HONSHU Broadsword 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

I plan to sharpen it little more It has some weight to it. Since it is spring steel you will need to clean and oil it now and then. I cleaned mine with Max-Tite 99.9% Isopropyl alcohol because there is so little water in it. I used Flytz polish to polish it, then but a vey thin layer of Swan mineral oil on it to prevent rust (and unlike baby oil, it has no perfumes). Just remember that this is high-carbon steel, so it will rust if you ignore maintenance,

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.

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.

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.

Perfect for what it’s used for, and absolutely beautifully crafted! A sword doesn’t need to need 10000$ to be good, this is a great pice of hardware. It’s worth more than the price. Haven’t had it slip or ring like cheap steel, especially when filing with. I bought 2 for that very reason. Worth it for sure!!

It comes sharp! Not crazy sharp, but sharp enough to cut if you aren't careful. The fitment of the parts is great, no rattle or shaking. The blade was coated in oil which is good. You'll want to give it a wipe down and maybe a fresh coat of mineral oil (Hanwei Sword Oil is great).It's a super fun, modern take on an old design. If you're a stickler for history, don't buy it. If you want to add a cool, modern blade to the collection, definitely buy.The thickness is lacking a bit. It has some waver when struck against something so I wouldn't trust it to be "combat ready", but also who buys a sword to use in combat anymore.Lastly, the sheath is wood covered in plastic. It feels kinda cheap compared to leather or even faux leather.All things considered, it's a good sword.