Is the John Lee Goden Flower Katana a good buy at 319euro?

(Germany)

QUESTION: Is the John Lee Goden Flower Katana a good buy at 319 euro? Folded 12 times supposedly, nice to handle and look at; would it survive practical use.

ANSWER: Well, the reality is that most folded swords at this price point can have problems and are not really practical.

In the olde days, Katana were folded to remove impurities in the steel - which with modern steel is now pretty much a redundant practice. But the problem is, often the cheaper swords that are folded actually create pockets of improprely annealed steel in the folds, and are generally WORSE than a monosteel sword. At least, at this price point and if you wish to use them practically.

My advise is to concentrate on either a monosteel sword or a DH (Differentially Hardened) one. Much better value for money, unless the sword is for display only...

Best,

- Paul