Katana Sasuke

Anime prop replicas live or die on silhouette, and this one takes its cue from the blade carried by the brooding rival swordsman of one of the biggest ninja sagas ever animated. It has the essentials of a Japanese sword rendered as a display and costume piece: a long, clean edge, a bound grip and a guard where hand meets blade, kept deliberately spare rather than ornamented. The model comes as a multi-part kit, the usual approach for a prop meant to stand at full length once it leaves the bench. From there it becomes a finishing project, which is half the appeal for prop-makers who enjoy the sanding and painting stage as much as the print itself. Convention cosplayers wanting the whole silhouette are the obvious audience, though it sits just as happily on a stand beside an anime shelf as an unworn display sword.