Munetoshi 1065 'Beater' Review
Jan 27, 2010 21:51:48 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2010 21:51:48 GMT
Introduction
Good Afternoon SBG!
Today, I’m doing a review of the Munetoshi ‘Beater’ line. These swords are sub-$100.00 and can be found here:
Bushido: www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-1065-Samurai-Katana-Beater-Sword-p/jh-3102-b.htm
Honor: www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-1065-Samurai-Katana-Beater-Sword-p/jh-3102-h.htm
Samurai: www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-1065-Samurai-Katana-Beater-Sword-p/jh-3102-s.htm
I decided to do a review of all three of them because they are all the same blade with the same fittings but with different carvings on the saya. They retail from Sword N Armory for $99.98 and come with a black sword bag with the same word that is carved on the saya on the bag in kanji and English, as well as a certificate of authenticity. In the interest of time I did not take any photos of the box, as the beaters are packed the same as the Yuki that I reviewed last week. Photos of the packaging can be found here: /index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=14289
These are swords I’ve wanted to review on for a while, as they perform well and are a price pretty much everyone can afford. The blades are better quality than anything I’ve seen in the price range, though I’m not a huge fan of the iron fittings. But for the price, they’re worth purchasing as a project sword and refitting.
Historical overview
The Beaters feature the typical shinogi zukuri geometry that we see a good portion of production blades made in. They are light and thin, with a slightly tired-from-the-box feel. As such, I can certainly call them katana, but I cannot honestly state a historical basis for their shape. Additionally, I’m fairly certain no blade of any age had ‘Samurai’ carved into the saya all Blair Witch-style in Romaji…and upside-down. So, we’ll just call them ‘modern’.
Initial Impressions
For my review, I grabbed three random swords off the shelf and carried them into the studio, which is maybe a fifteen-foot walk. I grabbed a fourth as well; a Beater turned into a customized piece for comparison. The boxes are all thin with multiple pieces of Styrofoam to keep the swords from jostling about.
Of course, the first thing I noticed was the garish lettering on each saya. It probably wouldn’t strike me so if the lettering was carved not in alignment with how a katana is worn and displayed, but how a tachi is worn and displayed. Therefore, all the lettering is upside-down. It really stands out. Once I got the sword in-hand, I noticed some of the antiquing on the iron tsuba rubbing off on my hand. Kind of grodey, but not a huge deal. Other observations included the aesthetic hamon, which is decently done, counter-polished kissaki, which is par for the course and bohi termination, which leaves room for improvement. In hand, the sword is light and responsive with a decent balance.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 28.75”
Tsuka Length: 10.5”
Overall Length: 39.25”
Tsuba Width: 3”
POB (Point of Balance): 6” From Tsuba
Weight W/O Saya: 2.2 Lbs
Components
It has quickly become apparent to me that the production cost for this sword lies almost entirely in the blade. I have seen comparable blades retailing for twice what the Beater retails for, sometimes more. This is obvious in the koshirae as well, as the kodogu are actually made of iron.
The Toshin
The blade is made of 1065 through-hardened steel in shinogi zukuri geometry. It has an aesthetic hamon, counter-polished kissaki and a bohi.
The blade is very light, due to the near inexistence of niku and the presence of the bohi. It also features a nagasa of twenty-eight and a quarter inches, which is toward the upper end of my length preference. The hamon looks pretty good for an aesthetic one, and the counter-polished kissaki is pretty much to be expected in this price range. The only thing that really bothers me is the bohi termination, which is really also to be expected for the price.
The Tsuka
The tsuka is shaped very well for a sub-$100.00 sword. It is waisted and not overly chunky and features real samegawa. It is secured to the nakago with two bamboo mekugi and can be removed from the sword with an acceptable amount of resistance, displaying a good fit and the absence of glue, which seems to be quite rare for swords of this price. The menuki are brass cranes and the fushigashira also feature cranes, though they’re made of iron. So the koshirae have an overall theme, which has been lacking from previous swords I’ve reviewed. For ninety-nine dollars and change, color me impressed.
Only fault I find with the tsuka is that the ito crossovers are not alternating, but all go the same way. The ito is chemical fiber, which is to be expected for the price.
The Tsuba
The tsuba is also iron and features a crane, completing the themed kodogu. It also has an uncommon feature; wrist-strap holes. These are traditional and were added for people using swords that were on the heavy side for them. They’re a feature I really like and I’m actually looking for tsuba for swords in my personal collection that have these holes. I’ve only seen a handful of modern production pieces that have them. If only this tsuba were steel I would really love it. The iron is a little rough on the hand and leaves gunky marks, but a bit of soap and water clean it off the hands just fine.
The Fuchigashira
The fushigashira are also made of iron and feature cranes. I would be quite fond of these as part of the overarching theme of the sword if they were another metal.
The Saya
The saya of these swords are definitely my least favorite part. The lacquer job is decent, as are the koiguchi, kurigata and kojiri. There are two things I dislike: the fact the sageo is the same material as the ito, and the fact the saya is carved. The carving in and of itself wouldn’t have been something that bothered me so badly if it wasn’t in Romaji, which are English letters, and upside-down. The carving on the back of the saya, though also upside-down, is at least in kanji. I believe it was an attempt to make these affordable swords look cooler that backfired.
Handling Characteristics
The author with the 'Bushido' Beater
As I mentioned earlier, there’s really no historical basis for this blade, so I’ll just have to pit it against my personal preferences. I’m 5’7” and prefer blades many would consider heavy (2.5 to 3.5 lbs) with 27”-29” nagasa. At 2.2 lbs, the blade feels light to me. This makes it responsive and fast. This paired with the decently shaped tsuka and a balance point of 6” from the tsuba makes for a very responsive cutter. It’s a very fun blade that we have used on both mats and bottles, though I prefer it for bottles.
Test Cutting
The in-house Beater was used several times during this video.
I can sum this sword’s cutting abilities up in one word: eager. The balance and weight just begs to bring destruction to Arizona Ice Tea bottles! We’ve also used it on tatami, milk jugs, regular water bottles and (on accident) the cutting stand, peg and pavement. This sword has proven itself very resilient in the duration of our time cutting with it, which has been nearly a year. It’s one of those fantastic little blades that you can pick up for next to nothing that never says ‘die’. We haven’t even been able to chip the blade! It only requires occasional sharpening and a quick bend back in place on only cuts with the very worst edge alignment. It has surpassed all my expectations of what a sword of this price is capable of.
Some 'oopses' and 'ouches' that the Beater (and other swords) were involved in.
Conclusions
In summary, this is the best sub-$100.00 sword I have had the opportunity to use, and the quality of the blade exceeds the price range by at least half. I can understand the quality of the fittings at the price, but I would love to see this model without the carving on the saya. I may actually be tempted to pick one up at that time. As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I would buy a Munetoshi from Sword N Armory again and in fact have plans to buy three other models.
Pros
-Light, well-balanced blade that performs as well as blades twice the price
-Overarching kodogu theme
-Nicely shaped tsuka
-Price!
Cons
-Bohi termination
-Iron fittings
-Carvings on saya
The Bottom Line
Side-by-side comparison of a stock Beater and one that has been fully customized.
I would recommend this sword to anyone on a budget looking for a good-performing blade that could stand up to years of use or as a beginner’s sword. I would also recommend this sword to someone looking for a project blade, as they clean up beautifully!
A couple more views of stock Beater next to customized one.
Good Afternoon SBG!
Today, I’m doing a review of the Munetoshi ‘Beater’ line. These swords are sub-$100.00 and can be found here:
Bushido: www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-1065-Samurai-Katana-Beater-Sword-p/jh-3102-b.htm
Honor: www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-1065-Samurai-Katana-Beater-Sword-p/jh-3102-h.htm
Samurai: www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-1065-Samurai-Katana-Beater-Sword-p/jh-3102-s.htm
I decided to do a review of all three of them because they are all the same blade with the same fittings but with different carvings on the saya. They retail from Sword N Armory for $99.98 and come with a black sword bag with the same word that is carved on the saya on the bag in kanji and English, as well as a certificate of authenticity. In the interest of time I did not take any photos of the box, as the beaters are packed the same as the Yuki that I reviewed last week. Photos of the packaging can be found here: /index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=14289
These are swords I’ve wanted to review on for a while, as they perform well and are a price pretty much everyone can afford. The blades are better quality than anything I’ve seen in the price range, though I’m not a huge fan of the iron fittings. But for the price, they’re worth purchasing as a project sword and refitting.
Historical overview
The Beaters feature the typical shinogi zukuri geometry that we see a good portion of production blades made in. They are light and thin, with a slightly tired-from-the-box feel. As such, I can certainly call them katana, but I cannot honestly state a historical basis for their shape. Additionally, I’m fairly certain no blade of any age had ‘Samurai’ carved into the saya all Blair Witch-style in Romaji…and upside-down. So, we’ll just call them ‘modern’.
Initial Impressions
For my review, I grabbed three random swords off the shelf and carried them into the studio, which is maybe a fifteen-foot walk. I grabbed a fourth as well; a Beater turned into a customized piece for comparison. The boxes are all thin with multiple pieces of Styrofoam to keep the swords from jostling about.
Of course, the first thing I noticed was the garish lettering on each saya. It probably wouldn’t strike me so if the lettering was carved not in alignment with how a katana is worn and displayed, but how a tachi is worn and displayed. Therefore, all the lettering is upside-down. It really stands out. Once I got the sword in-hand, I noticed some of the antiquing on the iron tsuba rubbing off on my hand. Kind of grodey, but not a huge deal. Other observations included the aesthetic hamon, which is decently done, counter-polished kissaki, which is par for the course and bohi termination, which leaves room for improvement. In hand, the sword is light and responsive with a decent balance.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 28.75”
Tsuka Length: 10.5”
Overall Length: 39.25”
Tsuba Width: 3”
POB (Point of Balance): 6” From Tsuba
Weight W/O Saya: 2.2 Lbs
Components
It has quickly become apparent to me that the production cost for this sword lies almost entirely in the blade. I have seen comparable blades retailing for twice what the Beater retails for, sometimes more. This is obvious in the koshirae as well, as the kodogu are actually made of iron.
The Toshin
The blade is made of 1065 through-hardened steel in shinogi zukuri geometry. It has an aesthetic hamon, counter-polished kissaki and a bohi.
The blade is very light, due to the near inexistence of niku and the presence of the bohi. It also features a nagasa of twenty-eight and a quarter inches, which is toward the upper end of my length preference. The hamon looks pretty good for an aesthetic one, and the counter-polished kissaki is pretty much to be expected in this price range. The only thing that really bothers me is the bohi termination, which is really also to be expected for the price.
The Tsuka
The tsuka is shaped very well for a sub-$100.00 sword. It is waisted and not overly chunky and features real samegawa. It is secured to the nakago with two bamboo mekugi and can be removed from the sword with an acceptable amount of resistance, displaying a good fit and the absence of glue, which seems to be quite rare for swords of this price. The menuki are brass cranes and the fushigashira also feature cranes, though they’re made of iron. So the koshirae have an overall theme, which has been lacking from previous swords I’ve reviewed. For ninety-nine dollars and change, color me impressed.
Only fault I find with the tsuka is that the ito crossovers are not alternating, but all go the same way. The ito is chemical fiber, which is to be expected for the price.
The Tsuba
The tsuba is also iron and features a crane, completing the themed kodogu. It also has an uncommon feature; wrist-strap holes. These are traditional and were added for people using swords that were on the heavy side for them. They’re a feature I really like and I’m actually looking for tsuba for swords in my personal collection that have these holes. I’ve only seen a handful of modern production pieces that have them. If only this tsuba were steel I would really love it. The iron is a little rough on the hand and leaves gunky marks, but a bit of soap and water clean it off the hands just fine.
The Fuchigashira
The fushigashira are also made of iron and feature cranes. I would be quite fond of these as part of the overarching theme of the sword if they were another metal.
The Saya
The saya of these swords are definitely my least favorite part. The lacquer job is decent, as are the koiguchi, kurigata and kojiri. There are two things I dislike: the fact the sageo is the same material as the ito, and the fact the saya is carved. The carving in and of itself wouldn’t have been something that bothered me so badly if it wasn’t in Romaji, which are English letters, and upside-down. The carving on the back of the saya, though also upside-down, is at least in kanji. I believe it was an attempt to make these affordable swords look cooler that backfired.
Handling Characteristics
The author with the 'Bushido' Beater
As I mentioned earlier, there’s really no historical basis for this blade, so I’ll just have to pit it against my personal preferences. I’m 5’7” and prefer blades many would consider heavy (2.5 to 3.5 lbs) with 27”-29” nagasa. At 2.2 lbs, the blade feels light to me. This makes it responsive and fast. This paired with the decently shaped tsuka and a balance point of 6” from the tsuba makes for a very responsive cutter. It’s a very fun blade that we have used on both mats and bottles, though I prefer it for bottles.
Test Cutting
The in-house Beater was used several times during this video.
I can sum this sword’s cutting abilities up in one word: eager. The balance and weight just begs to bring destruction to Arizona Ice Tea bottles! We’ve also used it on tatami, milk jugs, regular water bottles and (on accident) the cutting stand, peg and pavement. This sword has proven itself very resilient in the duration of our time cutting with it, which has been nearly a year. It’s one of those fantastic little blades that you can pick up for next to nothing that never says ‘die’. We haven’t even been able to chip the blade! It only requires occasional sharpening and a quick bend back in place on only cuts with the very worst edge alignment. It has surpassed all my expectations of what a sword of this price is capable of.
Some 'oopses' and 'ouches' that the Beater (and other swords) were involved in.
Conclusions
In summary, this is the best sub-$100.00 sword I have had the opportunity to use, and the quality of the blade exceeds the price range by at least half. I can understand the quality of the fittings at the price, but I would love to see this model without the carving on the saya. I may actually be tempted to pick one up at that time. As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I would buy a Munetoshi from Sword N Armory again and in fact have plans to buy three other models.
Pros
-Light, well-balanced blade that performs as well as blades twice the price
-Overarching kodogu theme
-Nicely shaped tsuka
-Price!
Cons
-Bohi termination
-Iron fittings
-Carvings on saya
The Bottom Line
Side-by-side comparison of a stock Beater and one that has been fully customized.
I would recommend this sword to anyone on a budget looking for a good-performing blade that could stand up to years of use or as a beginner’s sword. I would also recommend this sword to someone looking for a project blade, as they clean up beautifully!
A couple more views of stock Beater next to customized one.