r/iaido • u/More-Competition-603 • 17d ago

Any recommendations for a real katana (traditionally made)

Looking for a traditionally made katana, i don't care so much about the type of steel as long as it's a quality katana but i would like a budget friendly katana, not a fake one that can be sold for like 30 quid. A proper katana, i wouldn't mind even a name of a company that sells good traditionally made katana's.

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u/itomagoi 15d ago

You really need to know what you are getting yourself into before buying anything. A nihonto is an investment, not a toy, and the cost of one is in line with such. The UK ban on "samurai swords" is designed exactly to be gatekeeping. They don't want every other chav running around with one, so you either have to have the money to buy the real deal, or you practice a legitimate martial art in order to use a replica or a non-Japanese live blade.

There was another commenter who suggested that if you are buying a genuine nihonto that you go to Japan and bring it back with you. This makes absolute sense because if you mail order it, when it arrives at the UK it's going to get inspected by John/Jane-average-want-to-fark-off-to-the-pub HMRC inspector who can't tell a genuine nihonto worth several thousand pounds from a £50 wall-hanger and doesn't understand the exemptions in the law, and may very well send it off to be destroyed before sending you a letter telling you "compu'a says no (cough)".

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u/More-Competition-603 15d ago

So you're saying i better either wait some time till i can afford the real deal, gain some knowledge, and go to japan. Honestly, that seems like my best option will do.

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u/itomagoi 15d ago

Well aside from everything that was said in this thread, I guess you can luck out and find something in at a boot sale that the owner is ignorant of the value of. My first kendo sensei has a story that his brother was given a wakizashi that was being used to prop up the door to a coal bin. It was returned to Japan and turned out to be a national treasure and now sits in a museum. Maybe go cozy up to some WWII vets who served in the Pacific Theatre.

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u/More-Competition-603 15d ago

Your joking right

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u/itomagoi 15d ago

You still seem to want to hear someone tell you that yeah there's a £500 nihonto katana that isn't close to a hunk of scrap out there just waiting for you. Sorry mate, we've explained the reality and that's not how it works. I threw out one last idea for you to get something on the cheap locally. It's a long shot for sure with chances close to zero but still not zero. Anyway, do what you will with this information.

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u/More-Competition-603 15d ago

I don't want someone to tell me something that's not true, that's where you get me wrong. Thanks for the information.

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u/itomagoi 15d ago

Apologies for misunderstanding your responses. Good luck with your quest.