Bought tanto, katana and wakizashi for my son and we fight with them pretty frequently. All three are very tough. The proportions and weight make them feel very substantial in the hand. If you compare with the price of flimsy nerf swords, this is a great value, because basically these are pretty formidable as real weapons. I've also found that a piece of foam pipe insulation slides right over the blade and will keep the wife from feinting.