Musha Bushido Dark Ninja Katana Sword

Even though to date there is no documented historical evidence in any museum or elsewhere supporting claims that the Ninja, a.k.a., Shinobi, ever used a sword with a straight blade and a square Tsuba, this sword is one of the most affordable, fully functional and accurate reproductions on the market that adheres to the public's uneducated perception of what a Ninja sword looks like. While the descriptions of the length of the Ninjato vary from some that are as short as a Wakizashi to those that were as long as a Katana, I chose one that was lengthy, similar to a Katana. This was strictly a personal choice. I also wanted one that was basic in design, not ornate or embellished in any way. This sword is as bare boned as they come without sacrificing its designed purpose as a weapon for cutting. Simplicity and effectiveness all played a role in my choice of choosing a Ninjato and since I never buy swords that aren't fully functional and I did intend on cutting with it, safety was a key factor, as well. I could have skimped out and bought a cheap stainless steel sword as an example for my collection, but anyone who knows anything about swords will agree that stainless steel swords are never meant to be swung and by no means ever safe to be used for cutting purposes. Another reason I wanted one was to compare its cutting and thrusting capabilities to that of the Samurai's Katana and Wakizashi design, which have been proven effective and evolved though hundreds of years of practicallity and aquiered knowledge. Upon first handling this sword out of the box, it was a little awkward, since I've had very little experience with a straight bladed sword. However, after familiarizing myself further with it and developing muscle memory from handling it, I found it to be quite comfortable. It cuts very smoothly with minimal movement to the target, which is ideal. As far as thrusting, it performs equally as well as a Katana since it has the same tip design (Kissaki). Overall, this Ninjato is a great sword for performing the demanding cutting techniques of Tameshigiri. Its fit and finish are impressive considering its minimal cost. The blade is very stiff, giving me the impression that it is thoroughly tempered, as advertized and I wouldn't hesitate to try it out on bamboo. The blade also tappers both in width and thickness from the Habaki to the Kissaki. Despite it having no Bo-hi, it's not as unbalanced as I originally thought it would be. The Ito is well wrapped and tight, as it should be. The Kashira, Fuchi, Menuki, both Seppa and Habaki appear to be made of the same cast metal material which I'm assuming is a zinc alloy. The Samegawa is jet black with a decent texture, but a bit softer than I've experienced before. The Saya came is nicely finished in glossy black and the Sageo came tightly tied in a common presentation knot, which I have untied for traditional use. I disassembled the entire sword before cutting with it, cleaned off a few burs from the Nakago, which to my surprise is 2/3's the length of the Nakago, making the sword truly "full tang". Stamped into one side of the Nakago is the word "SHINOBI" and the Musashi kanji engraved into the other side. I reamed out a few burs the Mekugi ana , replaced the Mekugi and all around fine tuned the entire piece. The Tsuka is consistant in shape, without any hourglass shape and arrived without any noticeable internal cracking. I also touched up the edge of the blade by stropping it on leather with a bit of Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish, since it came a bit duller than I could accept. As an aside, the Tsuba on mine is not blackened solid copper as it was advertised, it is steel, since it is magnetic and in my opinion, more ideal than copper. Also, the blade is not anodized as it was advertised, rather, it is blued similar to so many firearms. As an avid Tameshigiri practitioner, retired Martial Artist and Japanese sword connoisseur, it is very important to me to try my hand at a variety of Japanese sword types, regardless whether they are or are not historically accurate. The sword is now displayed on a vertical display stand. Lyle D. Yates-Master Instructor.

Received this sword yesterday, and was blown away. I wasn't expecting this much quality for the price. It's a lil heavier than expected, not really that sharp, and the seppa(spacer) and habaki (blade collar) is loose, but if that's the only problem. I'll consider this a big win. Keep up the good work budk!

If you're looking for a straight blade for practice, this may be the best fifty bucks you can spend. I bought this because I wanted to try some iaido forms with a straight-bladed weapon. I was pleasantly surprised at the build quality and solidity. Holds up quite well in full-speed forms; no rattling or looseness. Noto with a straight blade is... different. Easier in some ways, more difficult in others. This sword has a good enough balance, however, that experienced practitioners will pick it up quickly without too long of an adjustment period -- and you don't have to mortgage the house to give it a try. I've no idea of the "cutting power" of the blade; I do not waste my time on such childish behavior.

This was my first "normal" sword purchase. I also have Chinese hook swords, but those are so unconventional, they barely count. This sword is very nice, and the saya is equally well made. The tsuba is tight and solid, and the wrapping is uniform and snug. It's not razor sharp, but it did make some clean slices into some cardboard I had from another online purchase. I have to say, this sword is extremely heavy. I thought my hook swords were heavy and unbalanced, but this thing feels like a sharpened crowbar. Seriously, I'm afraid to swing it forcefully b/c I may injure myself joints or pull a muscle, and I'm not a little guy. It may be that swords are generally this weighty, and being my first real one, I just need to get used to it. No matter, it will look good on my weapons wall, which is where it was always intended to go anyways.

I own this sword, and while it is well built, sharp, and beautiful, it is not a "true" ninja sword. There has never been a historical discovery of a straight-bladed "ninja" sword. The design (the straight blade, the square tsuba) is an invention of the 80's ninja movie craze. Stephen K. Hayes also helped associate this sword design with ninjas. Historically, ninjas preferred anonymity, and wielding a sword that immediately screamed "NINJA!" would have been detrimental to being stealthy and invisible. Be that as it may, it is a solid design, well built, good steel, sharp blade, and attention to detail. A lot of the abilities attributed to ninjas are mythic and not based in reality, but for what it is, this is still a very good, well built, solid sword. I especially appreciate Japanese-inspired swords that don't have a fuller (blood groove), which are incredibly hard to find.

Nice and solid, razor sharp, excellent balance; all around a great weapon.

Wanted a ninja blade, saw this with a scabbard, had to get it.<br /><br />This is thing is big, or more, the same size as a normal katana just straight. Simply a beautiful blade. And the price is well worth it.

amazing, great price especially for the quality

Just received this sword in the mail and let me say, it is fantastic. For this price it is perfect for any collector or swordsman!

I am completly blown away with this sword! I received it today and it was razor sharp out of the box! I highly recommend this product for any collector.

great weapon If you like swords this is the one to go with

This is a wonderful sword. The all black look is very sleek!

Awesome Sword, well worth the money. It's unique, it's sharp and I'm happy to add it to my collection

i love the blade it comes razor sharp like it says, but it has some dings in it and the saya is not very good it scracthes the blade every time i take it out, over all it was a good buy although i could have done better but im happy with it. :)

At first the sheath was too tight and took a lot to open but after a little filing of the sheath its perfect. I love this sword!

I got this gift for a friend and I know that she will LOVE it !! :)

Any sword made by Musashi under $100 is awsome. Never been disapointed for that price range.

honestly i was surprized when i recieved it it is a beautiful sword...i tried it out and was impressed i cut down a 7 foot tall shrub/weed like butter i recomend this sword but the sheath had minor imperfections but a good buy good investment after a while the paint thins on the copper bearings but i didnt feel that effected the functionability.

perfectly balanced where the blade meet the tusuba

This is potentially the greatest deal I've ever seen on the Internet. This sword is fantastic- good steel quality, a nice edge, all-around marvelous construction. And it's about a third of the price swords of this quality go for. If you're in the market for a sword, I wholeheartedly recommend this one.

Overall the sword is good and sharp, the other reviews are not that accurate. <br /><br />Pros:<br />Good Balance<br />Sharp(slices through bottles fairly easily)<br />Full Tang<br />Sturdy<br /><br /><br />Cons:<br />Paint on blade comes of fairly easily<br />Blade does not sit in saya(sheath) tightly<br />Breathing tube is rather pointless if you have larger lungs. im a body builder so it does nothing for me.<br /><br />Basically this sword is able to cut if you have decent form and not swinging it like a baseball bat. <br />also shipping was really fast. arrived in 3 days.

a very nice sword for its price... the steel is a little soft and blade is not perfectly blanced. but aside from that its a grand piece. very well crafted and a very lagit feel. totally worth its weight in gold

A Beautiful sword. Shipping was right on time, and fast. There were 0 flaws in the sword. I was very pleased and 100% satisfied. The sword itself was a lot better than expected. Thank You!!

This is an excellent sword. When I pulled it out of the box, i was impressed to find everything was in flawless condition. The blade was well oiled and not a scratch on it. Again, the Musashi stamping was missing from the Habaki which was disappointing. The blade was sharpened but not razor sharp. It feels slightly heavy but very well constructed. Nothing wiggles or moves at all. The Habaki and tsuba are high quality. It is a solid blade, and the all black look is very unique and super stealthy. It came with a cool little wooden snorkel hidden in the bottom of the saya, which was a cool surprise!!! Great sword for the money - especially if you are looking for something simple, deadly and that doesn't reflect light. I don't want to recommend this sword so that my collection stays more rare - but other than that I would (and did) buy it!!

This sword is amazingly sharp!!! It stands out because it is strait and has a black blade. I love this sword. My only problems with this sword are that the hand guard shakes a little, and that the sword does not easily go into the sheath but all in all this sword is amazing!!!

WONDERFUL weapon. I'm a first time sword buyer, and I think this was an excellent choice. I could tell from the first time I picked it up how durable it is. After swinging it as hard as I could, nothing budged. An initial test with my finger made me think it wasn't particularly sharp, but it made short work of my backyard shrubbery and dinner beef. If I should ever need it for its technical purpose ... which I doubt ... I know it'll do the job. Great aesthetics too, if you like things simple and utilitarian. The guard was pretty scratched up and the sheath has a lot of dust I'll have to work out, but those are the least of my concerns. If you're looking for a soundly built and conservatively styled sword, I strongly recommend this one.

I've always wanted to add a ninja sword to my collection and I made the right decision with this one. Nice and sharp and looks awesome on display.

This Sword is sweet. Black carbon and when you look down the blade in the light, there is a dark red tint where it was tempered. The scabbard was slightly scratched. Great for the money !!!!

just got this sword today! its awsome the blade is sharp and thick,the wooden scabard is gloss black very nice although the sword is heavy but sturdy.us ninja could easily defeat are enemies!There is no name on blade musashi and the snorkle is not useable wow! this sword is just sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Just got it today and I'm in love! It's really hard to draw though. I dunno, maybe I'm doing something wrong. No other complaints though.

Wow, holy amazing! I was a little skeptic about buying a sword online, but I'm truely impressed. The sword is very well made, sturdy, and ballz freakin awesome! I will definitely be buying another from this site very soon. Oh but the blade collar doesn't have the musashi logo just to let you know.

i just this sword in the mail today, and all i have to say is wow! this sword is the sturdiest sword for only $60. if you ever wanted to find a sword with a lot of beauty this is the one! the only problem with my sword is that the tsuba was scratched and showing the copper a little bit but i can deal with that

this sword is very exceptional for the price. very well balanced an well made. This sword is a good on weather you are an avid collector or just starting this sword is well worth the price

this thing is shweet. at first, i had trouble getting the blade in and out of the sheath. but that may not be the case with ur purchases. i did cut my finger using this, bled pretty bad too. fun tho. the case sounds alittle weak. just be careful with this piece and u should be safe with a damn fine sword.

amazing....very sharp and very sturdy. extremely pleased with it. some people were complaining about weight, but for its size it weighs fine. ninja swords usually were slightly smaller than the traditional katana, but this is as long as a katana so it is expected to weigh as much. the only thing i find funny is the "snorkel scabard", which does not actually work, sorry for those of you looking for that particular option. everything else is perfect.

got my sword a few minutes ago. so this review will be short. first thing is the box, the box it comes in is nice. not to fancy but it'll do for the price. the blade itself weights just about right but upon trying to pull the blade out of the sheathe the blade wouldnt come out so i had to force it out. i dont like the idea of pulling it out with force since i fear i might cut myself but in the end its not a big problem. that aside the blade comes nicely sharp....I cut the box it came in half hahahaha. overall the blade is wonderful and nicely built. its my first of many i'll be buying here so i look forward to grow my "new" collection and for anyone looking into buying it, go for it. 4/5

haven't got a change to cut with it but the look of this bad boy in person makes me speechless i can't wait to get to know the sword

Very good sword, Comes Battle ready and sharp, Its very sturdy and full tang. Its made very well aswell... Downside is that it doesn't come with a cotton back for storage. The bag it does come in is plastic.

this is one of the sharpest swords i have very very sharp the grip is comfy the square guard is nice, the tang gets thin at the point, i was expecting a tanto point its more like a katana, overall i highly reccommend this sword it comes with a hidden surprise love it

very nice sword. mine came balanced nicely and the under-water piece works AWESOME!!!!!!!!. THE ONLY THING BAD WAS MINE DIDN'T COME WITH THE SEAL IN THE BLADE NEAR THE HILT. other than that very good buy.

This sword is strong, sturdy, and looks great. It could be sharper, and it's a little hard to get back in, but all around it is a good sword.

it's a good sword. the color of the blade is great. although it's heavier than i thought. shouldn't ninja swords be really light?

Seems pretty solid. wasn't really sharp, and the scabbard had a few nicks in the paint. The blade is pretty top-heavy as well. But hey, it was 50$

All in all It was Alright. This was my first sword. I have had cutting experience before. This Ninjato looks and feels great, just a bit heavy on the blade. The Blade itself was thin on the cutting edge and did not come sharp at all. On the cutting side of the blade only half was sharpend so in whole it couldnt cut anything. the sword holder/sheath was too loose the sword wiggles a little. Although it dosnt cut well, For 60.00 $ it was a good buy. This sword for me is more for display just because it wasnt sharp. I reccomend this sword only if you need a cool looking ninjato sword to add to your collection.

This sword looks great & it came the same day i decided to wear all black cloths. Only down side is its not sharp I tested this by getting printer paper & tried to see if it would slice through & not just tear. It failed the test but its still a good sword