The Best Value for Money sub US$300 Sharp Functional SwordsThere are many claiming to sell Sharp Functional Swords on the internet for under the magic $300 price point. But there is a lot more to a truly functional cutting sword than a sharp feeling blade... Unfortunately, There are a lot of swords out there that feel sharp to the touch, but simply cannot cut anything properly... For a sword to be perform as an extremely good cutter – there are two very important requirements beyond the sharpness of the blade, the type of steel used and how structurally sound it is:
The only real way to find out if these characteristics are present is by trial and error. Fortunately, to save you the $$$, I have narrowed down the selection to a handful of truly sharp functional swords that are easily the best optimised cutters in their class. More will be added to this list as they are discovered, either by myself or by other SBG contributors. But here you will find the best value for money and keenest blades that $300 can obtain... Enjoy!
The Kaze Katana is easily one of the most popular Katana on the market, so much so that it is frequently on backorder (Cheness simply cannot keep up with the demand for it). And for good reason – this sword is truly one of my personal favourites. With a differentially hardened blade created by the traditional Japanese claying method, the edge is much harder than the spine, allowing it to have and to keep a very keen edge without making the whole sword too brittle to withstand the impacts generated by cutting.
But this is extremely deceptive. Run your finger down the blade lengthways and you will be cut to the bone (literally, I’ve had several stories of people being careless with these blades and requiring stitches - and in one unfortunate case - even micro surgery!). The profile and balance is refined enough to cut free standing paper – no easy task for a sub US$300 Katana, yet tough enough to effortlessly cut through any traditional target put in front of it.
Fast, deadly and very beautiful – the Kaze is a sword that would still sell like hotcakes at a much higher price point and is truly one of the best sharp functional swords on the market. Click here for the full review
HANWEI FORGE PERFORMANCE SERIES KATANA
When it comes to sharp functional swords, these blades take the cake for the sharpness factor...
So much so that they have been described as 'stupid sharp', just looking at them is almost enough to cut your eye..! (and not looking at them while cleaning them is enough to take a paper thin sliver of flesh from your hand THROUGH the cloth - as I know only too well).
What these blades do to Tatami Mats though is really quite amazing...
The downside is that the blades are so sharp that they may not fare very well with accidental contact on harder targets - so I consider them to tools to be used carefully and with precision (both for YOUR sake and the swords).
There are several reviews of the performance series Katana on SBG as follows:
Practical Elite Katana Review
The lowest price range on these super sharp functional swords is from $209 to $299.
COLD STEEL GIM SWORD
This Chinese style Gim/Jian is another of my favourites. This time though – the edge feels ridiculously sharp, yet as my tests confirmed, it is strong enough to handle some extremely demanding targets without any undue wear and tear on the blade.
But it is also graceful enough to slice paper better than a guillotine...
As far as its weight goes, it is probably a couple of ounces too heavy for its type – but it actually handles very nicely and a casual swing produces a VERY sharp and clear noise as it cuts through the air. With a beautiful heat treatment and impressive cutting abilities, this sword is an absolute joy – whether you are into Chinese swords or not – and I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. Click here for the full review
HANWEI PRACTICAL NINJA SWORD
Hanwei have something of a hit and miss reputation when it comes to the quality control of their lower priced cutters, caused in part by the sheer volume of swords that they produce and the fact that a lot of onus if placed on the individual vendor to sort through and reject any swords that are not up to scratch. That said, if you follow my advice and buy from a ‘Hanwei Specialist’ – the Practical Ninjato is one of the best sharp functional swords around.
Lightweight yet with some truly frightening cutting potential – this Differentially Hardened sword may not be designed for serious abuse, but it is immensely practical and makes a very enjoyable cutter (and amazingly deeply penetrating thrusting sword) that demands respect. Click here for the full review
GENERATION 2 CELTIC SWORD
Now this one combines toughness with extreme sharpness – and also has the honor of being the most inexpensive of the sharp functional swords listed here. The leaf shaped profile of this beautifully tempered 5160 Spring Steel Blade lends itself to truly effortless cutting. And its utilitarian design was such that I often employed it to harvest river cane bamboo, slicing cleanly through their thick bases as good (if not better) than the best Katana with a minimum of effort. A fine piece of craftsmanship that makes a very rewarding ringing sound when cutting water filled bottles and the like, these sharp functional swords are great value for money and a whole lot of good clean cutting fun. Click here for the full review
Conclusion
So there you have it. A collection of what I have found to be the keenest edged sharp functional swords available for under US$300, though there are others reviewed on SBG that come reasonably close.
For example, all of the Cheness Japanese swords I have handled have been very impressive cutters. And the Wind Katana by Musashi Swords nearly made the final cut (pardon the pun) – not to mention the Chinese Practical Kung fu sword by Hanwei.
But the sharp functional swords listed above are the true ‘cream of the crop’ in the sub US$300 price range. Before I finish – I want to leave you with one very important last thought. Treat these sharp functional swords with the utmost respect! One slip and your fingers will be laying on the ground. These sharp functional swords are definitely NOT toys...
I hope this article on the best sharp functional swords has been helpful.
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With a traditional ‘niku’ profile, the Kaze Katana may not feel sharp to the casual thumb scape (indeed, simply ‘thumbing’ a sword is a very poor way of determining its cutting capabilities).
