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If you are a sword nut like me, then Cold Steel needs no introduction. They are widely known in this area, mostly because of their commercials and YouTube videos. Pretty impressive swords… Or are they? Let us find the truth. In this Cold Steel katana review, I will pull all product data, user opinions, and my personal impressions about the Cold Steel blades.

Do the swords live up to their name? Are the videos accurate in describing what the blades can do? Do they satisfy buyers as much as they advertise?

I have a soft spot for Cold Steel. Many years ago, they sparked my newfound interest in swords, metallurgy, black-smithing. Their videos and commercials got me into this new hobby. I hope that connection and sense of gratitude don’t make me biased in my reviews. I promise I will try to be honest, impartial and straightforward.

What Is Cold Steel?

Cold Steel Inc. is an American company that forges and sells strong, decent blades and cutlery tools. They make knives, survival gear, every-day-carry packs, machetes, swords, axes and more. On their online store, I saw books and self-defense courses.

They do a good job advertising their wares mostly through video content on YouTube. I remembered my first “wow” moment when I saw what their swords can do:

• Cut through a water-filled plastic dust-bin like a hot knife through butter.
• Chop a pig carcass in half.
• Easily slash through a rope as thick as my arm.
  Cut through several bamboo sticks / plastic water bottles.
  Chop lead / copper pipes, sending them flying across the room.
• Sever mannequins in half. These test rag-dolls mimic the density of the human body. 
• Stab and easily punch through a metallic car door.
• Bend 45 degrees with no deformation, strain, or cracks. Complete recovery afterward.
• The swords are so bendy and elastic; I witnessed a guy doing pull-ups by grabbing the blade by its extremities (tip and handle). He had gloves!

The videos are impressive and mesmerizing to behold. I binge-watched them on repeat mode. Probably half of their YouTube views are from me, but I am a nerdy binge-watcher so that’s not a big deal.

However, I learned that most things in life need to be taken in with a grain of salt. A bit of skepticism is warranted whenever something seems too good to be true. 

In this cold steel katana review series, we want to find out how much of the cold steel myth is true. Are the swords as great, efficient, strong as the videos suggest?

The company produces 3 tiers of samurai swords. Each tier has assorting wakizashi and tanto that match the theme and design of its series: 

1. Warrior Series.
2. Dragonfly Series.
3. Emperor Series.

Warrior Series Versus Emperor Series

Both swords are 1055 carbon steel, tempered. They look the same, no major difference at first glance. The same type of saya (scabbard) and sageo (suspension string).

I doubt there are any differences in the blade’s quality, in terms of cutting ability, resistance, and performance.

When we inspect them closely, several differences jump out:

• ​​​​​The Warrior has a wider kissaki (tip). The other sword looks nimbler towards the tip.
• Emperor katana has silver-nickel brass fittings (guard, pommel and decor). Warrior fittings are made of plastic and steel. I find it more beautiful.
• Tsuka Ito (handle wrapping). Cotton material for the Warrior Series. Silk for the Emperor katana.
• Emperor Series sword is more polished than its competitor.

There are no differences in functionality, only in aesthetics. I expect both katanas to perform the same, but we shall see that later, as we look each model closer.

The Warrior Katana is a worker’s weapon for cutting. Faithful and effective. A good workhorse that won’t let you down.

The Emperor Series is the general’s sword. Elite, beautiful, almost a shame to put it under too much duress. I personally find it a bit snobby.

Cold Steel Warrior Katana Review

CS Warrior is a durable blade that will stand up to anything you put it through. Which is not an encouragement to go and chop down threes.

Features & Specs

• Type: Full-tang, battle-ready and sharp.
• Steel material: High Carbon steel 1060, mono-spring tempered.
• Scabbard material: Black Lacquered Wood Scabbard.
• Handle material: Wood, black cotton cord, real ray-skin.
• Fittings material: Brass (menuki, kashira, tsuka).
• Blade thickness: 0.312 inch / 7.94 mm 
• Overall length: 40.5 inch / 102.9 cm
• Blade length: 29.25 inch / 74.3 cm
• Handle length: 10.2 inch / 26 cm
• Mass / Weight: 41.1 oz / 1,174 kg

Close Inspection

• Geometric yokote line, a clear transition between kissaki and blade.
• Thematic decorations (tsuba, tsuka, kashira) depict arrows and arrowheads.
• Wide, thick blade. Good for increasing toughness.
• Perfectly triangular trans-sectional geometry. In plain words, no “niku“. This makes for a sharp cutter but leaves the katana vulnerable to tiny dents and chips.
• After every cutting session, wipe it clean and oil it up. Don’t touch it with your fingers. This goes for every carbon steel sword.

Steel Strength & Sturdiness

Durability is the strongest perk of Warrior and Emperor Series.

Cold Steel has a reputation for making strong, robust blades. They temper the swords until they gain a spring-like elasticity and temper. That gives them a high resistance to physical stress. I saw a guy doing pull-ups on the blade, and after the workout, the sword sprang back to its initial form, with no permanent distortion.

You can do heavy duty cutting with this katana. It is sharp, but not razor-sharp. But I feel certain it can take punishment.

Sharpness & Cutting

What can you cut and chop with the Warrior katana? After reading feedback from former buyers, I curated a list of several cutting achievements:

• The warrior can slice through fruit, plastic bottles, watermelons.
• It can cut several rolled-up magazines, thick branches, paper tubes.
• It dives through water-filled plastics like a hot knife through butter.
• Cold steel shows videos of katana cutting metal pipes. I would not do this in real life though. Not worth it! I could ruin the blade.

Handling & Balance

Very thick for a samurai sword (0.8 cm). The first thing you notice when gripping the blade is how heavy it feels. It is big and clunky. 

People complained it’s difficult to control the motion. Since it is heavy, there is inertia that prevents you from stopping the movement suddenly. Or reversing direction and cutting plane.

The katana scores high on the durability scale, but you can feel the drawback in handling. 

Fittings and Construction

There is no temper line on the edge, so I am certain it is not handmade.

I watched several videos of assembling and dissembling the CS Warrior katana. I am always pleased to see swords that fit seemingly and tightly in their hilts. I almost developed an allergic reaction to that clingy noise when fittings that don’t match wiggle.

I didn’t see complaints about loose parts, rattling or wobbling. The tsuka-ito wrapping seems to have a solid, tight reputation. I did not find a single complaint against it.

Visual Appeal

This katana is very simplistic and cool; it has a sense of discipline about it. Monochromatic design, all black and metallic. It looks as if its purpose is to do the job.

The Warrior katana blade is moderately polished. It has a very grainy look and feel. Which means I won’t feel guilty to ruin it when cutting. The tip is large, and you can see the lines and angles of separation from the rest of the blade.

The kissaki is burnished on the tip has a different coloration than the rest of the sword. The blade has a nicely polished deep groove (bo-hi) on each side. It is deep, and it takes away some mass.

The habaki and seppa are heavily brushed brass, but that doesn’t stand out too much, which is good.

The tsuka (hand-guard) is a medium-sized, round, steel or iron. It is black; it features a ridge along its edge, and it has cut arrowhead symbols. The menuki (ornate decor) resembles the same arrow shape.

Black cotton wrappings (tsuka-ito) bind the handle tightly, in stark contrast with the white ray-skin underneath. The pommel (kashira) matches the guard (same design, color, and material).

Black saya (scabbard) features the same simplistic, black design.

What Do User Have To Say?

It’s time to get real and see how this katana fulfills the needs of customers. Is user satisfaction as great as the advertisement suggests?

Before I even begin, it’s fair to say Cold Steel is one of those brands people love to hate. I don’t know why… Their over-the-top videos, aggressive dismissal of competitors… I am impartial however and see them as a driving force in this market.

Negatives. The first thing people question about this blade is the weigh. Some suggest that the Warrior Katana is a better cutter because of its heaviness. However, for me, and for most reviews, this is nothing but a hindrance. I believe a katana should move fluidly and with ease.

A few former customers said their warrior katana was not very sharp when they received it. They had to take it to a local workshop. But they were thrilled with its cutting ability afterward. Others got perfectly sharpened swords, ready for testing and practice.

Not cool, Cold Steel! Shame to ruin the reputation of well-liked katana.

The mekugi pins insert tightly in the handle, to keep the full-tang katana together. Almost too tightly according to some. This is the reason why disassembling the blade is hard.

We found a range of criticism about the scabbard. People complained about the wood material being too soft and prone to damage.

Positives. The Warrior katana impressed everyone on the sturdiness aspect. People felt safe and trusting about this blade. The guys at Cold Steel don’t tolerate weakness in their weapons and products. When I hold a katana I feel confident in, I don’t have to hold back out of fear of injury. 

The hard-core hobbyists were pleased about the sword, once fully sharpened. Someone has said: “it handles like a crowbar, but cuts like a light-saber”. 

​Check out the latest price on Amazon, as well as some of the sharpness problems that users have encountered.

Pros and Cons

The CS Warrior samurai sword is a great starter for newbies because it is sturdy. The fact that it is not razor sharp is good at this point. You need to learn how to handle it before you can make crazy viral videos cutting things in half.

Cold Steel Emperor Katana Review

The Emperor katana combines the raw strength of the Warrior with a touch of finesse. It’s slenderer, with prettier fittings. Since I don’t cut that much, I enjoy the small improvements in aesthetics.

Features & Specs

• Type: Full-tang, battle-ready and sharp.
• Steel material: High Carbon steel 1060, mono-spring tempered.
• Scabbard material: Black Lacquered Wood Scabbard.
• Handle material: Wood, braided silk cord, real ray-skin.
• Fittings material: Brass (menuki, kashira, tsuka).
• Blade thickness: 0.312 inch / 7.94 mm 
• Overall length: 40.75 inch / 103.5 cm
• Blade length: 11.37 inch / 74.6 cm
• Handle length: 10.2 inch / 28.9 cm
• Mass / Weight: 2.2 lbs / 1 kg

Close Inspection

• Geometric yokote line, a clear transition between kissaki and blade.
• Thematic decorations (tsuba, tsuka, kashira) depict arrows and arrowheads.
• Wide, thick blade. Good for increasing toughness.
• Perfectly triangular trans-sectional geometry. In plain words, no “niku“. This makes for a sharp cutter but leaves the katana vulnerable to tiny dents and chips.
• After every cutting session, wipe it clean and oil it up. Don’t touch it with your fingers. This goes for every carbon steel sword.

Steel Strength & Sturdiness

Durability is the strongest perk of Warrior and Emperor Series.

Cold Steel has a reputation for making strong, robust blades. They temper the swords until they gain a spring-like elasticity and temper. That gives then a high resistance to physical stress. I saw a guy doing pull-ups on the blade, and after the workout, the sword sprang back to its initial form, with no permanent distortion.

You can do heavy duty cutting with this katana. It is sharp, but not razor-sharp. But I feel certain it can take punishment.

Sharpness & Cutting

What can you cut and chop with the Warrior katana? After reading feedback from former buyers, I curated a list of several cutting achievements:

• The warrior can slice through fruit, plastic bottles, watermelons.
• It can cut several rolled-up magazines, thick branches, paper tubes.
• It dives through water-filled plastics like a hot knife through butter.
  Cold steel shows videos of katana cutting metal pipes. I would not do this in real life though. Not worth it! I could ruin the blade.

Handling & Balance

Very thick for a samurai sword (0.8 cm). The first thing you notice when gripping the blade is how heavy it feels. It is big and clunky. 

People complained it’s difficult to control the motion. Since it is heavy, there is inertia that prevents you from stopping the movement suddenly. Or reversing direction and cutting plane.

The katana scores high on the durability scale, but you can feel the drawback in handling. 

Fittings and Construction

There is no temper line on the edge, so I am certain it is not handmade.

I watched several videos of assembling and dissembling the CS Warrior katana. I am always pleased to see swords that fit seemingly and tightly in their hilts. I almost developed an allergic reaction to that clingy noise when fittings that don’t match wiggle.

I didn’t see complaints about loose parts, rattling or wobbling. The tsuka-ito wrapping seems to have a solid, tight reputation. I did not find a single complaint against it.

Visual Appeal

This katana is very simplistic and cool; it has a sense of discipline about it. Monochromatic design, all black and metallic. It looks as if its purpose is to do the job.

The Warrior katana blade is moderately polished. It has a very grainy look and feel. Which means I won’t feel guilty to ruin it when cutting. The tip is large, and you can see the lines and angles of separation from the rest of the blade.

The kissaki is burnished on the tip has a different coloration than the rest of the sword. The blade has a nicely polished deep groove (bo-hi) on each side. It is deep, and it takes away some mass.

The habaki and seppa are heavily brushed brass, but that doesn’t stand out too much, which is good.

The tsuka (hand-guard) is a medium-sized, round, steel or iron. It is black; it features a ridge along its edge, and it has cut arrowhead symbols. The menuki (ornate decor) resembles the same arrow shape.

Black cotton wrappings (tsuka-ito) bind the handle tightly, in stark contrast with the white ray-skin underneath. The pommel (kashira) matches the guard (same design, color, and material).

Black saya (scabbard) features the same simplistic, black design.

What Do User Have To Say?

It’s time to get real and see how this katana fulfills the needs of customers. Is user satisfaction as great as the advertisement suggests?

Before I even begin, it’s fair to say Cold Steel is one of those brands people love to hate. I don’t know why… Their over-the-top videos, aggressive dismissal of competitors… I am impartial however and see them as a driving force in this market.

Negatives. The first thing people question about this blade is the weigh. Some suggest that the Warrior Katana is a better cutter because of its heaviness. However, for me, and for most reviews, this is nothing but a hindrance. I believe a katana should move fluidly and with ease.

A few former customers said their warrior katana was not very sharp when they received it. They had to take it to a local workshop. But they were thrilled with its cutting ability afterward. Others got perfectly sharpened swords, ready for testing and practice.

Not cool, Cold Steel! Shame to ruin the reputation of well-liked katana.

The mekugi pins insert tightly in the handle, to keep the full-tang katana together. Almost too tightly according to some. This is the reason why disassembling the blade is hard.

We found a range of criticism about the scabbard. People complained about the wood material being too soft and prone to damage.

Positives. The Warrior katana impressed everyone on the sturdiness aspect. People felt safe and trusting about this blade. The guys at Cold Steel don’t tolerate weakness in their weapons and products. When I hold a katana I feel confident in, I don’t have to hold back out of fear of injury. 

The hard-core hobbyists were pleased about the sword, once fully sharpened. Someone has said: “it handles like a crowbar, but cuts like a light-saber”.

Check out more user reviews from Amazon, you’ll be surprised to see what most buyers find interesting about the Emperor katana.

Pros and Cons

​Conclusion

Cold Steel creates amazing katanas. They are perfect for newbies who want a strong, quality blade.