Good luck, and stay safe!
A newly made "real" Japanese sword (shinshakuto) costs around $6000 for the bare blade, and around $15k after polish and furnishings. A "top quality" sword will run closer to $30k. The backlog for some smiths may be several years, but I assume that you are really looking for is a functional sword.
Functional katana, also called a "shinken" (real sword), start off at around $200 for a minimally functional sword, and run all the way up to about $3500. You can buy these at a variety of online shops such as bugei.com, nihonzashi.com, and the site you reference above. These are generally manufactured swords. None of these are traditionally made Japanese swords. As with most things, you get what you pay for. The minimal price for a decent sword will be in the neighborhood of $400 for some of the Paul Chen models, Cold Steel, and from similar manufacturers. You can find even cheaper (e.g. lower quality) swords in the $100 and under market from Musashi and Masahiro.
Regardless, I don't recommend using any real sword unless you have training. I know plenty of backyard cutters that have seriously injured themselves while attempting to cut water bottles and whatnot.
Usually the more the sword cost then the better quality so those are fully quality katana blades .
I would get mine imported. A lot of sites give you crap swords. I mean they break. Like the blade flies off during a demo and you almost take off a fellow classmate's head. And even if it is a reliable company...I mean hey, lemons happen right? I would get mine from the country of origin. They create it with a steel frame from the handle to the tip. Not some cheap glued on crap.
Dollarama. Just kidding, Who needs a Katana? Just get a fricking kitchen knife, and decorate it a little. It would be 10 times cheaper and get-it-anywhere. Either way you can still stab people! And it's MUCH lighter.
Try a legetimate Japanese swordsmith.
Quality will cost you!
see:
Thaitsuki Nihonto Swords
http://www.thaitsuki.com/
ryansword.com, quality guaranteed, 100% refund if not meet what quoted on the website.
Not a fake sword that's nice to looking at, but a real one for actual usage and is top quality or at least decent. I heard of http://www.japaneseswords4samurai.com./ For those who get their katanas here, are they any good?
