Cheness Kaze Katana Review
Aug 11, 2008 23:02:02 GMT
Post by jasmineleaf on Aug 11, 2008 23:02:02 GMT
Cheness Kaze Review:
I purchased this sword mainly because of Mr. Southren's "pick of the litter" comment on the main S-B-G review website. Being my first "real" entry level Katana, I wanted something that was tested, tried and proven to be something that was worth the price.
In addition to choosing this sword because of the great reviews, the sword caught my attention because of its fantastic name "Kaze" (Kaze was one of the first words I learned in Japanese) and its natural Hamon. After recently learning about different hamons, real-fake, differentially hardened swords and through hardened swords - I wanted a sword that was the real deal. Seeing as how I don't cut too often, I decided not to go with a through-hardened 9260 spring steel sword and put my sights on the Kaze which was renowned for its cutting ability, despite it being weaker than its other 9260 brethren.
The package arrived on the first day of the week inside a large rectangular cardboard box. Inside was the sword case itself, but unfortunately it was badly damaged. In the photo you are unable to see the damage, but had I turned over the box, you could have seen how one side is completely crushed and the design on the top of the box is pretty out of shape. Although this is quite disappointing, there will be no points deducted since this was a shipping issue and not part of the sword itself. Anyway, luckily for me, the sword itself was not damaged thanks to the padding inside.
I took the sword out of the cotton carrying case and placed it on the floor. As you can see, the Saya is fantastic and the Sageo is AMAZINGLY done. I still can't grasp how people are able to tie rope so well! Anyway, the Saya was gripped onto the sword very tightly (which is a good thing, my Zetsurin cut someone because it came out of its case). The Habaki by the way, looks fantastic for the price I paid and is doing a good job of keeping the sword safe and sound within its case.
The handle was pretty nice and the little bat creatures under the Ito wrap were quite well done. The sword also features real ray-skin, which is nice, but it is a little discolored. One thing though that caught my attention and I didn't like very much was the Ito wrap. Seeing as how it is not made out of Silk like it should be and is made out of cotton, there was a considerable amount of fraying. This can destroy the look since the rest of the sword is very sleek but the handle is fuzzy.
The Tsuba was very well done and is seemingly "perfect". I've seen some people with nicked Tsubas before, or having parts that were uneven with the rest, but for me; I was lucky enough to get a Tsuba that was without scratches and perfectly even. Mr. Chen should be applauded for having such nice Tsubas .
The blade itself was nice. I tried to take an image straight down the spine of the sword, and it seems straight enough. It's not as perfect as what you can find from authentic Japanese swords, but for the price: it was very impressive.
I wanted to take a closer look at the blade itself and take a peek at the featured real Hamon of the sword, but like Mr. Southren mentioned in his review: "The hamon is barely visible". From a VERY shallow angle you can catch a glimpse of the Hamon, but when holding it normally it can be very faint.
The polish on the Kaze is not a mirror polish. Either way though, I felt as if the polish wasn't that well done, could have been better. However, I understand that this is only a 300$ sword.
The edge seemed quite sharp out of the box. It doesn't feel razor sharp, but I believe that's because of the geometry. Since I won't be doing cutting tests immediately (there are children around), I am still confident that the edge is well done for an "out of the box" sharpening. I slid the sword through some paper and it went effortlessly without much friction or noise. Using my old trash Katana, I can clearly hear the blade going through; however with this sword, it's almost silent (proving that the geometry is fantastic and the edge itself is very sharp).
Handling
After picking up the sword for the first time, I noticed that it was quite heavy. I wasn't very fond of the balance of the sword because it felt like the tip was a little too heavy, but I am sure it's fine and I will become used to it.
As for swinging, the sword is quite fast even for a sword without a Bo-hi. The sword does make a nice swooshing sound if swung properly, but it is seemingly not as loud as my other sword. However, that might just be me being a little conservative with this sword (since it's brand new) and not being used to how it handles.
Statistics
-Overall Length (+ Saya) 42.5"
-Finish Tameshigiri Polish
-Blade Dimension 28" Length, 0.3" Width, 1.25" Height
-Sori (Curvature) 0.7"
-Weight ~2 lbs 9 oz
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade
The blade is pretty well done overall. The polish is not as good as I thought it would be, but that is heavily excused by the fact that the sword is sharp, straight and has great geometry. The real Hamon is subtle, but viewable.
EDIT: To be honest, the Yokote isn't very well done (since it's artificial) and quite disappointing. It really takes away from the look of the sword but I am unsure of whether or not it affects the functionality.
The Grip
Everything about the Tsuka is nice except for the Ito wrap. The sword would be perfect if it had a silk ito wrap, however with the standard cotton; it simply is just unattractive.
2x Mekugi are nice to keep everything in place and seem to be well fitted. The little designs under the wrap are detailed and well made.
The real Ray skin is slightly discolored and could be improved.
The Guard
The guard / Tsuba is simply fantastic. It is perfectly made, super even, sturdy and without any defects. The design is also astounding and is one of my favorite.
The Scabbard
Black Lacquered Saya is simply amazing and super sturdy. The Sageo is expertly tied, very tight and complements the whole entire design incredibly well!
Fit
Everything is nice and tight without rattling.
The fun part! ;D
Cutting
Paper sharpness test: This blade easily slides through paper and is shown in the official SBG review to cut paper quite well when it is openly suspended as well. However, this takes a considerable amount of skill and form despite how sharp the blade is.
More tests coming soon when I can do them!
UPDATE:
Thanks a lot for all of the uplifting comments!
I actually did some crude cutting for fun yesterday, and yes: The blade is ridiculously sharp.
My Kaze is able to cut through almost any single bottle with (of course) or without water inside of it. For some reason though, I keep getting the idea that the blade is getting "micro-fractures" of some sort on the edge and I am unsure why. After close inspection on the sword, my brain is seeing little dots on the blade (very very tiny) and they scare me. Perhaps it's just dust? Nothing serious though, it's not a crack so I don't have to worry about the sword snapping on me just yet.
Anyway, this sword takes good handling. My first attempts at some waterless bottles were hopeless and the bottle went flying, but after I stood there and actually prepared a nice cut, the blade when clean through .This leads me to believe half a sword is the person itself!
The 6" Balance is still a little unsettling though .
Conclusions
Overall this is a very nice sword. Cheness puts all of the money into the blade though however, so if you're looking for a sword with gorgeous fittings; this sword is NOT for you.
The Saya is absolutely gorgeous as is the tsuba.
The Hamon is subtle but discernible. Sword is quite quick, however feels a little tip heavy. Without the bo-hi, this sword may feel a little heavy and the balance is 6" as opposed to 5" (very noticeable).
Historical Accuracy: 1/5 (One point for the replica ancient Tsuba)
Fit and Finish: 3/5 (The fit gains all of the points, but the finish takes away from it remarkably)
Handling: 3/5 (A little tip heavy, balance is a little awkward)
Structural Integrity: 5/5 (With little bending and knocking here and there, 9260 steel lives up to its name despite being DH for practical usage. Be careful though, it has a soft spine. Holds edge well even against cardboard.)
Value for Money: 5/5 (Great sword for a great price.)
OVERALL: 4/5 (Without historical accuracy).
I purchased this sword mainly because of Mr. Southren's "pick of the litter" comment on the main S-B-G review website. Being my first "real" entry level Katana, I wanted something that was tested, tried and proven to be something that was worth the price.
In addition to choosing this sword because of the great reviews, the sword caught my attention because of its fantastic name "Kaze" (Kaze was one of the first words I learned in Japanese) and its natural Hamon. After recently learning about different hamons, real-fake, differentially hardened swords and through hardened swords - I wanted a sword that was the real deal. Seeing as how I don't cut too often, I decided not to go with a through-hardened 9260 spring steel sword and put my sights on the Kaze which was renowned for its cutting ability, despite it being weaker than its other 9260 brethren.
The package arrived on the first day of the week inside a large rectangular cardboard box. Inside was the sword case itself, but unfortunately it was badly damaged. In the photo you are unable to see the damage, but had I turned over the box, you could have seen how one side is completely crushed and the design on the top of the box is pretty out of shape. Although this is quite disappointing, there will be no points deducted since this was a shipping issue and not part of the sword itself. Anyway, luckily for me, the sword itself was not damaged thanks to the padding inside.
I took the sword out of the cotton carrying case and placed it on the floor. As you can see, the Saya is fantastic and the Sageo is AMAZINGLY done. I still can't grasp how people are able to tie rope so well! Anyway, the Saya was gripped onto the sword very tightly (which is a good thing, my Zetsurin cut someone because it came out of its case). The Habaki by the way, looks fantastic for the price I paid and is doing a good job of keeping the sword safe and sound within its case.
The handle was pretty nice and the little bat creatures under the Ito wrap were quite well done. The sword also features real ray-skin, which is nice, but it is a little discolored. One thing though that caught my attention and I didn't like very much was the Ito wrap. Seeing as how it is not made out of Silk like it should be and is made out of cotton, there was a considerable amount of fraying. This can destroy the look since the rest of the sword is very sleek but the handle is fuzzy.
The Tsuba was very well done and is seemingly "perfect". I've seen some people with nicked Tsubas before, or having parts that were uneven with the rest, but for me; I was lucky enough to get a Tsuba that was without scratches and perfectly even. Mr. Chen should be applauded for having such nice Tsubas .
The blade itself was nice. I tried to take an image straight down the spine of the sword, and it seems straight enough. It's not as perfect as what you can find from authentic Japanese swords, but for the price: it was very impressive.
I wanted to take a closer look at the blade itself and take a peek at the featured real Hamon of the sword, but like Mr. Southren mentioned in his review: "The hamon is barely visible". From a VERY shallow angle you can catch a glimpse of the Hamon, but when holding it normally it can be very faint.
The polish on the Kaze is not a mirror polish. Either way though, I felt as if the polish wasn't that well done, could have been better. However, I understand that this is only a 300$ sword.
The edge seemed quite sharp out of the box. It doesn't feel razor sharp, but I believe that's because of the geometry. Since I won't be doing cutting tests immediately (there are children around), I am still confident that the edge is well done for an "out of the box" sharpening. I slid the sword through some paper and it went effortlessly without much friction or noise. Using my old trash Katana, I can clearly hear the blade going through; however with this sword, it's almost silent (proving that the geometry is fantastic and the edge itself is very sharp).
Handling
After picking up the sword for the first time, I noticed that it was quite heavy. I wasn't very fond of the balance of the sword because it felt like the tip was a little too heavy, but I am sure it's fine and I will become used to it.
As for swinging, the sword is quite fast even for a sword without a Bo-hi. The sword does make a nice swooshing sound if swung properly, but it is seemingly not as loud as my other sword. However, that might just be me being a little conservative with this sword (since it's brand new) and not being used to how it handles.
Statistics
-Overall Length (+ Saya) 42.5"
-Finish Tameshigiri Polish
-Blade Dimension 28" Length, 0.3" Width, 1.25" Height
-Sori (Curvature) 0.7"
-Weight ~2 lbs 9 oz
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade
The blade is pretty well done overall. The polish is not as good as I thought it would be, but that is heavily excused by the fact that the sword is sharp, straight and has great geometry. The real Hamon is subtle, but viewable.
EDIT: To be honest, the Yokote isn't very well done (since it's artificial) and quite disappointing. It really takes away from the look of the sword but I am unsure of whether or not it affects the functionality.
The Grip
Everything about the Tsuka is nice except for the Ito wrap. The sword would be perfect if it had a silk ito wrap, however with the standard cotton; it simply is just unattractive.
2x Mekugi are nice to keep everything in place and seem to be well fitted. The little designs under the wrap are detailed and well made.
The real Ray skin is slightly discolored and could be improved.
The Guard
The guard / Tsuba is simply fantastic. It is perfectly made, super even, sturdy and without any defects. The design is also astounding and is one of my favorite.
The Scabbard
Black Lacquered Saya is simply amazing and super sturdy. The Sageo is expertly tied, very tight and complements the whole entire design incredibly well!
Fit
Everything is nice and tight without rattling.
The fun part! ;D
Cutting
Paper sharpness test: This blade easily slides through paper and is shown in the official SBG review to cut paper quite well when it is openly suspended as well. However, this takes a considerable amount of skill and form despite how sharp the blade is.
More tests coming soon when I can do them!
UPDATE:
Thanks a lot for all of the uplifting comments!
I actually did some crude cutting for fun yesterday, and yes: The blade is ridiculously sharp.
My Kaze is able to cut through almost any single bottle with (of course) or without water inside of it. For some reason though, I keep getting the idea that the blade is getting "micro-fractures" of some sort on the edge and I am unsure why. After close inspection on the sword, my brain is seeing little dots on the blade (very very tiny) and they scare me. Perhaps it's just dust? Nothing serious though, it's not a crack so I don't have to worry about the sword snapping on me just yet.
Anyway, this sword takes good handling. My first attempts at some waterless bottles were hopeless and the bottle went flying, but after I stood there and actually prepared a nice cut, the blade when clean through .This leads me to believe half a sword is the person itself!
The 6" Balance is still a little unsettling though .
Conclusions
Overall this is a very nice sword. Cheness puts all of the money into the blade though however, so if you're looking for a sword with gorgeous fittings; this sword is NOT for you.
The Saya is absolutely gorgeous as is the tsuba.
The Hamon is subtle but discernible. Sword is quite quick, however feels a little tip heavy. Without the bo-hi, this sword may feel a little heavy and the balance is 6" as opposed to 5" (very noticeable).
Historical Accuracy: 1/5 (One point for the replica ancient Tsuba)
Fit and Finish: 3/5 (The fit gains all of the points, but the finish takes away from it remarkably)
Handling: 3/5 (A little tip heavy, balance is a little awkward)
Structural Integrity: 5/5 (With little bending and knocking here and there, 9260 steel lives up to its name despite being DH for practical usage. Be careful though, it has a soft spine. Holds edge well even against cardboard.)
Value for Money: 5/5 (Great sword for a great price.)
OVERALL: 4/5 (Without historical accuracy).