Got it for my wife,
"Got it for my wife, because she loves pink. It states that it is real Ray skin. I have many katana with Ray skin, and they are all like sandpaper to the touch. And I have a lot with faux ray, and they are smooth to the touch. This Pink Katana is smooth. I do not think the skin is real on this Katana. If I am wrong about this, let me know. I have been buying swords now for over 40 years and I am not a novice. But who knows, maybe they have a way to make it smooth now."