JWHOTSTEELFORGE Folded Tanto Review....Finally!!
Nov 2, 2007 4:53:42 GMT
Post by slav on Nov 2, 2007 4:53:42 GMT
I am proud to finally commence this much-anticipated review!
Today I will be reviewing the JWHOTSTEELFORGE Folded Tanto.
As discussed here:
/index.cgi?board=japaneseswords&action=display&thread=1191467718
My name is Andrew, in KY, USA.
Here's a photo from the eBay auction:
I bought this sword because I was deeply impressed by its appearance on eBay, and the apparent honesty and thoroughness of the auction descriptions, etc. I also liked the fact that it is folded and differentially hardened, all for $130 total!
Plus, I guess I kinda volunteered to be the guinea pig for all the rest of you. I love you all that much!
Shipping, unpacking:
This sword actually came to me quicker than I thought it would. It took about 3 weeks for them to make and ship this unit, and it took about 5 days actual shipping. So, under a month total to get it. I am well pleased.
It was packed very securely. The tanto was basically buried in the middle of a foam block. No damage here.
(unpacking it)
Dimensions:
Overall (w/saya): 18"
Nagasa: 10"
Tsuka length: 6"
The Blade:
When I first set eyes upon this blade, it was a real dissapointment for the following reasons: the hamon was counter-polished, making it look like a wire-brushed hamon. Also the kissaki was counter-polished. It was done very well, but I still don't like counter-polished kissaki.
But, setting those biases aside, the blade was very nice, and looked much better than anything else you can get for the price.
(the nagako is a good shape, and is filed in a somewat authentic manner)
The habaki is your typical smooth brass type.
The hada is very well done, and quite subtle. The finish was a literal mirror finish. they certainly took their time finishing and polishing this blade. Very Nice.
(hamon looks wire-brushed, but is real)
The Tsuka:
The tsuka is this sword's downfall. It is your average Chinese generic tsuka. It does not do the blade justice at all. The same is panelled, not full wrap. The ito-maki is tight but not quite correct. The menuki are generic gold dragons, and the seppa is that generic brass gear-shape. Average to poor.
The Saya:
The saya is your run-of-the-mill plack lacquered saya with black sageo. It is also quite poor, and fits the blade terribly. I don't even think that the blade contacts wood inside the saya. It's so loose that you can hear the blade fall to whichever side the tanto is layed down. Poor.
The Fittings:
This is an "aikuchi" tanto. So it has no tsuba ( sorry guys). The fittings are very simple and cheap-looking. The fuchi and kashira are both black-painted copper. The fuchi is simple, with no design. The kashira has a flower image. Average.
Testing:
This blade is SHARP!! It is the sharpest blade I have ever seen. I never believed that a blade could be so sharp, that just touching the edge could make you bleed. WELL I WAS WRONG. I cut myself by merely contacting the edge with the tip of my thumb. This blade will easily slice in half a piece of paper merely dropped on its edge.
Again, I don't have the time or resources for a proper cutting test, but I did make one cut:
I made one cut on a 2" diameter hard cardboard tube with 1/4" walls.
A very clean cut. Not enough inertia to push it all the way through, but still clean and true. Extremely Impressive.
Conclusions:
Well, I'm not ready to give you my conclusion yet. I feel that the potential of this sword has not yet been demonstrated. The fittings are so-so, and the blade finish is not to my taste. but the quality of the blade is astounding.
I have put some work into this blade, and regard it as somewhat of a "project-sword". Thus, I will be rating it as such, at the end of this review.
So, if you are buying this sword, hoping for an out-of-the-box beauty, you may be disappointed.
but, if you are willing to put some work into this sword, please read on! You will see the true beauty that lies beneath...
JWHOTSTEELFORGE Folded Tanto makeover:
Because I was not satisfied with the counter-polishing of the hamon, and the counter-polished yokote/kissaki, I took it upon myself to re-polish this blade.
My aim was to polish out the kissaki/yokote and the hamon. Then I planned to do a light re-etch to bring out the hada and hamon.
Here are the results:
I also gave the HABAKI a little makeover. I used low-grit sandpaper to give the habaki some grain. As you can see, it turned out looking very authentic, and much more professional:
More of the re-done blade and habaki:
(notice the hamon and hada)
(since this sword doesn't have a cool tsuba that I can show you guys, I guess I'll just show off my pristine mirror-polishing job ;D.)
(no more yokote)
There you have it! The JW Tanto, reborn. This was a fun little project, and I am so proud to own this sword now. After some work, this blade has proven itself to be a serious Japanese-style masterpiece, hidden under the guise (and pricetag) of a low-end replica. WOW!
CONCLUSION
(assuming a little home-modification):
Out of the box, this sword is really brought down by its hardware and finish. But with very little work, the blade itself is out of this world! In my opinion, this blade has (or can be given) more character and beauty than any other production tanto on the market today, at any price! A bold proclamation, I know.
The JWHOTSTEELFORGE Folded Tanto (more specifically the blade), at $130, is an absolute jewel. Get your hands on one before they dry up.
SBG Ratings:
Historical Accuracy: 2/5
Fit and Finish(before, after): 3/5, 5/5
Handling: 5/5
Structural Integrity: 5/5
Value for money: 6/5 any way you look at it.
OVERALL: 5.25/5 A treasure.
thanks. hope this helped shed light on the mysterious JW HOTSTEEL FORGE, and their product!
Today I will be reviewing the JWHOTSTEELFORGE Folded Tanto.
As discussed here:
/index.cgi?board=japaneseswords&action=display&thread=1191467718
My name is Andrew, in KY, USA.
Here's a photo from the eBay auction:
I bought this sword because I was deeply impressed by its appearance on eBay, and the apparent honesty and thoroughness of the auction descriptions, etc. I also liked the fact that it is folded and differentially hardened, all for $130 total!
Plus, I guess I kinda volunteered to be the guinea pig for all the rest of you. I love you all that much!
Shipping, unpacking:
This sword actually came to me quicker than I thought it would. It took about 3 weeks for them to make and ship this unit, and it took about 5 days actual shipping. So, under a month total to get it. I am well pleased.
It was packed very securely. The tanto was basically buried in the middle of a foam block. No damage here.
(unpacking it)
Dimensions:
Overall (w/saya): 18"
Nagasa: 10"
Tsuka length: 6"
The Blade:
When I first set eyes upon this blade, it was a real dissapointment for the following reasons: the hamon was counter-polished, making it look like a wire-brushed hamon. Also the kissaki was counter-polished. It was done very well, but I still don't like counter-polished kissaki.
But, setting those biases aside, the blade was very nice, and looked much better than anything else you can get for the price.
(the nagako is a good shape, and is filed in a somewat authentic manner)
The habaki is your typical smooth brass type.
The hada is very well done, and quite subtle. The finish was a literal mirror finish. they certainly took their time finishing and polishing this blade. Very Nice.
(hamon looks wire-brushed, but is real)
The Tsuka:
The tsuka is this sword's downfall. It is your average Chinese generic tsuka. It does not do the blade justice at all. The same is panelled, not full wrap. The ito-maki is tight but not quite correct. The menuki are generic gold dragons, and the seppa is that generic brass gear-shape. Average to poor.
The Saya:
The saya is your run-of-the-mill plack lacquered saya with black sageo. It is also quite poor, and fits the blade terribly. I don't even think that the blade contacts wood inside the saya. It's so loose that you can hear the blade fall to whichever side the tanto is layed down. Poor.
The Fittings:
This is an "aikuchi" tanto. So it has no tsuba ( sorry guys). The fittings are very simple and cheap-looking. The fuchi and kashira are both black-painted copper. The fuchi is simple, with no design. The kashira has a flower image. Average.
Testing:
This blade is SHARP!! It is the sharpest blade I have ever seen. I never believed that a blade could be so sharp, that just touching the edge could make you bleed. WELL I WAS WRONG. I cut myself by merely contacting the edge with the tip of my thumb. This blade will easily slice in half a piece of paper merely dropped on its edge.
Again, I don't have the time or resources for a proper cutting test, but I did make one cut:
I made one cut on a 2" diameter hard cardboard tube with 1/4" walls.
A very clean cut. Not enough inertia to push it all the way through, but still clean and true. Extremely Impressive.
Conclusions:
Well, I'm not ready to give you my conclusion yet. I feel that the potential of this sword has not yet been demonstrated. The fittings are so-so, and the blade finish is not to my taste. but the quality of the blade is astounding.
I have put some work into this blade, and regard it as somewhat of a "project-sword". Thus, I will be rating it as such, at the end of this review.
So, if you are buying this sword, hoping for an out-of-the-box beauty, you may be disappointed.
but, if you are willing to put some work into this sword, please read on! You will see the true beauty that lies beneath...
JWHOTSTEELFORGE Folded Tanto makeover:
Because I was not satisfied with the counter-polishing of the hamon, and the counter-polished yokote/kissaki, I took it upon myself to re-polish this blade.
My aim was to polish out the kissaki/yokote and the hamon. Then I planned to do a light re-etch to bring out the hada and hamon.
Here are the results:
I also gave the HABAKI a little makeover. I used low-grit sandpaper to give the habaki some grain. As you can see, it turned out looking very authentic, and much more professional:
More of the re-done blade and habaki:
(notice the hamon and hada)
(since this sword doesn't have a cool tsuba that I can show you guys, I guess I'll just show off my pristine mirror-polishing job ;D.)
(no more yokote)
There you have it! The JW Tanto, reborn. This was a fun little project, and I am so proud to own this sword now. After some work, this blade has proven itself to be a serious Japanese-style masterpiece, hidden under the guise (and pricetag) of a low-end replica. WOW!
CONCLUSION
(assuming a little home-modification):
Out of the box, this sword is really brought down by its hardware and finish. But with very little work, the blade itself is out of this world! In my opinion, this blade has (or can be given) more character and beauty than any other production tanto on the market today, at any price! A bold proclamation, I know.
The JWHOTSTEELFORGE Folded Tanto (more specifically the blade), at $130, is an absolute jewel. Get your hands on one before they dry up.
SBG Ratings:
Historical Accuracy: 2/5
Fit and Finish(before, after): 3/5, 5/5
Handling: 5/5
Structural Integrity: 5/5
Value for money: 6/5 any way you look at it.
OVERALL: 5.25/5 A treasure.
thanks. hope this helped shed light on the mysterious JW HOTSTEEL FORGE, and their product!