Yamato Series Iaito
Aug 13, 2010 3:29:49 GMT
Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2010 3:29:49 GMT
Yamato Deluxe Toshin Series; Jidai Ishime Koshirae
Introduction
Some months ago I decided to drop by a dojo in my city to check out iaido. I was hooked right away and now I am learning iaido as well as kendo (same dojo). Before then I'd never known that blunt alloy iaito existed. I've been really wanting an authentic looking katana for some time, and getting a Japanese iaito seems like a great idea especially since I can actually use it for practice later on down the road.
I purchased this iaito from Yamato Budogu and it cost me just under 850USD. It took about 10 weeks to make; they (Yamato Budogu) explained the delay was due to the kojiri I wanted. Their website actually estimates 6-8 weeks for this model so not too shabby at all. It shipped out from Kyoto and arrived in NZ within several days. The service from Yamato Budogu have been outstanding.
Note: I bought the 'Deluxe Toshin' model because I needed it in a longer length. This very same model is sold on several other sites under different names. Tozando has it in the 'Pro Series', and on Aoi Budogu the 'Selected Heavyweight Toshin'.
Historical overview
Blunt alloy iaito were developed to comply with Japanese sword ownership laws which banned all unregistered swords made of ferrous metals (steel swords). They're not classed as weapons and can be taken into Japan without issue. The blades are mass-produced in various sizes and then mounted.
Technically 'iaito' refers to any sword used for iai. Some sites sell sharp steel iaito for live practice and cutting.
Initial impressions
The iaito was double boxed and securely packaged. It came with an expensive looking silk bag. Fortunately they didn't include one of those obnoxious display boxes that you always get with Chinese katana!
I also ordered some seppa and 'bonji' menuki from them. The note is a nice touch.
I took the iaito and swung it around just a bit. I didn't expect it to be so light given the length and thickness of the blade. It has a very nice feel. Makes a lovely swishing sound. ;D
Statistics
Nagasa: 2.55 shaku
Tsuka: 9 sun
Overall length without saya is just over 42 inches
Weight without saya is around 1045 grams
Components
The blade has a hi and the hamon pattern is notare. The tsuka is jidai style and the saya is in black gloss. The ito and sageo are black cotton. The wrap is very tight and even.
I chose cotton instead of silk as I had intended to have the tsuka re-wrapped in leather, but it's been done so well that I think I'll just leave it as it is for now. The samegawa is lacquered black.
The fuchi, kashira and kojiri are ishime themed. The menuki depicts a pair of shishi running and playing. The kurikata has silver-plated shitodome. All these fittings are brass.
The iron nanako-ji tsuba is in my opinion extremely elegant. The seppa and habaki are antiqued brass. Not quite as fancy as the solid silver ones on my sensei's iaito, but given that his is around 2 grand, I'm not complaining!
The tsuka has thin shims, and the habaki has shims inside the ha and mune sides. The mekugi ana is angled. The seppa and tsuba is fitted very tightly to the nakago and doesn't have any play at all. The iaito fits into the saya snugly and doesn't rattle. There's no casting imperfections along the blade whatsoever and the lacquer on the saya is very nice.
Conclusion:
I'm very pleased with my new iaito and I hope this review has been informative/useful. There's not many iaito reviews here but that's understandable considering that the main focus on this forum is on affordable and functional (cutting) swords. But decent Japanese iaito do start as cheap as 300USD. Even if you're not a practitioner, iaito still make fantastic display pieces.
Thanks for reading, Aristya
Pros
- Beautiful and elegant
- Made for iai so it has 'authentic' balance and feel
- No issues taking this abroad on trips (except maybe into the UK!)
Cons
- Doesn't cut
- Alloy blades do need to be treated with care, as they're more fragile than steel blades
Introduction
Some months ago I decided to drop by a dojo in my city to check out iaido. I was hooked right away and now I am learning iaido as well as kendo (same dojo). Before then I'd never known that blunt alloy iaito existed. I've been really wanting an authentic looking katana for some time, and getting a Japanese iaito seems like a great idea especially since I can actually use it for practice later on down the road.
I purchased this iaito from Yamato Budogu and it cost me just under 850USD. It took about 10 weeks to make; they (Yamato Budogu) explained the delay was due to the kojiri I wanted. Their website actually estimates 6-8 weeks for this model so not too shabby at all. It shipped out from Kyoto and arrived in NZ within several days. The service from Yamato Budogu have been outstanding.
Note: I bought the 'Deluxe Toshin' model because I needed it in a longer length. This very same model is sold on several other sites under different names. Tozando has it in the 'Pro Series', and on Aoi Budogu the 'Selected Heavyweight Toshin'.
Historical overview
Blunt alloy iaito were developed to comply with Japanese sword ownership laws which banned all unregistered swords made of ferrous metals (steel swords). They're not classed as weapons and can be taken into Japan without issue. The blades are mass-produced in various sizes and then mounted.
Technically 'iaito' refers to any sword used for iai. Some sites sell sharp steel iaito for live practice and cutting.
Initial impressions
The iaito was double boxed and securely packaged. It came with an expensive looking silk bag. Fortunately they didn't include one of those obnoxious display boxes that you always get with Chinese katana!
I also ordered some seppa and 'bonji' menuki from them. The note is a nice touch.
I took the iaito and swung it around just a bit. I didn't expect it to be so light given the length and thickness of the blade. It has a very nice feel. Makes a lovely swishing sound. ;D
Statistics
Nagasa: 2.55 shaku
Tsuka: 9 sun
Overall length without saya is just over 42 inches
Weight without saya is around 1045 grams
Components
The blade has a hi and the hamon pattern is notare. The tsuka is jidai style and the saya is in black gloss. The ito and sageo are black cotton. The wrap is very tight and even.
I chose cotton instead of silk as I had intended to have the tsuka re-wrapped in leather, but it's been done so well that I think I'll just leave it as it is for now. The samegawa is lacquered black.
The fuchi, kashira and kojiri are ishime themed. The menuki depicts a pair of shishi running and playing. The kurikata has silver-plated shitodome. All these fittings are brass.
The iron nanako-ji tsuba is in my opinion extremely elegant. The seppa and habaki are antiqued brass. Not quite as fancy as the solid silver ones on my sensei's iaito, but given that his is around 2 grand, I'm not complaining!
The tsuka has thin shims, and the habaki has shims inside the ha and mune sides. The mekugi ana is angled. The seppa and tsuba is fitted very tightly to the nakago and doesn't have any play at all. The iaito fits into the saya snugly and doesn't rattle. There's no casting imperfections along the blade whatsoever and the lacquer on the saya is very nice.
Conclusion:
I'm very pleased with my new iaito and I hope this review has been informative/useful. There's not many iaito reviews here but that's understandable considering that the main focus on this forum is on affordable and functional (cutting) swords. But decent Japanese iaito do start as cheap as 300USD. Even if you're not a practitioner, iaito still make fantastic display pieces.
Thanks for reading, Aristya
Pros
- Beautiful and elegant
- Made for iai so it has 'authentic' balance and feel
- No issues taking this abroad on trips (except maybe into the UK!)
Cons
- Doesn't cut
- Alloy blades do need to be treated with care, as they're more fragile than steel blades