Review of two Musashi swords: Shizoku and Bamboo
Apr 20, 2007 0:50:41 GMT
Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2007 0:50:41 GMT
The Musashi brand of katana is a relative newcomer in a market that seems to be swelling with options for the collector of entry-level (i.e., sub $300USD) functional katana. The competition for sword collectors’ dollars is fierce – not only are newer brands such as Cheness and Masahiro vying for their share of the market, but in the past year the grandfather of production katana, Paul Chen of Hanwei, updated the Practical line, showing that Hanwei swords are still a force to be reckoned with. In a market such as this, a line of swords needs to strike a delicate balance between aesthetics, durability, and “bang for your buck” cutting performance in order to attract both casual collectors as well as seasoned practitioners of the sword arts. All this begs the question: How well do Musashi swords measure up?
In order to answer this question, I recently had the opportunity to handle and cut with two different Musashi swords on different ends of the price spectrum: the Shizoku (Warrior) katana (retailing for $69.99USD) and the Bamboo katana (retailing for $199.99USD). What follows is my honest (yet still somewhat novice) assessment of these blades. For each category, I assign each sword a score between 1 and 5, with 5 being the best score possible. This is not a comparative review, per se, as these swords are not meant to be on par with each other, but I thought that reviewing the two side by side might provide a glimpse of what a consumer could expect from both the budget and the more performance-oriented Musashi products.
The reader should also note that I am a casual collector and backyard cutter, not a sword arts practitioner. I have 21 years of martial arts experience, including kobudo and kali training – but no training in a Japanese sword art. The emphasis of my own sword collection has been on functionality rather than traditionally constructed katana. My tastes have grown, and there are some swords that I have purchased in the past that I would not do so again, but I am no nihonto collector. Given this, my review is meant to inform casual collectors looking to purchase inexpensive yet functional blades.
With that said, on to the reviews!
First Impressions
The swords arrived on my doorstep via UPS, packaged together in a nondescript brown box. Once I opened the outer box, it was obvious which of the two packages inside contained the Shizoku katana and which contained the Bamboo.
The Shizoku came in a thin cardboard box with Chinese characters printed on the lid. Inside, the sword was placed inside a rough, black cotton sword bag, and cradled by two Styrofoam cutouts and crumpled paper on either end. This was functional enough to prevent damage during shipping, if not exactly aesthetically pleasing.
The Bamboo katana, however, was inside an extra-wide cloth-covered royal blue box emblazoned with a dragon motif. The inside of the box was lined with silky golden cloth, and there was room for the sword and complementary cleaning kit to lie side by side. The sword bag was also made of silk, and was a deep blue on the outside lined with golden cloth on the inside. Finally, the box contained an envelope housing a certificate of authenticity listing the basic stats of the sword and the method of construction of the blade. The effect was an elegant presentation that I hoped would be worthy of the sword inside the box.
Fit and Finish: Fittings
Shizoku katana – 2
Although not entirely unattractive when viewed from afar, it becomes obvious upon close inspection that the fittings on the Shizoku belong on a budget katana.
The ito (handle wrap material) is black cotton, and is very “fuzzy” – stray fibers and occasional pills can be seen coming off the ito when examined up close. Despite the poor choice of material, the wrap itself is quite well done. The diamonds created are small and even, and the entire wrap is quite tight.
Underneath the ito, in panels along the wooden tsuka (handle) core, is imitation same (rayskin). The material appears to be rubber, and is the same material used to approximate rayskin on one of my old $20.00 “wallhanger” (non-functional) katana. I am not a fan of fake same, although I understand a sheet of quality same can cost more than the entire Shizoku katana, so I can see why a sword at this price point does not sport the real thing.
The menuki (tsuka ornaments) appear to be dragons, and are of unknown construction. They are a dull gray, and do not really add an aesthetic value to the tsuka as a whole.
The kashira (pommel cap) is also a dull gray, and shows a relief of another dragon with some gold highlights along the dragon’s “beard”.
The fuchi (collar along the top of the tsuka) is decorated with a silver crane. I find the dragon juxtaposed with the crane to be an interesting choice, albeit I must confess I do not know enough about the symbolism associated with these animals to know if their pairing on the furniture of this sword has any special meaning.
The tsuba (hand guard) is also dull gray in color, and on the tsuka side showcases a relief of two Chinese warriors, one of whom is wielding a tai-chi sword. Although the scene on the tsuba is fairly attractive, the choice of Chinese decoration on a Japanese-styled sword is an interesting one.
The opposite side of the tsuba is decorated with a carving of what appears to be a pagoda. The habaki (blade collar) at first appears to be unadorned brass. But upon closer inspection the double-ringed Musashi logo can be found stamped into the metal. This logo is not engraved very deeply, and is not easy to spot at first. I have seen other Musashi swords with this logo stamped on the blade itself, and I was glad that the logo on the Shizoku was not as prominent. However, I would prefer not to have any logo stamped on the sword at all – this is sword, after all, not a pair of designer jeans.
The seppa (spacers between the fuchi/tsuba and the tsuba/habaki) are brass, and have fairly prominent “teeth” along the edges reminiscent of tiny gears.
Despite the inexpensiveness of the fittings, the entire sword seems to be put together quite well. The tsuka sports a solid friction-fit to the nakago (tang), and is held in place further by two mekugi (bamboo pegs). Everything is tight, without unwarranted gaps or any rattling when the sword is swung. The habaki fits snugly in the mouth of the saya (scabbard), and the sword stays put when held upside down. There is a pronounced rattle of the blade in the saya, however, which speaks to the saya not being custom made to this particular blade – not an uncommon occurrence with swords at this price point.
Bamboo katana – 4
The Musahsi Bamboo katana is quite a handsome sword, especially at its $199.99 price tag.
Like it’s inexpensive brother, the Bamboo has black cotton ito. The quality of the ito, however, is leaps and bounds above that of the Shizoku. The ito is smooth and fuzz-free, and has somewhat of a “glossy” sheen. It feels good in the hand, especially over the elegantly wasted tsuka. The diamonds are even, and the wrap is tight enough to be nearly immovable.
The menuki are golden-colored bamboo shoots, consistent with the overall bamboo theme. They add a nice bit of color when contrasted with the dark black ito.
The Bamboo has real rayskin in panels along each side of the tsuka. The quality of the rayskin is merely fair, as it is obvious when looking closely that the rayskin is thicker in some parts and thins out in others. This is not surprising, however, as the Bamboo still is only a $200 sword.
The fuchi and kashira appear to be cast iron, and are each decorated with a relief of more bamboo shoots.
The tsuba also appears to be iron, and is decorated with an intricate bamboo shoot and leaf pattern. The open spaces in the tsuba lend a delicate demeanor to what is a relatively beefy sword.
The habaki is brass, and here is found a much more prominent “Musashi” logo than on the Shizoku. This is the largest aesthetic flaw, in my opinion, and is quite an eyesore on an otherwise attractive sword. Musashi would be better off either omitting their logo from their swords, or at least making the engraving much less obvious as in the Shizoku.
The seppa are also brass, but have much tinier “teeth” than those on the Shizoku. I would prefer to have seppa that do not look like gears, but these are at least more subtle than on many other production swords at this price point.
As with the Shizoku, the Bamboo is nicely constructed overall. The Bamboo only sports one mekugi, but this is no problem, as the tsuka has a firm friction-fit with the nakago. There are no gaps anywhere on this sword, and nothing is loose. The fit of the blade in the saya is near perfect – not a rattle no matter how I shake the sword. The fit of the habaki in the mouth of the saya, however, is too tight – it takes far too much force to draw the blade, making draw cuts too dangerous to practice unless the mouth of the saya is sanded down.
Fit and Finish: Blade
Shizoku katana – 1
The blade of the Shizoku katana is polished to a satin finish, and had a few minor scratches along the blade right out of the box. The blade is of unknown steel type, although the Musashi Swords website advertises the blade as thoroughly rather than differentially hardened. This means that the hamon (frosty pattern along the edge of the blade that is a result of differential hardening) is fake – in this case, a wire-brushed version of a notare (wave/swell) hamon.
I am not a fan of fake hamon either, although some are done better than others. The Shizoku hamon is not very well executed. The pattern is too symmetrical to be believable, even if the wire brush marks were not so bold and easily noticed for what they are. The kissaki (tip) of the blade has the “pregnant” look common on so many production swords. The yokote (the line of demarcation where the body of the blade transitions into the tip) is simulated by counter-polishing rather than an actual geometry change – however, not many production blades have real yokote, so I did not expect one on this sword.
Despite these cosmetic flaws, I was actually quite surprised with the blade on the Shizoku for several reasons. I half-expected the blade to have a secondary bevel along the edge, akin to those found on many knives. Some other inexpensive Musashi swords appear to have this bevel, and this type of geometry is not conducive to good cutting. The Shizoku has no such bevel, and is razor sharp. The blade is beefy, despite its bo-hi (groove meant to reduce blade weight): 27 inches long with only 1/16 of an inch taper along the mune (spine) – from 5/16 of an inch at the habaki to ¼ of an inch at the yokote. It even appears to have a bit of niku (apple seed shape), which might make it an excellent candidate for cutting tatami and other heavier targets. I started to wonder at this point if this fairly unattractive and inexpensive sword could be a workhorse in its own right.
Bamboo katana – 4
The blade of the Bamboo katana has a near mirror polish, and came out of the package relatively scratch-free. The blade is advertised as thoroughly hardened 1060 steel, and was created at the forge of famous Chinese sword smith Chris Zhou – a smith well known for excellent custom work. As a thoroughly hardened blade, the hamon on this blade must be fake – most likely a chemical etch. However, despite my dislike of imitation hamon, this is undoubtedly the most attractive etched hamon I have ever seen. None of my photos are able to do it justice. The hamon is not visible when viewing the flat of the blade straight on. Only when angled does the hamon jump out at you – a milky midare (irregular) style hamon with some very interesting swirls of activity. I find myself unsheathing the sword almost every time I walk by it, just to angle the blade just right so I can get another look at the hamon.
The rest of the Bamboo’s blade is attractive, but nothing extraordinary. It, too, sports a cosmetic yokote, and a bo-hi.
It is longer than the Shizoku (29 ½ inches), with the same measurements and taper along the mune. The Bamboo is razor sharp, almost scary sharp, but the edge geometry seems a bit flat and lacking in niku. This may cause some problems with edge deformation when cutting heavy targets, especially in some swords with inferior construction and heat treatment. But I had my reasons for expecting this sword to cut just fine, and as you will read later, I was very pleased with its performance.
Handling
Shizoku katana – 3
With a nagasa (blade length) of 27 inches, an 11-inch tsuka, and a point of balance (POB) at 5 inches from the tsuba, the Shizoku handles just fine. Changing directions for multiple cuts is fairly easy, and the bo-hi produces a nice tachi-kaze (“sword wind”) sound when swung. Usually I prefer a 12-inch tsuka, but with the shorter blade on this sword I do not feel like I need the extra leverage.
Bamboo katana – 3
The Bamboo katana has a nagasa of 29 ½ inches, an 11-inch tsuka, and a POB at 6 ¼ inches from the tsuba. The longer blade combined with a POB farther out from the tsuba make the Bamboo feel just a bit tip heavier than I like. Direction changes during cutting still aren’t a problem, but on this sword I would like an extra inch or so on the tsuka to ease in handling. All in all, however, the Bamboo handles fairly well.
Cutting Ability
I had the opportunity to cut three different types of light to medium targets with these swords: empty plastic milk jugs, pool noodles, and single rolls of tatami omote. Being untrained in JSA, I personally do not prefer to cut targets much more difficult than these. I also do not engage in “destructive testing” – others may do so, but it would break my heart to destroy perfectly good swords! Thus, my cutting tests are meant to shed some light on how well these swords perform under moderate cutting conditions.
Shizoku katana – 3
Cutting is where the Shizoku redeems itself and pulls ahead of other swords in its “budget” price range.
The Shizoku performed quite well cutting pool noodles. “Pickle-chipping” the noodle was fairly easy, and only once or twice was the angle of my stroke off, resulting in either an incomplete cut or a battered vs. sliced target. The short, fairly well balanced blade made accelerating through the cuts quite easy.
Next I balanced an empty plastic milk jug atop my cutting stand and took a swing at it with the Shizoku. Often people will cut milk jugs filled with water in order to give them some weight and stabilize them prior to the cut. My reasoning behind cutting an empty milk jug was to test the sharpness of the blade and its edge geometry – a dull blade with poor geometry, I reasoned, would merely bat such a light target off the stand rather than cut it. I was pleasantly surprised. The jug went sailing off my stand and across my yard in two pieces. The cut was smooth and clean, showing me that this was a very sharp blade indeed.
Finally, the Shizoku was pitted against a traditional target: single rolls of tatami omote. The Shizoku did fairly well. It cut the tatami with ease, and was only unforgiving of my bad technique a handful of times. This was a pleasant surprise - I honestly did not expect to find that this budget katana could cut tatami so well. Some friends who were cutting with me (some of whom have actually studied swordsmanship) had even greater success with the Shizoku, and praised it for its ease of handling and razor sharp blade.
Bamboo katana – 4
Overall, the Bamboo katana was a pleasure to cut with.
It sliced through most of my test targets like they weren’t even there, and was most forgiving of my bad form to boot. Pool noodles posed no challenge whatsoever – the razor sharp cutting edge left dismembered noodle-pieces strewn across my yard. There was no batting around of the foam targets whatsoever. It seemed that if the edge came into contact with it, it would cut it.
The empty milk jug test was most surprising. The Bamboo not only cleanly sliced the top third off the jug, but also left the bottom wobbling precariously on my cutting stand, showing that the Bamboo has a sharp blade, indeed.
Finally, it cut tatami omote with ease. I again experienced no “pooched” cuts with this sword. My only reservation, as I stated earlier, is that I wish it had a different POB and a longer tsuka. Although the Bamboo is not unwieldy by any means, I like my swords to be not quite as tip-heavy.
In addition, I have no doubt that the Bamboo could cut even heavier targets than tatami omote. The Bamboo shares the same blade as another Musashi katana, the Wind katana, reviewed here by Paul Southron of Sword-Buyers-Guide.com. In Paul’s review, he not only cuts tatami with a bamboo core with ease, but places the blade in a vise and bends it to 45 degrees, after which it springs back to true. Given this, it is fair to say that the Bamboo is one tough sword.
Value for Money – Would I recommend this sword?
Shizoku katana – 3
Despite serious misgivings regarding the fit and finish of this inexpensive sword, I walked away from cutting tests with the Shizoku with a much more positive opinion than I anticipated. This sword is not attractive, but cuts far better than many other swords at its price point. This sword could be a sleeper hit – reminiscent of the infamous Masahiro “Bamboo” katana in terms of its raw functionality. What the Shizoku has going for it over Masahiro swords, however, is the backing of a company already becoming known for decent customer service and fair quality control – Masahiro remains a “faceless” brand that is still a gamble for the consumer.
Serious collectors will most likely overlook the Shizoku for its rubber “same”, fuzzy ito, and wire-brushed hamon. However, I would definitely recommend the Shizoku as a first cutter for a collector on a budget. This sword is a “beater” in every sense of the word – and I mean that with a bit of admiration and affection. The cheap fittings and wire-brushed hamon are not anything I would worry about marring during cutting, and given the opportunity it would be interesting to take on harder targets with the Shizoku just to see what else it could do.
Bamboo katana – 4
The Bamboo katana meets and exceeds my expectations of a $200 sword in nearly every way. It is a handsome sword – the fittings are attractive, the ito is of good quality and tightly wrapped, and the hamon, although chemically etched, is so attractive I do a double-take every time I look at it. Aesthetically, the only recommendation I have is to remove the Musashi logo from the habaki.
As far as performance, the Musashi Bamboo is one of the best sub-$300 cutters I have used. The blade is sharp and durable, and it has cut everything I have thrown at it with a minimum of effort. Granted, I do not typically get to cut with high-end katana, but as far as a great cutter that also looks good on the mantle, the Bamboo is top-notch.
Thanks for reading, and happy sword shopping!
Mike Mahaffey
In order to answer this question, I recently had the opportunity to handle and cut with two different Musashi swords on different ends of the price spectrum: the Shizoku (Warrior) katana (retailing for $69.99USD) and the Bamboo katana (retailing for $199.99USD). What follows is my honest (yet still somewhat novice) assessment of these blades. For each category, I assign each sword a score between 1 and 5, with 5 being the best score possible. This is not a comparative review, per se, as these swords are not meant to be on par with each other, but I thought that reviewing the two side by side might provide a glimpse of what a consumer could expect from both the budget and the more performance-oriented Musashi products.
The reader should also note that I am a casual collector and backyard cutter, not a sword arts practitioner. I have 21 years of martial arts experience, including kobudo and kali training – but no training in a Japanese sword art. The emphasis of my own sword collection has been on functionality rather than traditionally constructed katana. My tastes have grown, and there are some swords that I have purchased in the past that I would not do so again, but I am no nihonto collector. Given this, my review is meant to inform casual collectors looking to purchase inexpensive yet functional blades.
With that said, on to the reviews!
First Impressions
The swords arrived on my doorstep via UPS, packaged together in a nondescript brown box. Once I opened the outer box, it was obvious which of the two packages inside contained the Shizoku katana and which contained the Bamboo.
The Shizoku came in a thin cardboard box with Chinese characters printed on the lid. Inside, the sword was placed inside a rough, black cotton sword bag, and cradled by two Styrofoam cutouts and crumpled paper on either end. This was functional enough to prevent damage during shipping, if not exactly aesthetically pleasing.
The Bamboo katana, however, was inside an extra-wide cloth-covered royal blue box emblazoned with a dragon motif. The inside of the box was lined with silky golden cloth, and there was room for the sword and complementary cleaning kit to lie side by side. The sword bag was also made of silk, and was a deep blue on the outside lined with golden cloth on the inside. Finally, the box contained an envelope housing a certificate of authenticity listing the basic stats of the sword and the method of construction of the blade. The effect was an elegant presentation that I hoped would be worthy of the sword inside the box.
Fit and Finish: Fittings
Shizoku katana – 2
Although not entirely unattractive when viewed from afar, it becomes obvious upon close inspection that the fittings on the Shizoku belong on a budget katana.
The ito (handle wrap material) is black cotton, and is very “fuzzy” – stray fibers and occasional pills can be seen coming off the ito when examined up close. Despite the poor choice of material, the wrap itself is quite well done. The diamonds created are small and even, and the entire wrap is quite tight.
Underneath the ito, in panels along the wooden tsuka (handle) core, is imitation same (rayskin). The material appears to be rubber, and is the same material used to approximate rayskin on one of my old $20.00 “wallhanger” (non-functional) katana. I am not a fan of fake same, although I understand a sheet of quality same can cost more than the entire Shizoku katana, so I can see why a sword at this price point does not sport the real thing.
The menuki (tsuka ornaments) appear to be dragons, and are of unknown construction. They are a dull gray, and do not really add an aesthetic value to the tsuka as a whole.
The kashira (pommel cap) is also a dull gray, and shows a relief of another dragon with some gold highlights along the dragon’s “beard”.
The fuchi (collar along the top of the tsuka) is decorated with a silver crane. I find the dragon juxtaposed with the crane to be an interesting choice, albeit I must confess I do not know enough about the symbolism associated with these animals to know if their pairing on the furniture of this sword has any special meaning.
The tsuba (hand guard) is also dull gray in color, and on the tsuka side showcases a relief of two Chinese warriors, one of whom is wielding a tai-chi sword. Although the scene on the tsuba is fairly attractive, the choice of Chinese decoration on a Japanese-styled sword is an interesting one.
The opposite side of the tsuba is decorated with a carving of what appears to be a pagoda. The habaki (blade collar) at first appears to be unadorned brass. But upon closer inspection the double-ringed Musashi logo can be found stamped into the metal. This logo is not engraved very deeply, and is not easy to spot at first. I have seen other Musashi swords with this logo stamped on the blade itself, and I was glad that the logo on the Shizoku was not as prominent. However, I would prefer not to have any logo stamped on the sword at all – this is sword, after all, not a pair of designer jeans.
The seppa (spacers between the fuchi/tsuba and the tsuba/habaki) are brass, and have fairly prominent “teeth” along the edges reminiscent of tiny gears.
Despite the inexpensiveness of the fittings, the entire sword seems to be put together quite well. The tsuka sports a solid friction-fit to the nakago (tang), and is held in place further by two mekugi (bamboo pegs). Everything is tight, without unwarranted gaps or any rattling when the sword is swung. The habaki fits snugly in the mouth of the saya (scabbard), and the sword stays put when held upside down. There is a pronounced rattle of the blade in the saya, however, which speaks to the saya not being custom made to this particular blade – not an uncommon occurrence with swords at this price point.
Bamboo katana – 4
The Musahsi Bamboo katana is quite a handsome sword, especially at its $199.99 price tag.
Like it’s inexpensive brother, the Bamboo has black cotton ito. The quality of the ito, however, is leaps and bounds above that of the Shizoku. The ito is smooth and fuzz-free, and has somewhat of a “glossy” sheen. It feels good in the hand, especially over the elegantly wasted tsuka. The diamonds are even, and the wrap is tight enough to be nearly immovable.
The menuki are golden-colored bamboo shoots, consistent with the overall bamboo theme. They add a nice bit of color when contrasted with the dark black ito.
The Bamboo has real rayskin in panels along each side of the tsuka. The quality of the rayskin is merely fair, as it is obvious when looking closely that the rayskin is thicker in some parts and thins out in others. This is not surprising, however, as the Bamboo still is only a $200 sword.
The fuchi and kashira appear to be cast iron, and are each decorated with a relief of more bamboo shoots.
The tsuba also appears to be iron, and is decorated with an intricate bamboo shoot and leaf pattern. The open spaces in the tsuba lend a delicate demeanor to what is a relatively beefy sword.
The habaki is brass, and here is found a much more prominent “Musashi” logo than on the Shizoku. This is the largest aesthetic flaw, in my opinion, and is quite an eyesore on an otherwise attractive sword. Musashi would be better off either omitting their logo from their swords, or at least making the engraving much less obvious as in the Shizoku.
The seppa are also brass, but have much tinier “teeth” than those on the Shizoku. I would prefer to have seppa that do not look like gears, but these are at least more subtle than on many other production swords at this price point.
As with the Shizoku, the Bamboo is nicely constructed overall. The Bamboo only sports one mekugi, but this is no problem, as the tsuka has a firm friction-fit with the nakago. There are no gaps anywhere on this sword, and nothing is loose. The fit of the blade in the saya is near perfect – not a rattle no matter how I shake the sword. The fit of the habaki in the mouth of the saya, however, is too tight – it takes far too much force to draw the blade, making draw cuts too dangerous to practice unless the mouth of the saya is sanded down.
Fit and Finish: Blade
Shizoku katana – 1
The blade of the Shizoku katana is polished to a satin finish, and had a few minor scratches along the blade right out of the box. The blade is of unknown steel type, although the Musashi Swords website advertises the blade as thoroughly rather than differentially hardened. This means that the hamon (frosty pattern along the edge of the blade that is a result of differential hardening) is fake – in this case, a wire-brushed version of a notare (wave/swell) hamon.
I am not a fan of fake hamon either, although some are done better than others. The Shizoku hamon is not very well executed. The pattern is too symmetrical to be believable, even if the wire brush marks were not so bold and easily noticed for what they are. The kissaki (tip) of the blade has the “pregnant” look common on so many production swords. The yokote (the line of demarcation where the body of the blade transitions into the tip) is simulated by counter-polishing rather than an actual geometry change – however, not many production blades have real yokote, so I did not expect one on this sword.
Despite these cosmetic flaws, I was actually quite surprised with the blade on the Shizoku for several reasons. I half-expected the blade to have a secondary bevel along the edge, akin to those found on many knives. Some other inexpensive Musashi swords appear to have this bevel, and this type of geometry is not conducive to good cutting. The Shizoku has no such bevel, and is razor sharp. The blade is beefy, despite its bo-hi (groove meant to reduce blade weight): 27 inches long with only 1/16 of an inch taper along the mune (spine) – from 5/16 of an inch at the habaki to ¼ of an inch at the yokote. It even appears to have a bit of niku (apple seed shape), which might make it an excellent candidate for cutting tatami and other heavier targets. I started to wonder at this point if this fairly unattractive and inexpensive sword could be a workhorse in its own right.
Bamboo katana – 4
The blade of the Bamboo katana has a near mirror polish, and came out of the package relatively scratch-free. The blade is advertised as thoroughly hardened 1060 steel, and was created at the forge of famous Chinese sword smith Chris Zhou – a smith well known for excellent custom work. As a thoroughly hardened blade, the hamon on this blade must be fake – most likely a chemical etch. However, despite my dislike of imitation hamon, this is undoubtedly the most attractive etched hamon I have ever seen. None of my photos are able to do it justice. The hamon is not visible when viewing the flat of the blade straight on. Only when angled does the hamon jump out at you – a milky midare (irregular) style hamon with some very interesting swirls of activity. I find myself unsheathing the sword almost every time I walk by it, just to angle the blade just right so I can get another look at the hamon.
The rest of the Bamboo’s blade is attractive, but nothing extraordinary. It, too, sports a cosmetic yokote, and a bo-hi.
It is longer than the Shizoku (29 ½ inches), with the same measurements and taper along the mune. The Bamboo is razor sharp, almost scary sharp, but the edge geometry seems a bit flat and lacking in niku. This may cause some problems with edge deformation when cutting heavy targets, especially in some swords with inferior construction and heat treatment. But I had my reasons for expecting this sword to cut just fine, and as you will read later, I was very pleased with its performance.
Handling
Shizoku katana – 3
With a nagasa (blade length) of 27 inches, an 11-inch tsuka, and a point of balance (POB) at 5 inches from the tsuba, the Shizoku handles just fine. Changing directions for multiple cuts is fairly easy, and the bo-hi produces a nice tachi-kaze (“sword wind”) sound when swung. Usually I prefer a 12-inch tsuka, but with the shorter blade on this sword I do not feel like I need the extra leverage.
Bamboo katana – 3
The Bamboo katana has a nagasa of 29 ½ inches, an 11-inch tsuka, and a POB at 6 ¼ inches from the tsuba. The longer blade combined with a POB farther out from the tsuba make the Bamboo feel just a bit tip heavier than I like. Direction changes during cutting still aren’t a problem, but on this sword I would like an extra inch or so on the tsuka to ease in handling. All in all, however, the Bamboo handles fairly well.
Cutting Ability
I had the opportunity to cut three different types of light to medium targets with these swords: empty plastic milk jugs, pool noodles, and single rolls of tatami omote. Being untrained in JSA, I personally do not prefer to cut targets much more difficult than these. I also do not engage in “destructive testing” – others may do so, but it would break my heart to destroy perfectly good swords! Thus, my cutting tests are meant to shed some light on how well these swords perform under moderate cutting conditions.
Shizoku katana – 3
Cutting is where the Shizoku redeems itself and pulls ahead of other swords in its “budget” price range.
The Shizoku performed quite well cutting pool noodles. “Pickle-chipping” the noodle was fairly easy, and only once or twice was the angle of my stroke off, resulting in either an incomplete cut or a battered vs. sliced target. The short, fairly well balanced blade made accelerating through the cuts quite easy.
Next I balanced an empty plastic milk jug atop my cutting stand and took a swing at it with the Shizoku. Often people will cut milk jugs filled with water in order to give them some weight and stabilize them prior to the cut. My reasoning behind cutting an empty milk jug was to test the sharpness of the blade and its edge geometry – a dull blade with poor geometry, I reasoned, would merely bat such a light target off the stand rather than cut it. I was pleasantly surprised. The jug went sailing off my stand and across my yard in two pieces. The cut was smooth and clean, showing me that this was a very sharp blade indeed.
Finally, the Shizoku was pitted against a traditional target: single rolls of tatami omote. The Shizoku did fairly well. It cut the tatami with ease, and was only unforgiving of my bad technique a handful of times. This was a pleasant surprise - I honestly did not expect to find that this budget katana could cut tatami so well. Some friends who were cutting with me (some of whom have actually studied swordsmanship) had even greater success with the Shizoku, and praised it for its ease of handling and razor sharp blade.
Bamboo katana – 4
Overall, the Bamboo katana was a pleasure to cut with.
It sliced through most of my test targets like they weren’t even there, and was most forgiving of my bad form to boot. Pool noodles posed no challenge whatsoever – the razor sharp cutting edge left dismembered noodle-pieces strewn across my yard. There was no batting around of the foam targets whatsoever. It seemed that if the edge came into contact with it, it would cut it.
The empty milk jug test was most surprising. The Bamboo not only cleanly sliced the top third off the jug, but also left the bottom wobbling precariously on my cutting stand, showing that the Bamboo has a sharp blade, indeed.
Finally, it cut tatami omote with ease. I again experienced no “pooched” cuts with this sword. My only reservation, as I stated earlier, is that I wish it had a different POB and a longer tsuka. Although the Bamboo is not unwieldy by any means, I like my swords to be not quite as tip-heavy.
In addition, I have no doubt that the Bamboo could cut even heavier targets than tatami omote. The Bamboo shares the same blade as another Musashi katana, the Wind katana, reviewed here by Paul Southron of Sword-Buyers-Guide.com. In Paul’s review, he not only cuts tatami with a bamboo core with ease, but places the blade in a vise and bends it to 45 degrees, after which it springs back to true. Given this, it is fair to say that the Bamboo is one tough sword.
Value for Money – Would I recommend this sword?
Shizoku katana – 3
Despite serious misgivings regarding the fit and finish of this inexpensive sword, I walked away from cutting tests with the Shizoku with a much more positive opinion than I anticipated. This sword is not attractive, but cuts far better than many other swords at its price point. This sword could be a sleeper hit – reminiscent of the infamous Masahiro “Bamboo” katana in terms of its raw functionality. What the Shizoku has going for it over Masahiro swords, however, is the backing of a company already becoming known for decent customer service and fair quality control – Masahiro remains a “faceless” brand that is still a gamble for the consumer.
Serious collectors will most likely overlook the Shizoku for its rubber “same”, fuzzy ito, and wire-brushed hamon. However, I would definitely recommend the Shizoku as a first cutter for a collector on a budget. This sword is a “beater” in every sense of the word – and I mean that with a bit of admiration and affection. The cheap fittings and wire-brushed hamon are not anything I would worry about marring during cutting, and given the opportunity it would be interesting to take on harder targets with the Shizoku just to see what else it could do.
Bamboo katana – 4
The Bamboo katana meets and exceeds my expectations of a $200 sword in nearly every way. It is a handsome sword – the fittings are attractive, the ito is of good quality and tightly wrapped, and the hamon, although chemically etched, is so attractive I do a double-take every time I look at it. Aesthetically, the only recommendation I have is to remove the Musashi logo from the habaki.
As far as performance, the Musashi Bamboo is one of the best sub-$300 cutters I have used. The blade is sharp and durable, and it has cut everything I have thrown at it with a minimum of effort. Granted, I do not typically get to cut with high-end katana, but as far as a great cutter that also looks good on the mantle, the Bamboo is top-notch.
Thanks for reading, and happy sword shopping!
Mike Mahaffey