KateMTx, if you are going to buy any form of a katana, then you should find a school and take up kendo....and another martial art called iaido.
There are different schools that have different approaches, and I know that there are several good schools scattered around Texas.
If you get good at kendo (or kenjutsu, which is the ancestor of kendo), an authentic Japanese katana in your hands is probably the deadliest, most destructive weapon ever invented by human beings that doesn't involve a projectile, toxin, or explosive.
A katana--if used by someone who knows what they're doing--will slice through the same body armor that defeats a .357 magnum round.
I also don't see the katana getting regulated like firearms in the near future.
Kendo is also fun, it gets you in shape, and helps with mental balance and one's ability to focus.
P.S. I don't know if you are (or were) existing in a sexist environment, but don't let anyone talk you out of japanese swordsmanship because you're a woman. Many of the top-notch kendo instructors are women, and gender means absolutely nothing when one knows how to properly use a katana.