Customer Rating:  
Summary: It's a cheap knockoff, but it does a good job at it.
Comment: This item is an inferior, cheaper version of Ontario's Black Wind swords. That being said, this isn't a bad item. Its makers certainly knew they were using inferior materials, and made the best thing they could anyway. The steel, while not very good, is thick and well designed for maximum durability. The scabbard is pretty useless for wear on the back, it's only good for its belt loop. It's also right handed only, which I find very stupid. It took a whole star off its rating. I threw the scabbard away entirely. Even if you're right handed, it's nothing special, and mine cracked at the edges the first time I drew the blade. Good sword for the price, very bad scabbard. If that's okay, get one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting little blade for the price
Comment: Nice lines for a shank ninja sword. Works well for rugged use in clearing brush. Not for combat or extreme applications. Cord wrapped handle will come apart after a moderate amount of heavy use. I've purchased a couple of these little swords and my first one broke in half after a very heavy (and unintented) impact with a brick. Still, nice lines and very heavy blade compared to similar models in this price range.
Customer Rating:
Summary: WOW
Comment: Excelent sword. really sharp, and nice sheath. seems to be one of the most practical swords on Amazon, along with the other full tang swords. the only problems is that the sholder and leg straps are hard to adjust and get on the sheath. another negitive is that it is still stainless steel, which is good but not as good as high carbon or spring steel, but still ok. great sword!
( handle is ok, but you could opt to cut off nylon and replace it with black wire tape )
Customer Rating:
Summary: ordered
Comment: I just ordered this beauty. The price is right, the price will probably be more expensive in a few months. The full tang is very sturdy. The handle is usually a lil thin (flat) on these type of blades.
I was also looking at the Galaxy Viper twin blades in silver (also comes in black) but there's no pic of the shealth. It just says it's nylon shealth. It holds the 2 blades. This wasn't exactly what I was looking for so I chose the Ronin.
BTW, I got the last 1 from a seller. They were out of stock last time I checked.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sharp and handy, questionable steel, nice scabbard
Comment: Revised 22 Feb 2007.
I was looking for a high-end machete when I ran across this little sword by United Cutlery (UC) in Cabela's catalog, where it is sold as a "slimline machete," not a "ninja sword."
It's ground from a single piece of 420 J2 stainless steel with nylon cord wrapped around the hilt. This choice of steel is questionable for any blade over 12 inches. If it is heat treated to a hardness adequate for edge retention, it tends to be brittle, resulting in chipping of the edge or even catastrophic failure. If it is not heat treated, it tends to be too soft to really hold a sharp edge.
Still, I have heard of this piece being put to hard use and have never heard of one breaking. It may be that it's just short enough to get away with using 420 stainless. I suppose it's all in the heat-treat, and without Rockwell testing, followed by torture testing, I'll never know what this thing can and can't do.
It's reasonably sharp out of the box and can be tuned up with a few swipes from a carbide V sharpener. The Tang stamp says "hand made," and the finish is very good. I've heard complaints about loose handle wraps, but I haven't had that problem despite handling the sword quite a bit.
But is it a machete or a "ninja sword?" Well, it sure isn't a machete. It really does resemble a short Japanese sword more than anything. Rather, it resembles a longer version of the Americanized "tanto"-style knives that have become so popular in the "tactical" market. Granted, I have heard of people going into the woods and clearing brush with this thing, but I think it would be tiring, and when it comes to swinging a sharp metal object, tiring equals dangerous.
If you want a brush-clearing tool for fifty bucks or less, there are many choices: the ubiquitous Ontario and Meyerco machetes, the Woodsman's Pal, the Crocodile Knives no. 227, various machetes and field knives from Condor, and a pile of inexpensive offerings from Cold Steel, to name a few. Then there are dedicated gardening tools like ditch banks and weed knives. There's no reason to clear brush with an Americanized Japanese short sword unless you really want to.
As a sword, however, it handles nicely. It's solid and lively in the hand, nimble for thrusting, cutting, and chopping. I've made a mess of many cardboard boxes with it. Again, I don't know how it would hold up if bashed repeatedly into masonry or body armor, but otherwise, it makes for an expedient weapon in close quarters. So a short sword is what it is.
The sword clicks positively into the included Kydex scabbard, which is light and flat and allows for several different modes of carry. I wish I could find a machete at this price that came with such a nice sheath.
I have numerous clubs, axes, knives, swords, and sword-like objects around the house, some of high quality and commensurate price, but it is this el cheapo sword that leans against the headboard of my bed, and it's the first thing my right hand will touch in an emergency. (I'd much rather grab the Paul Chen Practical Wakizashi, but that belongs to my wife.) That, I suppose, is testimony to its design and execution, which is just about as well suited to fighting in tight spaces as anything out there. The grip could fill the hand better, and along those lines, I'm thinking of wrapping the handle with some leather grip tape.
The remaining question is: Can a blade this size, made of stainless steel, both hold an edge and stay in one piece? Come spring, I'm taking this thing into the woods to find out.
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