Two Sided Review: Ryumon Dragon Tanto
Aug 14, 2008 19:07:42 GMT
Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2008 19:07:42 GMT
Ryumon Dragon Tanto
By: Bryan M (kleveland)
North Chicago ‘burbs, IL, USA
Well kiddies, its high time I finally try and contribute to the review boards, and since its always wise to start small, I decided to review the Ryumon Dragon Tanto.
At first I was hesitant to pick up a ryumon, because of the checkered history of their parent company, Masahiro. However, I picked up this tanto as a start for a project piece to compliment my cheness custom. So, this is a bit of a two-part review, with me viewing it as a straight-up buyer, and secondly as a customizer.
Before I get into the actual review, let me air a bit of the story behind picking this blade up.
I ordered this blade some 3 months ago through Swords of Might. I shopped around for a long time for the best deal on this blade, and SoM had this tanto marked at nearly half the price of most of their rivals. Between that, and the 5% discount SBG receives, I was sold. I had two thought processes going when I realized the HUGE price difference:
AS A BUYER:
I'm about to get hosed. To offer that much of a markdown, I must be getting a factory 'second'. Something is going to be wrong with this.
AS A CUSTOMIZER
Well, seeing as how I'm purchasing this for the blade and a handful of the fittings, I found myself a deal! Sweet!
Either way, when I ordered from Jason over at SoM, I received word quickly that it was on backorder. At first I figured "Okay, a few weeks".... so, two weeks later I messaged Jason, and he said it was still on backorder.... I quickly became a regular pest for Jason, asking him almost weekly when my order could get filled. (sorry bud!) To my defense though, SoM was very, very prompt in taking their payment, so they had my money, and I had an email saying they could either substitute for a small up charge, cancel, or we could just wait.... and, since I had a very specific project in mind for this tanto, I waited....
and waited....
and waited....
and then it came!!!
and then, as a buyer, I was under-whelmed...
Unpacking and Dry handling
Packaging was your standard box- packing peanuts- box setup, very secure for shipping. UPS did well handling the package, no visible signs of being dropped or mishandled during shipping. When I tore through the packaging material, my newest purchase was resting comfortably in a very well put together wooden box, boasting the Ryumon logo:
Blade length: 9 5/8"
Hilt length: 5.25"
Overall: 15 1/8"
POB (point of balance): .75" from base of guard
Weight: about 1 lbs. (no scales guys, sorry)
On initial handling, I noticed that the blade was very heavy in the hand. It probably had to do with the low PoB. I figured that this was actually preferred, since the tanto is meant to be a stabbing blade, the weight should be put back toward the hand, giving it greater presence, control and force behind the strike.
Here's where it began to fall apart....
After a few dry slashes, I noticed that no matter how I adjusted my swing, I couldn't get that 'whistle' that would normally come from a blade with bohi (blood groove). With my cheness, I hear that whistle almost constantly, however, it was silent in this case. I realized just how shallow the bohi was in this blade, and that probably contributed to it not singing for me.
Summary:
AS A BUYER:
Uhoh..... I'm starting to smell a lemon...
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
Can I take it apart yet!?!?!?
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade
Alot of my blade pictures didn't take because my camera was made sometime in the Jurassic period, but I do have a few that I can share that illustrate my problems as a buyer here...
At quick glance, the blade seemed decent... damascus-style etching was attractive, a triangular cross section keeping with the yari-tanto style (this style is indicative of a spear being cut down and converted into a daggar, not a 'true' tanto per se).
But, On closer inspection, I noticed something not pleasant...
Hard to tell from the picture, but there were a number of chips along the kissaki, and the point itself was rounded off.... Easily fixed, but at the cost of the damascus etching.... Ryumon's loosing points here...
Next issue....
Not a pretty sight..... those are deep scratches that have tarnished.... metalglo wasn't about to buff anything that deep out...
AND WE'RE NOT DONE!!!!
The Grip
The grip was wood, with skin panels.... they looked very thin, in fact you could almost see wood color through them... I couldn't tell honestly if it was incredibly thin plastic, or increadibly inferior rayskin... The menuki (ornaments) on the grip were very snug in their wrap, however, they were also very poorly cast, I couldn't tell what they were, I assumed dragons because of the name only... The wrap itself was tight, but uneven, and off-centered... There was also a visible amount of wood peeking out near the terminal knots.
Here was what killed it for the buyer in me.... This image alone would've been reason enough for me to box it right back up and send it back...
Yeah... see that black spot where the seppa (spacer) meets the tsuba (guard)? Yeah... that's a gap, and it runs clear down to the tsuka (grip).... the blade isn't sitting center in the grip.... THAT could be why I couldn't get the blade to whistle during dry handling..
Anyway, for safety reasons, there was no way I was going to do any cutting with this blade....
AS A BUYER:
I got hosed! There's no way I'm accepting this!
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
Well, I was going to scrap the wood anyway, as long as the blade or tang isn't twisted, I'm fine...
The Pommel
The Pommel was one of the fittings that was absolutely critical to me. It was a part that I wanted to use in the cutom...
*PHEW*
That was alright, thankfully... Okay, still in business to keep going... Cast out of copper, I can tell by the small hints of it peeking out of a few small wear marks along the edges
The Guard
The guard wasn't a critical piece to me, however, I was pleasantly surprized...
The cast of the pommel was also very, very well done... It seems Ryumon focuses on executing the most obvious details very well, but details a more critical buyer would look for, they just aren't following through on...
The Scabbard
The saya (scabbard) looked great, no flaws in the laquering, high polish and well joined at the kurikata (buffalo horn)... The cord was thin, cheap synthetic, but I have an extra cord from a previous project that I can very easily use, so I wasn't worried...
The mouth also seemed well carved, nice and clean, overall solidly joined....
If only it would actually hold the blade...
Yep, the fit of the tanto to saya is so loose that, if its on your belt, and you turn quickly enough, the tanto will jump right out and fall on the floor, sorry, no vid of that, I wasn't expecting to almost perform hara-kiri...
AS A BUYER:
Handling it is dangerous, carrying it is dangerous.... What is this!?
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
I have alot of work ahead of me... can't use any of this wood atall...
TESTING
Because of the blatant gap in the grip and fittings of this tanto, there was no way I could safely cut with it as-is..... I'll post a video of me cutting with the blade once I've reworked it and I'm satisfied with its safety....
CONCLUSION
After all of this, I had to remember something. Most of the sites on the web were offering this tanto in the $150US area, while Swords of Might was selling it for $59.99US. That's obvously a tremendous deal... It certainly is a redeeming quality, but I'd suggest dipping a little deeper into your pockets if you like the blade as is.... like I said, its possible to very easily fix the problems in the steel itself, but, it'll ruin the etching pattern on the blade, and it'll be forever noticeable...
Sorry Paul, looks to me like Ryumon/ Masahiro is still back-and-forth on their Q.A. ...
AS A BUYER:
Historical Accuracy: NA/5
Fit and Finish: 2/5 - Most obvious details were nice, but fell apart after closer inspection...
Handling: 3/5 - A thrusting blade needs a good weight in hand...
Structural Integrity: 0/5 - No way this is safe for cutting...
Value for Money: 2/5 - Two points because this is a steal...
OVERALL: 1/5
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
Historical Accuracy: NA/5
Fit and Finish: 4/5 - Blade needs some work, but everything that I'm looking for is pretty good...
Handling: 3/5 - Even stripped down, its handle heavy
Structural Integrity: 4/5 - The parts I want look solid so far, working with them will reveal any damage I might've missed...
Value for Money: 5/5 - Got what I want out of it cheap!
OVERALL: 4/5
By: Bryan M (kleveland)
North Chicago ‘burbs, IL, USA
Well kiddies, its high time I finally try and contribute to the review boards, and since its always wise to start small, I decided to review the Ryumon Dragon Tanto.
At first I was hesitant to pick up a ryumon, because of the checkered history of their parent company, Masahiro. However, I picked up this tanto as a start for a project piece to compliment my cheness custom. So, this is a bit of a two-part review, with me viewing it as a straight-up buyer, and secondly as a customizer.
Before I get into the actual review, let me air a bit of the story behind picking this blade up.
I ordered this blade some 3 months ago through Swords of Might. I shopped around for a long time for the best deal on this blade, and SoM had this tanto marked at nearly half the price of most of their rivals. Between that, and the 5% discount SBG receives, I was sold. I had two thought processes going when I realized the HUGE price difference:
AS A BUYER:
I'm about to get hosed. To offer that much of a markdown, I must be getting a factory 'second'. Something is going to be wrong with this.
AS A CUSTOMIZER
Well, seeing as how I'm purchasing this for the blade and a handful of the fittings, I found myself a deal! Sweet!
Either way, when I ordered from Jason over at SoM, I received word quickly that it was on backorder. At first I figured "Okay, a few weeks".... so, two weeks later I messaged Jason, and he said it was still on backorder.... I quickly became a regular pest for Jason, asking him almost weekly when my order could get filled. (sorry bud!) To my defense though, SoM was very, very prompt in taking their payment, so they had my money, and I had an email saying they could either substitute for a small up charge, cancel, or we could just wait.... and, since I had a very specific project in mind for this tanto, I waited....
and waited....
and waited....
and then it came!!!
and then, as a buyer, I was under-whelmed...
Unpacking and Dry handling
Packaging was your standard box- packing peanuts- box setup, very secure for shipping. UPS did well handling the package, no visible signs of being dropped or mishandled during shipping. When I tore through the packaging material, my newest purchase was resting comfortably in a very well put together wooden box, boasting the Ryumon logo:
Blade length: 9 5/8"
Hilt length: 5.25"
Overall: 15 1/8"
POB (point of balance): .75" from base of guard
Weight: about 1 lbs. (no scales guys, sorry)
On initial handling, I noticed that the blade was very heavy in the hand. It probably had to do with the low PoB. I figured that this was actually preferred, since the tanto is meant to be a stabbing blade, the weight should be put back toward the hand, giving it greater presence, control and force behind the strike.
Here's where it began to fall apart....
After a few dry slashes, I noticed that no matter how I adjusted my swing, I couldn't get that 'whistle' that would normally come from a blade with bohi (blood groove). With my cheness, I hear that whistle almost constantly, however, it was silent in this case. I realized just how shallow the bohi was in this blade, and that probably contributed to it not singing for me.
Summary:
AS A BUYER:
Uhoh..... I'm starting to smell a lemon...
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
Can I take it apart yet!?!?!?
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade
Alot of my blade pictures didn't take because my camera was made sometime in the Jurassic period, but I do have a few that I can share that illustrate my problems as a buyer here...
At quick glance, the blade seemed decent... damascus-style etching was attractive, a triangular cross section keeping with the yari-tanto style (this style is indicative of a spear being cut down and converted into a daggar, not a 'true' tanto per se).
But, On closer inspection, I noticed something not pleasant...
Hard to tell from the picture, but there were a number of chips along the kissaki, and the point itself was rounded off.... Easily fixed, but at the cost of the damascus etching.... Ryumon's loosing points here...
Next issue....
Not a pretty sight..... those are deep scratches that have tarnished.... metalglo wasn't about to buff anything that deep out...
AND WE'RE NOT DONE!!!!
The Grip
The grip was wood, with skin panels.... they looked very thin, in fact you could almost see wood color through them... I couldn't tell honestly if it was incredibly thin plastic, or increadibly inferior rayskin... The menuki (ornaments) on the grip were very snug in their wrap, however, they were also very poorly cast, I couldn't tell what they were, I assumed dragons because of the name only... The wrap itself was tight, but uneven, and off-centered... There was also a visible amount of wood peeking out near the terminal knots.
Here was what killed it for the buyer in me.... This image alone would've been reason enough for me to box it right back up and send it back...
Yeah... see that black spot where the seppa (spacer) meets the tsuba (guard)? Yeah... that's a gap, and it runs clear down to the tsuka (grip).... the blade isn't sitting center in the grip.... THAT could be why I couldn't get the blade to whistle during dry handling..
Anyway, for safety reasons, there was no way I was going to do any cutting with this blade....
AS A BUYER:
I got hosed! There's no way I'm accepting this!
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
Well, I was going to scrap the wood anyway, as long as the blade or tang isn't twisted, I'm fine...
The Pommel
The Pommel was one of the fittings that was absolutely critical to me. It was a part that I wanted to use in the cutom...
*PHEW*
That was alright, thankfully... Okay, still in business to keep going... Cast out of copper, I can tell by the small hints of it peeking out of a few small wear marks along the edges
The Guard
The guard wasn't a critical piece to me, however, I was pleasantly surprized...
The cast of the pommel was also very, very well done... It seems Ryumon focuses on executing the most obvious details very well, but details a more critical buyer would look for, they just aren't following through on...
The Scabbard
The saya (scabbard) looked great, no flaws in the laquering, high polish and well joined at the kurikata (buffalo horn)... The cord was thin, cheap synthetic, but I have an extra cord from a previous project that I can very easily use, so I wasn't worried...
The mouth also seemed well carved, nice and clean, overall solidly joined....
If only it would actually hold the blade...
Yep, the fit of the tanto to saya is so loose that, if its on your belt, and you turn quickly enough, the tanto will jump right out and fall on the floor, sorry, no vid of that, I wasn't expecting to almost perform hara-kiri...
AS A BUYER:
Handling it is dangerous, carrying it is dangerous.... What is this!?
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
I have alot of work ahead of me... can't use any of this wood atall...
TESTING
Because of the blatant gap in the grip and fittings of this tanto, there was no way I could safely cut with it as-is..... I'll post a video of me cutting with the blade once I've reworked it and I'm satisfied with its safety....
CONCLUSION
After all of this, I had to remember something. Most of the sites on the web were offering this tanto in the $150US area, while Swords of Might was selling it for $59.99US. That's obvously a tremendous deal... It certainly is a redeeming quality, but I'd suggest dipping a little deeper into your pockets if you like the blade as is.... like I said, its possible to very easily fix the problems in the steel itself, but, it'll ruin the etching pattern on the blade, and it'll be forever noticeable...
Sorry Paul, looks to me like Ryumon/ Masahiro is still back-and-forth on their Q.A. ...
AS A BUYER:
Historical Accuracy: NA/5
Fit and Finish: 2/5 - Most obvious details were nice, but fell apart after closer inspection...
Handling: 3/5 - A thrusting blade needs a good weight in hand...
Structural Integrity: 0/5 - No way this is safe for cutting...
Value for Money: 2/5 - Two points because this is a steal...
OVERALL: 1/5
AS A CUSTOMIZER:
Historical Accuracy: NA/5
Fit and Finish: 4/5 - Blade needs some work, but everything that I'm looking for is pretty good...
Handling: 3/5 - Even stripped down, its handle heavy
Structural Integrity: 4/5 - The parts I want look solid so far, working with them will reveal any damage I might've missed...
Value for Money: 5/5 - Got what I want out of it cheap!
OVERALL: 4/5