Customer Reviews (39)

good job

Bought this blade almost 100% based off of Eric Husayn's cutting videos with his Z-Sey on YouTube. Hadn't heard of the company until I saw Eric cut with one. Easily the lightest most nimble shinogi Zukuri I've ever handled. Everything was flawless as far as fit and finish, tsukamaki was perfect, everything lined up seamlessly. The polish work was incredible and some of the best you'll see. A lot of activity in the hamon. And it cut like an absolute dream. Z-Sey is a step above, I've had many different blades from many vendors at many different price ranges, this tops em all. If you're on the fence I highly recommend them. The only thing I will say is this, opt for the handmade saya. You're purchasing an incredible tool and work of art, don't cheap out on the very thing that protects it.

This is a very well made sword that feels lively in the hand with a high quality fit and finish, and the polish of the blade looks great too. The customer service I received was excellent, and I was allowed to customise the handle-wrap and scabbard

I was very happy with this blade - very light and a great cutter (I chose a custom ito with hishigami and it looks really nice and very tight)
Thanks for another quality sword!

I received the Tyrannosaurus Katana model number 5 with the 51crv steel option and a matching Wakizashi. Both swords arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. The fit and finish is really quite exceptional at the price point and honestly rivals that of swords costing quite a bit more. I also own the 1095 DH Arabesque Katana which has a beautiful hamon and also comes in at a much lower price than it could easily fetch. I have been nothing but impressed with the examples of Shadow Dancer budget swords i've been able to acquire and can only imagine their higher end offerings are equally priced well below their value. Lastly, I would like to thank them for customer service that went above and beyond. Shadow Dancer is really setting the bar several notches higher.

I have two of the Shadow Dancer $128 swords that I use as tameshigiri loaners for the people that I study iaido with. I have a couple things I’d like to point out about each that might be helpful for someone who’s interested.

Photos taken when both were brand new.

One is made from 51crv4 (black iron tsuba) with a bohi and the hishigami pro. $238 before shipping.

The other is 9260, no bohi. This one also has the hishigami pro add on. Price before shipping $188.

Each sword came with their own little flaws in the fit and finish. The koiguchi for the 51crv4 is too tight (not a terrible problem, it’s getting better through use). The samegawa on the 9260 has several panels that were used instead of one solid panel for each side.

The quality of the fittings is good for both. The saya obviously lack any horn reinforcement, but the shape of the saya, especially for the 9260, is very nice.

The yokote of the 9260 is geometric where it is cosmetic on the 51crv4.

Both have their nakago epoxied into the tsuka, so they cannot be disassembled. This can be opted out of.

Both are fine cutters. I really don’t think you could do better at their price. My recommendation is to maybe just stick with the 9260 version. As for the hishigami upgrade, the pro level is very good and tight, but with the help of a spray can of clear lacquer, the regular hishigami might be just fine, too.

I may end up getting a 3rd and 4th (katana and wakizashi) to make a daisho.

Light quick and superb cutter. Additionally, it is perfectly executed. Please see the review by Matthew Jenson on Youtube.

A beautiful and remarkably agile sword. I recommend it very highly!

There is nothing not to like with this sword. It arrived on time and was well-packaged. The sword and scabbard are well-made and solid. It's balanced and heavy, but not too heavy. It's paper-cutting sharp and needs to be handled with care. Not for kids or immature adults. I bought 2 different katanas, to compare them in my home, with the intention of keeping my favorite and returning the other. If I decide to add another katana to my collection, I will buy from this company again.

Nagamaki was exactly what I was looking for. The quality was excellent. The ito is nice and tight, saya fit perfectly and the sword has a very nimble feel for such a large weapon. I requested a few customizations and everything was as requested. Shipping only took a week to arrive! I'm very pleased with the whole transaction

I love it，and i would call it the best replica in the world

It was perfect, exactly as described!

I purchased two swords from them and some are very good! ! I really like this Hyoshinshi hideyo Nyudo Replica, his saya is the best I have seen so far

Beautiful work of art

This is my first time purchasing a sword from Shadowdancer, and overall, I am very satisfied. The visibly high-quality polish, the high-quality ito (I customized the tsukamimaki wrapping style), the high-quality samegawa, the lacquer on the saya, and more—I really love this sword.

It's worth mentioning that their customer service is truly excellent; they respond within 24 hours in most cases. The shopping experience this time was fantastic!

Bought it as a gift for my brother, and he loves it. The details are stunning. I will definitely buy another one. Their shipping speed is very fast, it only took about a week to reach me.

very nice sword

Well-crafted and looks beautiful. I had previously purchased their 9260, and I really like their habaki.

Shadowdancer provides excellent customization services. I spent 100 USD to add a bohi to this sword, and the quality in all aspects is outstanding. The bohi is also not rippled, as you often find with swords from typical Chinese manufacturers; it is very straight and has a taper towards the tip.

Great place to buy a sword, I got exactly what I ordered and in really good shape.