The Bizarre World Of American Katanas (BUDK) 

Huge props to you D to have the confidence to film this on that rooftop where anyone could watch you. Love how you embrace the goofiness that comes with this kind of content.

Lowkey--- D is finally was able to afford these knives and swords and fulfilled his childhood dreams

Yooo I ordered so much stuff from BudK back in the early 2000s as a dumb little preteen. Coolest part, you could order dangerous items at any age by getting a money order and sending in the little order insert from the magazine. My mom had no idea my brother and I were buying giant swords, throwing knives, blow guns, all kinds of crap. Majority of it was junk but some of it was okay. All of it was super cool to a 12 year old.

it makes sense that the swords were dull, the target audience is mostly teenagers (like you said), so it's probably best for the company to keep them dull as to avoid users causing damage to property, others or themselves (either by accident or on purpose). it sounds like a liability thing.

Fun fact: damascus steel has indeed been recreated by some metalurgists (john Verhoeven et al.) in the modern era. Verhoeven wrote a neat blog post detailing the whole story in 2016 or so

The united samurai sword brings me back. My friend Matt bought one and we broke the handle the same day, we eventually jerry rigged it and used it more until the blade shattered. Was awesome in its own way. Matt passed away last year but this video triggered those memories instantly. RIP Matt

🙏 Thank you for explaining what "Damascus" is. Too many people think it's better than it actually is.

I read the title and I had exactly one sword from that magazine in my mind and by god did I immediately see it in the intro. You are living the dream D. I need to find my copy of Street Sword by Phil Elmore to brush up on my gun+sword katana moves.

I think part of the problem with Atlantis swords is that you weren't spinning enough. Clearly user error.

My grandfather could be wrong but he's an smithy and I've done research on it too but we actually can make Damascus steel pretty much 1:1 of the original, the technique was never actually lost just rare but it was the composition of the said materials that was needed to create the 1:1 copy that was lost but it was "recently" discovered in 1998 by J.D. Verhoeven(he has a paper if I remember) if I remember correctly the reason most don't use it anymore is because it's expensive, pretty hard to make and just not worth the time if it's a show sword when you can use similar materials and weild them to be cheaper and just as pretty etc we have way better materials for weaponsmithing these days my grandpa said he made one in 2003 for a Japanese parade but I could of misheard but I remember him saying how he tried to get the 1:1 materials could of just been a fantasy he had haha But I could be talking out of my ass with false memorys or the research I did at school etc was just based of incorrect sources but this was 2013 using papers from 1990s to 2000s so take it with a grain of salt plus been a while since I was in the forge or picked up forge based reading material. Still collect swords and such doing my research still there haha

When I was like 8 or 9 in the late 90's my best friend and his brother ordered some katana's from budk. We got into a fight and I ended up putting the sword through their moms couch on accident... That couch was $3000 in the late 90's. Its a long story but I tossed the sword at the floor but it tumbled and bounced, stabbing the couch. Sounds way more dangerous than it was.

Yep! an awful lot of us went through a "mall ninja" phase lol! I never bought anything from BUDK but as an adult I picked up a Schrade Priscilla "brush sword" to scratch that itch. It's not horrible and was only around $30 so maybe check it out?

Great video. Loved all of the comedic wit, Brynne behind the camera quipping at you, the tatami exercises, and last but not least the Blade quote! "Come on, what are you looking at her for? You need permission?"

There are typically 3 types of 440 stainless steel. •440a (lowest quality, the kitchen fork and spoon quality steel) •440b (Don't bother) •440c (Ideally, if it's made by a reputable knife maker or company in the U.S., similar quality steel is AUS-10a steel) When a website or online retailer doesn't state what type of 440 it is, it's certainly 440a stainless steel from China.

Brilliant intro! great reverb. Always a good time when you upload on any of the channels!

Dude the face you were making in the endcard took me back to watching Freddie Wong back in high school when I was just getting into bingeing Node videos. Good times. Funny, informative yet engaging and (most importantly) relatable video.

I was just looking at your videos, wondering if you had uploaded again, and to no avail. Funny enough, 5 minutes later, a notification for you pops up on my phone. Love to see it!

D! I remember seeing your interest in swords in the old Node vids growing up, but I did not know that you turned this channel into an awesome sword channel. I will definitely be coming back to this channel when I see new uploads. And holy crap, doing the Node channel and this one, that is more than a full time job. Keep it up dude.

I just found this channel and I’m loving it.

Great to see you uploading again

Awesome vid. I also remember flipping through the Bud-k magazines. It would be cool to see more “mall ninja” products tested.

BudK is basically Skymall but for knives. Not all of their products are bad but the good stuff is usually branded and costs $500+ like Cold Steel (I'm gonna regret saying that here...) or its gimmicky like their Stun Guns or Manriki Gusari; possibly useful but highly situational. My advice? Kult of Athena, Windlass and (for those with a bit more money) Albion Swords are all better options for your melee weapon fix.

I'm in the UK and I love showing my mates the budk site, their reactions are hilarious.

Just found your channel recommended after watching a video from Corridor Crew with you in it, after watching this video, I immediately binged your other sword videos and I just wanted to say that I was simply captivated by your video's, they were super chill to watch, incredibly informative and highly entertaining. I truly hope to see more videos from you, You've for sure earned my sub :) Kind Regards

you just unlocked a memory at 1:22 I had that exact sword/dagger when I was a kid

Man, haven't thought about BUDK in a while. This is a blast from the past

I was hoping for the Taron Malicos dual wield in out combo, unfortunate that these blades weren't sharp.

We had Cold Steel and SMKW, never bought anything but they were fun to look through.

Bud K is based out of my small home town! Pretty cool seeing you talk about them.

Man hearing BUDK brought me back, haven't thought of that mag in years.

I still get budk magazines lol I’ll sometimes just get something fun for Christmas. Loved this video.

RU-vid unsubscribed me from your channel so I missed this when it came out, but great vid as usual. Surprised the katana didn’t dull much from the cutting, expected it to be smooth after three cuts.

I bought a few Honshu blades from budk cause I knew they were just quality enough for what I wanted without hurting my wallet too bad. Honestly I really like them, though I won’t pretend they are the best. Do your research and know what you’re paying for, and have fun. I would not grab a sword to defend myself against an attacker given the choice, but chopping things up is fun every once in a while.

The mall ninja magazine! I love looking through their catalogs even today though ive never ordered anything.

You fill the same void that Zombie Go Boom did for me when I was younger, thank you D for appearing on node so now I can follow your successful and awesome career.

I got their magazines like all the way to around 2010 I think from 1996. They were awesome for cheap but cool looking stuff. They were easily the most entertaining magazine.

I remember a modern rogue video kind of in the same vein as this video and they had the awesome name of mall weapons for stuff like these

Watching D work these twin swords made me realize how much of a bummer it is that he wasn't present at Corridor's sword twirling session.

I got a shinwa sword off a guy on craigslist a few years back for 50 bucks. Now you got me wanting to dig it out

I remember buying a few at a gunshow over a decade ago, fixed two a while back but the tang under the wrapping and wood scales was hollow, as in someone cut metal out of it. Luckily they didn’t break, but almost a decade later i now make my own blades.

Ah the nostalgia. I definitely looked forward to getting those magazines back in the day. Purchased a few things from them. Some were actually fairly decent which I mostly chock up to when they were made. On a side note I have a katana that I picked up for a decent price that actually came with some information but only enough to add more questions. How would I go about checking it to gauge quality? Thank you for any help you can provide.

incredible video, thank you D.

7:04, unwrap the handle and see if its a full sheet of metal, saw a DIY channel make a resign model of one of these cheap ones and unwrapped the handle and saw a "throwing" knife cut out of it lol

well thats why i have a sharpening station to sharpen burk stuff. after i sharpend a karambit on both sides, it was very impressive

I legit was just on the toilet browsing an old budk catalog I found under the sink.

Would be fun to sharpen the Atlantis swords and see how they work

Lol at those speed holes. They still send me a catalog every month because I bought a scabbard for a Lord of the Rings wallhanger (they are the only ones still selling the scabbards). It's always worth a laugh.

can't remember how i found this channel but i'm soooo glad i did. 🍻✌

I honestly don't know if any of them can take on an edge, but did you try sharpening the blades? I know some swords ship dull for safety reasons.

I had that samurai 3000 sword. It was pretty neat looking.

Love mall ninja stuff. Not to own but it looks cool to see. I have my zatoichi "damascus" replica that feels really nice and works great for me cause i need a walking stick sometimes and swords are legal to open carry in my state.

Only product they sell that I stand by is the expendables kunai set. I’ve had them for years and put them through more than most would put a knife through, even used them at construction jobs for many uses, including prying out crating staples and nails. Many times I’ve been surprised to not break the tips. Very durable

I bought some j2 stainless steel swords from ebay once. If stainless steel is forged right, it can make a good blade. Mine were the no name brand Aragorn ranger sword and the anduril. Now, they did come with a rat tail tang. Although, it was a better rat tail tang and so the blades did hold up decently before the handles began to bend. So what I did, because the blade itself was long enough, was do some grinding, and make them into functional blades. They have a perfect spring temper and have not broken, no matter what I have used them on. I own a brinks home safe and have tested them against that and various hard and soft woods. I have had these swords since high school. Some places in Pakistan, seem to be able to make a good blade out of stainless steel. Now, all they need to do is to stop making blades with a rat tail tang and make them full tang. The blades are good, but its the handles that they need to do right.

I’m impressed that your glasses stayed on with the Atlantis swords! 😂

😂god bless you guys great content sir. Health and longevity to you and the camera miss.🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽.

Can u play the new walking dead saints and siners chapter 2 bc your first walking dead has been one of my favorites or are u done with vr?

1045 swords like Shines, Misha, Onikiri, etc are sometimes ok for the low price. They will bend easier & dull faster than more expensive swords but to learn to cut with & not worry about ruining a sword they are not too bad. Also they will bend & take tons of punishment without the blade snapping so if someone does something stupid they are less likely to get hurt by a blade breaking & flying off.

Anyone else remember "The Edge Company"?

My question is do you think one of those atlantis swords would be able to hack a zombie head off or is a tatami mat equivalent to limb density pretty accurate. I dont want an already hungry zombie more angry. Or should i just carry the new BUDK quick dispense snickers holster?

Actually thought something would come off on the Katana. I'm surprised too

I like that shade of purple on the first sword though

The modern Damascus steel is made in a process called galvanising and it’s melting different steels together mix them and solidify it to make the pattern so it adds no valve

12:46 “I don’t care about technique” *focuses intently*

Need to study up on crucible steel, woots is being made again high valadium in the iron sands they used. Pattern welded swords like those in Japan and Europe where made using bloomery furnace's. Mostly

Please make a video about using a Maguro Bocho in combat.

1:40 don't know if you noticed but you missed on that swing

I literally have the Samurai 3000 and it's gorgeous.

Ayo, This music is calm! What are the name of the songs?

I appreciate that in the demo you're dressed like a villain from a Jet li movie on vacation

I brought a Teutonic hand and and a half sword that was 750 nzd and it feels amazing , i also got a red Damarcus Katana for 650 and it feels cheap.

Fork jump scare got me

Mall ninja thumbnail extraordinaire!

From my experience as a blade smith, I can say that Shinwa does use decent steel, like low end spectrum of decent to good, but they cheap out on the fittings to keep prices low. The rest of the selection is just hot garbage.

I won Anduril in one of Budk's raffle giveaways. I will always love that site lol

we got our monthly upload🥳

Hey brother you should check out the Honshu Boshin katana and Naginata, been doing martial arts for 30 years and honestly they are pretty decent did need alil sharpening though

10:35 this part here, when he was proud of himself. Not too shabby.

Love your intro :D

Imagine looking out your window to see a ninja chopping mats with rainbow swords on a roof.

There's an hour long documentary called Secrets of the Viking Sword on YT where they recreated crucible steel to make an Ulfberht

your intros are inspired 🤌🤌🤌

I owned that piece of shxt samurai 2000 sword. I got it for under $30. I own a shinwa straight katana. With a celtic guard design.

Hey cerberusarms could u try some anime swords that were made by "Fire and Steel" ive seen them on yt and they seem pretty nice

The cheapest anything that i ever bought on amazon that i 100% do not regret is a 24 dollar blow dart gun. The blow dart gun came with 10 crappy darts but for 30 bucks a pop you can get cold steel razor darts that will take down pretty much anything you hit with it if you get a good fatal shot. I have taken a few critters out with it, i always wait for winter here in CO because during the warmer climates alot of the critter meat has to be thrown out because its got parasites or other issues.

Y2K era I had so many of my Budk catalogs confiscated in middle school. Riding my bicycle up to the gas station to buy money orders oh man the memories lol. No idea Budk still existed hadn’t thought about them in over a decade

I used to have a couple of cheap katanas, but ever since I actually started doing a sword martial art (iaido) I got rid of them and now I have a decent shinken and two great iaitos.

i spent many study halls doodling pictures of these swords as a kid. im genuinely shocked any of these survived hiting the mat and not instantly snapping in half

Ok, so a Part 2 would be where you take a grinder to these and sharpen them all somewhat.

13:35 HE SAID THE THING

cant believe budk is still around

I use to be subscribed to this magazine BudK had a lot of cool stuff other than just swords. ⚔️

I swear the tsuka on that shinwa katana is like a Walmart version of the tsuka on my custom made katana from swordsofnorthshire

That Shinwa definitely exceeded my expectations but at $150 you would be better off with a Musashi. Still has some of the same budget katana problems but being through tempered non mystery monosteel means it would definitely hold up better.

It’s interesting how you’ve only just started reviewing swords and gun myths within the last year but have only exclusively done video game play throughs.

YEAH!! Edit: The Black Legion twin jok- blades are basically what sword characters in anime use. Just blunt sticks in the shape of a blade with anime fixtures.

id love to see how they all perform when properly sharpened

Dude I got to be that teen that bought the Samueai 3000. I knew exactly what I was getting, but I had hopes of using it for some sort of cyberpunk movie or something

I just always love to think of the neighbors when hes cutting the wood

The rainbow coating may actually be titanium of some description. TI powder coats are pretty common as a matte finish and rust preventative, that's grey. But Ti turns pretty colors when heated treated. I've seen it a lot on crappy knives sold just to look cool, and some pretty good ones. I have Kershaw Leek that looks like it survived an explosion in a unicorn farts factory.

Could do a torture test or just swords on swords clash.