HonshuBroadsword and Scabbard - 43 1/2" Full Length | 1060 Carbon Steel Blade | Balanced & Lightweight | Rugged TPR with No-Slip Grip | Stainless Steel Pommel | Includes Leather Belt Hanger

So I been looking at this blade for a long time........I have to say now that it's finally in my hands I could not be happier.....such a nice blade good quality great price feels really nice in the hand.....I have had many swords in my 38 years and this is one of the finest thanks honshu!! I'll definitely be buying more blades in the future......it even came a week earlier then was said it was a lovely surprise!! Highly recommend!

I must have done crappy research before buying this sword. I couldn't find an exact weight of the sword anywhere cause all sources seem to say something different, ranging from 3 to 4.5 pounds. But most reviews said it was "well balanced", so I bought this sword expecting it to be heavy-ish but well balanced so it should be effectively manageable even with one hand.Well let me tell you that I was almost offended when unboxed this thing and held it for the first time. I was expecting it to at least feel like an actual sword, albeit a heavy one, but boy was I wrong. If you are like me and used to using and handling proper long swords then you might be offended as well that United Cutlery advertises the Honshu line as historical swords with a modern tactical spin, which to me sounds like it would be even more "usable" and "livelier" than a traditional long sword, with all this so called modern tacticality added on to it. But this thing feels nothing like any other long sword I've ever handled. It's p.o.b. is about 3 inches below hilt, so the balance point is excellent on paper, but this things weighs so much that it still feels forward heavy, and I thing part of the reason is that the edge bevel grind stops about 1.25 inches above hilt, the fuller goes all the way into the hilt, but for some reason they left over an inch of just square metal right below the hilt which throws the feel of the balance off and makes it feel forward heavy. And the blade is wider than any of my other longswords especially towards the tip, it's almost as wide as a viking sword which I'm sure adds to the forward heavy feel.Also the blade is "whippy" as hell! Dude I'm talking like the blade slightly bows under it's own weight if you hold the sword horizontally by the pommel, however it doesn't seem to bow if you hold it right above the hilt. It's got so much flex to it that if you're defending against multiple targets and you switch your guard back and forth between targets then the sword bends as it moves, and it severely hampers the mobility of the sword, it just feels like it's working against you if you try to move fast with it. The vibration doesn't stabilize unless you hold the pommel right at the bottom so one handed use will feel funny cause the sword WILL bend and vibrate even if you just swing it hard and it keeps vibrating as you use it. So it really isn't usable if you ever need to actually use it in real combat, against robbers or pillagers or the dark lord or whatever, you WILL get your sorry medieval ass handed to you if you choose this weapon for the quest.Now having said all that. This thing grew on me in like half an hour. I actually like all the things that make it not like a "real" sword. I was expecting to feel like Aragorn when I held this sword, but I feel more like Sauron when I hold it. No mortal man posseses the power to wield this weapon effectively, one must possess the strength of at least two healthy warriors (who are highly sought after by all the ladies but yet choose to remain holy and disciplined and true to the cause, cause m.o.b. mafakas) before they may even ponder upon the thought of wielding such an instrument of destruction. And that's what this is, it's a sword of destruction, it's made to look cool and cut through shit. It's forward heavy and the blade is thin and wide even near the tip so that kinda throws off the thrustability imo but it would make for a great cutter. I haven't tried cutting anything with it yet because I was gonna return it. But now I think I'll keep it, not because I plan to win HEMA competitions with it, but because this is a sword with cartoonish proportions and it seriously feels like a sword that Sauron or Conan the barbarian would carry cause it's just way too much to be taken seriously as a "sword".The blade came sharp enough to draw cut paper, but not push cut paper. I'm pretty sure about 30 minutes of polished stropping is all it would take to give it a micron edge.All in all if you're looking for a long sword that feels like a long sword then stay away from this. But if you want a fantasy style "sword" that looks cool and feels more like a club than a sword and would only be wielded by people/things with unnatural strength then this will be right up your alley.Btw the scabbard is really nice too. Peace.

This sword is amazing for the price, super solid and sharp out of the box. The balance is perfect and the carbon steel keeps it lightweight. You’re definitely gonna need some mineral oil to keep it from rusting. The temper is great with the right amount of flex and it returns to true. Scabbard is tight but otherwise well put together, overall it’s great buy-Edit-Ok so now that I’ve had this sword for a couple years I have some new thoughts on it. This is still well worth 5 stars but there are some things to take note of. I bought this to practice Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) in hopes of competing in a cutting competition some day. In the time that I’ve been practicing cutting targets with this sword (water bottles and mats) the price starts to show. Compared to other mid to high range swords this thing is heavy. I weighed it at around 4 1/2 pounds which is pretty much double what this type of blade should weight. Most historical and modern reproduction swords out there of this type weigh around 2-3 pounds. Now I know that may not seem like a lot but after a while you start to notice. I can’t swing this around for very long before my hands become swore from the weight, the heft actually makes good edge alignment hard when throwing more complicated cuts and most importantly the nut at the end of the pommel works itself loose. So my final thoughts are this; For the price this quality and durability cannot be beat. But if you’re looking for something that will take you the extra mile, especially if you want to practice HEMA, then I wouldn’t recommend this sword for you. It’s a wonderful beginner to get used to how a sword feels and behaves but beyond that it’s just too bulky to carry on.

The sword seems fairly well made. It's sturdy and sharp, which I like. But it does have issues. The manufacturer stamps on it are distracting and the top of the pummel is fully open, so some of the packaging material ended up stuck in it. The places where there are screws on the hilt are distracting, in my opinion. Regardless, I do think this is one of the more nicely made swords you can get from Amazon. It could be better, that's all.

1060 high carbon steel, not just a wall-hanger. Arrived pre-oiled (thanks, Honsu!) to protect against rust. I wiped down the blade, and the cloth removed a slight amount of dirt/metal filings. I applied Renaissance Wax after wiping it clean, to protect against oxidation. The fit at the guard is solid, though the fuller extends all the way into the ricasso and guard. Not a flawless fitting of guard-handle, but solid and sturdy: no slop or wobble. Balance point is 2-3 inches in front of the guard. The scabbard is a synthetic polymer (possibly polycarbonate?), but is lined with velvet near the opening. The tip of the scabbard is protected by what looks to be a mild steel tip. The blade is sharp! If buying for Renaissance Fairs, etc., I recommend asking the manufacturer to not put an edge on the blade. A sharpened blade is merely more prone to chipping.

This is a great longsword. I am very impressed with the weight and the quality. I have bought several of the Ronin longswords and in some ways this is better. The grip is good and it feels durable like you could hack the hell of things with it and it would be fine. Great product!