Any recommendations for a real katana (traditionally made)

[u/More-Competition-603]

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.

[u/itomagoi]

You said quid, which implies that you are in the UK. There's a "samurai sword" ban in the UK (I was there when it came into effect and I had already started iaido). Exception is made for genuine nihonto (in this case certificated by a body like the NBSK), or for practitioners of a martial art. So you'd have to be practicing iaido or a similar art to own a replica sword or a live blade that isn't classed as nihonto. Judging from your question and follow up comments though, you do not belong to a Japanese sword art, and you're nowhere near the budget for a nihonto.

Btw, owning a nihonto isn't just funsies. They are both weapons and works of art and there's some responsibility involved as an owner. There's health and safety because those things are bloody dangerous. But even if you only own one to admire it and no one else sees it, or are pretty good at safe handling, they can rust quite easily so you would need to be familiar with how to care for one.

[u/More-Competition-603 → u/itomagoi]

Very good observation, which is precisely why i wanted a traditionally made one because the law states that as long as it's traditionally made and not kept in public, it's allowed, and i would be practising iaido with a teacher of the art, their aren't many people willing to teach iaido in london but their are a few im aware of the danger (training grip strength by the way) so ill limit the speed to what i think could help me practise at a good speed with minimal risks and the most control

[u/kevmofn → u/More-Competition-603]

A certified nihonto is at least 6k USD on the bottom end so you should just go train at the dojo with a bokken first if anything

[u/kloborgg → u/kevmofn]

I'm not sure where people are getting these numbers. You can pretty reliably find lower end antique Nihonto in koshirae for $2000-3000. If you're willing to get something in very rough condition with flaws you can find even cheaper options. With the exchange rate today, you can find legitimately very nice signed, papered, well polished swords for 5-6k, hardly "bottom end".

[u/kevmofn → u/kloborgg]

If you can find a NBTHK certified nihonto for 2-3k thats cool but I dont think I've seen anything like that

[u/kloborgg → u/kevmofn]

No offense, but where have you been looking? This sold for $2400 from Aoi Art this month: https://sword-auction.com/en/product/24666/as24412

But that's assuming we're sticking to NBTHK, which is a mark of quality and signature authenticity, but not a requirement for genuine Nihonto. There are full sized Nihonto katana in koshirae for sale from RVA right now for under $3k, and Tokyo Sword sold an antique katana for $600 last week.

[u/kevmofn → u/kloborgg]

Ohhh nice I didn’t know! OP needs a certified sword that’s why we are sticking with at least NBTHK. He can’t own a random sword in the UK.

[u/kloborgg → u/kevmofn]

I've never heard that you need NBTHK papers for it to be legal in the UK. Just that it's "traditionally made" before 1954, which applies to every Nihonto antique.

[u/kevmofn → u/kloborgg]

Idk, seems unclear. How does one verify its age?