I am very surprised by this sword. I always admired the Metal Gear franchise and thought the Revengence game and Raiden himself looked very cool, despite never getting around to playing the series properly. So it was a bit of gamble buying this sword as it may have just been a display piece for big fans of the game.However, i am frankly blown away with the finish of this sword. While i'm not ready to crack the blade apart to check the grain to see if it's 1045 steel or not, the blade is finished beautifully with a mirror finish and a very smooth blade with an almost invisible bevel. If the sword really is carbon steel (only time will tell, really) i am very surprised to see a blade of this quality at this price point. As for sharpness it is relatively dull but not display sword dull, and it has taken an edge relatively quickly on a whetstone.I can't know for sure to what degree the blade is "handmade" but it does at least look like someone ran it under a power hammer (it's a tool used in forging) and while some may see that as a quality issue, the waves in the blade are unnoticeable to the touch and the slight ripples it creates a certain uniqueness to the blade. To me, that is. Perfectionists might see it a different way.The plastic pins throughout the blade to make it look more like Raiden's blade are of decent enough quality and while they're not flush they don't stick out to an unlikable degree. Of course if it were up to me, not being a big MGS fan, i'd just have the sword without these pegs since the blade has such a lovely finish. But no matter, they're sticking to the game's design.The handle is a very interesting piece. As you can see, it's essentially a bunch of painted piece screwed through the blade, making it full tang. It doesn't have the amazing feel of a proper katana handle but it fits in the hand well enough and is not uncomfortable in the least like i was worried about. The piece closest to the blade can be moved a little bit for me, but not to a disturbing or damaging degree.The sheath is pretty bad, though. A single fake leather piece with a standard should strap on the back. No built-in way to keep the sword in either. Heck i'd take a piece of string over nothing, guys.But no matter. The sword has a lovely blade and a great look. It feels very sturdy but isn't too heavy either. Great for MGS and sword fans alike. Good price point, too. Far superior to most Katana at this price, barring the sheath.