[The Masked Ferret]

Actually, I get the point of the thread now Zodd. I tried to build a customized weapon for a street sam last night who is not magical. So - Katana with a personalized grip and Geko Grip.

That is it.

Wow, you are so right. No special materials (like a silver alloy) , no Dikote, no sharpening.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Dikote is easy to load in - it adds the same sort of 'Armor Piercing' quality (Weapon - 4 AP) as APDS, and costs ¥1000 per 100 square cm (approximately 800 square cm for a katana, so total cost of 9000¥).  If/when anti-vehicular rounds ever hit the game, you might apply those mods instead of APDS: Dikote traditionally enabled an edged weapon to be used in a quasi-anti-vehicular manner.

And if your GM is really on the ball, he'll allow you to start developing contacts to find the guy who can make a functionally-dikoted blade that doesn't actually use dikote, i.e. the best swordsmith in the world ...

[Novocrane]

costs ¥1000 per 100 square cm

There's a set of calculations that needs to die in a fire. Make it expensive. Base it on the DV bonus, even. Don't ask for the surface area of an imaginary item.

[Medicineman]

A katana or a combat Blade or an Arrowhead is (for Me) not so much of an imaginary Item (if need be I can google these Items )
the DV or AP are more of ...Imaginary figures than said Square cm of a  Katana or Arrow Head

We included Dikote in my own SR2055 Game
 it adds to us +1DV and on edged /piercing Waepons it also gives AP -1 

HougH!
Medicineman

[Sendaz]

Just been asked by a cub how much surface area is there on his monowhip if he wanted to dikote it.

>_<

*borrows Reaver's 2x4 for a few minutes*

[Novocrane]

A katana or a combat Blade or an Arrowhead is (for Me) not so much of an imaginary Item

If you can't physically hold it, I hesitate to consider that specific instance a 'real' item.

I was actually thinking of the katana when I wrote that. They vary in size somewhat without being small enough to consider a wakizashi or large enough for a no-dachi. I'd be slightly annoyed if I had done any research on swords and chosen a specific type or make of katana - and then found out I was being penalised for surface area compared to something else with exactly the same stats.
Probably not going to happen when working per 100cm squared on a katana, but the issue of fiddliness translates to other items.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Same issue when calling all katanas two handed only weapons. There were styles and types that could be easily used in one hand, but were still called a katana. Depends on the time period and prominent style you refer too. My gm allowed me to use a katana with a wakazashi for the two weapon style martial arts trick via one trick pony.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Oh, god, not this.  Look, while all your arguments are correct, for SR they're not functional - or did y'all think that they'd ALL cost 1000¥?  A thousand for the weapon, and if you think a x9 mark-up (hey, go for x10 - a clean ¥10,000) for -4 AV isn't enough, you need to rethink how much you're paying for APDS.

[NovaHot1]

After running a game at Dragon*Con... Weapon Foci in astral space are OMGWTFBBQ deadly.

Chances are 99% I played at your table then. I was J-Dawg.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

*glum*  Wish I could've gone.  Still wish I could get into a decent SR game here in the NE of ATL.

[NovaHot1]

It was a blast. That 6-06 mission though...no spoilers, but ouch.

[Raven2049]

It was a blast. That 6-06 mission though...no spoilers, but ouch.

my solution was simple but pricy... i walked away with no dice rolled and no bullets fired. but there was a massive explosion and a building collapsing. Oh ya, i was down one Bulldog Step Van and about 20k in explosives after the process but it was worth it.... (GM gave me a free beat up van that i was able to "hijack" a few blocks away" so that offset a small amount of $$)

[Atlessa]

I used to play an unarmed adept in SR 4.  They totally nerfed critical strike.  I feel your pain, OP.

[NovaHot1]

It was a blast. That 6-06 mission though...no spoilers, but ouch.

my solution was simple but pricy... i walked away with no dice rolled and no bullets fired. but there was a massive explosion and a building collapsing. Oh ya, i was down one Bulldog Step Van and about 20k in explosives after the process but it was worth it.... (GM gave me a free beat up van that i was able to "hijack" a few blocks away" so that offset a small amount of $$)

Two spent drums of explosive ammo for my enfield as 7, and four edge points later, I walked away intact.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

I clearly need to look over this mission ...