Scratch and Dent Dojo Pro Katana Model #11

I cannot for the life of me find a flaw in this "scratch and dent". It appears to have the same fit and finish as swords that cost a whole lot more. And some of the video reviews I have seen of destructive testing of a dojo-pro, it is by far the best bang for the buck in swords.

great starter blade....

excellent scratch n dent of good quality. perfect 4 practice and still has a nice sturdy quality to it.

I'll start with the scratches and dents... The horn piece on the saya that you hang the cord from is broken off cleanly. It should glue right back in place. The blade had a small chunk of what looked like glue near the tip. It scraped off with a finger nail and had a tiny stain underneath that buffed out in no time. This is my 5th scratch and dent Dojo-pro and my 1st with a 28" blade. I also have two Ko-katana, and O-katana and a model #14 with a 30" blade. They each have something special about them to me and this one is no exception. It's sharp and cuts well, just like the others. It's attractive and fun to move with too. But the sound of the bohi is amazing. The sword practicallysing!. It's fun to just move around with. It's a satisfying cutter, but the tachikaze sound is a reward in itself. I wasn't sure I'd like the blade length but it's well proportioned and balanced so it's comfortable to carry and to use. And to me, there's just a "classic katana" look about the #11 that's esthetically pleasant. The sword itself is understated but attractive from end to end. Classically beautiful and dangerously functional. What more could I ask for? Just as a side note, this one has particularly beautiful ray skin with really large nodes. It's noticeable from the time you lay eyes on it in person. Very pretty handle. I'd recommend this katana, or any of the other Dojo-pro models to anyone looking for a good looking, high quality, hard use tool. And lastly, as always, customer service at Ronin Katana is top notch. My cousin wanted to send me a katana as a gift. He placed the order and I told the folks at RK what I needed from the it. They found me a sword that's exactly what I was looking for! They always do! Of course I'll be buying more in the future.

Purchased the scratch and dent Pro Katana #11 and expected an item in way worse condition than what I received. I can only see two dents on the saya above the sageo closer to the koiguchi. There’s also a small gap where the koiguchi meets the tsuba, allowing you to see a bit of the habaki. The same seems a bit pushed out due to the mekugi, but all in all for price point I think it’s great. Blade is sharp and more than functional, no chips or blemishes I can see. No blade rattle