just adde dmore to my other post. but yes it isn't a true kat. it is a fantasy book after all.

the big issue rj didn't really understand about swords is that the "sword fight" should NEVER be a duel in the way expressed, steel on steel is VERY bad, and stupid! 1 a sword CAN'T take that abuse(yes power made ones don't chip go dull or break, but those are VERY rare) a sword fight is over in the first 2 moves, a sword IS NOT a primary melee weapon, a battle axe, a good mace or morning star would be my first choice (assuming a rifle with good sights and nice snipper postion at least a klick away arn't avalibe

rand's sword is actually NOT a katana. i am a sword collector, ok it is a kat but it isn't. it has a bit of the early SHAMSHIR in it, yes it is based on a katana, its more of a tachi or o-katana. a katan is at max (traditional use) a 26 inch blade, rands is at least 30 more likely 32 or 34 inch blade, also the tsuka(handle) on a traditional kat is between 10 and 12 inches, rands seems to be about 14, as far as i can tell all the fittings are not a kats but much more western, no seppa not collar etc.

now the wheel of time swords i have seen from time to time are all total trash, and DONOT match the books descrip for the sword. the closest your likely to find in real life it going to be a tachi with some custom fitting work

ok off soap box now

edit: perrin's axe is a fairy standard war axe from the middle ages, vikkings, muslums, crusaders, franks, etc all used similar weapons, i would go looking up saxon war axes to find some fairly close examples, the big issue is "wicked half moon blade" and that its about 10lbs. the way some people "see" this is not even close to what it would really look like

and the aeil spears are very close to both an african weapon and an early greek/roman weapon whose name escapes me at the moment.

the belt knives are fairly straight foward, all nations, peoples, etc have a belt knife of some form and the aiel's will be similar in that they are NOT uniform, they will be the work of various smiths, made to a persons specific order, etc. for example reading the books you'll note that some of the maiden's are longer then the mens, i know if i was going hand to hand in a sword/spear age i would have 3 types of "belt knives" on me, a machete form on my back, a good utility knife (read 8 to 10 inches) and  wakisashi style. and the utility peice would be determined by territorial conditions, for example iraq i would want a cold steel srk, for germany i would want a simonich salish