Ronin Swords - "Ronin" Katana (1st Generation)
Jun 24, 2008 4:47:14 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2008 4:47:14 GMT
"Ronin" (1st Generation) From: Ronin Swords
By: James Gall - Chicago Heights, Illinois U.S.A.
By: James Gall - Chicago Heights, Illinois U.S.A.
I had never seen this sword before i bought it from Sensei Dreier, he had informed me that this 1st generation "Ronin" model was an old scratch n' dent piece that had been collecting dust in his workshop. Seeing how he now carries the second generation "Ronin" which has a slightly more advanced geometry this particular sword is no longer available. So in the time i spent talking with Sensei Dreier over the months i have learned to trust his judgment, those of you that have purchased from Ronin Swords probably know what i'm getting at... This man will never steer you wrong, so when he offered to sell me this sword i jumped at the chance.
In my excitement to look over the sword i totally forgot to take some pictures of the packaging. But i can tell you that the sword came in a box supported by foam washers not unlike the way Hanwei swords are packaged... The new model Ronin katana comes with a silk lined wooden display box and cleaning kit, so i'm sure todays Ronin would be packaged a little differently.
Ronin Katana Specifications:
The Blade:
The blade is is your standard shinogi-zukuri style with bo-hi. The shape is nice and consistent with no dips along the bo-hi or mune. The balance of this sword is superb, "its like driving a sports car" compared to similar swords in the same category. The tamashigiri polish leaves the steel with a brilliant finish which when it catches the light can practically blind a person! Overall this blade was made very well, even the counter polished kissaki (which most people despise) is actually very nice and facilitates a very crisp faux yokote line. The chu kissaki is a perfect curved edge. And the hand clayed hamon starts off as a gunome style which evolves into a sanbon-sugi around the second shaku and ends with a yaki-zume boshi (no turn back). The natural hamon was enhanced by a light chemical etchant which really makes the nie lines "jump right off the blade"... if you hold it at the right angle in the sunlight you'd think a bomb went off!
The Tsuka:
The tsuka is traditionally tapered starting at 1 1/2" at the fuchi, and thinning to 1 3/8" at the kashira. The tsuka was fit so well to the nakago that there was no need for a second seppa, the only seppa is between the tsuba & habaki... The tsukaito was not wrapped by Sensei Dreier himself, but rather was wrapped by the forge who did a very tight and uniform hineri-maki over paneled authentic white samegawa. The menuki is a brass casted and polished dragon design from Japanese folklore and has a look of gold platting when observed at a glance...
The Furniture:
The fittings are also brass casted with patina and have a distressed texture and knurled detailing in a "dragon skin" motif. While these are similar to many of the mass production fittings being used by several other companies, these seem to be of a bit higher quality with very little evidence of casting seems or markings. The patina is nice and subtle and not over done like many others. These actually look nice and antiqued as opposed to blackened fittings.
The Tsuba:
The tsuba is smaller than the average tsuba on the market today, but gets the job done nicely! The thin but sturdy design allows for a slightly lighter blade and can probably be attributed to this swords pleasant handling characteristics. The guard is adorned with the Japanese cherry blossom in full bloom, and ties the overall design together well. "The whole piece has a sense of fluidity", everything flowing into another.
The Saya:
The scabbard has a subtle taper and is a beautiful fit... Totally different level of quality when comparing it with the "one size fits all" mass production saya's. The kurikata is nice and trim blending seamlessly with the saya body and garnished with a polished brass shitodome. The scabbard mouth has a very thick piece of buffalo horn koiguchi and was custom fit to the habaki. The deep black lacquer has a nice uniform finish with no pitting or defects.
TESTING
NOTE: I will be testing this sword this week but i'm struggling to find a video camera as mine was broken a couple weeks ago in an accident... I may just forgo the videos and post a series of cutting pictures in high speed SLR...
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In my opinion Sensei Dreier offers the finest swords in the $300 - $500 range available on the market today... The man cannot be beat in terms of customer service as he talks personally with almost all of his clients. I would recommend that anyone who doesn't have a Ronin Sword at least buy one and see for yourself! You won't believe the quality you'll get for the money you pay. This sword was just a real steal!
CONCLUSION and SBG Ratings
Historical Accuracy: 3/5
Fit and Finish: 3/5
Handling: 4/5
Structural Integrity: 4/5
Value for Money: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.75/5
[/size]Historical Accuracy: 3/5
Fit and Finish: 3/5
Handling: 4/5
Structural Integrity: 4/5
Value for Money: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.75/5