APOC Survival Katana, Black

Pluses:Good quality steelBalanced well for one- or two-handed useSolid constructionServiceable sheathMinuses:Factory edge not greatLoose screws in sheathSheath retention tabs needed adjustmentBurrs around guard areaOverall, I like this sword a lot. It doesn't pretend to be a traditional katana; it's a solid no-frills utilitarian modern sword whose design is inspired by the katana. And it comes with a lightweight but serviceable sheath.Balance is about an inch up from the guard, which is lower than most traditional katana, but makes the blade maneuverable even when wielding it with one hand.The price means it will need a bit of TLC to reach its full potential. Mine had a couple loose screws in the sheath, so I took them all out and applied a bit of blue loctite to keep them tight. I did the same to the screws securing the handle scales. The area around the guard had some uncomfortably sharp edges, so I sanded them smooth to make gripping near the guard more comfortable. The retention tabs on the sheath were a bit loose, so I used a heat gun to warm them up a bit and bend them in a little so the sword snaps into the sheath securely.The factory edge wasn't terrible, but I'm kind of a sharpness snob, so I spent some time putting a true razor edge on it. It's scary sharp now.The only other customizations I did were to install some heat shrink rubber on the handle for better grip, and attached a belt clip from ebay to the sheath that allows semi-traditional carry, draw, and sheathing.I'd deduct a star for the burred edges around the guard, loose screws, and loose sheath retention, but since it's half or a quarter the price of most katanas but still functional, I'll let it slide. YMMV.

I took the chance and ordered this katana after watching a few reviews and I am extremely impressed. Fortunately my blade is straight and true, with the point of balance about .5-1 inch away from the hook guard. The blade did arrive a bit rough with metal shavings and the saya/scabbard a little tight, but I think it's a good indicator the blade is new. While not razor sharp, it did pass a basic paper test, though combat swords should not be razor sharp to begin with.Some notes regarding construction:1) while lots of people have commented on warped blades, slight warps/alignment are to be expected with this type of steel (9260 spring) as it's very difficult to keep straight following the quench; especially at this price point. A rule of thumb is to never buy a 9260 sword that is under $300 as the amount of work needed to produce a good sword with this type of steel justifies the price. I've paid higher prices for swords with the same type of steel and 75% are not completely straight.2) with the point of balance so close to the hook guard, this will not feel or handle like a normal katana; i.e. to most it will not feel as "choppy". However, being more balanced towards the hand allows this blade to feel lighter and can be manipulated faster with more control than a common point of balance for most katana, which is between 3-4in from the hand guard. If you plan to use this for cutting, you'll need to emphasize using your core to generate power, rather than the left hand.Overall, extremely happy with this purchase and will put in for another to use for practice. Will update with regards to blade alignment consistency once the second arrives

I got this survival katana shortly before hurricane Irma came to south Florida. I kinda hoped for looters, but in the end I mostly just got to use it for Debris cleanup.I feel like It's pretty sturdy. I have a blackhawk smallpry made of D2 tool steel, it is incredibly hard and I use it to test new blades by smashing them spine to spine. most of the time the pry will have a sliiight mark, and the tested metal will be gouged. The A.P.O.C. katana did have a small gouge, but actually held its own, leaving an almost identical mark on the smallpry. I found it interesting for two reasons- 1 i had a cheap but shiny springsteel katana back in the day and it seemed invincible until it snapped in half on impact with some concrete. That experience made me a little nervous the test might break the new blade, so I was real happy to see it do so well. I heard the silicon in 9260 adds shock resistance, and it looks to be true. Reason 2 The D2 is really hard, I think it would snap before it bent very far. Then on the other hand this katana is supposed to bend almost 90 degrees without trouble, but the toughness is almost the same.First test cut was on a single piece of bamboo about the width if a dime. I hadn't sharpened it yet but it still cut like a laser. Then I moved on to some regular tree branches. The small ones went in one shot, while the bigger stuff required chopping. I did miss a few times and hit some driveway rocks. The blade ended up with a few idiot marks, but clearly would continue to work. I have since sharpened mostly past these marks, and the blade is doing very well.My only complaint is the sheath. both the manufacturers page, and the sellers description claim the sheath is fiberglass. It is not, it is a tube of steel with a cool detent locking thing on one end and a two piece plastic cap on the other. It's OK, but fiberglass probably would have been quieter. It seems skinny compared to a standard scabbard, thats not good or bad, just something noticeable. The Dimple locking tabs correspond to two matching impressions at the top of the grips ( I love micarta) and hold the blade in pretty well, but im not sure I would trust them with upside down carry. I got a paracord cam tensioner\carabiner thing and mounted that to the sheath in such a way as to get a loop under that tiny handguard and lock it in. Really secure now, but its an extra step to draw it.All in all, This thing is pretty great. I emailed C.A.S. Iberia about the sheath, but they never wrote me back. Possibly because i asked if i got a fake, and offered to help bring the forger to justice. I didn't take that star off fout of bitterness though, thats really the rating I would give due to thenot ninjalike sheath noise. Still a great buy If you're looking for something to not sit on a shelf.Your pal,Facestabbah

It's not a katana....just to get that out of the way. It is a great 9260 spring steel through hardened sword with katana styling. The blade length is shorter than a katana, actually the perfect size of a ko katana/chisa. It's a real deal chopper. Great value for a functional chopper that has a cool katana like feel. The retention on the scabbard can easily be adjusted with a heat gun.