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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 7:42:36 GMT
I have been wondering what these are like and so I bit the bullet and bid on one on ebay. I got it for $56 plus $29 postage. Comes in a wooden box with a styrofoam insert that was all busted up. hmmm. "Full tang with makers signiture and date" the add said Well we wont know because the theres no mekugi, the tsuka is permanently attached. The tsuba can be rotated about 1mm.The fuchi and kashira are thin cast brass, the tsuba is also brass.The ito has that cheap feel and I was able to push it back far enuff to see the edges of the narrow panels of fake same. On to the blade, well the steel looks OK, the shape isnt too bad if you like yori style tanto's . that is untill you get the the most woefull attempt at a kissaki I have ever seen.Firstly as far as I know this style of blade doesnt usually have a kissaki, but the forge have attempted to make one by masking off the tip and running a stone across it 1/2 dozen times, its so pathetic you can still see the scratches running in the opposite direction underneath.The blade wont cut paper btw. The saya looks OK, it was full of saw dust,has a few blemishes in the paint. I'll re-polish the blade then if it looks OK I'll remove the tsuka by force, if thers no full tang Mr Global will be refunding me or suffering a false advertising suit. Ok the blade was probably worth the $80 it cost me,but I sure as hell wouldnt pay the $295 he lists them for on his website. Pics to come over the weekend.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 8:26:24 GMT
Update, I just removed the fake yokote and kissaki with fingerstones! The steel is as soft as butter,normally the finger stones work very slowly as they are very soft themselves. I have serious doubts this is even hardened.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 9:16:39 GMT
Hey hey finally a review. I was looking at these a little while ago . Started out at $AUS390 when first came out, then went down in price rather rapidly, so rapidly I became a little suspicious. I am assuming this is the "damascus"-looking one ? Ron I don't think it is hardened, as on this models description it doesn't say anything about it. Tried e-mailing him about the mekugi thing but got no reply. I was informed by a cousin of mine ,who is trying his hand at a bit of forging on his farm. If you wrap steel cabling around a carbon stock blade and stick it in a hot forge, it will come out with a false damascus look to it that will only be skin deep. The Real damascus look as you know , comes from the folds made in the steel through fold forging. This made the dodge alarm go to defcon 3 ! I got an email today about the Hiro Nakamura sword from Globalgear. $AUS390 members price for the replica one with a similar manufacturing description as your tanto. The clay tempered model is $AUS850. I would rather buy a PK and just dress it up if I liked it that much. Please, please , please Ron do a photo by photo breakdown of the tsuka removal. I am just as interested as you to see what is under that damn Tsuka mate, and what is holding it all together I love a bit of destruction me ! HA HA ;D
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 9:57:35 GMT
Well Chop, if I smash off the tsuka it would mean making a new one, just not so sure the blade deserves the time and effort, not to mention new fittings
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 10:01:14 GMT
Well Chop, if I smash off the tsuka it would mean making a new one, just not so sure the blade deserves the time and effort, not to mention new fittings But Ron how will we know about the tang?
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 10:52:42 GMT
OK, my trusty magnet tells me theres a fair bit of steel in the tsuka, not as much as I'd like but enuff. Oh did I mention calling this a tanto is not really accurate, its a O-tanto or a Ko -wak,in other words its big!. The tanto with it in the pics is a Kris Tanto2 that I refitted and they are pretty big for a tanto. and that kissaki,I'm not even sure that they are scratches, it may even be a coating of some sort, I received this after nitefall so tomorrows morning light will tell
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 11:08:20 GMT
I see what you mean about the kissaki. I do like a choc brown ito, over black same though.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 11:25:56 GMT
yea I like the colour scheme too, in fact I was planning on doing my PP series all in that combination, should look good witht the black and gold saya's. Decided I might try drilling a mekugi hole over the weekend,if nothing more than for asthetics, and the drill will tell me what the steel is like. (Hanwie tangs are hard as nails,requires my 1/2inch drill and going up thru sizes in drills,I drilled a Kris one with my cordless and went straight from 2mm to 5mm)
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 11:27:20 GMT
that almost looks like stainless steel?
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2007 11:31:05 GMT
na, its folded blood, they are very course folds too, can feel them with your thumb nail, so much for 100.000 folds LOL! It will be an interesting thing to polish
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2007 3:43:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2007 4:11:48 GMT
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