G-100 Samurai Sword by Global Gear
Sept 15, 2007 15:07:06 GMT
Post by Brendan Olszowy on Sept 15, 2007 15:07:06 GMT
Review by Brendan O, Western Australia
I already own the Global Gear G-101 katana and have been fairly impressed with the durability and finish of that sword. As such I have just been watching the sales of the G series blades on ebay waiting for a bargain to tempt me out of my hard earned. I’ve specifically been watching this G-100 model as it is a little more traditional than my old ‘G’ blade. I like the look of their folded series but can’t justify the extra cash for what would be a softer blade.
My old ‘G’ has a 15” tsuka and a funky coiled snake tsuba. Not so traditional. Read more about the G-101 here.
/index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=1187962108
This G-100 has a 12” tsuka and a more traditional decorative tsuba. Other than that it has the same blade dimensions as the old one.
Let me say here that while the global gear website advertises a retail price of $295, they can be caught on ebay at very affordable prices. I won’t say what I paid but it wasn’t nearly what I feel this is worth.
Of course I can say again that the customer service from Global Gear is excellent, and I can recommend anyone to buy from them with confidence. The G series blades are a series of specially commissioned blades designed by Global Gear and made for them.
The Two ‘Gs’
Unpacking
This is where Global Gear have really added value to these blades. The first thing that hit me was the timber box that the sword came in. Very attractive with a custom look to it – this is an upgrade from the box my first ‘G’ came in. Opening the box revealed the same impressive list of inclusions:
*A complete maintenance kit including Choji oil, Powder ball, Brass hammer, Soft cloth.
*A lined linen sword bag.
*Display stand.
*Certificate of Authenticity signed by “the smith”
First Impression
I kind of knew what to expect but was happy to see that the poor points that I found in the first sword were not present in my new one. Specifically being that the tsuka wrap was firmer with no movement. The same was one piece on each side and adequately wide to hide the wood of the tsuka. It looks like the product quality is improving.
The blade I received has no Bo-Hi while the pics on the net show a Bo-Hi. I prefer no Bo-Hi as the weight adds inertia to the cut and the mass adds strength. The first impression is definitely that you get a heck of a lot for your money.
Statistics
Blade length: 28” (715mm) including habaki
Blade width: 1.2” (30mm) after the habaki, 0.95” (24mm) at 100mm from tip.
Blade thickness: 7mm after habaki. 5mm at 100mm from tip.
Hilt length: 12.5” (320mm)
Overall: 42” (1040mm)
Tsuba Dimensions: 3” x 3.2” (74mm x 80mm)
POB: 4.5” (115mm) from base of guard
COP: 20” (510mm) from the guard
Weight: 2lb 8oz (1150g)
DESIGN FIT AND FINISH
Blade
The 28” blade is very finely finished, with only a slight waviness visible. It is very straight and uniform.
The edge is VERY sharp up until about 6” from the tip, at which point it becomes razor sharp – it got me a beut.
The hamon is the usual wire brushed sine wave. It’s quite clear and is probably the biggest give away that this is a cheap sword. Worst is Global Gear’s advertising that this is a “Clay Tempered wave Hamon” – poor form and irresponsible.
The Yokote is 45mm from the tip.
Tsuka
The 12” tsuka allows a variety of grip positions. A spread two handed grip is very comfortable. Traditional Nahonto would be a 10” grip perhaps, but the 12” suits larger western hands (and sloppy technique) quite well.
The Same is genuine and fitted very nicely. The Menuki are indistinguishable and the wrap won’t move enough to give me a good look at it. The Mekugi are bamboo and very firmly fitted.
The Fuchi and Kashira have a bamboo motif and are brass with and antique (paint) look.
Tsuba
The tsuba is a little rough but has a nice enough design. It is clear enough to look good and has an antique (paint) finish.
Saya
The Saya grips only the Habaki, and holds well enough to keep the sword in when held upside down. The blade draws very freely with no catches at all.
The Sageo is attractively and evenly tied. The Kurikata has pretty little shiny fittings. The overall paint finish of the Saya is unmarked and has a gloss over matt speckled paint finish.
TESTING
Test 1
Rolled up cardboard. 3mm cardboard rolled over to give 11 layers. I hear everyone saying this is a harsh target, so it is a good first test of the new and super sharp blade. First cut went through like butter. Second cut went through like butter again.
Beautiful.
Test 2
6 plastic bottles.
They say that the edge retaining ability of the sword is well tested after those nasty cardboard rolls. After a few single bottles (full and empty) I really wanted to test the edge and go for 6 bottles.
I only have a small platform to rest them on so you can see how I arranged them. After lining up and psyching up, going through the motion in my head, I let it rip and went through those suckers like air. No resistance. Bottle pieces went everywhere but I knew instantly they all cut through. Though the last bottle only took off the bottom corner.
I lined up all the bases to show the motion of the cut for you, the home viewer. As I lined them up I noticed something, have another look at the pics above, notice the slice off the left side of the chip board. Oops! It actually cut so cleanly with no deflection. Probably lucky the chip board was wet. I inspected the blade and it was faultless. No bend, no scratches, and no chips – No Worries.
Test 3
The empty bottle with the top missing.
It had about 1cm of water in it. Which was handy to keep it still because it was windy. Well I went through that like a lazer, and the base of the bottle didn’t even move – note the water level hasn’t changed.
Dang I love Katanas!
Test 4
Lets make it a little harder – the little bottle from the 6 cut – upside down and empty! With no base to grip it and no weight I figured it would be more likely to bat away.
This cut was made harder by the wind knocking it over repeatedly. I had no time to line up for the cut, I just held the bottle in place, let go and quickly swing in one motion. HA! No worries.
All test cuts passed with flying colours. Katanas are amazing machines.
Rating
Historical Accuracy: 2.5/5
Fit and Finish: 3.5/5
Handling: 4/5 Please bear in mind that I have no experience with top end katanas, and only a range of sub $300 westerns.
Structural Integrity: 4/5
Value for Money: 6/5 (Considering what I paid for it, which I won’t tell you but it was very little – probably the least of any sword on this site!)
Conclusion
This has been a very satisfying catch. When I showed my catch to a fellow sword enthusiast (main interest in antiques) and asked him what I paid for this, he reckoned maybe $250. Even at that price this is not a rip off.
This sword has great cutting power, good looks, proven durability, and a complete package of accessories. What more do you need?
I already own the Global Gear G-101 katana and have been fairly impressed with the durability and finish of that sword. As such I have just been watching the sales of the G series blades on ebay waiting for a bargain to tempt me out of my hard earned. I’ve specifically been watching this G-100 model as it is a little more traditional than my old ‘G’ blade. I like the look of their folded series but can’t justify the extra cash for what would be a softer blade.
My old ‘G’ has a 15” tsuka and a funky coiled snake tsuba. Not so traditional. Read more about the G-101 here.
/index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=1187962108
This G-100 has a 12” tsuka and a more traditional decorative tsuba. Other than that it has the same blade dimensions as the old one.
Let me say here that while the global gear website advertises a retail price of $295, they can be caught on ebay at very affordable prices. I won’t say what I paid but it wasn’t nearly what I feel this is worth.
Of course I can say again that the customer service from Global Gear is excellent, and I can recommend anyone to buy from them with confidence. The G series blades are a series of specially commissioned blades designed by Global Gear and made for them.
The Two ‘Gs’
Unpacking
This is where Global Gear have really added value to these blades. The first thing that hit me was the timber box that the sword came in. Very attractive with a custom look to it – this is an upgrade from the box my first ‘G’ came in. Opening the box revealed the same impressive list of inclusions:
*A complete maintenance kit including Choji oil, Powder ball, Brass hammer, Soft cloth.
*A lined linen sword bag.
*Display stand.
*Certificate of Authenticity signed by “the smith”
First Impression
I kind of knew what to expect but was happy to see that the poor points that I found in the first sword were not present in my new one. Specifically being that the tsuka wrap was firmer with no movement. The same was one piece on each side and adequately wide to hide the wood of the tsuka. It looks like the product quality is improving.
The blade I received has no Bo-Hi while the pics on the net show a Bo-Hi. I prefer no Bo-Hi as the weight adds inertia to the cut and the mass adds strength. The first impression is definitely that you get a heck of a lot for your money.
Statistics
Blade length: 28” (715mm) including habaki
Blade width: 1.2” (30mm) after the habaki, 0.95” (24mm) at 100mm from tip.
Blade thickness: 7mm after habaki. 5mm at 100mm from tip.
Hilt length: 12.5” (320mm)
Overall: 42” (1040mm)
Tsuba Dimensions: 3” x 3.2” (74mm x 80mm)
POB: 4.5” (115mm) from base of guard
COP: 20” (510mm) from the guard
Weight: 2lb 8oz (1150g)
DESIGN FIT AND FINISH
Blade
The 28” blade is very finely finished, with only a slight waviness visible. It is very straight and uniform.
The edge is VERY sharp up until about 6” from the tip, at which point it becomes razor sharp – it got me a beut.
The hamon is the usual wire brushed sine wave. It’s quite clear and is probably the biggest give away that this is a cheap sword. Worst is Global Gear’s advertising that this is a “Clay Tempered wave Hamon” – poor form and irresponsible.
The Yokote is 45mm from the tip.
Tsuka
The 12” tsuka allows a variety of grip positions. A spread two handed grip is very comfortable. Traditional Nahonto would be a 10” grip perhaps, but the 12” suits larger western hands (and sloppy technique) quite well.
The Same is genuine and fitted very nicely. The Menuki are indistinguishable and the wrap won’t move enough to give me a good look at it. The Mekugi are bamboo and very firmly fitted.
The Fuchi and Kashira have a bamboo motif and are brass with and antique (paint) look.
Tsuba
The tsuba is a little rough but has a nice enough design. It is clear enough to look good and has an antique (paint) finish.
Saya
The Saya grips only the Habaki, and holds well enough to keep the sword in when held upside down. The blade draws very freely with no catches at all.
The Sageo is attractively and evenly tied. The Kurikata has pretty little shiny fittings. The overall paint finish of the Saya is unmarked and has a gloss over matt speckled paint finish.
TESTING
Test 1
Rolled up cardboard. 3mm cardboard rolled over to give 11 layers. I hear everyone saying this is a harsh target, so it is a good first test of the new and super sharp blade. First cut went through like butter. Second cut went through like butter again.
Beautiful.
Test 2
6 plastic bottles.
They say that the edge retaining ability of the sword is well tested after those nasty cardboard rolls. After a few single bottles (full and empty) I really wanted to test the edge and go for 6 bottles.
I only have a small platform to rest them on so you can see how I arranged them. After lining up and psyching up, going through the motion in my head, I let it rip and went through those suckers like air. No resistance. Bottle pieces went everywhere but I knew instantly they all cut through. Though the last bottle only took off the bottom corner.
I lined up all the bases to show the motion of the cut for you, the home viewer. As I lined them up I noticed something, have another look at the pics above, notice the slice off the left side of the chip board. Oops! It actually cut so cleanly with no deflection. Probably lucky the chip board was wet. I inspected the blade and it was faultless. No bend, no scratches, and no chips – No Worries.
Test 3
The empty bottle with the top missing.
It had about 1cm of water in it. Which was handy to keep it still because it was windy. Well I went through that like a lazer, and the base of the bottle didn’t even move – note the water level hasn’t changed.
Dang I love Katanas!
Test 4
Lets make it a little harder – the little bottle from the 6 cut – upside down and empty! With no base to grip it and no weight I figured it would be more likely to bat away.
This cut was made harder by the wind knocking it over repeatedly. I had no time to line up for the cut, I just held the bottle in place, let go and quickly swing in one motion. HA! No worries.
All test cuts passed with flying colours. Katanas are amazing machines.
Rating
Historical Accuracy: 2.5/5
Fit and Finish: 3.5/5
Handling: 4/5 Please bear in mind that I have no experience with top end katanas, and only a range of sub $300 westerns.
Structural Integrity: 4/5
Value for Money: 6/5 (Considering what I paid for it, which I won’t tell you but it was very little – probably the least of any sword on this site!)
Conclusion
This has been a very satisfying catch. When I showed my catch to a fellow sword enthusiast (main interest in antiques) and asked him what I paid for this, he reckoned maybe $250. Even at that price this is not a rip off.
This sword has great cutting power, good looks, proven durability, and a complete package of accessories. What more do you need?