Kind of a tangent, but I stopped for gas and a soda at a truck stop yesterday, and they had their sale flier posted at the cash register. One of the things they had for sale was a Samurai Sword set.
So if you find your self near Lodi California and find yourself in need of a Katana or Wakizashi, head to the Flying J, they can take care of all your cheap samurai sword needs. If you are not near Lodi, you can order them online:
http://www.flyingjestore.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=ShowItem&item_number=1&product_code=GT218&sku=100