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Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Finish
Cons: None
Cold Steel does it again !
Cold Steel's trainers just keep getting better and better - the fit and finish on this bokken is excellent. I especially appreciate the 'faux' cord wrapping and ray skin visible in between - a really nice touch. The tsuba is also well cast and feels to be solidly mounted. What I like most about this bokken is the complex blade geometry - Cold Steel did not skimp in any way on this...in fact one could say it's almost too pretty to use....almost. While being plastic this sword is easily sturdy and rigid enough to spar with - though do expect it to get beat up a bit if you go full tilt. As far as balance I don't know enough about katanas to make that call - but it feels great in the hand to me and is easy to wield quickly and accurately. My guess would be it's a little bit heavier than the real thing - which is exactly what you want in a trainer. Overall , in my most humble opinion this is an excellent value for money spent !