Masahiro Musashi Katana
Jul 28, 2007 23:03:43 GMT
Post by Matt993f.o.d on Jul 28, 2007 23:03:43 GMT
This is the katana I've been banging on about recently. I purchased it from www.blades-uk.com for 120 GBP, as a birthday present for myself. Thats exactly ten pounds less than they charge for a PK, by way of comparison.
I decided to buy it after having an argument with someone on SFI about whether production Japanese swords can actually be called true Katanas. He claimed you could never get a real traditional katana from the production sword market. I maintained that although you may not be able to get a GENUINE Nihonto, you can at least get swords that have the features of a traditional Japanese sword (such as differential hardening). To compare, check my pictures and comments against the prerequisites listed in this website:
www.nihontokanjipages.com/fake_japanese_swords.html
Before I start the review proper, I would like to mention RIGHT now that I have little experience with Japanese swords. This is my first. I have been reading around, and I think I know enough to comment on my findings.
Firstly, THE FIT AND FINISH:
The first thing I noticed about this sword was how surprisingly neat, tidy, and tight everything seemed to be. It being a Masahiro, I was worried severly about quality control. This turned out to be completely unfounded. The fittings are perfect.
Here we see the top of the hilt with the mekugi (peg), of which it has one, the fuchi (collar) which is antiqued brass, and has some fairly discreet, but I think quite pleasant ornamentation, and one of the menuki (handle ornaments). The regularity of the size of the diamonds on the ito (braid) is also apparent. The same (rayskin wrap) gives the handle quite a nice feel through the diamonds, without giving too much friction. The ito is very firmly attached, and it is impossible for it to bunch up in use. This makes the handle very easy to grip.
Here is one of the menuki in more detail.
In this photo, you can see how the Tsuba (handguard), which is bronze, has been antiqued by acid etching. I think this is the only (very minor) letdown with the fittings, as it looks a tiny bit overdone. It sort of clashes with the bright brass of the seppa (spacers).
I like the fairly subtle ornamentation on the kashira (buttcap). I think it is fairly discreet, and not too overdone, unlike the antiquing on the Tsuba.
With regards to the saya, the laquer is deep and smooth, with no scratches or blemishes. The sageo (cord) is smoothly wrapped, and the kurikata (knob) is nice and discreet.
THE BLADE:
As you can see, the blade is completely straight and true.
According to Masahiro, this sword is differentially tempered, and has a genuine Hamon. I am slightly dubious about this, but if it is a fake, I would say it was a good one. All of Masahiro's 'historical series' katanas (of which this is one) are supposed to be differentially tempered, and I can be certain that this Hamon is not stencil ground at least, as each picture of one I have seen has a Hamon of different shape. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here. I am also VERY pleased with the level of polish on the blade, which is uniform, and almost mirror shiny.
From this picture, you can see that the kissaki (blade tip) is almost as crisp in its lines as the one on the Nihontokanhjipages, and I think it is rare to find a production katana (from Masahiro especially) with this level of attention to detail. Although it has a clear yakote, I am not sure if the boshi (tempering on the point) is as neat as the rest of the sword, though. The mune (spine of the blade) was rust free, and also polished. The blade is missing a shinogi (blade ridge) but does have a bo hi (groove). I don't know if you can get away with one, or if you must have both.
The blade does not feel scary-sharp, more like it just has a functional edge. Despite the fact that I am utterly ignorant of the JSA (Japanese sword arts), I tried a bit of light cutting with the sword. I found it harder than I expected, but I blame lack of skill. Water filled bottles and shrubbery give the blade no challenge, but I have yet to try a heavier target. For a bit of a laugh I tried to see if I could slice a pear in half without knocking it from the tree.
The pear before.
The pear after!
A clean cut! I hope the juice doesnt rust the blade!
HANDLING
Since I am ignorant of how to properly handle Katana, all I can say is that the sword feels light and weildy, and seems to change direction easily. A more professional assessment is needed, I think.
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
As I have already shown, the sword only has one mekugi. This knocks the sword down a little in my estimation, as I was expecting two. Because of this, and the fact that it seems a little thin, I will restrict myself to light targets when using this sword. Nevertheless, the sword does have a full nagako (tang), which does not rattle around inside the handle. This makes me feel a little safer, but doesnt quite seal the deal.
OVERALL:
To conclude, I was very impressed with this sword. It has exceeded my expectations by a long way. After using this sword, I feel quite confident in saying that Masahiro swords don't have to be as risky as people often portray them. The problem is, mostly people buy them cheap on Ebay, and I think that ebay sellers often sell shop seconds or factory rejects, as they can get away with it. In my opinion, if people bought Masahiro swords from honest retailers, Masahiro would not have the bad reputation for poor quality control.
On the other side of the coin, it is also true that Masahiro often contract the production of their swords to companies like Lin Jong Cutlery (as is the case with the Masahiro 'bamboo' katana), or other contractors. This makes me unsure as to whether I am reviewing a true Masahiro product, or a Jin Long product with a Masahiro label slapped on! Either way, you will always be safer buying from proper retailers who perform quality checks on their products.
The ratings:
Fit and finish= 5/5 Much better than I expected. Flawless.
Structural integrity= 3-4/5 I am unsure about that single peg.
Handling= 4/5 Seems good to me, but you'll have to try it for yourself for a more professional opinion.
Value for Money= 5/5 Genuine fittings and a differential temper for ten quid less than a PK?? Sounds good to me.
Overall= 4/5 A truly impressive sword.
I decided to buy it after having an argument with someone on SFI about whether production Japanese swords can actually be called true Katanas. He claimed you could never get a real traditional katana from the production sword market. I maintained that although you may not be able to get a GENUINE Nihonto, you can at least get swords that have the features of a traditional Japanese sword (such as differential hardening). To compare, check my pictures and comments against the prerequisites listed in this website:
www.nihontokanjipages.com/fake_japanese_swords.html
Before I start the review proper, I would like to mention RIGHT now that I have little experience with Japanese swords. This is my first. I have been reading around, and I think I know enough to comment on my findings.
Firstly, THE FIT AND FINISH:
The first thing I noticed about this sword was how surprisingly neat, tidy, and tight everything seemed to be. It being a Masahiro, I was worried severly about quality control. This turned out to be completely unfounded. The fittings are perfect.
Here we see the top of the hilt with the mekugi (peg), of which it has one, the fuchi (collar) which is antiqued brass, and has some fairly discreet, but I think quite pleasant ornamentation, and one of the menuki (handle ornaments). The regularity of the size of the diamonds on the ito (braid) is also apparent. The same (rayskin wrap) gives the handle quite a nice feel through the diamonds, without giving too much friction. The ito is very firmly attached, and it is impossible for it to bunch up in use. This makes the handle very easy to grip.
Here is one of the menuki in more detail.
In this photo, you can see how the Tsuba (handguard), which is bronze, has been antiqued by acid etching. I think this is the only (very minor) letdown with the fittings, as it looks a tiny bit overdone. It sort of clashes with the bright brass of the seppa (spacers).
I like the fairly subtle ornamentation on the kashira (buttcap). I think it is fairly discreet, and not too overdone, unlike the antiquing on the Tsuba.
With regards to the saya, the laquer is deep and smooth, with no scratches or blemishes. The sageo (cord) is smoothly wrapped, and the kurikata (knob) is nice and discreet.
THE BLADE:
As you can see, the blade is completely straight and true.
According to Masahiro, this sword is differentially tempered, and has a genuine Hamon. I am slightly dubious about this, but if it is a fake, I would say it was a good one. All of Masahiro's 'historical series' katanas (of which this is one) are supposed to be differentially tempered, and I can be certain that this Hamon is not stencil ground at least, as each picture of one I have seen has a Hamon of different shape. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here. I am also VERY pleased with the level of polish on the blade, which is uniform, and almost mirror shiny.
From this picture, you can see that the kissaki (blade tip) is almost as crisp in its lines as the one on the Nihontokanhjipages, and I think it is rare to find a production katana (from Masahiro especially) with this level of attention to detail. Although it has a clear yakote, I am not sure if the boshi (tempering on the point) is as neat as the rest of the sword, though. The mune (spine of the blade) was rust free, and also polished. The blade is missing a shinogi (blade ridge) but does have a bo hi (groove). I don't know if you can get away with one, or if you must have both.
The blade does not feel scary-sharp, more like it just has a functional edge. Despite the fact that I am utterly ignorant of the JSA (Japanese sword arts), I tried a bit of light cutting with the sword. I found it harder than I expected, but I blame lack of skill. Water filled bottles and shrubbery give the blade no challenge, but I have yet to try a heavier target. For a bit of a laugh I tried to see if I could slice a pear in half without knocking it from the tree.
The pear before.
The pear after!
A clean cut! I hope the juice doesnt rust the blade!
HANDLING
Since I am ignorant of how to properly handle Katana, all I can say is that the sword feels light and weildy, and seems to change direction easily. A more professional assessment is needed, I think.
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
As I have already shown, the sword only has one mekugi. This knocks the sword down a little in my estimation, as I was expecting two. Because of this, and the fact that it seems a little thin, I will restrict myself to light targets when using this sword. Nevertheless, the sword does have a full nagako (tang), which does not rattle around inside the handle. This makes me feel a little safer, but doesnt quite seal the deal.
OVERALL:
To conclude, I was very impressed with this sword. It has exceeded my expectations by a long way. After using this sword, I feel quite confident in saying that Masahiro swords don't have to be as risky as people often portray them. The problem is, mostly people buy them cheap on Ebay, and I think that ebay sellers often sell shop seconds or factory rejects, as they can get away with it. In my opinion, if people bought Masahiro swords from honest retailers, Masahiro would not have the bad reputation for poor quality control.
On the other side of the coin, it is also true that Masahiro often contract the production of their swords to companies like Lin Jong Cutlery (as is the case with the Masahiro 'bamboo' katana), or other contractors. This makes me unsure as to whether I am reviewing a true Masahiro product, or a Jin Long product with a Masahiro label slapped on! Either way, you will always be safer buying from proper retailers who perform quality checks on their products.
The ratings:
Fit and finish= 5/5 Much better than I expected. Flawless.
Structural integrity= 3-4/5 I am unsure about that single peg.
Handling= 4/5 Seems good to me, but you'll have to try it for yourself for a more professional opinion.
Value for Money= 5/5 Genuine fittings and a differential temper for ten quid less than a PK?? Sounds good to me.
Overall= 4/5 A truly impressive sword.