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

Much better, actually. I am very pleased with the overall quality and value of this sword. This modest beauty is worth every bit of that 40 dollar price tag. Lots of decorative garbage (imitation katanas) get priced as high as this, including some Makoto swords, but the Geisha katana is (easily) worth every penny.This deal leads me to suspect that it could possibly be an inventory liquidation, and (probably) won't be restocked after all these katanas are sold..I would not wait too awful long to buy one of these, if it appeals to you..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 a Japanese made sword, and probably never will.The blade is 28.25 inches long from the iron Tsuba. It is straight and (semi) sharp. Keep the blade wet with Corrosion-X (or CLP or petroleum jelly) and it should stay pretty.The Sori angle is an optimal 3/4 inch.This Geisha Girl katana weight 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 the minimal distal taper. You will enjoy the balance of this sword, if you prefer to have your P.O.B. resting a little bit forward.The hardware doesn't draw a magnet but the Tsuba does - and so does the tang until the last 2.8 inches of Tsuka handle. The Tsuka handle is 10.8 inches long. There are 2 mekugi pegs used to fasten the Tsuka handle to the tang of the katana.The samegowa is artificial, as advertised, and that's perfectly fine with me.The Itomaki wrap isn't loose or sloppy (better than expected), but I like 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. There was some minor blade slap, but I have an effective remedy for that particular gripe - a 7" folded piece of milk jug plastic.The Geisha Girl depiction is 5 inches tall. It is modest, subtle and tastefully done, and it looks just as nice as the pictures.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 $5 (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 middle, and SOMETIMES the last remaining protection is that simple, inexpensive sword bag..

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 !