Musashi $33 Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe Katana (FUNCTIONAL)
Oct 4, 2009 1:32:40 GMT
Post by SlayerofDarkness on Oct 4, 2009 1:32:40 GMT
Behold!
Slayer has finally gotten around to doing a review of something.
I want to start with this sword's review, to gain some reviewing experience before I showcase my beloved FableBlades. It'll be worth the wait, trust me. ;D
SO, onto the review...
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BACK STORY:
Well, I had $50 to burn and was originally considering a certain anime 'katana', found -here-. I'm not a fan of anime (in fact, I generally abhor it), but somehow this sword attracted me. After bringing up the subject here on the forums, however, it was quickly pointed out to me that the 'Typhoon Swell' sword would not likely be functional, let alone worth the money. As such, I turned my attentions to another $40 sword that held much more promise; or more correctly, a line of $40 swords.
These were the 'Samurai Special' katana, availableonly at TrueSwords.com. These katana are made by the same forge that produces Musashi's swords, but they are not 'technically' Musashi-brand weapons.
Here's a link, if you happen to be interested: -Samurai Special Katana-
Anyway, I had heard about these swords awhile back, and was curious as to how they performed. I remember hearing that they sported blades from Musashi swords that retailed at $100, but that the forge had over-produced the blades. To remove the excess blades, the forge had mounted the katana in cheap fittings and priced them extremely low. I do not know whether what I heard is true or not, but that's the story I was given. I actually read it here on SBG, but I can't seem to recall who posted the info.
With no reviews of this line having been writen, and nobody I knew of having bought a 'Samurai Special' katana, I decided to take the plunge. If all else failed, it would only be a $40 waste, and both I and the whole of the SBG community would be better off for it! ;D That sounded pretty sweet to me, so I jumped on it.
The only thing left to do was choose a model.
I immediately determined that I did not want the 'Famous Crane', as I already have a katana that sports a crane tsuba. Also, the Bamboo's tsuba looked guady and overdone IMO, so I passed on that one as well. On the off chance that Trueswords' site was incorrect, and the tsubas were crafted from zinc alloy rather than the iron that was claimed, I wished to avoid the 'Life Cycle' katana and it's delicate looking guard. With 3 out of 5 eliminated, I was down to either the 'Genko Hanei' katana, or its 'Tatsu Maki' sibling. In the end, the deciding factor was petty. I enjoyed the aesthetics of both swords, but the flower emblem on the 'Genko Hanei' katana's saya was a bit less appealing than the swirling pattarn on the Tatsu Maki's saya. Besides, I've always loved the classic 'Swirling Comma's' design. ;D
And so the order was placed, and I began my endless bout of pacing...
UPDATE!!!!!! I've now found out that the Tatsu Maki is actaully even CHEAPER at SwordnArmory.com, where it sells for an unbelievably low price of $33. Now THAT is a steal! ;D However, the Samurai Special lineup is known over at SnA by different names, and this Tatsu Maki becomes the 'Tomoe' katana, so I have now dubbed it the Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe. Kinda fun to say fast, too.
I highly advise buying from SnA over Trueswords, as I've had nothing but good experience with the extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff at SwordnArmory, whereas Trueswords seems to be less helpful or knowledgeable about their wares.
Here's a link to the SwordnArmory listing- www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-Functional-Tomoe-Full-Tang-Samurai-Katana-p/ss-125.htm
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: Huh? What’s history? lol
While I’ll admit to a severely limited knowledge of Japanese history, I *CAN* tell you that the katana was one of the primary weapons utilized by Japan’s warrior class: the Samurai. The katana saw little action on the battlefield, where Yari (spears), Naginata (a sort of polearm) and bows were preferred, but was exceptionally popular for duels and as a symbol of status. The katana’s overall design underwent many changes over the hundreds of years it was in use; many different types and geometries were invented for wildly varied purposes. I know little of these things, so I’ll leave that topic to those with at least a semi-competent understanding of them. ;D However, I believe that this katana is of the standard geometry- Shinogi Zukuri. I don’t know, but I think that I’m right… Feel free to correct me. ;D
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Please excuse the lack of 'during opening' pictures, as I didn't think to take any. I will, however, try to show the packaging as well as possible. Or what's left of it, anyway... ;D
The sword arrived on a Tuesday, after having been ordered the Friday before. The box it was shipped in was just a bit large to house one blade, and for good reason; I had added my sword onto a friend's order when he got a Musashi Takeo Bamboo. We split the shipping, so we both gained from it.
Within this package were two smaller cardboard sword boxes; one held my friend's takeo, while the other, plain cardboard, box held my blade. I quickly dismembered that box, but it looked something like this when open:
Cradled by this combination of cardboard and styrofoam was a sword bag, itself containing the Tatsu Maki Katana.
The sword bag was, unfortunately, made of a sort of cheap vinyl. I took a close-up picture to try to show the material, but it may or may not be immediately apparent.
The bag was a nice touch for such a cheap sword, but it would have been very nice if they could have at least had it be a low-quality cotton.
And, finally, the sword within...
TATSU MAKI KATANA:
STATS:
Overall Length: 40"
Nagasa (blade length) as measured from the habaki: 27"
Habaki length: 1 1/8"
Tsuka Length: 11"
Weight (fully assembled): 1lb, 15 ounces.
Weight with Saya: 2lbs, 5 ounces (therefore the saya weighs 6 ounces)
Point of Balance: 5 1/8" from tsuba
Tsuba Diameter: 3"
Sori: 5/8"
The katana appeared both good and bad at first sight, but I’ll get to that in due time.
Starting with the tsuka…
KASHIRA: I’ll get to the tsuba and fuchi later, but as for the kasira, it’s extremely well done! I bought this sword expecting cheap fittings, but the kashira is quite nice… It appears to be made of blackened copper EDIT- I have since learned that it's actually mild steel, coated with copper, and then blackened. In fact, the Tatsu Maki’s kashira is the nicest of any of the katana I own, with a single exception. Suffice it to say, this kashira feels better made than that of my two Cheness’, and one other Musashi; only my RoninKatana Wheel katana’s kashira is higher quality.
MENUKI: I can’t quite tell what the menuki are supposed to represent, but they are also well-crafted of iron or another blackened metal. EDIT- Again, these are blackened copper-coated mild steel. I can’t really adequately describe the menuki, since I don’t really know anything about them, so I’ll let my pics do the talking. ;D 2000 words, right?
First side-
Other side-
ITO: Okay, this is where the ‘bad’ starts. Firstly, the ito is not only poor quality 'shoestring' (which I expected on a $40 sword), but the wrap job is horribly executed. The ito moves in the hand during dry handling to a point where it bunches up and becomes uncomfortable. Quite the unfortunate drawback, if you ask me.
As you can see, the ito-maki is rather loose. Not a deal-breaker, by any means, but it could be a problem for the first-time sword buyer who has no knowledge of, or inclination to learn about, how to rewrap a tsuka.
To add insult to injury, I found this on the side of the kashira that was not pictured above-
Yep, the ito actually goes under the kashira, rather than through it. This is no big deal, as I'm redoing the wrap anyway, but it DID warrant a slight chuckle. ;D
SAME: The same used on the Tatsu Maki is a cheap rubber rendition of the real thing, but what can I say? It’s asking a bit much for real same’ on a $40 sword.
SAYA/SCABBARD: This is a point of conflicted emotions, really. I have both good and bad things to say about the saya. Starting with the bad (although this may not be a con for others), the saya is made of a very light, insubstantial wood. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but my first impression was plywood. I have since determined this to not be the case, but still… it’s not far off. Additionally, the saya is fitted with aniron blackened steel koiguchi that does not sit flush with the rest of the saya, and is actually in a position to dull the blade as it is drawn and sheathed.
However, on a brighter note, the saya’s matte finish is pretty well done, although I have no other matte-finished saya to compare it to. The sageo, while also of a ‘shoestring’ quality like the ito, is extremely tightly tied. The knot is relatively simple, but executed perfectly. Last but not least, the design carved into the side of the Tatsu Maki’s saya is quite attractive! Here are a few pictures to illustrate what I’ve said-
The shitodome (gold things in last picture) are neutral; I really like how they look,but considering the cheap zinc alloy used, some would rather have the kurikata unadorned. EDIT- These are actually steel, coated in copper, and PAINTED gold. They're quite nice, if ugly.
NAGASA/BLADE: Finally! Lol, it’s taken me awhile to get here, sorry. But the blade was worth the wait! This is where the Tatsu Maki really shines. I would have happily paid $40 for this blade alone, which supports the theory that the Samurai Special swords utilize blades taken from slightly higher priced swords.
The blade exhibits severe distal taper. At the habaki, the blade is 6.8mm-6.9mm thick. Tapering rapidly, the mune (spine) thins to only 5mm 8” from the habaki. After that point, the blade tapers more gradually to 3.5mm, when measured 2” behind the kissaki (tip). All of this makes for a stiff, strong, and relatively light blade.
The bo-hi is well done, with little to no wavering, and is only 1/16 of an inch longer on one side than the other.
Thankfully, the TH blade has no false hamon. Many makers attempt to improve the aesthetics of through-hardened katana by adding a hideously brushed ‘wave’ hamon, and NOBODY likes those, lol. A well-done etched hamon is great, but that is not to be expected on such a budget-minded sword.
Best of all, the Tatsu Maki’s blade is razor sharp. ;D It can easily sever thin lined paper, and regular paper stands no chance. This keen edge extends all the way to the kissaki, which is needle sharp itself and will pierce cardboard, waterbottles, or other targets with ease.
EDIT- After extensive use, I've found only two downsides about this blade. One, the tip is soft and fragile. The last 1/8" will bend reletively easily... I fixed that by filing the very tip of the kissaki off and reprofiling it so that the blade is around 1/32" shorter, but the point is now slightly reinforced. A 5 minute fix, and it's doing well. ;D
The 2nd issue is just that the blade, like most 1045 Musashi's, is a tad soft... the edge will dull when used on hard target repeatedly, but not much, and a quick touch up with 400 grit sandpaper is all it needs to keep going strong.
DISASSEMBLY: With all of that out of the way it’s time to take a look ‘under the hood’, so to speak.
I first popped out the mekugi (pegs) using a combination of a rubber mallet with a hex wrench. ;D The tsuka (grip) has a decent fit, and came off with little effort, to reveal some more unfortunate realities.
Firstly, the tsuka core is badly cracked, and shaped incorrectly as well-
A pity, as having a decent tsuka core would have saved me quite a bit of work. Still, it *is* a $40 sword.
Combined with the broken tsuka were two other mishaps, with the first being a unlucky flaw on the tang.
Obviously, the worker making this blade started to drill the mekugi-ana, or ‘peg hole’, in the wrong place, and then proceeded to drill it in the correct place, right next to the first failed attempt! I was originally concerned about the structural integrity of such a condition, but I doubt that it will be a problem. Many Euro’s have tangs far thinner than even what is left un-drilled, and they hold up fine. ;D We will see…
Lastly, the fuchi, seppa, tsuba, and habaki were all glued together onto the nakago! (translation of Japanese words in order of appearance- fitting on the grip right before the guard, spacers, guard, blade collar, tang) VERY annoying, but not a fatal flaw. Glue can be overcome.
In light of the broken tsuka and flawed nakago (tang), I contacted Trueswords about a replacement. Unfortunately, Trueswords wanted me to pay shipping to and from them, which would amount to over half of what I paid for the Tatsu Maki in the first place! As such, I decided to overlook the only irreparable flaw, the extra half-hole in the tang, and make a replacement tsuka myself. This project is still in the works, so I will update when it is completed.
^EDIT- Project completed... or kinda-completed. Updates later...
Next, I used a screwdriver to gently coax the glued fittings off of the nakago. The habaki came off during the process but the other parts remained together.
Using a thin pocketknife this time, I gently managed to pry each component away from the one adjacent to it.
It took a bit of work, but it wasn’t long until each piece was free at last. ;D lol.
FUCHI: The fuchi is pretty much the same as the kashira; see for yourself; blackened copper-coated mild steel... VERY nice, IMO-
SEPPA:The seppa are a bit disappointing. They are clearly zinc alloy, very cheap looking, and stamped with ‘CHINA’ on one side. Oh well, it’s a project sword after all, right? ;D
EDIT- The above is 100% incorrect... please forgive my mistake, as the seppa truly did appear to be zinc alloy, but they are actually mild steel, coated with copper and then PAINTED gold. Under the hidious paint, they're actually quite nice.
TSUBA: The tsuba is my favorite part of this katana. It is thick and heavy, while also feeling very stong and well made. The design reflects the ‘Swirl’ theme of the Tatsu Maki, and is really quite attractive.
UPDATE- The tsuba is made out of the same material as the other fittings, and has held up wonderfully over the last 9 months.
Side that faces the blade-
Side that faces the tsuka-
HABAKI:As with the other parts of this sword that are intended to be brass or copper (shitodome, seppa), the habaki is a cheap zinc alloy. Of the 3 zinc alloy parts on this blade, the habaki is the only one I find definitely to be an issue. As the habaki is so blatantly obvious a segment of a katana, it feels wrong to have one look cheap. Lcukily for me, I have a spare brass habaki laying around, so I can switch them out during my customizations.
EDIT- Again, I was wrong. As with the other parts of this sword that are intended to be brass or copper (shitodome, seppa), the habaki is NOT a cheap zinc alloy, but actually mild steel with stupid gold paint on it. The habaki is functionally sounds, and actually good looking once the paint is polished off. ;D
Zinc alloy Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe habaki-
With the brass one (brass on left)-
HANDLING: As far as handling goes, I like this sword. I’ve done a bit of dry handling previous to my discovery of the cracked tsuka, and the Tatsu Maki handles pretty well. It’s a good ‘average’ weight blade; not nearly as light and fast as the Musashi Bamboo Warrior, but not nearly as forward-balanced and heavy as my RoninKatana Wheel katana. Both of my Cheness’ handle similarly to the Tatsu Maki, with the 30” Nagasa being slightly faster, and the Kaze being slightly slower and heavier. Long story short, this is a comfortable weapon.
That’s pretty much the full story on this blade. Due to the structural integrity issues, I won’t be cutting with the Tatsu until I’ve made a new tsuka and done some other customizations, but I’ll update with video when I do get everything completed.
EDIT- the new tsuka core is completed! I've finished the first few steps of fixing this beauty up... so, I'm adding another section to this review below, which will explain and show what I've changed. Enjoy!
CUSTOMIZATIONS:
First off, I HATED those silly looking gold fittings. I initially surmised that they were zinc alloy crap fittings, but then realized that the habaki was pretty heavy... not as heavy as the traditional brass habaki I've seen, but heavier than I would have guessed cheap alloy to be.
So, based on that, I started playing around with the seppa, scratching it with a file I had laying around. Lo and behold, I saw a bit of a copper-esque hue in one of the scratches! I quickly grabbed 400 grit sandpaper, the highest I had, and started polishing...
A few days later, after spending roughly 5-6 hours polishing off first gold paint, and then a layer of surprisingly hard to entirely remove copper... I had a full set of mild STEEL seppa and habaki! [NOTE- could be done in far less time if you know what you're doing... I didn't, lol. I could do the same in an hour, today. ]
Here're some pics of what I ended up with.
I rather like how they turned out. I've always loved katana with silver fittings... and who woulda thunk I'd get one in the form of a $40 Musashi?
As you've obviously read, the broken tsuka core made this otherwise great sword a definitely no-no for use... so, as my next step, I took it upon myself to make a new core. I won't type 50,000 words explaining the entire process... but let me just say that it was MUCH harder than I expected. I learned a lot though, and my next will be significantly easier. ;D The channel I carved was also far too large for the nakago/tang, so I ended up epoxying the new poplar tsuka core/handle on... and this is what I ended up with!
Please note, however, that these pics are after months of handling and cutting using this tsuka as shown. That's why it's darkened by use. Originally it looked much nicer, lol.
As you've probably guessed, I didn't get around to wrapping it yet. I just got busy, and the current grip works, if not too well (rough on hands, a little slippery, etc). I plan to wrap it euro-style with black leather, however, in a style that I doubt anyone has seen or even done before. I'll get around to it soon enough, lol, and updated then.
Oh, and btw, the sword now weighs 1lb, 13.7 oz, after the new tsuka was epoxied on, with a 6" POB.
Anyway, here's a video showing the katana fully as it looks now, after my customizations-
Now, since it has a functional grip, why don't I test the Tatsu Maki and see if a $32 functional beater katana can actually cut?
CUTTING:
Just watch and weep, naysayers. This beastly beauty can cut with the best of 'em!
Enjoy! ;D
Proof that a $32 katana can cut... and well! This sword cuts as well as the $250 Cheness 30" Nagasa Katana I have. Handles nearly as well, too. EVER SINGLE TIME THE SWORD TOUCHED THE TARGET, IT CUT CLEANLY AND SMOOTHLY, with the one obvious exception of the 2nd small watet bottle in the beginning, of course. Even the one handed cut on a EMPTY 2 liter yielded a clean pickle chip slice. I'm actually astounded at this sword. It's amazing!
What's more, I've been cutting everything from gatorade bottles and 2-liters to 2-3" branches (long story, don't hate me, tree guys... they were goin' anyway) for nearly a year, so this edge isn't even quite what it came with! Still great, but this is the Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe after quite a bit of use... now imagine if it were even sharper...
Yes, I do love this sword. ;-)
Also, due to one person commenting that Musashi's $32 katana (this line) were soft, had no temper, and could be easily bent with his bare hands, I made this video to reffute it... I trust the guy who said this, our very own Ajustice, but I think he must've just gotten a dud, 'cause look for yourself...
Here it is- me trying my best to put a set in the Musashi Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe $32 katana... It was hard to get leverage due to the sword being above my COG, but even then, this thing is STIFF! The extreme distal taper is probably responsible for that... but anyway, even though I managed to bend the TM/T a few degrees out of true, it sprang back to 100% straight as soon as I let up on the pressure. The Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe's heat treat is superb... I can't believe how GREAT this sword is for the money. I prefer it over the Musashi $80 Bamboo Warrior I sold. ()
Overall... unbelievable. I'll just cut straight to the Pro's and Con's, lol, or else I'll write a ballad about this thing.
PROS-
Good, sharp blade
Much nicer copper fuchi/kashira and tsuba than I expected
Well-tied Sageo
No fake hamon
Cool design on fittings and saya
Nice matte finish on saya
VERY cool steel fittings once you sand off the gold paint and thin copper coating
CONS-
(UNIVERSAL)
Shoestring ito and sageo
Loose ito
Zinc alloy shitodome, seppa, and habaki
Metal koiguchi will dull and scratch blade
Saya is made from a strangely light, delicate-feeling wood
Fake same
Rattle in saya
Ugly gold paint on otherwise decent quality seppa, habaki, and shitodome
(MINE ONLY)
Broken Tsuka
Drill mark/hole on nakago/tang
Ito didn’t go through kashira
BOTTOM LINE: I'd definitely reccomend this sword to a friend looking for a first sword at a low price. It's also a fantastic project blade, if you just want a decent sword to customize to your heart's content. While the shortcomings are severe enough that a 'Samurai Special' katana would probably not be the best choice for an experienced swordsman or practitioner, it certainly has its niche. Not only that, but it fills that niche, and does so quite well.
I think that the Tatsu Maki is more than worth the price I paid for it ($48 shipped), and would be an excellent beater sword as well as fulfilling the purposes outlined above. Another use could be as an Iaito; the edge could be filed down and rounded into a superb-handling training blade for only $40.
This katana is certainly not for everyone, but for what it is, I'm pleased with it. $40 well spent, IMO. ;D
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I have a few things in mind for this sword, so check back everyonce in a while. I'll update this thread with any news and/or cutting videos.
Sorry for the excessively long review, lol! I just had a lot to say -both good and bad- about this katana.
Thanks for putting up with me, and I hope you enjoyed my first review! ;D
-Slayer
P.S. If you have any tips or tricks to help me write a better review next time feel free to give me some constructive critisism! ;D Thanks.
P.P.S. Review updated to include stats and 'bottom line' section. ;D
P. P. P. S. As of 7/30/2010, this review now features a cutting video, among other updates.
Slayer has finally gotten around to doing a review of something.
I want to start with this sword's review, to gain some reviewing experience before I showcase my beloved FableBlades. It'll be worth the wait, trust me. ;D
SO, onto the review...
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BACK STORY:
Well, I had $50 to burn and was originally considering a certain anime 'katana', found -here-. I'm not a fan of anime (in fact, I generally abhor it), but somehow this sword attracted me. After bringing up the subject here on the forums, however, it was quickly pointed out to me that the 'Typhoon Swell' sword would not likely be functional, let alone worth the money. As such, I turned my attentions to another $40 sword that held much more promise; or more correctly, a line of $40 swords.
These were the 'Samurai Special' katana, available
Here's a link, if you happen to be interested: -Samurai Special Katana-
Anyway, I had heard about these swords awhile back, and was curious as to how they performed. I remember hearing that they sported blades from Musashi swords that retailed at $100, but that the forge had over-produced the blades. To remove the excess blades, the forge had mounted the katana in cheap fittings and priced them extremely low. I do not know whether what I heard is true or not, but that's the story I was given. I actually read it here on SBG, but I can't seem to recall who posted the info.
With no reviews of this line having been writen, and nobody I knew of having bought a 'Samurai Special' katana, I decided to take the plunge. If all else failed, it would only be a $40 waste, and both I and the whole of the SBG community would be better off for it! ;D That sounded pretty sweet to me, so I jumped on it.
The only thing left to do was choose a model.
I immediately determined that I did not want the 'Famous Crane', as I already have a katana that sports a crane tsuba. Also, the Bamboo's tsuba looked guady and overdone IMO, so I passed on that one as well. On the off chance that Trueswords' site was incorrect, and the tsubas were crafted from zinc alloy rather than the iron that was claimed, I wished to avoid the 'Life Cycle' katana and it's delicate looking guard. With 3 out of 5 eliminated, I was down to either the 'Genko Hanei' katana, or its 'Tatsu Maki' sibling. In the end, the deciding factor was petty. I enjoyed the aesthetics of both swords, but the flower emblem on the 'Genko Hanei' katana's saya was a bit less appealing than the swirling pattarn on the Tatsu Maki's saya. Besides, I've always loved the classic 'Swirling Comma's' design. ;D
And so the order was placed, and I began my endless bout of pacing...
UPDATE!!!!!! I've now found out that the Tatsu Maki is actaully even CHEAPER at SwordnArmory.com, where it sells for an unbelievably low price of $33. Now THAT is a steal! ;D However, the Samurai Special lineup is known over at SnA by different names, and this Tatsu Maki becomes the 'Tomoe' katana, so I have now dubbed it the Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe. Kinda fun to say fast, too.
I highly advise buying from SnA over Trueswords, as I've had nothing but good experience with the extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff at SwordnArmory, whereas Trueswords seems to be less helpful or knowledgeable about their wares.
Here's a link to the SwordnArmory listing- www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-Functional-Tomoe-Full-Tang-Samurai-Katana-p/ss-125.htm
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: Huh? What’s history? lol
While I’ll admit to a severely limited knowledge of Japanese history, I *CAN* tell you that the katana was one of the primary weapons utilized by Japan’s warrior class: the Samurai. The katana saw little action on the battlefield, where Yari (spears), Naginata (a sort of polearm) and bows were preferred, but was exceptionally popular for duels and as a symbol of status. The katana’s overall design underwent many changes over the hundreds of years it was in use; many different types and geometries were invented for wildly varied purposes. I know little of these things, so I’ll leave that topic to those with at least a semi-competent understanding of them. ;D However, I believe that this katana is of the standard geometry- Shinogi Zukuri. I don’t know, but I think that I’m right… Feel free to correct me. ;D
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Please excuse the lack of 'during opening' pictures, as I didn't think to take any. I will, however, try to show the packaging as well as possible. Or what's left of it, anyway... ;D
The sword arrived on a Tuesday, after having been ordered the Friday before. The box it was shipped in was just a bit large to house one blade, and for good reason; I had added my sword onto a friend's order when he got a Musashi Takeo Bamboo. We split the shipping, so we both gained from it.
Within this package were two smaller cardboard sword boxes; one held my friend's takeo, while the other, plain cardboard, box held my blade. I quickly dismembered that box, but it looked something like this when open:
Cradled by this combination of cardboard and styrofoam was a sword bag, itself containing the Tatsu Maki Katana.
The sword bag was, unfortunately, made of a sort of cheap vinyl. I took a close-up picture to try to show the material, but it may or may not be immediately apparent.
The bag was a nice touch for such a cheap sword, but it would have been very nice if they could have at least had it be a low-quality cotton.
And, finally, the sword within...
TATSU MAKI KATANA:
STATS:
Overall Length: 40"
Nagasa (blade length) as measured from the habaki: 27"
Habaki length: 1 1/8"
Tsuka Length: 11"
Weight (fully assembled): 1lb, 15 ounces.
Weight with Saya: 2lbs, 5 ounces (therefore the saya weighs 6 ounces)
Point of Balance: 5 1/8" from tsuba
Tsuba Diameter: 3"
Sori: 5/8"
The katana appeared both good and bad at first sight, but I’ll get to that in due time.
Starting with the tsuka…
KASHIRA: I’ll get to the tsuba and fuchi later, but as for the kasira, it’s extremely well done! I bought this sword expecting cheap fittings, but the kashira is quite nice… It appears to be made of blackened copper EDIT- I have since learned that it's actually mild steel, coated with copper, and then blackened. In fact, the Tatsu Maki’s kashira is the nicest of any of the katana I own, with a single exception. Suffice it to say, this kashira feels better made than that of my two Cheness’, and one other Musashi; only my RoninKatana Wheel katana’s kashira is higher quality.
MENUKI: I can’t quite tell what the menuki are supposed to represent, but they are also well-crafted of iron or another blackened metal. EDIT- Again, these are blackened copper-coated mild steel. I can’t really adequately describe the menuki, since I don’t really know anything about them, so I’ll let my pics do the talking. ;D 2000 words, right?
First side-
Other side-
ITO: Okay, this is where the ‘bad’ starts. Firstly, the ito is not only poor quality 'shoestring' (which I expected on a $40 sword), but the wrap job is horribly executed. The ito moves in the hand during dry handling to a point where it bunches up and becomes uncomfortable. Quite the unfortunate drawback, if you ask me.
As you can see, the ito-maki is rather loose. Not a deal-breaker, by any means, but it could be a problem for the first-time sword buyer who has no knowledge of, or inclination to learn about, how to rewrap a tsuka.
To add insult to injury, I found this on the side of the kashira that was not pictured above-
Yep, the ito actually goes under the kashira, rather than through it. This is no big deal, as I'm redoing the wrap anyway, but it DID warrant a slight chuckle. ;D
SAME: The same used on the Tatsu Maki is a cheap rubber rendition of the real thing, but what can I say? It’s asking a bit much for real same’ on a $40 sword.
SAYA/SCABBARD: This is a point of conflicted emotions, really. I have both good and bad things to say about the saya. Starting with the bad (although this may not be a con for others), the saya is made of a very light, insubstantial wood. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but my first impression was plywood. I have since determined this to not be the case, but still… it’s not far off. Additionally, the saya is fitted with an
However, on a brighter note, the saya’s matte finish is pretty well done, although I have no other matte-finished saya to compare it to. The sageo, while also of a ‘shoestring’ quality like the ito, is extremely tightly tied. The knot is relatively simple, but executed perfectly. Last but not least, the design carved into the side of the Tatsu Maki’s saya is quite attractive! Here are a few pictures to illustrate what I’ve said-
The shitodome (gold things in last picture) are neutral; I really like how they look,
NAGASA/BLADE: Finally! Lol, it’s taken me awhile to get here, sorry. But the blade was worth the wait! This is where the Tatsu Maki really shines. I would have happily paid $40 for this blade alone, which supports the theory that the Samurai Special swords utilize blades taken from slightly higher priced swords.
The blade exhibits severe distal taper. At the habaki, the blade is 6.8mm-6.9mm thick. Tapering rapidly, the mune (spine) thins to only 5mm 8” from the habaki. After that point, the blade tapers more gradually to 3.5mm, when measured 2” behind the kissaki (tip). All of this makes for a stiff, strong, and relatively light blade.
The bo-hi is well done, with little to no wavering, and is only 1/16 of an inch longer on one side than the other.
Thankfully, the TH blade has no false hamon. Many makers attempt to improve the aesthetics of through-hardened katana by adding a hideously brushed ‘wave’ hamon, and NOBODY likes those, lol. A well-done etched hamon is great, but that is not to be expected on such a budget-minded sword.
Best of all, the Tatsu Maki’s blade is razor sharp. ;D It can easily sever thin lined paper, and regular paper stands no chance. This keen edge extends all the way to the kissaki, which is needle sharp itself and will pierce cardboard, waterbottles, or other targets with ease.
EDIT- After extensive use, I've found only two downsides about this blade. One, the tip is soft and fragile. The last 1/8" will bend reletively easily... I fixed that by filing the very tip of the kissaki off and reprofiling it so that the blade is around 1/32" shorter, but the point is now slightly reinforced. A 5 minute fix, and it's doing well. ;D
The 2nd issue is just that the blade, like most 1045 Musashi's, is a tad soft... the edge will dull when used on hard target repeatedly, but not much, and a quick touch up with 400 grit sandpaper is all it needs to keep going strong.
DISASSEMBLY: With all of that out of the way it’s time to take a look ‘under the hood’, so to speak.
I first popped out the mekugi (pegs) using a combination of a rubber mallet with a hex wrench. ;D The tsuka (grip) has a decent fit, and came off with little effort, to reveal some more unfortunate realities.
Firstly, the tsuka core is badly cracked, and shaped incorrectly as well-
A pity, as having a decent tsuka core would have saved me quite a bit of work. Still, it *is* a $40 sword.
Combined with the broken tsuka were two other mishaps, with the first being a unlucky flaw on the tang.
Obviously, the worker making this blade started to drill the mekugi-ana, or ‘peg hole’, in the wrong place, and then proceeded to drill it in the correct place, right next to the first failed attempt! I was originally concerned about the structural integrity of such a condition, but I doubt that it will be a problem. Many Euro’s have tangs far thinner than even what is left un-drilled, and they hold up fine. ;D We will see…
Lastly, the fuchi, seppa, tsuba, and habaki were all glued together onto the nakago! (translation of Japanese words in order of appearance- fitting on the grip right before the guard, spacers, guard, blade collar, tang) VERY annoying, but not a fatal flaw. Glue can be overcome.
In light of the broken tsuka and flawed nakago (tang), I contacted Trueswords about a replacement. Unfortunately, Trueswords wanted me to pay shipping to and from them, which would amount to over half of what I paid for the Tatsu Maki in the first place! As such, I decided to overlook the only irreparable flaw, the extra half-hole in the tang, and make a replacement tsuka myself. This project is still in the works, so I will update when it is completed.
^EDIT- Project completed... or kinda-completed. Updates later...
Next, I used a screwdriver to gently coax the glued fittings off of the nakago. The habaki came off during the process but the other parts remained together.
Using a thin pocketknife this time, I gently managed to pry each component away from the one adjacent to it.
It took a bit of work, but it wasn’t long until each piece was free at last. ;D lol.
FUCHI: The fuchi is pretty much the same as the kashira; see for yourself; blackened copper-coated mild steel... VERY nice, IMO-
SEPPA:
EDIT- The above is 100% incorrect... please forgive my mistake, as the seppa truly did appear to be zinc alloy, but they are actually mild steel, coated with copper and then PAINTED gold. Under the hidious paint, they're actually quite nice.
TSUBA: The tsuba is my favorite part of this katana. It is thick and heavy, while also feeling very stong and well made. The design reflects the ‘Swirl’ theme of the Tatsu Maki, and is really quite attractive.
UPDATE- The tsuba is made out of the same material as the other fittings, and has held up wonderfully over the last 9 months.
Side that faces the blade-
Side that faces the tsuka-
HABAKI:
EDIT- Again, I was wrong. As with the other parts of this sword that are intended to be brass or copper (shitodome, seppa), the habaki is NOT a cheap zinc alloy, but actually mild steel with stupid gold paint on it. The habaki is functionally sounds, and actually good looking once the paint is polished off. ;D
With the brass one (brass on left)-
HANDLING: As far as handling goes, I like this sword. I’ve done a bit of dry handling previous to my discovery of the cracked tsuka, and the Tatsu Maki handles pretty well. It’s a good ‘average’ weight blade; not nearly as light and fast as the Musashi Bamboo Warrior, but not nearly as forward-balanced and heavy as my RoninKatana Wheel katana. Both of my Cheness’ handle similarly to the Tatsu Maki, with the 30” Nagasa being slightly faster, and the Kaze being slightly slower and heavier. Long story short, this is a comfortable weapon.
That’s pretty much the full story on this blade. Due to the structural integrity issues, I won’t be cutting with the Tatsu until I’ve made a new tsuka and done some other customizations, but I’ll update with video when I do get everything completed.
EDIT- the new tsuka core is completed! I've finished the first few steps of fixing this beauty up... so, I'm adding another section to this review below, which will explain and show what I've changed. Enjoy!
CUSTOMIZATIONS:
First off, I HATED those silly looking gold fittings. I initially surmised that they were zinc alloy crap fittings, but then realized that the habaki was pretty heavy... not as heavy as the traditional brass habaki I've seen, but heavier than I would have guessed cheap alloy to be.
So, based on that, I started playing around with the seppa, scratching it with a file I had laying around. Lo and behold, I saw a bit of a copper-esque hue in one of the scratches! I quickly grabbed 400 grit sandpaper, the highest I had, and started polishing...
A few days later, after spending roughly 5-6 hours polishing off first gold paint, and then a layer of surprisingly hard to entirely remove copper... I had a full set of mild STEEL seppa and habaki! [NOTE- could be done in far less time if you know what you're doing... I didn't, lol. I could do the same in an hour, today. ]
Here're some pics of what I ended up with.
I rather like how they turned out. I've always loved katana with silver fittings... and who woulda thunk I'd get one in the form of a $40 Musashi?
As you've obviously read, the broken tsuka core made this otherwise great sword a definitely no-no for use... so, as my next step, I took it upon myself to make a new core. I won't type 50,000 words explaining the entire process... but let me just say that it was MUCH harder than I expected. I learned a lot though, and my next will be significantly easier. ;D The channel I carved was also far too large for the nakago/tang, so I ended up epoxying the new poplar tsuka core/handle on... and this is what I ended up with!
Please note, however, that these pics are after months of handling and cutting using this tsuka as shown. That's why it's darkened by use. Originally it looked much nicer, lol.
As you've probably guessed, I didn't get around to wrapping it yet. I just got busy, and the current grip works, if not too well (rough on hands, a little slippery, etc). I plan to wrap it euro-style with black leather, however, in a style that I doubt anyone has seen or even done before. I'll get around to it soon enough, lol, and updated then.
Oh, and btw, the sword now weighs 1lb, 13.7 oz, after the new tsuka was epoxied on, with a 6" POB.
Anyway, here's a video showing the katana fully as it looks now, after my customizations-
Now, since it has a functional grip, why don't I test the Tatsu Maki and see if a $32 functional beater katana can actually cut?
CUTTING:
Just watch and weep, naysayers. This beastly beauty can cut with the best of 'em!
Enjoy! ;D
Proof that a $32 katana can cut... and well! This sword cuts as well as the $250 Cheness 30" Nagasa Katana I have. Handles nearly as well, too. EVER SINGLE TIME THE SWORD TOUCHED THE TARGET, IT CUT CLEANLY AND SMOOTHLY, with the one obvious exception of the 2nd small watet bottle in the beginning, of course. Even the one handed cut on a EMPTY 2 liter yielded a clean pickle chip slice. I'm actually astounded at this sword. It's amazing!
What's more, I've been cutting everything from gatorade bottles and 2-liters to 2-3" branches (long story, don't hate me, tree guys... they were goin' anyway) for nearly a year, so this edge isn't even quite what it came with! Still great, but this is the Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe after quite a bit of use... now imagine if it were even sharper...
Yes, I do love this sword. ;-)
Also, due to one person commenting that Musashi's $32 katana (this line) were soft, had no temper, and could be easily bent with his bare hands, I made this video to reffute it... I trust the guy who said this, our very own Ajustice, but I think he must've just gotten a dud, 'cause look for yourself...
Here it is- me trying my best to put a set in the Musashi Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe $32 katana... It was hard to get leverage due to the sword being above my COG, but even then, this thing is STIFF! The extreme distal taper is probably responsible for that... but anyway, even though I managed to bend the TM/T a few degrees out of true, it sprang back to 100% straight as soon as I let up on the pressure. The Tatsu-Maki/Tomoe's heat treat is superb... I can't believe how GREAT this sword is for the money. I prefer it over the Musashi $80 Bamboo Warrior I sold. ()
Overall... unbelievable. I'll just cut straight to the Pro's and Con's, lol, or else I'll write a ballad about this thing.
PROS-
Good, sharp blade
Much nicer copper fuchi/kashira and tsuba than I expected
Well-tied Sageo
No fake hamon
Cool design on fittings and saya
Nice matte finish on saya
VERY cool steel fittings once you sand off the gold paint and thin copper coating
CONS-
(UNIVERSAL)
Shoestring ito and sageo
Loose ito
Metal koiguchi will dull and scratch blade
Saya is made from a strangely light, delicate-feeling wood
Fake same
Rattle in saya
Ugly gold paint on otherwise decent quality seppa, habaki, and shitodome
(MINE ONLY)
Broken Tsuka
Drill mark/hole on nakago/tang
Ito didn’t go through kashira
BOTTOM LINE: I'd definitely reccomend this sword to a friend looking for a first sword at a low price. It's also a fantastic project blade, if you just want a decent sword to customize to your heart's content. While the shortcomings are severe enough that a 'Samurai Special' katana would probably not be the best choice for an experienced swordsman or practitioner, it certainly has its niche. Not only that, but it fills that niche, and does so quite well.
I think that the Tatsu Maki is more than worth the price I paid for it ($48 shipped), and would be an excellent beater sword as well as fulfilling the purposes outlined above. Another use could be as an Iaito; the edge could be filed down and rounded into a superb-handling training blade for only $40.
This katana is certainly not for everyone, but for what it is, I'm pleased with it. $40 well spent, IMO. ;D
______________________________________________
I have a few things in mind for this sword, so check back everyonce in a while. I'll update this thread with any news and/or cutting videos.
Sorry for the excessively long review, lol! I just had a lot to say -both good and bad- about this katana.
Thanks for putting up with me, and I hope you enjoyed my first review! ;D
-Slayer
P.S. If you have any tips or tricks to help me write a better review next time feel free to give me some constructive critisism! ;D Thanks.
P.P.S. Review updated to include stats and 'bottom line' section. ;D
P. P. P. S. As of 7/30/2010, this review now features a cutting video, among other updates.