Light sword, great for solo kata, but not very good for tameshigiri - since the blade is so light. I did use it today for test cutting, with mixed results. I actually did a LOT better with a heavier katana (I also cut mats with my sensei's Last Legend kat and a Hanwei Wind and Thunder daisho), but I would not want to use a heavier sword for solo kata.
First, those that have said to ask your instructor are absolutely correct. Many instructors will have very specific requirements, and possibly will tell you exactly what they want you to have. That being said, here's my thoughts ...Quick and dirty explanation ... Simple steel is very malleable, meaning it can be deformed easily. Steel can be heat treated to make it harder by changing the crystalline structure of the steel. The harder the steel, the sharper it can be made and the better it will hold an edge. The problem is that the harder steel is, the more brittle it is also. RC factor (or Rockwell hardness) is a scientific measurement of the relative hardness of metal. All swords are a compromise between hardness (edge retention ability) and brittleness. You don't want your sword smashing to bits if you cut something wrong. This is why stainless steel makes poor swords, because it is too brittle to withstand the stresses in a sword unless it is very exactly and carefully heat treated. European swords are hardened to around the mid-50s, which makes them quite springy. Japanese swords are differentially hardened so that the cutting edge is in the 60s, and the spine is in the 40s. This allows them to have a very sharp and hard edge, but the soft back will keep it from shattering with a bad cut. It will allow it to bend and take a set though, much easier than a European sword would.
There is no way that this explanation can be made quick and dirty. It takes a lot of experience to figure this one out, and would take a book to try and pass it on. Sorry!
This is much easier. For a novice, only buy from places that more experienced people tell you are good. If you have a lot of experience, there are quite a number of places that you could get a decent sword, with differing compromises. Production level swords are all about compromises. A true Japanese sword is entirely hand made by a series of very experienced craftsmen. There are at least five people that go through long, long apprenticeships in order to learn how to make the sword. The tosho who makes the blade, the togishi (polisher) who finishes the shaping and sharpening, the sayashi who constructs the sheath and handle cores, the tsubako who makes the hand gaurd and fittings, and the tsukamakishi, who wraps the handle and finishes everything up. Everything is hand made for a specific blade so that it all fits perfectly together. Of course, that is why nihonto, traditionally made Japanese swords, are so expensive. Martial arts grade nihonto (made from mostly apprentice work and using pre-cast fittings) from some place like Sword Store ... http://www.swordstore.com or Nishijin sword ... http://japanesesword.net/eng/index.html will cost around $8,000.00
.....and an excellent explanation it is!
Interesting! I found the exact opposite. I guess the old saying's true that, "Opinions are like noses - everyone has one."
That is interesting. Have you tried Hanwei's latest version of PK with the XL blade. I picked one up as a cheap dojo cutter, and have been extremly impressed with it. Of course, I bought it from someone that hand picked out the best of what he had in stock,
but I was still pretty impressed for its price. The Cheness that we use as a dojo beater is one of their earlier models with bo hi, so I don't know what they may have changed in them lately or how their swords without bo hi might cut.
