Midori: A Nami Iaito Review
Mar 1, 2010 21:41:43 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2010 21:41:43 GMT
Introduction
Konbanwa SBG!
After pouring over the review index and past reviews, it has become apparent to me that there isn’t a single review for an iaito. Not one that I could locate, anyway. That being said, I decided to remedy the situation, as I feel that they are an important and crucial element to proper training. While I’ll be reviewing all my iaito eventually, I decided to start with my favorite and most used. Her name is Midori, and she began her life about seven years ago as a Hanwei Nami iaito.
This is another sword in the large cache we bought, mentioned in my last review ( /index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=14798 ). The young gentleman who had it before us actually used it to chop down small tree branches. I’m not certain how or why, but it worked. At the time we bought it, Kevin needed an iaito, so he began using it right away, and continued to until he found one that was a better size and weight for him. He then passed it on to me. It has since had a little work done; new ito, gyakute menuki and is slated for new ito (again), new sageo and a paintjob on the saya, if not a new saya.
I’ve always really liked this sword and had hatched plans to weasel it from Kevin’s steely grasp. So when he got another iaito and offered me the Nami, I jumped on it! It’s a very plain and unassuming sword and is much lighter than the iaito I started my training with, which was (and still is) marvelous. I was very sad to hear Hanwei had discontinued the Nami, but its successor, the Gorin, is just as nice and similarly weighted. The blades are nearly identical. They can be found anywhere Hanwei is sold, and several online vendors will have them for less than Hanweis’ $419.00 MSRP. The Nami’s MSRP was $299.00.
Historical overview
The iaito as we know it came about in the late Edo period and was used only for training. There are no photo examples that I could locate; old iaito have more than likely been sharpened or broken. Since I have nothing to compare the Nami to I’m not sure that I could, save for the fact it is stainless rather than carbon. It performs well for me (and for many others who have borrowed it) and I think that’s really what matters most in this case.
Initial Impressions
As I mentioned before, I’ve long had plans to snatch this sword away from Kevin. I was a little sad when he began using it, as the iaito I was using at the time is about the same weight as my 3.1 pound favorite cutting sword, which was really a terrible weight to start with. As a result of that sword being too heavy, I developed some rather bad habits. The Nami has helped me work most of those out.
When the sword finally came into my possession, it was a little worse for wear. Kevin had had to glue the kurigata back on at one point and the saya has been shimmed several times now. All the kodogu show signs of wear and aging; I actually really like this. It no longer has the original ito, which was very old and nearly falling off by the time the sword came into my possession. Kevin rewrapped it in green cotton which is still tight, but because of how much use it’s seen it’s looking quite icky. I use this sword for an hour almost every evening, carry it to work with me so I can practice on lunch and have loaned it to people training with me that did not have an iaito or their sword wasn’t light enough for them. So it’s seen a lot of use and continues to. I’ll be posting in the customizations section once its restoration has begun.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 28”
Tsuka Length: 10.5”
Overall Length: 39.5”
Tsuba Width: 2.75”
Point of Balance: 4.5”
Weight: W/O Saya: 1.95 Lb.
Components
To-shin
The blade has a 28” nagasa and is made of stainless steel. Despite this, I clean and oil it anyway because I don’t want to fall out of the habit. Additionally, noto is smoother with an oiled blade. The aesthetic hamon is very lovely, though it has been worn off in spots due to the poor form of its numerous users. Kevin and I both were at one time guilty of this but have since learned the correct techniques and the finesse they require to properly draw and noto a sword.
The kissaki is well shaped, as is the bohi. It has no niku and is thin (tired-from-the-box again), but that’s okay, since it’s an iaito. I can speak from experience when I say you want something light for repetitive motions, at least until you’ve really built your sword muscles. Otherwise you’ll suffer muscle and joint strain and could develop some bad habits trying to work around the weight of your sword.
One more thing that I really love about it is that the habaki and seppa are real copper as opposed to brass. I don’t see many copper habaki anymore, even on Hanwei blades.
Tsuka
The tsuka is the reason I call this sword ‘Midori’, and it was Midori long before I was. Green is my favorite color and I asked Kevin to replace the old ito with green cotton. Even though it’s clearly aged now, I still like it. The old ito was gross and falling off by the time Kevin rewrapped it, but it lasted a good five or six years. I’ve seen the tsuka without samegawa panels and without ito, so I know exactly what the wood looks like. It’s not great (they used a weird cut of wood) but it’s held together without cracking or the glue seam splitting. The tsuka is nicely tapered though straight and the samegawa is decent. The menuki I cleaned before the tsuka was rewrapped because I love the color of new copper, and will be cleaning them again when the tsuka is wrapped again. For now, they have a nice, mellow patina.
Tsuba
The tsuba is very plain and shows signs of use and wear. I really like it and would probably never put another one on this sword. It is thin and light, but needs a little bit of restoration work. It’s one of the most comfortable tsuba on any sword I’ve used. It’s made of steel.
Fuchigashira
The fuchigashira are also very plain and match the little wave motif on the tsuba. They fit the tsuka very well and don’t move. They are also made of steel.
Saya
The saya is very beaten up and I’m considering just buying a new one as opposed to fixing this one. It’s marred and scuffed and chipped. The kurigata has been glued back on and the koiguchi shimmed. I believe the sageo is original to the sword, and it’s also looking just a tad frazzled. I’ll be replacing it with a green one eventually.
Handling Characteristics
Midori and Midori!
This sword handles like a dream. The bohi lets me know if my hasuji (edge alignment) is on or not but the tachikaze (lit. ‘sword wind’) that I get from it. It’s light and quickly maneuverable, which is good for a sword that is going to be swung repetitively and often and used in kata. It’s really a joy to train with and I can’t imagine using any other sword in my collection as I’ve used this one.
Conclusions
This sword was made in Hanweis’ golden days when they were getting popular but still had something to prove, so the quality is very good. I’d love to see them bring this line back; there are so many new practitioners that could really benefit from using the Nami.
Pros
-Weight is good for beginners and advanced practitioners alike
-Fittings are stunningly simple
-Hamon, though aesthetic, is lovely
-Made of steel as opposed to aluminum, so it feels like a ‘real sword’
Cons
-Hanwei has discontinued this model, though both new and used Nami are still floating around in different places if one looks far enough.
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this sword to any practitioner that doesn’t yet have a good iaito or to someone who is considering Japanese sword arts. It’s a wonderful training blade and my personal growth as an iaidoka would have been impossible without it.
Konbanwa SBG!
After pouring over the review index and past reviews, it has become apparent to me that there isn’t a single review for an iaito. Not one that I could locate, anyway. That being said, I decided to remedy the situation, as I feel that they are an important and crucial element to proper training. While I’ll be reviewing all my iaito eventually, I decided to start with my favorite and most used. Her name is Midori, and she began her life about seven years ago as a Hanwei Nami iaito.
This is another sword in the large cache we bought, mentioned in my last review ( /index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=14798 ). The young gentleman who had it before us actually used it to chop down small tree branches. I’m not certain how or why, but it worked. At the time we bought it, Kevin needed an iaito, so he began using it right away, and continued to until he found one that was a better size and weight for him. He then passed it on to me. It has since had a little work done; new ito, gyakute menuki and is slated for new ito (again), new sageo and a paintjob on the saya, if not a new saya.
I’ve always really liked this sword and had hatched plans to weasel it from Kevin’s steely grasp. So when he got another iaito and offered me the Nami, I jumped on it! It’s a very plain and unassuming sword and is much lighter than the iaito I started my training with, which was (and still is) marvelous. I was very sad to hear Hanwei had discontinued the Nami, but its successor, the Gorin, is just as nice and similarly weighted. The blades are nearly identical. They can be found anywhere Hanwei is sold, and several online vendors will have them for less than Hanweis’ $419.00 MSRP. The Nami’s MSRP was $299.00.
Historical overview
The iaito as we know it came about in the late Edo period and was used only for training. There are no photo examples that I could locate; old iaito have more than likely been sharpened or broken. Since I have nothing to compare the Nami to I’m not sure that I could, save for the fact it is stainless rather than carbon. It performs well for me (and for many others who have borrowed it) and I think that’s really what matters most in this case.
Initial Impressions
As I mentioned before, I’ve long had plans to snatch this sword away from Kevin. I was a little sad when he began using it, as the iaito I was using at the time is about the same weight as my 3.1 pound favorite cutting sword, which was really a terrible weight to start with. As a result of that sword being too heavy, I developed some rather bad habits. The Nami has helped me work most of those out.
When the sword finally came into my possession, it was a little worse for wear. Kevin had had to glue the kurigata back on at one point and the saya has been shimmed several times now. All the kodogu show signs of wear and aging; I actually really like this. It no longer has the original ito, which was very old and nearly falling off by the time the sword came into my possession. Kevin rewrapped it in green cotton which is still tight, but because of how much use it’s seen it’s looking quite icky. I use this sword for an hour almost every evening, carry it to work with me so I can practice on lunch and have loaned it to people training with me that did not have an iaito or their sword wasn’t light enough for them. So it’s seen a lot of use and continues to. I’ll be posting in the customizations section once its restoration has begun.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 28”
Tsuka Length: 10.5”
Overall Length: 39.5”
Tsuba Width: 2.75”
Point of Balance: 4.5”
Weight: W/O Saya: 1.95 Lb.
Components
To-shin
The blade has a 28” nagasa and is made of stainless steel. Despite this, I clean and oil it anyway because I don’t want to fall out of the habit. Additionally, noto is smoother with an oiled blade. The aesthetic hamon is very lovely, though it has been worn off in spots due to the poor form of its numerous users. Kevin and I both were at one time guilty of this but have since learned the correct techniques and the finesse they require to properly draw and noto a sword.
The kissaki is well shaped, as is the bohi. It has no niku and is thin (tired-from-the-box again), but that’s okay, since it’s an iaito. I can speak from experience when I say you want something light for repetitive motions, at least until you’ve really built your sword muscles. Otherwise you’ll suffer muscle and joint strain and could develop some bad habits trying to work around the weight of your sword.
One more thing that I really love about it is that the habaki and seppa are real copper as opposed to brass. I don’t see many copper habaki anymore, even on Hanwei blades.
Tsuka
The tsuka is the reason I call this sword ‘Midori’, and it was Midori long before I was. Green is my favorite color and I asked Kevin to replace the old ito with green cotton. Even though it’s clearly aged now, I still like it. The old ito was gross and falling off by the time Kevin rewrapped it, but it lasted a good five or six years. I’ve seen the tsuka without samegawa panels and without ito, so I know exactly what the wood looks like. It’s not great (they used a weird cut of wood) but it’s held together without cracking or the glue seam splitting. The tsuka is nicely tapered though straight and the samegawa is decent. The menuki I cleaned before the tsuka was rewrapped because I love the color of new copper, and will be cleaning them again when the tsuka is wrapped again. For now, they have a nice, mellow patina.
Tsuba
The tsuba is very plain and shows signs of use and wear. I really like it and would probably never put another one on this sword. It is thin and light, but needs a little bit of restoration work. It’s one of the most comfortable tsuba on any sword I’ve used. It’s made of steel.
Fuchigashira
The fuchigashira are also very plain and match the little wave motif on the tsuba. They fit the tsuka very well and don’t move. They are also made of steel.
Saya
The saya is very beaten up and I’m considering just buying a new one as opposed to fixing this one. It’s marred and scuffed and chipped. The kurigata has been glued back on and the koiguchi shimmed. I believe the sageo is original to the sword, and it’s also looking just a tad frazzled. I’ll be replacing it with a green one eventually.
Handling Characteristics
Midori and Midori!
This sword handles like a dream. The bohi lets me know if my hasuji (edge alignment) is on or not but the tachikaze (lit. ‘sword wind’) that I get from it. It’s light and quickly maneuverable, which is good for a sword that is going to be swung repetitively and often and used in kata. It’s really a joy to train with and I can’t imagine using any other sword in my collection as I’ve used this one.
Conclusions
This sword was made in Hanweis’ golden days when they were getting popular but still had something to prove, so the quality is very good. I’d love to see them bring this line back; there are so many new practitioners that could really benefit from using the Nami.
Pros
-Weight is good for beginners and advanced practitioners alike
-Fittings are stunningly simple
-Hamon, though aesthetic, is lovely
-Made of steel as opposed to aluminum, so it feels like a ‘real sword’
Cons
-Hanwei has discontinued this model, though both new and used Nami are still floating around in different places if one looks far enough.
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this sword to any practitioner that doesn’t yet have a good iaito or to someone who is considering Japanese sword arts. It’s a wonderful training blade and my personal growth as an iaidoka would have been impossible without it.