Hanwei Practical Pro Elite Katana Review
May 22, 2008 11:43:22 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 22, 2008 11:43:22 GMT
Hanwei Practical Pro Elite Katana
Reviewed by:
James Gall Chicago Illinois, USA
Reviewed by:
James Gall Chicago Illinois, USA
"I was initial attracted to the rather rigorous design as this katana is meant for heavy competitive cutting..." "I guess i have always had a sort of romantic interest in heavy blades..."
Packaging:
The package arrived at my doorstep in a rather large box. To my surprise when i opened the box, there was another box! Thats right a box inside of a box. The first detail i noticed upon pulling the box out was the "Danger Sharp" warning that is displayed on the cardboard lid. The katana was cushioned by 4 foam rubber blocks that kept the sword in an "almost floating" position. The sword was sealed in plastic & wrapped in the black cotton dojo bag that it comes with. Overall the packaging was very secure and the sword was in perfect condition.
The Hanwei Practical Pro Elite Katana
Specifications:
Blade length: 29”
Steel: 1065 - High Carbon
Tempering: Differentially Hardened
Handle length: 14”
Overall length: 44”
Weight: 2lb 13oz
Point of Balance: 4"
Width at Guard: 1.40"
Width at Tip: 1.05"
Thickness at Guard: .30"
Thickness at Tip: .20"
Sori: 3/4"
Specifications:
Blade length: 29”
Steel: 1065 - High Carbon
Tempering: Differentially Hardened
Handle length: 14”
Overall length: 44”
Weight: 2lb 13oz
Point of Balance: 4"
Width at Guard: 1.40"
Width at Tip: 1.05"
Thickness at Guard: .30"
Thickness at Tip: .20"
Sori: 3/4"
The Blade:
"It's evident from the moment you hold this sword that it was designed for one thing,... The combined feel of the blade and the level of craftsmanship is a far cry from the sub $300 swords. You really get a sense of why this katana has been labeled as one of Hanwei's finest cutters on the market."
The extra large geometry makes this sword "almost scary looking",.. [/size]the blade is robust, making the sword rather heavy for powering through very thick targets with minimal effort. The real yokote & kissaki are precisely shaped. And the advanced geometry of the extra large blade make the tip of the sword look more rounded than pointy. This blade is clay fired to produce a lovely gunome style hamon, with gorgeous "rolling waves" dancing down the blade. The hamon line is very prominent but doesn't have the unique martensite activities that are most sought after in differentially hardened swords. The high polish is almost of mirror quality,... i had trouble taking pictures the reflection was so great! It is hands down the finest polished production sword i have ever seen...
NOTE: (All of these photos were taken without camera flash to show how highly polished the blade is.)
"This sword is so ferociously sharp... if you stared at the edge long enough,... it would cut your eye."
"And at the same time is one of those swords you can't take your eyes off of,... truly a beautiful beast..."
The kissaki is shaped very well and gives the sword real personality. Traditionally the kissaki is aesthetically very important,... this is due to the fact that when you draw down on an enemy you show them the tip of your blade... and this blade doesn't disappoint!
The Grip:
The 14 inch tsuka is nothing short of huge! If your a person like me with big hands holding this sword is very comfortable. The added length allows for extreme control! "Never has such a big heavy blade felt so controllable." The tsuka has a traditional taper,.. starting very thick at the top and slowly thinning towards the end. The oval tsuka core gives you superb finger positioning, combined with the black cotton ito wrapping that is done in a very tight Hineri-maki (small diamond) configuration. This ito is a very high quality cotton that is wrapped to ridiculous standards!
The real samegawa (ray-skin) is a "off-white" color making the handle look very antiqued unlike the "super-white" bleached or synthetic same that is most common. The skin texture is smooth and is sanded slightly to shows the transparent tips on each individual bump of the skin. Also the polished brass menuki look fantastic! A Very intricate design that almost looks like gold-platting when the light hits it. All of this is held together by 2 mekugi (bamboo pins), the double pinned security is nice... gives real piece of mind in regards to safety.
The Fittings:
The fittings (koshirae) are finished in antiqued black iron and are ruggedly beautiful. Its amazing how such simple fittings can be so aesthetically pleasing. It's almost like the sword is saying "I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty"... The antiquing has a subtle oxidized look to it, very effective at making the fittings look old and weathered. "The general theme of this katana is that of a "work-horse meant to get the job done",... while still retaining its graceful appearance with antique finished hardware...
The Guard:
The tsuba is a round Kuruma design which represents the “Wheel of Dharma,” symbolizing the Buddhist concept of the Noble Eightfold Path. The tsuba is alot thinner than most production katana but don't let that fool you!... "This design is solid as a rock, very safe." The finishing on the tsuba is the same antiquing that is done on the koshirae. When you take a close look at the grain in the steel and feel the texture it has a look of being hand hammered rather than machined.
The filed habaki (blade collar) is a single piece brass that has a slight bevel to the top of it. This really helps it blend to the blade well.
The Scabbard:
The saya (scabbard) is a deep black lacquer over a premium hardwood,... with a nice quality sageo (lanyard). The sageo is robust & easy to tie. The deep gloss is prone to fingerprint smugging, but is a nice smooth coat with no pitting or defects. The saya has no taper towards the end & is a little bulky, but nice and uniform in construction. The mouth fits very tightly around the habaki and the blade seats very solidly so there is no "rattle". The Practical Pro Elite saya is close to the run of the mill production blade scabbards and is the only thing about this sword which could have been a little higher quality.
Cutting:
NOTE: My last shipment of tatami mat targets was back-ordered and should arrive sometime soon. I apologize for the delay and will update with several cutting videos and pictures just as soon as i can. I would prefer to use medium targets to show the advantage of the competition inspired geometry.
COMPLETE CONCLUSIONS and SBG Ratings will follow shortly........
Overall,... this sword is affordable and is really well made. Unlike other production katana which are assembled in mass quantities that appear to be "thrown together" with little attention to detail,... this sword has the feeling of having been put together very carefully with precision......and i feel that "If you want the perfect mix of form & function... this is the sword for you." I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the means to buy one. The SBG Sword Store carries this model and has the best price of any vendor i have found... thats where i purchased this baby and i saved a bundle of cash! Thanks Mr. Southren for the great deals you offer!
Conclusions:
Historical Accuracy: 1/5
Fit and Finish: 5/5
Handling: 4/5
Structural Integrity: ?/5
Value for Money: 4/5
OVERALL: Will update
Thanks,....
James Gall