually fake on most swords anyway). All fittings and handle are tight, no rattle. The Ito is wrapped perfect as if by hand and the braids are centered perfect. The Menuki (decorative pieces beneath the Ito) is bright with a gold finish and centered perfectly. So far so good. The blade is sharp and well balanced Some say its heavy but for me the weight is fine. Actually its kind of light (I am 5'11" and 53) Cuts halfway through the shipping box without scratching the blade. Laugh if you will but one of my test is the "swoosh". If the blade makes a fairly audible swoosh or whip sound it tells me the blade is straight and the cutting edge is consistent. Paper test. Cutting through a sheet of paper was little rough. A few passes over the cutting edge with a AccuSharp tool and "Holy ____" cut like a hot knife through butter. (if you try one of these sharpeners, start on a cheap sword first to get the hang of it. you will notice the difference) When passing the sharpener over the edge there was almost no steel shreds removed (another test of a quality steel as opposed to a blade made of pig iron that would leave large shards of metal flakes behind. To sum it up. Someone said this is a utilitarian blade. That's a great definition. She is not ugly but beautiful (in a bulldog kind of way)This Cold Steel Katana is a no BS no frills cutter and cutting is what is does! Use it for Iai kata practice, cutting Tami mats and Yes this can be used for self defense! Definitely a mans sword! Good Job Cold Steel!

When I orderes the sword, I already had a sharp pebble brand wetstone 1000/6000. I know some of you have seen youtube reviews by wannabe martial artists and decided NO on this sword. Think again. It doesnt come hand sharpened, duh. put the small effort in and sharpen it. I even watched a guy with his review on YT wearing a gimmick mask and using sloppy technique to try to cut water bottles! Man! sharpen this sword properly, its slick. its front heavy? well, it iss off by 4 inches on my 2 thousand dollar sword from japan circa 1979! this thing is built to last and is battle ready with a stone and stropped. at under 300 i'll take it over all the rest. I dont know lynn thompson but we need to thank this man for his service to the blade industry. cold steel always delivers and has a great warranty, and I wont need warranties with this sword! sliced tatami, sliced rope ( I used 2 inch marine rope) and was a pleasure to practice drawing and sheathing with. so many reviews way off the mark here. all because your hanwei swings well on tatami doesnt mean it will do well in a shtf situation or cut modern day kevlar through a car door.

I'm going to echo a lot of what has already been said. if you are a "traditionalist", I would recommend that you look elsewhere. This blade is heavy, for what it is, and will definitely take some time getting use to. Due to it's balance and weight it can be slow on the follow through. I read one review that compared it to a cross between a katana and a viking sword...I can see that...This sword is definitely designed for hacking. It will take strong arms to wield it properly. The "sharpened crowbar" review had it right on this one. Now, having said all that, this is a well built sword. The one I received was tight in all the right places...no loose parts or shimming needed. It is sharp but not razor sharp...more tearing paper than slicing through it. It is a thing of beauty in it's own right...I will continue to use it for katas and iaido to build my arm and back muscles, but will probably move to a lighter, more balanced sword in the future. Kudos to The Blade Shop for a good price and good packing as sword arrived without a scratch...would purchase from again. As for purchasing this product, I would have to say, ask yourself, what is your purpose with the sword?

I had to return the sword three times because what i received was used and in bad condition. 1. Was not sharp 2. After removing the Tsuka i found a mark from Cold Steel that i learned meant that the sword was a "factory defect" which is not covered by the lifetime warranty. 3. Sword did not come with any kind of paperwork, certificate or warranty information at all what so ever. Which it claims that it does. 4. The blade on EVERY sword that i received was nicked, scratched, dented or chipped. 5. The Saya was loose, so much so that if you turned the sword upside down holding only the saya the sword would fall out. 6. It took over 4 weeks and four replacements to receive a sword that was not trashed and that was in any kind of decent condition. A lot of my time wasted. I kept the sword after receiving a discount, however i am very very disappointed in Amazon i expected a great deal more from them, for me this sword ruined their reputation. It is a Cold Steel Katana, however IT IS NOT NEW, IT IS NOT SHARP, IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT! This sword is not up to the standards that most people looking to purchase something of this price range would expect it to be for the price that they are paying. The add misrepresents the product that i received greatly. Keep in mind that if you purchase this sword you will have to spend between $50.00 - $120.00 to have the blade refinished between $200.00 - $350.00 if you want it refinished by hand in a traditional manor instead of with a belt sander and then you will have to spend another $60.00 - $110.00 to have it hand sharpened. Even if you go the cheap route, expect to spend an additional $110.00 minimum dealing with just the blade. Your honestly better off buying from the manufacturer paying full price and waiting for 6 to 8 months to receive the sword. Trust me it would be far less disappointment, frustration and let down.

I looked for a long time before I purchased this sword. I saw all the bad reviews of people saying the wrap was loos or damaged scabbard. Everything on mine was very tight. The scabbard was pristine. There was a small amount of surface rust on the guard, but a little WD40 and it wiped right off. There was a slight amoung of glue on the end cap but a little work with a razor and it flaked off cleanly. I did need a little work on the blade however, but I got it pretty sharp after maybe 30min worth of work. I got it when there was a price dip, and I was expecting something to be wrong. NOPE! I was very pleased it was nearly perfect! I can'e speak for others experiences, but as for me it was a great purchase! I don't regret it one bit!

I needed a 'real' katana to start kobudo as I have been using boken for training & want to start getting the feel of the true weight of the sword, etc. I have no experience with swords, but I do have a wide collection of high quality, name brand knives, so I am familiar w construction, metal types, etc. The metal of the sword is quality & the finish is just fine. It is sharpened, but not razor by any means. I do plan to put a serious edge on the blade, but I want more experience sheathing, to be able to sheath without looking. Once I become more than a novice w/my training, I will put an edge on. The scabbard is really sub par in my opinion. The sword just doesn't seem to sheath correctly. It sticks horribly bad when totally in scabbard. I had to spend some time just pushing in & out of the scabbard to loosen up wherever it is sticking. I did drop the scabbard on concrete w/o the sword & the end cap on the scabbard came off. It was poorly glued on, so I reattached w/some stronger epoxy. The scabbard is the weakest part of this combo, by far. Also, there are some sort of metal pendants that are wrapped under the cordage of the handle. They are exactly where the end of the fingers grab a hold & press against the handle. This makes the handle extremely uncomfortable, & actually start to cause some minor pain in my fingers after working a while. No idea why these pendents are under the cordage, but it is absolutely STUPID that they did this. Why would you want to make a sword MORE uncomfortable to hold?? Just dumb... Overall, I know this sword is usable & will withstand some damage from the videos that Cold Steel posted. I have not cut anything with it yet as I am more interested in learning how to use properly instead of just trying to cut stuff. The materials are quality, but the construction is just half-azz in my opinion. But, to get a 'battle ready' sword for $300 that I can trust will withstand real use when/if I have to use it - I can say it will be a worthy purchase in the long run. On the flip side, for $300 I wonder if can get the same quality sword that has a better scabbard & more comfortable handle.....

Alright.. As a outdoor survivalist/hunter I've had the pleasure of trying many different kinds of blades of all kinds. This particular sword has impressed alot so far. The wrapping is tight, the blade is sharp and the quality of steel is outstanding. My first attempt at a cut was a milk jug I had filled with water... Thinking I needed a fast strong cut I swung fairly hard only to think I had missed. The blade cut so smooth through the bottle (starting at the handle) I didn't even feel it connect with the bottle. Not sure if its luck but the first cut I did left no water on the blade, I thought that was pretty cool. I've handled many katanas and blades and ill tell you this one has an intimidation factor. Even if you are familiar with swords be mindful this one has a slightly different shape than traditional katanas. This is NOT A TOY. I'm very pleased and recommend this for collectors and someone looking for a SOLID beginner battle ready weapon. After several tests with meat/bone believe this to be an excellent choice for defense. I live in the mountains where there are wolves and mountain lions and I feel confident this would put an aggressive animal down easily. The handling is a bit blade heavy but the handle is long enough to have a comfortable swing with alot of blade side leverage to cleave with ease. Again, highly recommended.

Well, After laying down $300.00 it arrived. The Warrior Katana is in my hands at last. The warrior is built with quality and parts which equals a katana in that price range. By the way,,,,it is built by the Huanuo forge in china. They supply katanas for dynasty and cold steel. It is really over built, awkward, and nose heavy. The point of balance is 6.75 from the tsuba. But the parts are tight and of good quality and attention to detail good. The blade is heavy and made for cutting and although it did not come razor sharp. But even after honing it up nice it is not a decent backyard cutter like some of the better balanced and just as tough katanas in the same price range or cheaper. Can you say Hanwei practical katana? If not,,,look them up. Buy one of them also and see which one you enjoy cutting with. Comparing it to my other low end sort of cutters but not durable katanas, I see the better quality put into this. They do say it is ray skin but does not look it to me. As for some people and the issue with balance and weight. It is a slow one and hard to recover as some of the balanced katanas. The Hanwei practical XL I use the most has a point of balance of 5 inches from the tsuba. Compared to the 6.75 of the warrior...well you get my point. It does not have a hamon and not true to an actual katana. The Hanwei has a true hamon even though it is enhanced. It is dependable and much better than some of my faux hamon swords but I am also comparing it to full tang not as good of steel. Compare it to same price katanas and the warrior is like a sharp crowbar. If this is something you want then fine. it will work for you. But if you want something that is a katana and cuts like a katana, you can spend the same amount of money and get a better sword. And trust me...once you cut with this one and some of the better ones...it is like a driving a tank and a sports cars. As for my Hanwei practical XL, I have been cutting with it for a few months now and it does an awesome job on the water bottles of any size or containers of thick plastic. It balances well and is a joy to use. I had been cutting for awhile with a warrior katana from the Huanuo forge that supplies cold steel. Cold steel did not make this or make anything they sell....Other people make it and lynn thompson puts cold steel on it. Both are tough but the Hanwei is much better in cutting and balance. If you have doubts....buy one of each like I did and see for yourself. I am rewriting this review since I am a little smarter and have something to compare it to. I am also lowering my rating. The warrior is just not worth the price. But then again...much of what cold steel sells is not worth the price.

This is a very nice sword, great balance and feels very reliable. Have not done any serious cutting tests, but the blade is extremely sharp without looking flimsy. It will not be a good tool in practical cutting scenarios (unlike rougher machete katanas from cold steel), but as a weapon it is definitely worthy.

So also jetzt nach einigen Tagen meine Kundenbewertung! Ich muss sagen ich bin hell auf begeistert, sowohl von dem Artikel als auch vom Shop! Zum Artikel: Ich war erst sehr Skeptisch, wegen des Schwertes und hatte mich schon ausgiebig vorher mit dem Thema "Katana" befasst. Ich hatte bei mehrere Shops andere hochwertige Schwerter in der Auswahl und bin letztlich wirklich froh mich für dieses Cold Steel Katana entschieden zu haben! Es ist zwar nicht so schön verziert wie einige andere Modelle die ich in der Auswahl hatte, jedoch ist es sehr Praxis orientiert, was mir sehr gefällt! (nähere Infos dazu findet ihr wenn ihr "Cold Steel Warrior Katana" mal bei Youtube nachschlagt!) Das Schwert ist top verarbeitet und macht einen soliden Eindruck. Es liegt schwer in der Hand, so dass ich wohl noch etwas Übung benötigen werde um perfekt damit um zu gehen. Das Schwert wird scharf ausgeliefert (ohne Probleme ein Blattpapier damit zerteilt) und ist bereits eingeölt. Allerdings sollte man sich ein Pflegeset mit Nelkenöl zu legen, da Schwerter aus Kohlenstoffstahl alle 2-3 Monate eine Pflege brauchen um nicht zu rosten! Soviel zum Schwert! Der Laden.. Ja was soll ich sagen, ich habe sofort meine Daten hin versandt (Perso) und sofort eine Bestätigung erhalten! Der Versandt ging razfaz und ich wusste immer wo mein Paket gerade war (wegen dieses Verfolgungslinks). Also kp wie das bei anderen Artikeln dieses Ladens ist, aber in dem Fall war ich positiv überrascht, hoffe dass ist immer so! Weiter so! An alle die Interesse an einem Soliden Kampftüchtigen Schwert haben.. Kauft es!!

Genuine new Cold Steel 88BKW purchased for $310 CAD. From guard to tip the blade measures exactly 75cm long. Thickness is 7mm at the base, 6.5mm at the middle, and 6mm at its thinnest just before the blade flares back to 7mm thickness for a reinforced tip. Weight 1,218g (45g heavier than manufacturer spec). PoB is 19cm from the guard, very blade heavy. Handle construction is solid, no hint of wobble after moderate test cutting on stiff cardboard. The handle wrap looks very nice although on close inspection there are some gaps around the rayskin inserts exposing the wooden handle core. The sheath is VERY tight, that being the case blade retention in the sheath is excellent. The cutting profile of the blade is excellent, nearly perfect. The edge is both VERY sharp and a bit unpolished, let me explain. The edge angle is very acute and the cutting geometry is basically perfect, the blade will separate solid material with ease. The apex of the edge is however not polished, cutting soft targets using the factory edge this sword will behave more like a chainsaw than a razor, that being said a chainsaw will cut your fingers off like a lightsaber and this blade demands the same respect. Receiving a practice sword with a coarse edge is just fine by me because you will need to sharpen it yourself anyway. Hand polishing costs BIG $$$ and all that polish goes away on your first slice. A word of caution for practice cuts, the edge profile is SO acute that it did ripple a bit when cutting extra high density cardboard (not normal boxes, this was super tough e.g. mailing tubes), the edge did not "roll" and there is no visible edge damage, only mild waves can be felt while sharpening. By my consideration this is only a good thing because such a thin edge makes this a HIGHLY proficient cutter, but the edge WILL take damage easily if abused. Contact with wood is a no-no unless you want to spend a few hours re-grinding your Katana into an axe. BTW forget the messy water stones, use cheap medium grit diamond plates for setting a new edge and to polish the edge just use the largest fine ceramic stone you can find (lasts forever). If there is one thing for me to complain about it's the angle of the blade protruding from the handle is swept back slightly more than you'd expect, this does not affect the function of the blade at all but aesthetically it's just a slight bit off. And in agreement with all other reviews the far forward balance makes this blade feel very heavy, which is fine for a Katana but if you like the nimble feel of European swords this is a bit of a shock.

Verarbeitung wie ich es mir vorgestellt habe 1A. Verpackung bei B-M war sehr gut. Nun zur Schärfe: - Wenn man sich im Foren ein wenig erkundigt, dann weis man auch, dass diese Schwerter robust, aber nur selten richtig scharf sind - Teilweise leicht scharf - Muss selbst geschärft werden um es für Cuts verwenden zu können ( Was ca. 10€ für Korkblock und Nassschleifpapier kostet ) Gibt dafür aber ein gutes Video auf Youtube, von Thomas Ari Link: [...]

Build of Katana is very solid. Blade is nicely sharpened to cut. Nice to handle but there is a bit of extra weight in the blade to allow for extra cutting power on a slice. Tip seems extremely sharp for penetration. Katana handles very well