BladesUSA unisex adult Traditional,Art,Minimalist Training Equipment, Black, 28-Inch US

I was skeptical at first. Hard plastic swords over the internet tend to be hit or miss.Pros -Solid construction. I haven't practiced against hard surfaces or other weapons yet but it feels really good in the hand.It's not your typical toy store plastic sword. This is weighted to be as close to a real sword as possible. The balance I initially thought would be more towards the pommel, surprisingly it actually balances over a third of the way into the blade. Effectively making it sufficient for decent sword play.To that end this is not for kids. As a 190 lb 6 foot man who lifts weights regularly rapid striking and thrusts come easy but I would hazard a guess and say that for others the weight would be a lot more difficult to handle.I really admire the fantasy elements incorporated into it while still making it suitable for sword fighting. It's a mini buster sword or in some ways a mini original Zangetsu(the main weapon in the first arc of Bleach of the protagonist Ichigo) in a lot of ways. That's actually exactly what I was looking for as I'm coming up with a custom Bleach cosplay.Cons -As many have already pointed out it did come with a slight curve, likely damage in transit. It's not very noticeable and probably can be fixed with a weight over time. The box was also opened but the product was intact. No idea if that was customs or just some nosy neighbors. If the latter they better not mess with me now that I'm armed with this. =)While I appreciate that it was made in Taiwan for various sociopolitical reasons, it is emblazoned on an awkwardly prominent place right above the cross guard in noticeable font. Probably not something a good sanding can't fix. In my case I'm incorporating a tassel into that area so it will cover it up no problem.Various minor imperfections like scratches and the like. Being fully black in color covers up for a lot of them and quite honestly any artistic minded folk could find ways to cover them up or improve on them.There isn't a proper photo of the current version that is being shipped out just an angled shot. I attached a picture of the look of the new one and not the one that is the the main photo on the Amazon page. I honestly like this design more as it fits into the more modern aesthetic I needed the sword for but it is a con as its not the one that I thought I was getting.Overall there isn't a lot of negative to say here. Do you like swords? Do you like play fighting or actually learning swordsmanship? Do you wish to waste your enemies with the quick flourish of a blade they did not see coming?This is the sword for you then. I'm eagerly awaiting another blade from the same brand and if the quality stays the same I will gladly be recommending this to anyone who will listen.Also worth noting though I am but a novice to swordsmanship the shorter than average length compared to most other swords plus the weight to me suggests that this one would be quite versatile against a lot of different weapons. The pommel is long enough for me at least to utilize it similar to a hand and a half sword. It can be easily gripped at the back of the blade with the off hand to break guards and move into an opponent and the pommel is large and strong enough that it likely can be used for striking effectively as well.

Designed off of a video game sword, this waister does not replicate the feel and balance of any practical sword, BUT it is very fun to play around with. The quality is there, it's solid, durable, and can take it's fare share of abuse. The only downside is that the handle is round and doesn't index the "blade edge" at all.

Sturdy and strong… when looking down the blade…you can see it is canted several degrees to the left…I’ll have to leave it in a hot car with a weight on it to straighten it out.(Probably bent while shipped in a hot container overseas.)Aside from that…feels great and easily faces other polypropylene swords and knives.(Wear protection…your knuckles will thank you!)

This is such a great sword, great weight distributions, heavy but not bulky, very sturdy.Bought two, wrapped both handles with Head Grip Tape - Awesome!https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ULRRCI?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1&psc=1

This thing is neat. The long handle and the ring on it makes room for more moves. You can spin it by the ring on one hand have space to grab on to the handle with the other hand for a connected swing. When I get good at this thing, it will be lots of fun. The size is kind of good also, because it has good weight and maneuverability. This is certainly something of its own class. A metal one would be a great choice in a zombie war

I use polypropylene weapons for sparring a lot and this one is by far the most impractical junk, yeah it looks nice but I thought I was ordering a broadsword, not a b*tchsword… it’s shorter than my katanas and the handle is wayyyy too short for adult hands, and I have small hands so that’s saying a lot. If your try to use two hands the ring at the end digs into your hand and it’s so uncomfortably painful that sword rolls in your hands (even with gloves). I don’t recommend using it one handed either as the weight distribution is wonky and you’re just going to pull a muscle unless you practice your swings almost every day. Also don’t spin the blade by the ring for more than a few seconds and definitely don’t try to make contact when you’re swinging it like that unless you want to break a finger and lose some skin. Other than that, it’s sturdy and makes for some interesting combat as the back side of the blade can be held to assist with blocking.

Great way for 8 yr old to burn off energy on trees and stuff.

Purchased this training blade in Oct 2018 and after 45 days the blade broke off from the handle. I have attached pictures to show that the plastic mold clearly has air pockets, which would significantly weaken the integrity of the sword.