Cold Steel GIM Sword

So waited quite awhile to do this. Start with bad news. Finish was bad, sanding (DEEP coarse sanding marks) under clear coat however the coating itself wasn't bad but why put okay finish without proper sanding? Like 6 grit type. Sorry I tried to get good pics, on phone no less, just goes to show I suck taking pics. Also the pin in the handle had been hammered in with a pattern faced hammer, you can see in pic patter hammered INTO the pin end and nearby wood. The hanger cloth is cheap, so what and I don't care. Now the GREAT news, AMAZING sword and with a little work scabbard! Once sanded smooth and properly, 400 grit then wiped with slightly damp sponge and let dry I finished with 20 coats of hand rubbed Tung Oil both scabbard and wood handle. Hand rub coat into wood let dry 24 hours rub with clean cloth and repeat, so 20 days to do the finish you see in last 4 pics. WORTH it! The wood for scabbard and handle is beautiful, like WOW beautiful especially when properly finished. No I did not remove metal on scabbard because they are put on with tiny pins/nails and I didn't want to damage it so worked around. Scabbard, well made beautiful wood and metal fittings are a good fit, not excellent but good. The pics DO NOT do it any justice for just how beautiful this is either wood of metal fittings. Sword fit into scabbard can be snug to tight so before trying to push it in clean blade well and use light oil and TAKE YOUR TIME working it in if you get a tight one. The sword, wow, just wow. Blade is very, very nice clean beautiful lines and great polish, mine came sharp so be careful. Handle metal is thick, great casting and amazing detail. I own several Katana's both Iaido practice and real Shinken (sharp swords) this is my first Chinese style and frankly I love it even more than the Japanese style. Some have said this is a bit heavy, so lift weights? Get stronger? Practice? But I find it PERFECT. Many grip angles, styles, holds you name it. Balance is amazing and a good to great cutter, depending mostly on you, your ability and edge alignment, and how silly you get. Cold Steel has really outdone themselves with this, especially at the price. Care and attention to detail, and perhaps a bit of TLC, will give you the pride of your collection. In summery I cannot recommend this sword enough, it is OUTSTANDING. Perfect? No, but for the price and some work (depends) on your part this will take pride of place. I hope this helps.

This sword is beyond my expectation and I am blowed away with the detail of the sword. The sword felt solid and slightly on the heavy side, just what you would expect with a real thing and not a decorative item.I ordered the sword and I gotta said putting thru the order had me thinking twice, as a traditional Kung Fu martial artist I am taught that any decent good weapon is to be ordered thru reputable seller, from a known source that tells a story of their deep, secretive connection to the blacksmith that have done creating weapon of destruction for decades; and Amazon definitely does not fit that description, period. But when I saw the sword is made from Cold Steel and after watching their demonstration of what they can do with this sword (especially the part where the guy did chin up with the sword), I was convinced that this is most likely the next best thing, if not the real thing itself.The negative reviews that are on the product page does gave me reservation about ordering this sword, but I figured that i can always return it since Amazon has impeccable return policy, after hours of putting my traditional / fantasy thinking of ordering sword from master blacksmith aside, and hiding the computer screen from my wife, I pressed the order button.The sword arrive within a week, and upon opening the box you can see the sword and the sheath is packaged separately; both pieces are packed tightly in the box to avoid damage during transit. The sheath felt solid and one with all the other accessory pieces that are fitted on, each one of them is fitted tightly and you can see the details of the of each piece were made and put together nicely.When I picked up the sword my first initial reaction was it is a bit heavier than what I expected, but I was expecting that by reading other reviews. The construction felt solid, the wood on the handle is fitted tight to the guard, and the pivot point is about 1.5 inch away from the guard. The sword is very sharp, and the body of the sword is oiled to avoid rust.Overall this is a sword made for the real practitioner, not the “tai chi” sword dance with cheap, plastic flimsy piece of crap that you see in the park on Sunday morning.I would recommend this sword to anyone that is looking for a piece that can be the real deal, and a fine sword for practicing your sword skill.

Finish was somewhat rough. Your going to have to work on it. It’s not perfect but it’s a functional sword. Edge is sharp. It has a pointed tip. Edge is not the best I have seen but you can work with it. Has some done scratches on the blade. Most can be polished out. Not bad.Not razor sharp but it’s sharp enough to cut so be very careful. After some minor polishing and oil it’s a nice looking sword. I love the Rose wood / brass look. The Rosewood has finishing issues. The sword scabbed fit is real tight. Clean the blade and oil first. Take off the shipping oil.As for the wood some people will do a light sanding and oil. You could finish this sword perfect and hang the sword on the wall for a family heirloomI. I did minor work and it’s just right for me. Everyone is different. I like some minor imperfections. Gives the GIM character.Again it’s not perfect but for $188.00 to $236.00 it’s a fine functional good looking sword. I don’t like flashy. The GIM is just plane classy. Better then the flimsy stainless tai chi swords on the market for the same price. I would recommend.If you intend on doing a traditional sword form with this sword or practice cuts please be very carful. Some of the opening or beginning postures and grips may put your hand in a position to get cut. Handle with care even when polishing or oiling and storing in the scabbard.Cold Steel did a nice job on this sword Quality, Functionality , and reasonably priced.