Reviews (16)

I have two of the Shadow Dancer $128 swords that I use as tameshigiri loaners for the people that I study iaido with. I have a couple things I’d like to point out about each that might be helpful for someone who’s interested.

Photos taken when both were brand new.

One is made from 51crv4 (black iron tsuba) with a bohi and the hishigami pro. $238 before shipping.

The other is 9260, no bohi. This one also has the hishigami pro add on. Price before shipping $188.

Each sword came with their own little flaws in the fit and finish. The koiguchi for the 51crv4 is too tight (not a terrible problem, it’s getting better through use). The samegawa on the 9260 has several panels that were used instead of one solid panel for each side.

The quality of the fittings is good for both. The saya obviously lack any horn reinforcement, but the shape of the saya, especially for the 9260, is very nice.

The yokote of the 9260 is geometric where it is cosmetic on the 51crv4.

Both have their nakago epoxied into the tsuka, so they cannot be disassembled. This can be opted out of.

Both are fine cutters. I really don’t think you could do better at their price. My recommendation is to maybe just stick with the 9260 version. As for the hishigami upgrade, the pro level is very good and tight, but with the help of a spray can of clear lacquer, the regular hishigami might be just fine, too.

I may end up getting a 3rd and 4th (katana and wakizashi) to make a daisho.

It was perfect, exactly as described!

Beautiful work of art

Bought it as a gift for my brother, and he loves it. The details are stunning. I will definitely buy another one. Their shipping speed is very fast, it only took about a week to reach me.

Well-crafted and looks beautiful. I had previously purchased their 9260, and I really like their habaki.

Great place to buy a sword, I got exactly what I ordered and in really good shape.

Great product, my son was stoked! And it got here quicker than local post....🤔

I received two swords, one katana and the other a wakizashi. They are extremely sharp, true weapons. My samurai era is about to begin!!

This is undoubtedly the best-quality sword I have ever seen (under $1000). They crafted a sword that met all my expectations with their exquisite craftsmanship. I chose model 3 with the option that includes hishigami, and the ito is really, really tight.

Hi all, I just received this same sword from Dragonsword :)

First impressions are very good.
I'm based in EU (Croatia), so i needed to pay hefty import tax, VAT and shipping.
Bought the sword for 118 Eur + 46 Eur Shipping + 60 Eur VAT/import tax = 224 Eur in total.
Waited around 3 weeks, but i presume Christmas time didn't help.
Also paid via paypal but not on page directly, seller sent me request to my paypal account.
Communication with seller was very good and fast.

Regarding the sword i was pleasantly surprised whit what i got. No rattles of any kind, furniture is tight, blade looks good, decently sharp.
I went cheap with Ito(no hishigami), it is decent, tight, but moves a bit if i try to move the diamonds with fingers.
Maybe i needed pick 'with hisigami' option :)
I received sword bag and to backup mekugi with the sword.

I don't have much experience with Japanese sword(i own few longswords) so bear that in mind.

But i think if you are based in EU and you want cheap cutter, that you don't mind to use heavily, this in my opinion is good quality sword for decent amount of money.
I can update here how it cuts if anyone is interested.

The quality of this sword is hard to come by in the market let alone THIS level of quality at this price point. Just received my model #3 and it’s flawless. Light but feels tough. Love the care put into a lower price model, gives me faith going forward with more pricy katana.

I'm delighted to share my thoughts on this sword. Firstly, I'm impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of the blade. The construction of the sword is excellent, with a sharp and sturdy blade, and the edge is finely honed. I opted for the option with hishigami, and the ito is remarkably tight, providing an excellent grip. Overall, this sword offers exceptional value for its price, showcasing outstanding craftsmanship. I'm very satisfied and look forward to purchasing more products in the future!

The polishing of the sword is absolutely beyond my imagination; it's like a mirror. I'm genuinely in love with it.

I purchased this sword on December 10th as my Christmas gift, and the delivery was incredibly fast. It arrived before Christmas. I chose model 4, and I plan to test its performance by cutting some targets with it in the future.

Received the sword today, (picked option 3 / the reddish burgundy-themed one)
The quality is just fantastic for the price. I paid extra for the hishigami option and was worth it - ito very tight, and the blade has a nice profile and even in the way tapers up towards the end. had come with a decent edge / better than expected, (though I will still hone up even further when I go to do some cutting)
Saya is excellent - slender and well-profiled with great tension and zero rattle & lines up perfectly with the tsuka / fuchi - the habaki is the best fit I've seen on the 14+ katana's I own and this is one of my cheapest purchases for a katana ( for me was about $300 'Australian' aud, after shipping and U.S conversion rate.) but still one of the nicest in my collection now!
I ordered from here because they are the only makers of production katana's I've seen that claim / aim to achieve 'Close to perfection' in the fit and finish of their products & I still had low expectations (as perfection is almost impossible)
but honestly, it was a very pleasant surprise to see just how well the build quality is and I have no doubts you would receive an above-standard katana here - compared to the other forges based in Longquan. (not knocking the others on the market) but none of them really focus on getting the fitment lined up and fit well even on swords 10x the price!

In my opinion just after seeing the quality you get from their cheapest sword on the site - it shows to me that they put care into 'all' their swords with great attention to detail!
Happy customer here and look forward to purchasing again in the future!

I took it to the snowy terrain, feeling like a Jedi in the snow.