Munetoshi T-10 Katana, "Kigan" Review
Jan 12, 2010 3:41:32 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2010 3:41:32 GMT
Introduction
Konbanwa SBG!
This is a review I’m doing by popular request. I’m kind of in a unique position; I have had a chance to own swords all over the spectrum in regards to price, quality, age, et cetera. I’m also an iaidoka and work for a sword company. Most of you know I work for Sword N Armory, and many of you have asked me to do unbiased reviews of our Munetoshi line. Therefore, I am doing just that, complete with unaltered photos I took, specs I measured, pricing and my thoughts, opinions and observations of the sword in question. The first one will be our Kigan.
The Kigan is part of the ‘6 Series’, which also includes the Mushin, Takémori and Kill Bill swords. They range in price from $248.98 to $269.98. Kigan is the least expensive, at $248.98. It is also one of our newest swords.
What I love about the Kigan is that its koshirae are quite different from most production blades, in that the ito and sageo are red, the samegawa black and the prayer wheel tsuba doesn’t look like every other prayer wheel tsuba on the market. Also, the blade geometry is a historic shinogi zukuri shape, and it’s done well, as is the tough-as-nails hamon. We were all really excited when these came in, and we’re very happy with how they look and how they perform.
Historical overview
The Kigan’s shape is based off of a Shinshinto sugata. This is, of course, Japanese, made between the years 1781 and 1868. Many of the blades made during this time were based on older styles. Since I’ve really only handled a couple tired Shinshinto blades, I can’t really say how the handling of this sword would compare to a still robust one.
Initial Impressions
Since I work here, I can’t really speak from personal experience about shipping; if I want a sword, I go grab a box, inspect it and if I like it, I pay for it and take it home. I can say this, however; if someone writes in the notes of their order that they want their sword hand-inspected before it goes out, that sword gets inspected. It usually also gets cleaned and a new coat of choji put on. I can’t speak for everyone who works here, but that’s what I do.
The box is really nothing to write home about; it’s the standard cardboard with Styrofoam to keep the sword from bouncing about. It also included extra seppa and mekugi, cleaning kit and a very nice, green sword-bag that has the kanji for ‘Munetoshi’ inscribed in gold thread. I really do love these bags and think they’re very nice-looking…plus it helps that green is my favorite color.
I noticed when I first took the sword out of the bag that the sageo is the same material as the ito. I’m not a fan of this, but at least the colors match up. When I unsheathed the sword, I noticed that it had the aforementioned coat of choji on it instead of the factory oil. So, I left it on for the photos. I also took note of the weight and balance of the sword, which is really two of my favorite things about it. Another is the hamon, which has a simple beauty.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28 "
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10.75 "
Overall Length: 39.8 "
Guard/Tsuba Width: 3.25”
POB (Point of Balance): 5.5” from Tsuba
Weight: 2.4 LBS W/O Saya
Components
The Blade/To-shin
The blade is 28” of shinogi zukuri loveliness. The shinogi zukuri is well done, with nice crisp lines. The hamon is pretty and simple, and complete through the boshi. The yokote, however, is counter-polished.
The Handle/Tsuka
The tsuka is nicely shaped, with a good taper. It’s not too thin or too chunky. The red chemical fiber ito and black lacquered samagawa are a nice contrast. It would be nice if the ito were cotton and the itomaki alternated like it’s supposed to, though. It is, however, good and tight, and I was impressed to see the use of hishigami. I was also happy to see some rather large nodes on the samegawa, showing that it’s pretty decent quality. The menuki are bronze liondogs with chrysanthemums, and they’re fairly well done.
The Guard/Tsuba
I really like the tsuba. It’s cut in steel in a traditional prayer wheel design but isn’t like every other prayer wheel out there. It’s different and very nice-looking. It’s not clunky and not too wide, but not terribly thin, either, and the sukashi is done well. It does not rattle between the habaki and tsuka, but fits snugly.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The Fuchigashira are fairly plain, with stripes and stipples. I’m kind of ambivalent towards them; they don’t really add anything to the overall look of the piece. They don’t really take away either; they’re just sort of there.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is the standard glossy black lacquered that is common on many production blades. The sword fits well into it and does not rattle. The koiguchi is shaped well and is rimmed with buffalo horn. The kurigata is also lacquered black and features shitodome. The sageo is the same material as the ito, so I think there’s some room for improvement there.
Handling Characteristics
I’m 5’ 7”, and though I don’t like to use anything longer than 29” nagasa, I like my blades with some heft and niku to them. I think it’s due to my first iaito; it’s shobu zukuri, 28” nagasa and weighs almost three pounds. My primary cutting blade weighs 3.1 pounds, so I’m used to using heavier swords. This sword, in comparison, is lighter and faster, but is still heavy enough that you’re aware it’s there and that it isn’t a little, flimsy blade. As I mentioned, I have no Shinshinto blades with which I can compare it to, but in regards to other swords I’ve handled, it does handle very well. The sword is very responsive in the hand and cuts like a dream, and is still light enough to be used as a primary shinken for an iaidoka. This is a consideration for me, as I’m beginning to develop carpal tunnel.
Test Cutting
This sword cuts wara, omote and bottles equally well. It’s a fun sword to use and has a good, sharp edge. It also has a fantastic heat treat; over the course of using this blade, we have cut (on accident!) wooden stands, asphalt and concrete, as well as wara with bamboo cores. It has come out none the worse for wear and basically unscathed.
Conclusions
The overall presentation of the sword is pretty good, and there are several areas where this sword has exceeded my expectations. The excellent heat treat, high-quality samegawa and general look of the sword are all wonderful, as is the performance. If it were to be revised in the future, I would like to see cotton ito, sageo that is actually made out of sageo material, geometric yokote and either very, very plain koshirae or something that matches the theme of the sword. I would definitely buy from Sword N Armory again; in fact, I have four swords I’m saving up to buy from them.
Pros
Nice shinogi zukuri shape
Beautiful hamon
Fantastic heat treat
Great performing sword
Good samegawa
Nice sword-bag.
Hishigami!
Cons
Itomaki crossovers go the same direction
Fushigashira are boring
Yokote is counter-polished
Sageo is same material as ito
The Bottom Line
I would definitely recommend this sword to someone looking for a sturdy, middleweight cutting sword. The sword performs well and the heat treat goes above and beyond all expectations. Also, it’s a very nice looking package overall. I would say it’s a good value for the money.
--Midori.
*EDIT* This sword is available at: www.swordnarmory.com/Munetoshi-T-10-Handmade-Samurai-Katana-Sword-Kigan-p/jh-6104.htm
Konbanwa SBG!
This is a review I’m doing by popular request. I’m kind of in a unique position; I have had a chance to own swords all over the spectrum in regards to price, quality, age, et cetera. I’m also an iaidoka and work for a sword company. Most of you know I work for Sword N Armory, and many of you have asked me to do unbiased reviews of our Munetoshi line. Therefore, I am doing just that, complete with unaltered photos I took, specs I measured, pricing and my thoughts, opinions and observations of the sword in question. The first one will be our Kigan.
The Kigan is part of the ‘6 Series’, which also includes the Mushin, Takémori and Kill Bill swords. They range in price from $248.98 to $269.98. Kigan is the least expensive, at $248.98. It is also one of our newest swords.
What I love about the Kigan is that its koshirae are quite different from most production blades, in that the ito and sageo are red, the samegawa black and the prayer wheel tsuba doesn’t look like every other prayer wheel tsuba on the market. Also, the blade geometry is a historic shinogi zukuri shape, and it’s done well, as is the tough-as-nails hamon. We were all really excited when these came in, and we’re very happy with how they look and how they perform.
Historical overview
The Kigan’s shape is based off of a Shinshinto sugata. This is, of course, Japanese, made between the years 1781 and 1868. Many of the blades made during this time were based on older styles. Since I’ve really only handled a couple tired Shinshinto blades, I can’t really say how the handling of this sword would compare to a still robust one.
Initial Impressions
Since I work here, I can’t really speak from personal experience about shipping; if I want a sword, I go grab a box, inspect it and if I like it, I pay for it and take it home. I can say this, however; if someone writes in the notes of their order that they want their sword hand-inspected before it goes out, that sword gets inspected. It usually also gets cleaned and a new coat of choji put on. I can’t speak for everyone who works here, but that’s what I do.
The box is really nothing to write home about; it’s the standard cardboard with Styrofoam to keep the sword from bouncing about. It also included extra seppa and mekugi, cleaning kit and a very nice, green sword-bag that has the kanji for ‘Munetoshi’ inscribed in gold thread. I really do love these bags and think they’re very nice-looking…plus it helps that green is my favorite color.
I noticed when I first took the sword out of the bag that the sageo is the same material as the ito. I’m not a fan of this, but at least the colors match up. When I unsheathed the sword, I noticed that it had the aforementioned coat of choji on it instead of the factory oil. So, I left it on for the photos. I also took note of the weight and balance of the sword, which is really two of my favorite things about it. Another is the hamon, which has a simple beauty.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28 "
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10.75 "
Overall Length: 39.8 "
Guard/Tsuba Width: 3.25”
POB (Point of Balance): 5.5” from Tsuba
Weight: 2.4 LBS W/O Saya
Components
The Blade/To-shin
The blade is 28” of shinogi zukuri loveliness. The shinogi zukuri is well done, with nice crisp lines. The hamon is pretty and simple, and complete through the boshi. The yokote, however, is counter-polished.
The Handle/Tsuka
The tsuka is nicely shaped, with a good taper. It’s not too thin or too chunky. The red chemical fiber ito and black lacquered samagawa are a nice contrast. It would be nice if the ito were cotton and the itomaki alternated like it’s supposed to, though. It is, however, good and tight, and I was impressed to see the use of hishigami. I was also happy to see some rather large nodes on the samegawa, showing that it’s pretty decent quality. The menuki are bronze liondogs with chrysanthemums, and they’re fairly well done.
The Guard/Tsuba
I really like the tsuba. It’s cut in steel in a traditional prayer wheel design but isn’t like every other prayer wheel out there. It’s different and very nice-looking. It’s not clunky and not too wide, but not terribly thin, either, and the sukashi is done well. It does not rattle between the habaki and tsuka, but fits snugly.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The Fuchigashira are fairly plain, with stripes and stipples. I’m kind of ambivalent towards them; they don’t really add anything to the overall look of the piece. They don’t really take away either; they’re just sort of there.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is the standard glossy black lacquered that is common on many production blades. The sword fits well into it and does not rattle. The koiguchi is shaped well and is rimmed with buffalo horn. The kurigata is also lacquered black and features shitodome. The sageo is the same material as the ito, so I think there’s some room for improvement there.
Handling Characteristics
I’m 5’ 7”, and though I don’t like to use anything longer than 29” nagasa, I like my blades with some heft and niku to them. I think it’s due to my first iaito; it’s shobu zukuri, 28” nagasa and weighs almost three pounds. My primary cutting blade weighs 3.1 pounds, so I’m used to using heavier swords. This sword, in comparison, is lighter and faster, but is still heavy enough that you’re aware it’s there and that it isn’t a little, flimsy blade. As I mentioned, I have no Shinshinto blades with which I can compare it to, but in regards to other swords I’ve handled, it does handle very well. The sword is very responsive in the hand and cuts like a dream, and is still light enough to be used as a primary shinken for an iaidoka. This is a consideration for me, as I’m beginning to develop carpal tunnel.
Test Cutting
This sword cuts wara, omote and bottles equally well. It’s a fun sword to use and has a good, sharp edge. It also has a fantastic heat treat; over the course of using this blade, we have cut (on accident!) wooden stands, asphalt and concrete, as well as wara with bamboo cores. It has come out none the worse for wear and basically unscathed.
Conclusions
The overall presentation of the sword is pretty good, and there are several areas where this sword has exceeded my expectations. The excellent heat treat, high-quality samegawa and general look of the sword are all wonderful, as is the performance. If it were to be revised in the future, I would like to see cotton ito, sageo that is actually made out of sageo material, geometric yokote and either very, very plain koshirae or something that matches the theme of the sword. I would definitely buy from Sword N Armory again; in fact, I have four swords I’m saving up to buy from them.
Pros
Nice shinogi zukuri shape
Beautiful hamon
Fantastic heat treat
Great performing sword
Good samegawa
Nice sword-bag.
Hishigami!
Cons
Itomaki crossovers go the same direction
Fushigashira are boring
Yokote is counter-polished
Sageo is same material as ito
The Bottom Line
I would definitely recommend this sword to someone looking for a sturdy, middleweight cutting sword. The sword performs well and the heat treat goes above and beyond all expectations. Also, it’s a very nice looking package overall. I would say it’s a good value for the money.
--Midori.
*EDIT* This sword is available at: www.swordnarmory.com/Munetoshi-T-10-Handmade-Samurai-Katana-Sword-Kigan-p/jh-6104.htm