I tend to be a bit long-winded by nature so there is a summation(a TL;DR, if you will) at the bottom. Anyway, I needed an affordable iaito for this spring to potentially leave at my main dojo for a few months as I commute to and from the nearby city. Furthermore, in my home dojo I just started using a Nihonto a few weeks ago, looking to keep up a similar feeling I wanted this iaito to be steel. Lastly, I find black katana sleek, clean, and elegant...but also kind of boring. Seeing as this sword would spend a lot of time out of my hands, I wanted it to be on the plainer side when it came to fittings in general. I also wanted a leather ito, as it would bring something different to the table of my current iaito/shinken/Nihonto selection as well as liking the material when I tried out my sensei's Nihonto with leather ito.

So, where are you going to find a quality, steel iaito, with a leather grip, for an affordable price?
Subjective nature of "affordable" aside, this is basically your only option. But it is a great option. At least it seems to be, full disclosure - tomorrow will actually be my first full class with it as the last classes I could have tried it out in I had to miss due to a vacation. I have only done minor work with it to get a feel for it so far. Also, YnH staff was very good about double checking with me to see I was getting what I wanted, and the sword was shipped promptly and arrived quickly in great condition.

Aesthetically, the sword is flawless. It's as sleek, clean, and elegant as your typical black katana tend to be, but the damascus blade does an amazing job at bringing some genuinely lovely character to it. It's balanced immaculately, to the point at which it would probably surprise most people to find out it weighs similarly to a nihonto. The fittings, while understated and basic, are adorned with lovely patterns and textures carved into the metal - I find myself liking them quite a lot. The handle is grippy and mostly very well done - there is a spot over one side of the menuki where the ito is a little looser than I would like but I think it'll be fine overall. If my time working in a shoe store has taught me anything: that is indeed some Italian leather - all good there.
My only actual complaint is that the fit into the saya gets a little too tight about 6 inches or so from when the koiguchi and seppa meet during noto. That said however, it seems to be loosening up a bit so I'm confident it'll be fine after some time.

TL;DR: I'm incredibly impressed and relieved that my expectations were met, even exceeded, in a lot of aspects of this sword. I don't really think you're going to get a better steel iaito, ESPECIALLY with leather ito, for this price anywhere else. It's an amazing option and has left me with a very positive opinion on YnH overall.

I have been presently surprised by this company. I bought the Higo Koshirae Generation 2 Iaito along with a carrying bag, maintenance kit, sageo and obi. The sword is of very good quality for the price and the delivery times were spot on. I will certainly buy more things from this company in the future and recommend them to anyone who is thinking about shopping on this site.

Bon iaito, bien équilibré, aussi léger qu'un iaito tozando aluminium acheté il y a 6 ans ! Juste la tsuka est un peu large et le ha aussi pour des raisons de sécurité...
Good iaito, well balance, as light as a tozando aluminium iaito bought 6 years ago ! Just the tsuka is a little bit wide and the ha too for safety practicy...

Mooie iaido… mooi klank…. Lengte en gewicht goed…ligt goed in mijn handen… en snelle levering… 5 sterren waard!!!

I am impressed by the quality and feel of the Akechi katana. It has been crafted with great attention to detail. The blade is well balanced and nicely polished with clearly visible hamon. Its size and weight make it a perfect tool for tameshigiri while elegant, classic koshiarae adds to its aesthetic value - when properly displayed it is hard to take one's eyes off the sword.
I am ready to order more!

I ordered this katana along with the Akechi katana (also reviewed) and again I must say that I am very happy about it. The YariNoHanzo team granted my special wish of replacing the standard black samegawa with a white one. The blade with bohi is beautifully forged, feels great in hand and has a very nice hamon - the item's description featured a gunome hamon but in reality (at least in case of my sword) it is rather gunome with midare. Looks even better!
Koshirae elements feauring the kamakiri motif (tsuba, fuchi, kashira and menuki) look just great demonstrating elegance and simplicity usually expected of Japanese craftsmanship.
Overall I am very happy about the quality of this sword.

Beautiful Sword, very well crafted and also a very good service by the store personnel.

I always dreamed of having my own katana. Now that dream has come true. The Sword: I wanted a sword that was reminiscent of the Sengoku Jidai in appearance (the Warring States period in feudal Japan), so it had to be a I wanted a sword with a Koshi Sori, O-Kissaki, an extra long blade, a 36mm Moto Haba, a 9mm Moto Kasane, a 26mm Saki Haba ,and a Saki Haba of 26mm. A Tsuka of 34 cm in Shonai Tsukamaki leather wrapping with black ray skin in Riko handle shape. The sword should have a real Suguha-Hamon, and the blade should be forged in Gomai-Kitae. I got everything What I wanted, exceeded my expectations in terms of looks and handling - The sword, as big as it is, was perfectly balanced. The blade is beautiful, the hamon is a mix of Suguha and a hint of Sanbon Sugi -unique! The aesthetics and balance have been wonderfully implemented. The fittings (Tsuba, Habaki, Fuchi, Kashira, Menuki, Koiguchi, Kurigata, etc.) and the Saya have also been lovingly processed. The polish of the sword looks very authentic together: I am more than satisfied.

I've been training in this gi 3-4 times per week for about 3 months, and the quality is amazing. The reinforced knees and stitching are perfect for heavy groundwork and throws, and it doesn't restrict my movement at all. The weight of the fabric feels about the same as a 12-14 oz. cotton uniform by comparison, although it feels more durable than other uniforms of the same weight I've bought from other companies. Definitely a good choice for anyone looking for a uniform that can handle rough training.

Great quality uniform ! Very light and strong fabric. It doesn't block any moves and feels great. Love it ! Highly recommended :)

Received my Ronin iaito katana four days earlier before date received by DHL, excellent katana, great craftsmanship, bought another one for a friend a Nanbu model he said is a beautiful katana. Thank you Francesco for your help

Amazing Equipment.... Awesome Quality!! I totally recommend
Oss

Excellent training sword for iai, great build and length. Almost identical to my Shinden Fudo Ryu sword that I got from Hatsumi sensei. Most of my students use this or the standaard Okatana for training

A fantastic iaito, the weight seems perfect (in my opinion). It weighs a little more than the Tozando iaito my classmates use. They prefer the weight as well. The only con is the Ito on the shonai-maki is getting loose after 8 months, I found near the last three inches of the tsuka-maki there were split sections of samegawa rather than a full panel. I plan on seeing the quality of a custom katana from YNH in the future. I hope I don't get the same surprise. It is still a great Iaito!

The blade quality is awesome! The tsuka is very confortable and has a really fine texture. Weight wise it seems really light thanks to the perfect balance. Overall high quality katana, would recommend 10/10.

A really well desined, detailed katana for a fair price. Also suitable for practising martial arts.

English review for buyers from afar:
I bough this iaito from another country (still E.U. though).

1. Transport: Extremely fast and free. Yes. I had my doubts when I saw free transport. Not only is it free, but also fast. It was very fast in my experience (arrived exactly one week after ordering, in a different country). The package was nicely taken care of and the iaito arrived in pristine condition. The package was not exceptionally well protected, but I for one didn't have a scratch on the box. Yes: the iaito comes inside it's own bukuro: simple, but a rather sturdy material. The bukuro and iaito within were wrapped in bubble wrap and placed within a YNH labeled box, secured inside by polystyrene. The box was also within a nicely sealed long carton box. Inside the iaito box was another small box containing the free kake in the promotion. Glad to see it there.

2. The iaito: It was very well taken care of within it's bukuro. Came in perfect condition, and I fell for it the moment I pulled it out of the saya. The blade is nice and beautiful, perfect thickness, and slightly narrower than other blades I have seen. The hamon is well done, for estetic purposes, and the bohi is also there, useful for edge alignment practice. The tsukamaki is sturdy and well done, won't move too easily. There are ways to make the tsukamaki remain unmoved (found online), but that could potentially ruin your iaito, if you don't know what you're doing. One problem that I noticed is a small gap between the fuchi and the seppa, on the ura side of the iaito (right side when holding it). The gap is small, not even a millimeter, and easy to fix with paper, if need be. The iaito itself is very well balanced, good weight, on the lighter end of swords, as far as I've experienced, therefore very maneuverable. Hefty enough to be called a sword.

3. Disassembling the iaito: Personally I wouldn't recommend it, unless you really have to. I did it in order to see if I can fit it better, and get rid of the aforementioned gap. Was very careful as to not damage the paint, the tsuba or the blade. The blade is extremely tightly fit within the tsuka. Took a lot of time and effort to get it out safely for all the components. This is a very good thing in my opinion. The blade won't come flying out of its handle, and absolutely nothing feels loose. The nakago of the blade has the mei, the signature of Yari no Hanzo on it. I was very happy to see it there, since this shows the dedication of YNH towards katana forging tradition. The mekugi were also very well fit. In short, the iaito is sturdy and well put together.

4. Personal opinion: Beautiful, elegant and sober. Sturdy and maneuverable. The theme of the iaito seems to be the tsuru (japanese crane, a symbol with many meanings) and the leaves. The menuki are depicting, as far as I can see, an assortment of leaves. Since the menuki are golden, it makes me think of autumn leaves, or in japanese, the koyo. The design of the tsuba makes me think of flight, and wings. The whole iaito makes me think of cranes, flying through the autumn leaves. There are two cranes on the sword. One is on the kashira, the other one on the fuchi. The crane on the fuchi is only on the ura side of the tsuka. Meaning it will be invisible when wearing the sword or when displaying it. (This can be seen in the pictures of the iaito as well.) Personally I didn't like this, but pehaps there can be a deeper meaning to it, if one cares to consider it so, since ura can also symbolize that which is hidden. The crane on the fuchi becomes easy to notice when using the iaito, and stays "hidden" while sheathed.

Conclusion: Good, fast delivery, promotional items included, elegant sword with very interesting and beautiful symbolism, well made and sturdy, remains to be seen how long it will last after the years of use. I recommend choosing a sageo when buying it. I chose the 18 euros one, and it is a very good and resistant material. Because of the aforementioned gap between the fuchi and seppa, I would rate it 4.7/5 but since that is impossible, and since the gap is extremely small, and can be fixed, while also considering the low price, I will give this iaito 5 stars. This was my first experience with Yari no Hanzo, and I must say, I am delighted.

The quality of the bokken is incredible! The saya with the sageo are really nice and practical. All in all, this ninja to bokken is a must!

I ordered this sword and it was delivered to me here in the EU with zero problems, very quickly. The blade has noticeably more heft than the zinc blades i have used, and I think that's fantastic. The sword is fantastic and I do not think that it would be possible to find anything comparable at this price point. The blade is solid and well balanced, the fittings are very nice and done with tremendous attention to detail. The saya fits the blade perfectly. The company was very easy to deal with and very quick to respond to questions. I will not only recommend them to others, but not hesitate to purchase from them again in the future. Bravo.

Of all the soft padded sword bags available on the market this is hands down the best. The padding isnt razor thin and has enough bulk to help give good protection to the swords. I carry four 32" nagasa with 13" tsuka blades, 46" OAL, in mine comfortably. I hope they make a version with the pockets on the outside.

After about a year of intense use, I have to say that this Jo is sublime, perfect. Not s single scratch or dent. Handling is fantastic with its weight, surface finish is smooth and hands glide when they have to but it also provides grip when necessary. With its price, it's not for everyone, obviously, but this one will stay with you forever. Special positive mention goes for the customer service.

Spada molto bella con un Hamon vero, assemblata discretamente ebcon ottimi materiali per il rapporto qualità prezzo di una Iaito.

Unica pecca la Tsukamaki non è stata definita in modo adeguato, formando inesattezze nel disegno degli Rombi nello stile Hinerimaki della Tsuka. Ad ogni modo Ichimonji e l'Omotedome sono nel posto giusto anche se non fatti perfettamente...

Visto il prezzo di "mercato" che si chiedeva inizialmente per questo prodotto, avrei desiderato più cura dello Tsukamaki.

Per il resto è un buon prodotto bilanciato nei pesi e bello da vedere.

Indispensabile accessorio
Realizzazione molto solida ed elegante
Utilizzati buoni materiali

Il prezzo irrisorio inganna...
Splendida riproduzione di katana in shirasaya...
Ci si può permettere di spacciarla per originale agli amici poco esperti e godersi i loro sguardi di invidia e ammirazione...
Davvero bella!!!

Pienamente soddisfatto dal mio primo acquisto su YNH.
Katana davvero superba sia per materiali che per brandeggio.
L hamon autentico conferisce un aurea di autenticità alla lama e la perfezione delle rifiniture fa dimenticare di avere tra le mani una riproduzione.
Ne voglio un altra!!! :)