Cas-Hanwei Performance Series Hand Forged Katana

This page includes four different varieties of the Practical Plus Katana: the Elite, the XL, the XL Light, and the Iaito. All four blades feaure the same fittings and materials, but each version has a different blade cross section -- and the Iaito version is made from perfectly balanced, tempered stainless steel (designed for Iaito drawing practice). These swords are high end items and usually ship in 3-5 days.

So, you're ready for a really good katana. One that has the cutting strength of a lightsaber, the highest quality materials, and a price tag that even an accountant would love. Then you've come to the right place! The Cas-Hanwei Practical Plus Performance Katana is the perfect sword for the collector or martial arts performer who wants the very best that money can buy, but isn't independently wealthy.

Okay, I hear you out there. That's right, you, the guy saying, "wonderful. An economical katana,that probably means it's crap." Well, mister, you're WRONG. I am calling you Grasshopper and repeatedly smacking you in the forehead while cursing at you with a Japanese accent. This katana is by no means low quality. This is a fully functional, hand-forged, differentially tempered cutting, katana.

It has been forged by hand. That means that some burly, insanely skilled dude sat in front of a molten forge banging this bad boy out for you. The smith forged the blade from only the finest, flawless high-carbon steel. He probably brought the thing to his supervisor, who ran the blade through a half-dozen tests, then returned it to our burly smith, complaining that it was three millimeters too wide at the forte.

Our burly, unbelievably talented smith probably grumbled a little about cost of living and his salary and returned to his forge, where he proceeded to shave the excess of the blade. He then carefully applied a ceramic paste to the entire blade except for the cutting edge. By doing this he could expose the cutting edge to much higher heat than the back. This allowed for the back of the blade to be a bit softer and springier (40 Rockwell, for those of you who need to know), and the front of the blade to be harder, sharper and stronger (60 Rockwell for those of you who still need to know).

The Practical Plus Performance Katana is very similar to the Practical Performace Katana, except that the furnishings on the plus are of higher quality. That means that the tsuka (handle) is wrapped in genuine 'same' (ray skin) over an extravagant, tightly woven cotton wrap. The fittings of the Practical Plus are decorated in a Japanese Dogwood motif with dragon menuki, and the handsome Tsuba is of a gorgeous iron “sunburst” design with a brass habaki.

To conclude, this sword rocks the house. If you're looking for a high-performance katana made with a hand-forged, differentially tempered blade and the finest materials, then this is your monkey! Buy it now, or be sad and monkeyless.

The Musashi, like all of Hanwei's Performance Series katanas, can be purchased in one of four different blade styles. To confuse things a little more, the Iaito blade style can be purchased in one of three different lengths. We describe the cutting styles below and in the diagram at left.

Elite
Frequent Cutting / Advanced Drawing Practice
The Elite Katana Blades embody the classical design elements of the most prolific sword design in history. With their strong Shinogi Zukuri shape that accentuates the differential heat treatment, these blades are traditionally proportioned to appeal to the collector but they will also perform well in general cutting of hard or soft targets.

XL
Heavy Competitive Cutting
Designed strictly for competitive cutting, the XL Katana blades incorporate the geometry, strength, weight and profile needed for successful cuts on substantial targets. Featuring differential heat treatment and a narrow edge angle, these wide blades will reward good technique with clean cuts and excellent durability.

XL Light
Competitive Cutting / Lighter Weight
The XL Light blades feature the same geometry as those of the XL but incorporate deeply cut grooves (bo-hi) to reduce the weight of the blade while retaining most of it’s strength and cutting ability. This weight reduction makes for a quicker sword, well adapted for multiple cuts in lighter targets.

Iaito
Frequent Drawing Practice
These unedged training blades provide for safe drawing for the beginning practitioner of the 450 year old art of Iaido. Forged from stainless steel the tempered blades are not only maintenance-free but more importantly provide the correct weight and balance needed for the rigors of repetitve drawing and sword motion practice. Each blade has a deeply cut groove (bo-hi) to provide audible feedback when swung properly.