Musashi Shirakawa Katana SS807BK
Dec 23, 2009 22:01:35 GMT
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2009 22:01:35 GMT
Review of Musashi Swords' Shirakawa Katana SS807BK
Disclaimer: first sword, first review! There are reviews of this sword with the Mokko tsuba before, but this is the latest iteration made of 1060 steel. So, moderators, I'd understand if you don't consider a review of a 'new product.' I purchased this sword from Wiwingti Sword supply for $80. It arrived very quickly and the box was in great shape.
Introduction
Mom and I used to watch kung fu movies on Saturday afternoons. I studied Karate for 8 years in my teens and twenties, and then I discovered the films of Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. My interest in samurai film and lore grew from there. I've wanted a sword for a while now, and I've resisted the urge until I started reading reviews here on SBG. The overall positive reviews of Musashi swords, the sub $100 price, and real hamon were too sweet to resist. I'm not a cutter (yet); I bought this sword to hold, admire, and take some practice swings with to hear that tachi kaze. Last but not least... swords are cool!
Historical Overview
I won't say much here since I'm new to swords. This sword is a low cost katana using traditional construction. By that I mean the handle is not glued to the blade. It is possible to disassemble the sword by tapping out the mekugi (bamboo pins) and removing the tsuka (handle). The tsuba (guard) is a traditional mokko (lobed) shape. The blade shinogi zukuri style, which is the most common style in production katana.
Initial Impressions
The transaction was easy. I purchased via the wiwingti website in the morning. When I came home from work, I got an email from Marc saying the product had shipped. Six days later, it arrived via a brown truck. The sword came double boxed and unscathed. When you open the box, the certificate of authenticity is prominent. The packing styrofoam showed some dents and cracks, but it is pretty low density. The sword arrived inside the sword bag, which is very light cotton, but hey, it's better than nothing. My first impression was the sword was very light, but solidly made. Nothing loose or rattling.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28 3/8" (including habaki), kissaki (tip) 1 1/2" long
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 3/4"
Overall Length: 39 1/4" (w/o saya) 40 1/2" (w/saya)
Guard/Tsuba Width: 3"
POB (Point of Balance): 5" above tsuba
COP (Center of Percussion): 19-20" above tsuba (my method was pretty haphazard)
Weight: I don't have a scale to properly measure this. Others say similar swords are around 2 lbs and I will agree.
Components
BLADE:
11/32" thick, 1 3/16" wide at habaki (collar) and 3/16" thick, 7/8" wide at yokote(line dividing blade and tip). Being a newer 800 series model, the cert says it is 1060 steel. It is differentially hardened (DH) and the hamon (temper line) is real, which is the best attribute of this blade. On my blade the temper line never dips down to the edge, but I've seen this in other pics of older Musashi blades. Perhaps they are mindful of this with the newer blades. The blade is straight without any burrs. The bo-hi is well executed and appears evenly made from the side. When you look directly down the spine, you can see some uneveness, but it's really not bothersome to me.
I hope you can see the level of polish from the pictures. It is not a mirror finish but it was better than I expected. There are _very_ minor scratches that are only visible when held at certain angles to the light. Oh yeah, it's paper cutting sharp. For $80 I am very pleased.
The kissaki has a cosmetic yokote, which is a little sloppy. I was most interested in the boshi, the hamon on the kissaki. I included pics of the kissaki on both sides. You can see the boshi is different on each side, and it does not appear to curve around the point of the blade. Instead, it just diffuses. However they are tempering the blade, attention to the tip seems lacking, but how can you fault this on an $80 sword?
HANDLE:
The blade is double pegged. The tsuka was stuck on pretty well when I tried to disassemble the sword. Wrapping a cloth around the blade and hitting the tsuba with a wooden block and mallet loosened it up. Much to my relief, the wood was not cracked in the tsuka. Yippee! To facilitate disassembly in the future, I filed the tang a little. Now it come apart with a strike to the hand holding the blade.
The ito (wrap) is cotton shoe lace quality, again, what I expected. It is put on neat (even diamonds) and tight with no alternating twists. Musashi's standard issue menuki (handle ornaments) are gold colored metal, and a little cheesy. They look best if you don't pay too much attention to them. One thing I've never read about in other reviews is the placement of the menuki. One is high and the other is low, presumably for either hand. Is this the same for all katana? The same panels are passable and there are no gaps visible between the ito.
TSUBA and OTHER FITTINGS:
I had a hard time choosing between this and the bamboo fittings. The bamboo model looks more ornate and has detail on the fuchi (handle collar) and kashira (pommel). Since this was a economy sword, I decided it was better to go with simple but well made fittings. I'm really glad I did.
You can see how tight the fit is. I like the simple but recognizable mokko shaped tsuba. The blackened finish on the fittings rubs off some, but it is not obvious. The seppa (washers) are nice. I prefer the coin-like edges to the gear teeth edge on some other seppa.
SAYA:
I prefer the shiny lacquered saya. My sample shows no scratches or blemishes. The koiguchi (opening) seems quite large. The blade slides in freely until the last 1/8". Once pressed in, the blade is held securely, even if upside down. The sageo (cord) is the same material as the ito and it tied in a nice knot. The kurikata (cord knob) has a gold colored shitodome (small collar) and the sageo moves freely inside the shitodome.
handling characteristics
I am 5' 10", average build and fit. As this is my first sword, I don't have much to compare it to. I am told this is as light and lively as a kantana gets, and I have to agree. It is very balanced and easy to swing in a controlled manner. I can get a nice tachi kaze sometimes, but I don't have it figured out just yet. I have a Cold Steel 18" barong machete that feels less lively than this katana. The handle feels good and there are no sharp edges on the tsuba.
Cutting
This sword cuts paper well, like a good knife. I don't really have an nice place to do cutting, and I will take my time to do it right because I'm a beginner. There are several vids on youtube with people doing cutting with similar blades. Here is one from SwordnAmory:
Conclusions
I am very pleased with my first purchase and am on my honeymoon phase (can't put it down). It's nice just to hold the blade to the light and look at the hamon. For the price, I think this is a dynamite package. Yes, the blade can be beefier, the fittings are entry level, but it's a functional light cutter and everything comes together well. I would definitely buy a Musashi sword again. I asked if they had any wakizashi in the works, and they said yes. I might have to get a little brother for this guy.
Pros (major)
-lovely blade with real hamon
-good handling
-solid construction
-great bang for the buck
Cons (minor)
-"gold" parts are a bit cheesy
-tsuka was hard to remove
-cheap ito
-makes me want to buy more swords
Bottom Line
Heck yeah, I recommend this sword! If you are looking for an entry level functional sword for a good price, I'd consider this line of katana from Musashi.
Disclaimer: first sword, first review! There are reviews of this sword with the Mokko tsuba before, but this is the latest iteration made of 1060 steel. So, moderators, I'd understand if you don't consider a review of a 'new product.' I purchased this sword from Wiwingti Sword supply for $80. It arrived very quickly and the box was in great shape.
Introduction
Mom and I used to watch kung fu movies on Saturday afternoons. I studied Karate for 8 years in my teens and twenties, and then I discovered the films of Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. My interest in samurai film and lore grew from there. I've wanted a sword for a while now, and I've resisted the urge until I started reading reviews here on SBG. The overall positive reviews of Musashi swords, the sub $100 price, and real hamon were too sweet to resist. I'm not a cutter (yet); I bought this sword to hold, admire, and take some practice swings with to hear that tachi kaze. Last but not least... swords are cool!
Historical Overview
I won't say much here since I'm new to swords. This sword is a low cost katana using traditional construction. By that I mean the handle is not glued to the blade. It is possible to disassemble the sword by tapping out the mekugi (bamboo pins) and removing the tsuka (handle). The tsuba (guard) is a traditional mokko (lobed) shape. The blade shinogi zukuri style, which is the most common style in production katana.
Initial Impressions
The transaction was easy. I purchased via the wiwingti website in the morning. When I came home from work, I got an email from Marc saying the product had shipped. Six days later, it arrived via a brown truck. The sword came double boxed and unscathed. When you open the box, the certificate of authenticity is prominent. The packing styrofoam showed some dents and cracks, but it is pretty low density. The sword arrived inside the sword bag, which is very light cotton, but hey, it's better than nothing. My first impression was the sword was very light, but solidly made. Nothing loose or rattling.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28 3/8" (including habaki), kissaki (tip) 1 1/2" long
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 3/4"
Overall Length: 39 1/4" (w/o saya) 40 1/2" (w/saya)
Guard/Tsuba Width: 3"
POB (Point of Balance): 5" above tsuba
COP (Center of Percussion): 19-20" above tsuba (my method was pretty haphazard)
Weight: I don't have a scale to properly measure this. Others say similar swords are around 2 lbs and I will agree.
Components
BLADE:
11/32" thick, 1 3/16" wide at habaki (collar) and 3/16" thick, 7/8" wide at yokote(line dividing blade and tip). Being a newer 800 series model, the cert says it is 1060 steel. It is differentially hardened (DH) and the hamon (temper line) is real, which is the best attribute of this blade. On my blade the temper line never dips down to the edge, but I've seen this in other pics of older Musashi blades. Perhaps they are mindful of this with the newer blades. The blade is straight without any burrs. The bo-hi is well executed and appears evenly made from the side. When you look directly down the spine, you can see some uneveness, but it's really not bothersome to me.
I hope you can see the level of polish from the pictures. It is not a mirror finish but it was better than I expected. There are _very_ minor scratches that are only visible when held at certain angles to the light. Oh yeah, it's paper cutting sharp. For $80 I am very pleased.
The kissaki has a cosmetic yokote, which is a little sloppy. I was most interested in the boshi, the hamon on the kissaki. I included pics of the kissaki on both sides. You can see the boshi is different on each side, and it does not appear to curve around the point of the blade. Instead, it just diffuses. However they are tempering the blade, attention to the tip seems lacking, but how can you fault this on an $80 sword?
HANDLE:
The blade is double pegged. The tsuka was stuck on pretty well when I tried to disassemble the sword. Wrapping a cloth around the blade and hitting the tsuba with a wooden block and mallet loosened it up. Much to my relief, the wood was not cracked in the tsuka. Yippee! To facilitate disassembly in the future, I filed the tang a little. Now it come apart with a strike to the hand holding the blade.
The ito (wrap) is cotton shoe lace quality, again, what I expected. It is put on neat (even diamonds) and tight with no alternating twists. Musashi's standard issue menuki (handle ornaments) are gold colored metal, and a little cheesy. They look best if you don't pay too much attention to them. One thing I've never read about in other reviews is the placement of the menuki. One is high and the other is low, presumably for either hand. Is this the same for all katana? The same panels are passable and there are no gaps visible between the ito.
TSUBA and OTHER FITTINGS:
I had a hard time choosing between this and the bamboo fittings. The bamboo model looks more ornate and has detail on the fuchi (handle collar) and kashira (pommel). Since this was a economy sword, I decided it was better to go with simple but well made fittings. I'm really glad I did.
You can see how tight the fit is. I like the simple but recognizable mokko shaped tsuba. The blackened finish on the fittings rubs off some, but it is not obvious. The seppa (washers) are nice. I prefer the coin-like edges to the gear teeth edge on some other seppa.
SAYA:
I prefer the shiny lacquered saya. My sample shows no scratches or blemishes. The koiguchi (opening) seems quite large. The blade slides in freely until the last 1/8". Once pressed in, the blade is held securely, even if upside down. The sageo (cord) is the same material as the ito and it tied in a nice knot. The kurikata (cord knob) has a gold colored shitodome (small collar) and the sageo moves freely inside the shitodome.
handling characteristics
I am 5' 10", average build and fit. As this is my first sword, I don't have much to compare it to. I am told this is as light and lively as a kantana gets, and I have to agree. It is very balanced and easy to swing in a controlled manner. I can get a nice tachi kaze sometimes, but I don't have it figured out just yet. I have a Cold Steel 18" barong machete that feels less lively than this katana. The handle feels good and there are no sharp edges on the tsuba.
Cutting
This sword cuts paper well, like a good knife. I don't really have an nice place to do cutting, and I will take my time to do it right because I'm a beginner. There are several vids on youtube with people doing cutting with similar blades. Here is one from SwordnAmory:
Conclusions
I am very pleased with my first purchase and am on my honeymoon phase (can't put it down). It's nice just to hold the blade to the light and look at the hamon. For the price, I think this is a dynamite package. Yes, the blade can be beefier, the fittings are entry level, but it's a functional light cutter and everything comes together well. I would definitely buy a Musashi sword again. I asked if they had any wakizashi in the works, and they said yes. I might have to get a little brother for this guy.
Pros (major)
-lovely blade with real hamon
-good handling
-solid construction
-great bang for the buck
Cons (minor)
-"gold" parts are a bit cheesy
-tsuka was hard to remove
-cheap ito
-makes me want to buy more swords
Bottom Line
Heck yeah, I recommend this sword! If you are looking for an entry level functional sword for a good price, I'd consider this line of katana from Musashi.