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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2006 18:06:55 GMT
Yeah, it does seem like my scratches are a little worse. The pic of the back/spine looks a little worse than it actually is. There are some minor scratches but also discoloration with the steel for some reason as if they didn't do the same thing throughout the back. My ito, just like yours is not perfect, but it's not bad. I didn't think my blade was as sharp as I thought it would be. I know what you mean, too bad we're comparing flaws, but hey there are some good points as well, like, we have our first Japanese blade
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2006 19:01:15 GMT
I am a Canon man. I have Canon's 20D. It is not their top of the line camera but is plenty for what I do. If I need a second camera on the job, I have access to my father's 30D. I used Canon's 28-135 lens with Image Stabilizer for the photos of my Kaze. This is the lens that is usually mounted on my camera. great minds think alike!!! i shoot with a 30D, 17-40L, and sig 70-200. bunch of other stuff too lol. the list is tooo long haha.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2006 19:10:00 GMT
i just finished polishing my blade with 2000grit paper (can't find 3000 anywhere around here, probably order it). while looking at it one way, the scratches are visible, another way and it looks like a mirror finish.
i'm not sure what to use for a final metal polish. i see alot recomend metal glo and am thinking of getting that. will this help or should i try to get some 3000 grit to make it smoother?
another thing that i did was polish the back of the blade (mune) with the paper also. this got rid of the difference in color. the same on my tsuka was quite awful to say the least. the ito is quite tight and the blade is wonderful. the habaki has some marks on it from the tight fit in the saya. also, the cheap sageo is leaving marks on the saya finish, something that a good polish and new sageo would probably fix though. i think that's it for problems...
i'm in the process or making a new tsuka from a hickory pick axe handle. ordered the supplies from fred lohman. we'll see how well the tsukamaki actually comes out. i'm a perfectionist so if it isn't perfect then i'll be quite upset lol... and then have to redo it lol. i plan on making a daisho when the kaze wakizashi comes out around march. oooooh, i'm so excited haha.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2006 21:28:10 GMT
Use 3000 to 6000 to get the mirror minish.
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admin
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Post by admin on Dec 24, 2006 4:02:17 GMT
I've communicated with Paul Chen about these scratches as it's never really happened before with such frequency. I'm pretty confident that this will be the last batch with this issue (the batch these ones have come from has just sold out now, and are on backorder until Feb 2007, so there should be time to polish out these scratches if they are found in the next batch, which is still in production). I know that it's impossible to expect perfection on a sub US$300 Katana (after all, these are not art swords) - but obviously the more preventable cosmetic flaws the better! As a side note though, a little extra polishing at home can go a looong way with the Kaze - have a look at how the hamon comes out in this polish of a Kaze by Christian Beer! ;D One more thing I'd like to address is that many Cheness swords do not necessarily feel sharp to the thumb tip test (i.e. putting a little pressure on the blade) - especially if one is used to other razor sharp cheap Katana - many of which are too sharp for their own good (i.e. - roll easily on medium to heavy targets). Cheness Katana (except the new SCG Cutter) have considerable Niku (i.e. 'Meat' or an appleseed bevel) which is a highly desirable characteristic on a traditional Japanese sword: While they may not feel as sharp, believe me - they can cut extremely, extremely well (much better than thinner but more pointy blades). Just try a paper cutting test to see and you'll know what I mean. And don't make the mistake of running your finger/thumb along the blade... (voice of experience here). I was dumb enough to do this when I was thinking 'this Kaze doesn't feel sharp' and (very, very stupidly) ran my thumb just a little harder than I should across the blade - and then had to reverse it back the way I went because it slid right through the skin!! Not a pleasant moment I can tell you...!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2006 6:31:34 GMT
Thanks for Niku illustration & explanation Paul!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2006 21:35:44 GMT
And don't make the mistake of running your finger/thumb along the blade... (voice of experience here). I was dumb enough to do this when I was thinking 'this Kaze doesn't feel sharp' and (very, very stupidly) ran my thumb just a little harder than I should across the blade - and then had to reverse it back the way I went because it slid right through the skin!! Not a pleasant moment I can tell you...! silly man... lol
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2006 16:09:06 GMT
And don't make the mistake of running your finger/thumb along the blade... (voice of experience here). I was dumb enough to do this when I was thinking 'this Kaze doesn't feel sharp' and (very, very stupidly) ran my thumb just a little harder than I should across the blade - and then had to reverse it back the way I went because it slid right through the skin!! Not a pleasant moment I can tell you...! This is a characteristic of "appleseed" or, more correctly, convex blade edges. A well done convex edge is stropped, or in some other way polished, as the final step in production, so they feel very smooth compared to a secondary bevel edge, which usually has some roughness to the edge. This smooth feel is easily mistaken for "dull" upon casual observation, whereas, when you feel a sharp secondary edge, it grabs the skin, due to its small degree of roughness and more accute angle, giving the impression (correctly) of being "razor" sharp. I have made the same mistake as Paul on a couple of occasions (some of us learn more slowly than others ;D). I have several knives by a company called Bark River Knife and Tool, and they use a true convex edge on their knives. When I got my first one, it was my first exposure to this type of edge. When I took the knife out of the box, I lightly rubbed my finger along the edge, and thought, "Geez, this this feels kinda dull." About a millisecond later, I sliced my left index finger almost to the bone with this "dull" blade. I made the same mistake with my Gen2 dagger, which is also convex ground, only with somewhat less damage, as the blade on the Gen2 dagger isn't as sharp as those on Bark River knives (which, given its short sword proportions and chopping abilities, is a good thing). My point is, the best way to describe a nice convex edge would be "deceptive". They are so smooth that they don't feel sharp until it's too late and you've cut yourself, so please use caution.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2007 1:13:24 GMT
Great review & terrific pictures BlackCat, and thoroughly enjoyed everyone's input, I learned a lot about Cheness katana, just got to ask, do you ship to the UK PaulReckon I'll be ordering one [or two] in the very near future ;D atvvb Bill
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2007 18:25:10 GMT
great review blackcat, i would love to see some more reviews from you...
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Post by handforgedkatanas on Jan 5, 2007 20:14:42 GMT
to hissatsu you can buy cheness on uk ebay sometimes worth a look
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2007 21:57:23 GMT
Well, I finally have more pictures of my Kaze for everyone. This time the photos are of removing the tsuka. The first step was to remove the mekugi. I used a rubber mallet and the handle of the brass hammer supplied with the sword to tap out the mekugi. I found the the mekugi on my Kaze seemed to be tapered ever-so-slightly. The is probably to make it easier for assembly. As I stated in the first part of my review, the mekugi were also over-sized and seemed to be shaved at they were inserted. If possible, I would suggest trying to find out from which side the mekugi were inserted and tap them out accordingly. It might also be useful to note which hole you mekugi came out of if there are two of them. The mekugi-ana (hole) seemed to be different in size. When I tried to reinsert the mekugi for the first time, I couldn't get it started. I tried the other hole and all was fine. Please, everyone, lets try to keep this forum "clean" and try to keep your minds out of the gutter for those last two sentences. I know, shame on me for bringing it up. I can see how frequent removal of the mekugi could make them loose and require replacement. Once both mekugi were removed, I used the rubber mallet to tap the tsuba for removal. I worked my way around tsuba trying to stay as close to the blade as I could. I imagine that a hard hit to the edge of the tsuba could bend it. It would also be a good idea to avoid hitting the seppa (spacer) if the tsuba moves way from it as shown in the photo. They are thin and easy to bend. This photo was not a real hit. I know the mallet is close to the edge of the tsuba. This photo was just for illustration purposes. The tsuka and tsuba were tight on the nakago (tang). I had to continue to use the mallet for an inch or so. After that first inch, the parts easily slid off. Closeup of the mei (signature) The tsuba and seppa had a small amount of grease between them. This is probably the same stuff that the blade was coated in for shipping. I removed the fuchi (collar) from the tsuka to inspect the wood. In the photo on the right, the wood is very thin at the upper right corner of the opening. It looks like there is a small fracture in the wood. This is something I will definitely be keeping my eye on. Since the sword was disassembled, I figure it would be a good time to take a look at how well the habaki fit into the opening the saya. There only seems to be small gaps on the ha edge of the habaki. I would assume that a higher quality katana would have the opening custom fit to each individual sword. In my opinion, this didn't seem bad for production models. Time for re-assembly... I slid the first seppa on then the tsuba. I would not recommend applying force to the seppa with your fingers. It will bend. It is best to push the seppa with the tsuba. I used the rubber mallet again to tap the tsuba back on. The fit of the tsuba to the nakago is comparable to the fit of the habaki to the saya, gaps at the ha edge. I believe most of the "tightness" of the tsuba is from the mune to ha dimension of the opening on the blade side of the tsuka. I assembled the rest of the parts and tapped the end of the tsuka with the rubber mallet to get everything tight. Finally, I tapped in the mekugi. I discovered that you can't be afraid to use some force with this sword. All of the fittings are very tight which I feel is a plus for this level of sword. For those of you who have not disassembled their sword, hopefully this will help inform you of what to expect. Taking your katana apart is probably a good idea so you can inspect it. The small crack in my tsuka seems minor, at least for now. I guess that far worse can be discovered due to the level of quality control for this class of production sword. I have to admit, I was a little leery at first but the urge to take things apart got the best of me. It must be the engineer in me coming out. I really wasn't taking photos to share with you all, just making a reference for myself so I could get the thing back together ;D Just kidding, I had everyone in mind.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2007 1:17:36 GMT
That's VERY helpful BlackCat. Thank you!!!
I will be removing my tsuka in the near future and your tips are invaluable. Only thing is I didn't get the kit with my Kaze so I would have to improvise.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2007 1:14:53 GMT
Hello,
Just got a Kaze katana and I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me on this particular blade. The one I have has the blackened steel tsuka (plain, like the Shura katana), not like the one pictured by Blackcat (Antiqued w/ nugget pattern, brown wrap). The tsuba are the same and the wrap is black cotton not brown. Don't get me wrong it still looks great, even a little more sinister.
Maybe Paul can clue us in as to the differences? I wonder if I am holding a first gen or second with the improved heat treat for full bodied blades, or just a case of wrong tsuka right blade? I could swear the tsuka is the same steel alloy tsuka that is on my Shura from Cheness. Sent email to Paul Chen to inquire but in the meantime please post your replies if any. Thanks and take care.
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Post by admin on Jan 14, 2007 10:05:53 GMT
Hi Migz, Sounds like the one right between the first and second gen... (the 1st and a half generation if you will ). To explain better: there was a short period of time (around September 2006 I think, though don't quote me on that!) when the Kaze did indeed have exactly the same blackened steel tsuka as the Shura - but this was changed back to the brass antiqued one on the current gen with the brown ito wrap that Black cat reviewed... As to the heat treat - it's still the same blade all the way through and is differentially hardened. The heat treat you are talking about only applies to solid bodied monosteel 9260 blades such as the Shura and Tenchi just to give them a slightly harder and sharper edge. It's very subtle, and you can't really see any natural hamon like you can on the Kaze (and has nothing to do with the Kaze, which of course is not a monosteel sword). Hope this clarifies things (and makes sense! )
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Marc Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Feb 3, 2007 20:39:16 GMT
Great review Black Cat! I want one of these myself. The one thing that I do not care for (and easily remedied) is the seppa on the Cheness swords (the brass spacers on each side of the tsuba) look like gears with those big "teeth"-fine file seppa should not add that much to the cost of the swords or so I would think. Another point that you might ask Mr. Chen about Paul, is the reversing out of the menuki-the menuki should be under the palms of the hands to provide extra grip (their intended purpose)-I think they put them in this position for "display" purposes-on all production swords. Perhaps this could be offered as an option that could be explored? I know customizing these is not available Enjoy! I agree about the seppa, but you are very wrong about the menuki. Menuki are usually placed under the fingers...as the grip is done with the fingers...specificaly the ring finger and pinky. Menuki placement as you describe it is called gyaku menuki (reversed). While many claim it is more comfortable, it is not the predominantly traditional method
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2007 5:31:41 GMT
how did you grip the blade when hammering the handle back on?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2007 10:50:12 GMT
I think that time I had it clamped in a Quick-Grip clamp like the one below. You just have to make sure the rubber pads are free of dirt or anything that might mark the blade. Another method I use is to wrap the blade with a towel or something. A piece of leather might be nice. Carefully holding onto the wrapped blade (it could cut through your towel) with it laying across my lap, I gave the tsuka a good hit with the rubber mallet. I am sure the inertia of the blade itself helps some in the process.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2007 11:14:19 GMT
I use unused gardening gloves when removing my tsuka. Due to Aust. rather sharp, spikey plants they make 'em pretty tough over here so dispenses your fear of cutting yourself. ;D
Usually they are leather lined and only cost about a couple of dollars.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2007 22:42:28 GMT
Great review! Makes me more excited for mine.
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