[Sender]

The ways real swords were made back then are fascinating too. Many were smelted from iron-rich sands into high-carbon steel, then the blades were built up slowly from multiple slabs of different steels, with the hard edge steel surrounded by soft, tough side and back steels. Then came the differential heat treating that leaves the visible hamon and an even harder edge, followed by long, patient shaping on water stones. Meanwhile, other craftsmen fashioned the handles, fittings, sheaths etc. By the time a sword was finished or a set of swords, they cost their buyer a whole lot of money at the time. Those old swords cost so much today that I'll never be able to own one. I am thinking about a modern-made example though that is made almost the same way.

[ctdonath2]

There are modern swords made the old way. Really good ones go for more than $10,000. Nothing under $1000 is worth looking at. Try http://www.bugei.com and http://www.swordforum.com for a start.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The US Army rounded up hundreds, if not thousands of swords during the Occupation of Japan. When my dad got there in 1949 he was able to buy a matched pair (long sword and short sword with a throwing knife in the scabbard) from a private owner.
Many of these swords were taken out to sea and dumped.

[shubi]

"Those old swords cost so much today that I'll never be able to own one."

Get a gun and steal an original Samurai sword from someone that doesn't have a gun.

[skinkinthegrass]

I am thinking about a modern-made example though that is made almost the same way.

..goto hppt://www.bugei.com, a fine sword retailer.