Going against pugpaws this Katana might be an ok choice, I have bought katana and ninjato for anywhere between $100-$300. I have two swords, a ninjato and a katana which I bought for 100 and 150 respectively, and I'm very happy with both, not great quality, but very good ones. The ninjato (Which is a Masahiro, not the best brand when looking for swords, they have good swords and very bad pieces of swords, but they're cheap and well, I got lucky, it's worked quite well for me) I've chopped wood with, bottles, cans, etc and it hasn't lost it's edge. Anyways, back to the question, I really can't say much just from the image and the little info there, BUT at least I can tell it's not a cheap piece of Chinese sh.....stuff. One easy way to notice it's the hamon (The little waves by on the edge, if they're uneven it's a good sign the katana might be hand made and not a simple stamp of which you;ll find 10,000 exactly the same) it's not fool proof, but it's something.

But if you truly want to be on the safe side, look up Musashi swords ( http://www.musashiswords.com/shop/home.p... ) they make REALLY good swords for a very accessible price.

There is always a good reason when there is not a lot of information on a sword. It's simply that there really isn't anything to brag about. If it had features that would make it valuable or simply more sellable don't you think they would mention them?

Personally I wouldn't take a chance with that sword other than hanging it on the wall. Nice furnishings with a sword are just cosmetic things. In the end it is the blade that matters and there is no info on the blade other than it is sharp (so are my kitchen knives).

That is total junk. The price tells me that without knowing anything else. It is not possible to get a good katana for that low a price. but you do not need to spend thousands as many people think. I answered a question about finding a good Katana earlier today. check out my answer there and check out Cheness katana. you can get a good katana for around $220. I have seen many Katana in the last 46 years. nothing I've ever seen or heard of that is under $200 is good for anything.

...

Try this site http://www.chenessinc.com/ I own a Ko-Katana that I have had for years and it is a great sword for $220.

...

No martial arts equipment is just used to attract the opposite sex.

i am new to swords in general, and only know the basics for swords like the Katana. i understand that to get a real japanese katana, you'll have to spend over $3000. but for now i'm just looking for a katana to display and to use for light-medium cutting. i also don't have a very big budget currently.

i found this katana on amazon, but i can't find very much information on it: http://www.amazon.ca/Factory-X-Hand-Forged-Katana/dp/B009IK2R2M/ref=sr_1_11?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1400351660&sr=1-11&keywords=factory+x

judging from the description, it's made with decent quality materials (iron tsuba, genuine ray skin, silk) so it sounds like it's decent quality.

would this katana be worth buying for a beginner?