Hanwei Practical Plus Katana Sword

This is the second practical plus katana that I have owned. The craftmanship is awesome. The sword is solid, and beautiful. There wasnt any chipped paint or discoloration on any part from the sword to the scabbard. Though the first one I had after pulling the sword out a few times the scabbard split at the top and then it wouldnt hold the sword tight. So that may be something that someone should take extra care with. The sword is very sharp. It came with a carry bag and a cloth sleeve that fits over the handle, which I didnt receive either on my first purchase. Over all I'm very satisfied with this purchase. A few years back I paid around 300.00 for the same sword. It was cool to get it for nearly half that price. As far as function, I dont know the answer.

Well made sword. Solid construction and nice fittings. Well worth the price.

Seems solid and well balanced. No blood groove, but I don't think I'll need it. Should be perfect for practice and competition.

Purchased this for tameshigiri training. Cuts very smoothly. Well weighted, with a relatively long handle which is quite comfortable for a 6' frame

I cannot speak for its durability yet but it looks highly functional and has good weight. My first impression is that it is a little front heavy for what I am used to but I should be able to get used to that.All of the fittings were tight. The fit into the saya was snug but not overly so.The kissaki is well-shaped but a little more time finishing it would have made it even better. The ihori mune blade itself is straight grained, well-shaped and the wave hamon is well defined. I'm already growing fond of the style of the tsuba; reminiscent to me of the Japanese imperial chrysanthemum (Yes, I know they refer to it as an iron sunburst). Most of the blade's edge is just short of razor sharpness up to within a couple of inches of the plain brass habaki where it is thin but visibly flat to the unaided eye. The 'vinyl-smelling' tsuka ito is a bit of a turn-off and it shifts ever-so-slightly during swings after awhile, isn't moisture tolerant (sweat/heat makes it a bit slippery) and almost makes the rayskin samé a waste. I probably would have given this katana 3 stars had it had a decent silk/cotton tsuka ito.I still like it (I may find someone to redo the tsuka ito) but it's over-priced compared to the 1060, Clay Tempered Samurai Musashi that I own.

Quality! very pleased.

I was looking for a good quality katana to get started in cutting. I wanted something that looked equally nice in a sword stand as it was functional. Many days of internet searches and reviews led me to the Hanwei practical plus and I've been very happy with my purchase. There are a number of very good reviews online that go greatly indepth on this sword, so I will just hit the goods and bads here to keep it breif.The Practical Plus Elite Katana is very similar to the Elite model while using more econmical and traditional fittings and construction. The blade is forged and differentially hardened (HRC60 edge, HRC40 back) and the hamon is large and etched. The handle is wrapped in actual Rayskin and the Tsuka-Ito is very tightly wrapped. The long tang is double-pegged for both safety and secuity, very important when using a sword for cutting. The blade is traditionally proportioned but performs well in cutting of hard or soft targets. You do need to be careful when cutting harder objects as it is possible to chip the blade.PROSTraditional fittings, high quality IRON fittings and Japanese cotton ito wrapExceptionally sharp and well balanced blade, a mix of the traditional curve and the more modern curve of cutitng swords.Very well assembled, with a handle specifically made for the individual tang. Something not often seen in a katana at this price point.CONSHamon is real, but etched to enhance it.The Tsuka is a bit long for a sword of this size and weight.

This is a solid piece of equipment. The Hanwei Practical Plus is nicely balanced and suitably sharp. The handle is tight and well-fit to the tang. The only thing keeping me from giving it five stars is the synthetic leather handle wrap. I would much prefer cotton for longer wear and a better grip.