Kawashima Practical Katana *Update!*
Jul 18, 2008 2:30:57 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2008 2:30:57 GMT
Kawashima Practical Katana - Review by J. Ferron, Reston, VA U.S.
The Kawashima line grabbed my eye for a number of reasons. First of all, they are billed as "functional cutters", which at $120.USD is pretty impressive, if true. Also, the quality of materials and craftsmanship seems, from all descriptions to be higher than what you'd expect in this price range. Finally, they are manufactured in Japan, unusual in an industry largely centered in China.
Let's see how it holds up.
I originally ordered the "warrior" model from Swords of Might along with a cutting stand and a handful of tatami mats. Silly me, in my enthusiasm I overlooked the part on the description page which displays "in stock" status. Sadly, the "warrior" was not. I placed my order on the 14th of July and was notified by SoM via email on the 15th that my selection was not in stock. I emailed them back instructing them to switch it to the "practical", which was in stock and they replied immediately. The order was on my doorstep on the 16th, the very next day! Kudos to Swords of Might on lightning-fast and attentive customer service.
The Kawashima arrived very well protected:
Included a certificate of authenticity:
Attractive box:
So far, so good!
The stats:
Blade length: 27 1/2"
Tsuka length: 10 1/2"
Overall: 40"
Steel type: 1065
Ha: RHC 50
Shinogo-ji: RHC 42-45
Fittings: Zinc alloy
POB: About 6"
Weight: 2.57 lbs.
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade:
One of the unexpected surprises about this sword is the fact that it is apparently differentially hardened! At no point in the descriptions given by ANYONE who sells them, does it state this, but upon reading the included certificate of authenticity, it gives two blade hardnesses! Why then, if there is a potentially natural hamon there somewhere, would they wire-brush one on? I inspected the blade closely. There, barely visible under the brushed-on hamon, was...maybe?...the hint of a natural one? I've tried to capture this but it's very hard to see:
The kissaki has a longish shape to it:
The polish, while not mirror, looks pretty darn good. The debris you see on the blade in the above photos is just wax from inside the saya. The blade is very sharp.
The Tsuka (handle):
The gold-colored wrapping (ito) looks really great. The wrap is tight and feels like silk - though my guess would be some sort of polyester - the diamond-shaped spaces are even and are over real rayskin. Disappointingly, the menuki, and some other parts of the hardware are plastic. Everything does fit together quite well, very tightly with no rattling. It is double-pegged with wooden mekugi.
Kashira photo:
The Tsuba (guard):
Looks good. I wasn't nuts about the design: a guy with a sword and a guy playing some sort of lute on one side, and another couple of guys with some kind of banner on the other.
The Saya (scabbard):
This to me was the biggest disappointment. The saya feels cheap - it has no heft to it at all, and despite being made of wood, really has the feel of plastic. Upon close inspection, I realized that there was a ding at the bottom of it, by which I could see that it is, in fact, wood. Some kind of lightweight pine, I'd guess. The lacquer finish is smooth and shiny. Again, the hardware that centers on the sageo (cord wrapping on the saya) is plastic.
Handling:
The sword feels good in the hand, and its relative lightweight, good balance and out-of-the-box sharpness make me think it will cut well. Try as I might, I can't get it to make the tachi kaze (sword wind sound) - something I've been able to do with the other katanas I've tried.
TESTING
Ok, so I finally got some free time and space, etc. to play a bit with this sword. I will say in advance, this is my first time using tatame omote and I have no training in JSA. I must admit, I was a little apprehensive about being able to cut these at all. I needn't have worried though, for though my form is lacking, the blade of the Kawashima rose to the occaision!
First, some bottles:
A little disappointing. The Kawashima didn't so much cut as cut and tear its way through the bottles:
And now (drum roll) tatami omote:
Not bad! Every crack I took at the rolled mats went right through like a laser. i must admit, I'm surprised at both the Kawashima's capabilities, and my own.
FIT AND FINISH UPDATE:
As I made my last cut to the tatami, I noticed a subtle shift in the grip of the sword. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the plastic fittings on the tsuka had come loose!
This makes for a big aestetic compromise as well as, in my opinion, a safety issue. This is a major issue. See mods to score below.
CONCLUSION
I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised by this sword. It has a lot of features that you'd normally see only on higher-priced blades. For the price, you could do much worse and still not get a sword made in Seto, Japan.
Historical Accuracy: 3/5
Fit and Finish: 3/5
Handling: (fast, light) 4/5
Structural Integrity: (solid) 3/5
Value for Money: (not too darn bad) 4.5/5
OVERALL: 3.5/5 Good.
The Kawashima line grabbed my eye for a number of reasons. First of all, they are billed as "functional cutters", which at $120.USD is pretty impressive, if true. Also, the quality of materials and craftsmanship seems, from all descriptions to be higher than what you'd expect in this price range. Finally, they are manufactured in Japan, unusual in an industry largely centered in China.
Let's see how it holds up.
I originally ordered the "warrior" model from Swords of Might along with a cutting stand and a handful of tatami mats. Silly me, in my enthusiasm I overlooked the part on the description page which displays "in stock" status. Sadly, the "warrior" was not. I placed my order on the 14th of July and was notified by SoM via email on the 15th that my selection was not in stock. I emailed them back instructing them to switch it to the "practical", which was in stock and they replied immediately. The order was on my doorstep on the 16th, the very next day! Kudos to Swords of Might on lightning-fast and attentive customer service.
The Kawashima arrived very well protected:
Included a certificate of authenticity:
Attractive box:
So far, so good!
The stats:
Blade length: 27 1/2"
Tsuka length: 10 1/2"
Overall: 40"
Steel type: 1065
Ha: RHC 50
Shinogo-ji: RHC 42-45
Fittings: Zinc alloy
POB: About 6"
Weight: 2.57 lbs.
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade:
One of the unexpected surprises about this sword is the fact that it is apparently differentially hardened! At no point in the descriptions given by ANYONE who sells them, does it state this, but upon reading the included certificate of authenticity, it gives two blade hardnesses! Why then, if there is a potentially natural hamon there somewhere, would they wire-brush one on? I inspected the blade closely. There, barely visible under the brushed-on hamon, was...maybe?...the hint of a natural one? I've tried to capture this but it's very hard to see:
The kissaki has a longish shape to it:
The polish, while not mirror, looks pretty darn good. The debris you see on the blade in the above photos is just wax from inside the saya. The blade is very sharp.
The Tsuka (handle):
The gold-colored wrapping (ito) looks really great. The wrap is tight and feels like silk - though my guess would be some sort of polyester - the diamond-shaped spaces are even and are over real rayskin. Disappointingly, the menuki, and some other parts of the hardware are plastic. Everything does fit together quite well, very tightly with no rattling. It is double-pegged with wooden mekugi.
Kashira photo:
The Tsuba (guard):
Looks good. I wasn't nuts about the design: a guy with a sword and a guy playing some sort of lute on one side, and another couple of guys with some kind of banner on the other.
The Saya (scabbard):
This to me was the biggest disappointment. The saya feels cheap - it has no heft to it at all, and despite being made of wood, really has the feel of plastic. Upon close inspection, I realized that there was a ding at the bottom of it, by which I could see that it is, in fact, wood. Some kind of lightweight pine, I'd guess. The lacquer finish is smooth and shiny. Again, the hardware that centers on the sageo (cord wrapping on the saya) is plastic.
Handling:
The sword feels good in the hand, and its relative lightweight, good balance and out-of-the-box sharpness make me think it will cut well. Try as I might, I can't get it to make the tachi kaze (sword wind sound) - something I've been able to do with the other katanas I've tried.
TESTING
Ok, so I finally got some free time and space, etc. to play a bit with this sword. I will say in advance, this is my first time using tatame omote and I have no training in JSA. I must admit, I was a little apprehensive about being able to cut these at all. I needn't have worried though, for though my form is lacking, the blade of the Kawashima rose to the occaision!
First, some bottles:
A little disappointing. The Kawashima didn't so much cut as cut and tear its way through the bottles:
And now (drum roll) tatami omote:
Not bad! Every crack I took at the rolled mats went right through like a laser. i must admit, I'm surprised at both the Kawashima's capabilities, and my own.
FIT AND FINISH UPDATE:
As I made my last cut to the tatami, I noticed a subtle shift in the grip of the sword. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the plastic fittings on the tsuka had come loose!
This makes for a big aestetic compromise as well as, in my opinion, a safety issue. This is a major issue. See mods to score below.
CONCLUSION
I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised by this sword. It has a lot of features that you'd normally see only on higher-priced blades. For the price, you could do much worse and still not get a sword made in Seto, Japan.
Historical Accuracy: 3/5
Fit and Finish: 3/5
Handling: (fast, light) 4/5
Structural Integrity: (solid) 3/5
Value for Money: (not too darn bad) 4.5/5
OVERALL: 3.5/5 Good.