Will my katana arrive fully assembled?

Yes, your katana will arrive fully assembled. We only dis-assemble our swords for the photoshoot so that buyers can see the width and length of the tang before the purchase. Also, we want to show our buyers that our swords can be disassembled for maintanence.

Can you customize a katana or wakizashi for me?

Yes, we do accept custom orders. However, there will be a minimum order quantity requirement for all customized katana orders. For the time being, we only accept custom orders from resellers ordering at 100 pieces or more per order.

Do you have a store or showroom where I can visit and pick up a sword?

Sorry, we do not have a local showroom. In order to save on overhead and be able to provide you with the lowest price on products, we eliminated the use of a retail showroom and operate entirely as a wholesale warehouse. If you are interested in a local pickup, contact us directly and we may be able to arrange a pickup at a nearby dojo.

What can I cut with my katana?

Provided that you are properly trained in cutting and tameshigiri techniques, you may enquire with your sensei or dojo on what they use for tameshigiri. Generally a soaked tatami omote mat is used. This is a very difficult target and will magnify any mistakes that you make. Other more forgiving targets are pool noodles and beach mats.

How do I sharpen my katana?

Technically, any fine grinding stone will sharpen your katana, but usually is not recommended. this is because you want to keep the clam shape fo the sword, and not have a slight wave (if done improperly). Use a ceramic cross-bar knife sharpener with crossbeams, so that both sides are sharpened at the same time. It will also take fewer strokes to sharpen a blade this way, which saves metal.

Some people thinks that buffing wheels will do a better job, but you will risk creating a bevel on your blade edge.

We recommend you not to modify your katana in any way youself unless you are a trained swordsmith. There are commercial services available which can sharpen your sword for you, though they are very expensive and charge per inch of blade sharpened. We priced our katana so that you will be able to purchase a complete replacement for less than it would cost you to sharpen your beat up sword.

How do I polish my katana?

If you are interested in giving your katana a mirror polish, many hardware store will carry metal polishing or buffing compound. This can also be used if your katana develops a light rust or stain. For corrosion that ate into the metal, we suggest that you not use the sword any further and it may have damaged the integrity of the metal.

Can I receive a discount if I help promote your site to others?

We welcome any help in getting the word out... especially during our introductory period. We have a group buy program where you can earn yourself a free katana if you can find 5 of your fellow kenshis or friends to purchase together.

What should I do to care for my katana?

Please refer to our Care and Maintanence section.

My katana chipped or curled from cutting. Can I repair this damage?

We do not recommend continued use of your katana if it sustained any damages whatsoever. If you are repairing for cosmetic purposes only, you can bring your sword to a number of commercial swordsmiths for repair. We priced our swords so that it will often cost you less to purchase a brand new one than to repair a damaged katana.

What type of warranty does your swords carry?

We will warranty against any manufacturers defect to the original purchaser with valid receipt for a period of 30 days after the purchase and issue replacements if your sword is unused. If you used your sword to cut or handled the sword extensively to mat down the cotton handle, warranty will be void.

Where are Cheness Katanas made?

We have our own partner forge located in China. Our forge specializes in blade production and some steel casting. We focus our efforts on the blade development so will often use after market fittings. We do have the capablity to cast our own fittings, and apply those to only a few select blades.

Can you ship internationally?

We can ship internationally to certain countries that do not have restrictions on the import of knives and live swords. There are many countries that regulate this item and we cannot ship to these places. Additionally, for countries that do allow the import of katanas, a license is sometimes required to have the item released from your local customs. Please make sure that your country has no restrictions on import of katanas and that you have all the necessary license and documentation to pick up the item from your customs. We will not be held responsible or issue refunds for items confiscated by your local customs. If your sword is returned to us, we will refund your payment less shipping costs.

If you are making an international purchase from a country that allows shipment of swords, we also charge an additional shipping charge per sword. Shipping charge varies by items. Make sure you process your order using the appropriate checkout link or your order may be cancelled.

Shipping charge is generally discounted from actual rate to offset the free domestic shipping, so that international buyers are treated with the same benefits in savings.

Shipments are sent using USPS Priority Mail International. Exceptions to this needs to be arranged for and billed separately.

I am a wholesale buyer, can I buy 1 sword to see if I like it before placing a large order?

As of August 2011, we no longer have a wholesale program.