I own many Cold Steel swords, and I really like this Backsword. Despite what I have read in some reviews, mine has a perfectly straight blade, and the hilt and guard are perfectly aligned and well finished. The blade of my sword arrived very sharp, allowing me to immediately cut 3mm thick strips of paper from a normal A4 sheet. The sharpness is very well done, as I found in the Shamshir and Talwar models. The blade has a tag identifying the steel as AISI 1080. The sword is very well balanced, and the handle is comfortable and offers a firm and comfortable grip whether held with a bare hand or a glove. I found it very easy to handle, and its good balance makes it very fast and effectiv. The aged finish of the metal of the sword and scabbard is very beautiful. In short, a beautiful product that did not disappoint my expectations at all. I must say it is great value for money!

Poor reviews for this blade that do not have to do with an obvious manufacturing error are being written by those who do not understand the English Back Sword. It is not intended to be an easy cutter, but rather a trained cutter. The edge geometry has specific applications. It is an excellent sword for training your cut because it is intentionally unforgiving of bad form. Lean the history and use of this weapon, before making silly comments that it is "too floppy" or "hard to cut with" I just sliced clean through a 2 inch thick pine knuckle, a perfectly clean cut, with correct form. Don't just aimlessly swing this blade at stuff, it will bounce right off. Like it is supposed to. This is not a machete.

The metal plates on the scabbard began to rust shortly after I received it, despite being kept in a climate controlled environment. Also the scabbard is very flimsy. I bought this sword to use as part of a color guard at highland games because the slightly reduced basket made it easier to do the manual of arms versus the full basket on the Scottish broadsword. My Scottish broadsword was purchased many years before the backsword and has a full metal scabbard, with no signs of rust. I would recommend pairing this sword with a stainless steel full scabbard.

It’s a beautifully made, beautifully balanced sword. However, mine did come with a slight warp towards the tip. It ain’t an awful warp, mind you, but it is noticeable enough.