When is a sword not a sword ?
Jun 23, 2007 4:21:09 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2007 4:21:09 GMT
G’day people , you all know me or at least know of me so I will pass on the introductions. As I browse through the reviews section I noticed there was maybe one review for an Iaito(Unsharpened training katana), while this model has been reviewed before by forum member SPUD(very nicely may I say). I am not going to address this entire review in just one post as he has done, but do it in a progressive style over a few postings. As an Iaito is a training weapon it has to “earn its money”to be worthy not just look good so just an 'out-of-the-box' one post review may not be enough . I do intend to change a thing or two on it and may also use this opportunity to educate why someone would actually buy an Iaito over say a sharpened katana (shinken).
My last Iaito was a Japanese one with a zinc-alloy blade. It did me a good 6 years of trusty service and a friend owned it before me so it was a pass-on but still in good condition when I received it. However, due to my current art and my want to implement realistic training methods I systematically buggered up the blade doing jitte-jutsu with it. Handy hint – Zinc-alloy blades and steel jitte don’t mix ! So I decided to retire it and another mate asked if he could have it for the Koshirae (fittings), so it was passed on again. This left me with a little hole in my training regime, and slowly but surely the hole got bigger until the only man who could help me was Paul from SBG and his Cheness STEEL Iaito. I was given an arm twisting offer by him on the type 8 steel model but went with the 29” delux model instead. Mostly because I am a bit of a sucker for brown ito/ black same which this model incorporates.
First picture was just out of the box ( and NO, I didn’t cut up the box with the sword!). The obligatory chinese-style inner sword box with Iaito; the small box is the sword stand , and on top of it is the ‘flying cranes’ tsuba I ordered to replace the Shura Tsuba it comes with. .
The Ito is quite tightly wrapped and all aspects of this Iaito seem very secure. The saya is a bit tight on the habaki (blade collar) but most are when you receive them new but will always loosen over time and excessive drawing.
As you can guess I am getting tired of the old shura tsuba and wanted to personalize it a bit so I ordered another Tsuba with it. When I do replace it I will keep you all informed pictorily on the change and any issues that may arise. The next picture is of the new tsuba.
The next photo shows the Iaito as it came with the Shura tsuba on it.
The blade is a 1045 steel unsharpened one and has an etched hamon for aesthetics only. It came with all that packing grease on it but was easily removed with a bit of a wipe and then oiled up as all carbon steel blades(sharpened or unsharpened) need to be.
The point of an Iaito is only to be used as a training weapon, to improve your techniques without the danger of having to use a sharpened shinken (live sharpened blade). An Iaito is never a sword but must always be treated as if it were one. If you pursue a JSA, Iaito are like a stepping stone to a complete proficiency with shinken. Before Iaito there is bokken(wooden sword). Even though I have pursued kenjutsu/Iaido for many years, I still use bokken/Iaito for a high percentage of my training needs every week. In layman’s terms, we teach beginners with a blunted blade to remove incident or worrying concern that the practicioner or a fellow student may accidently harm themselves or another with a sharpened blade. Besides this fact, there is no insurance company that I know of that would cover us to use live blades with beginners when we all have to learn from scratch anyway. I suppose it can fall under the joke, when is a sword not a sword ?
When it is an Iaito.
As my current JSA teaches jitte jutsu , the steel blade should endure a harder regime of contact. The last photo for now I have tried to capture the blunted edge. It is the white line running up the edge of the blade.
Also as most Aussies know we have postal rules straight from hell so another BIG thanx to Paul S. for coming through with the goods again mate. My last Iaito and most of the shinken I use are usually 28” but as I am 6’ 3” I can use a longer blade if I like. This inspired me to get the 29” model which I do notice the difference on when resheathing and the moved centre of balance when swinging. However, you have to love the bo-hi( groove down the blade) when it sings as I swing it (tachi-kaze). This is also a good indication that you are swinging it correctly as if you do it incorrectly there is either no noise or a whirring sound to let you know.
Until next post people.
(Rammstein, now it’s time for your highly suspicious left-handed questions so fire away ! ;D )
My last Iaito was a Japanese one with a zinc-alloy blade. It did me a good 6 years of trusty service and a friend owned it before me so it was a pass-on but still in good condition when I received it. However, due to my current art and my want to implement realistic training methods I systematically buggered up the blade doing jitte-jutsu with it. Handy hint – Zinc-alloy blades and steel jitte don’t mix ! So I decided to retire it and another mate asked if he could have it for the Koshirae (fittings), so it was passed on again. This left me with a little hole in my training regime, and slowly but surely the hole got bigger until the only man who could help me was Paul from SBG and his Cheness STEEL Iaito. I was given an arm twisting offer by him on the type 8 steel model but went with the 29” delux model instead. Mostly because I am a bit of a sucker for brown ito/ black same which this model incorporates.
First picture was just out of the box ( and NO, I didn’t cut up the box with the sword!). The obligatory chinese-style inner sword box with Iaito; the small box is the sword stand , and on top of it is the ‘flying cranes’ tsuba I ordered to replace the Shura Tsuba it comes with. .
The Ito is quite tightly wrapped and all aspects of this Iaito seem very secure. The saya is a bit tight on the habaki (blade collar) but most are when you receive them new but will always loosen over time and excessive drawing.
As you can guess I am getting tired of the old shura tsuba and wanted to personalize it a bit so I ordered another Tsuba with it. When I do replace it I will keep you all informed pictorily on the change and any issues that may arise. The next picture is of the new tsuba.
The next photo shows the Iaito as it came with the Shura tsuba on it.
The blade is a 1045 steel unsharpened one and has an etched hamon for aesthetics only. It came with all that packing grease on it but was easily removed with a bit of a wipe and then oiled up as all carbon steel blades(sharpened or unsharpened) need to be.
The point of an Iaito is only to be used as a training weapon, to improve your techniques without the danger of having to use a sharpened shinken (live sharpened blade). An Iaito is never a sword but must always be treated as if it were one. If you pursue a JSA, Iaito are like a stepping stone to a complete proficiency with shinken. Before Iaito there is bokken(wooden sword). Even though I have pursued kenjutsu/Iaido for many years, I still use bokken/Iaito for a high percentage of my training needs every week. In layman’s terms, we teach beginners with a blunted blade to remove incident or worrying concern that the practicioner or a fellow student may accidently harm themselves or another with a sharpened blade. Besides this fact, there is no insurance company that I know of that would cover us to use live blades with beginners when we all have to learn from scratch anyway. I suppose it can fall under the joke, when is a sword not a sword ?
When it is an Iaito.
As my current JSA teaches jitte jutsu , the steel blade should endure a harder regime of contact. The last photo for now I have tried to capture the blunted edge. It is the white line running up the edge of the blade.
Also as most Aussies know we have postal rules straight from hell so another BIG thanx to Paul S. for coming through with the goods again mate. My last Iaito and most of the shinken I use are usually 28” but as I am 6’ 3” I can use a longer blade if I like. This inspired me to get the 29” model which I do notice the difference on when resheathing and the moved centre of balance when swinging. However, you have to love the bo-hi( groove down the blade) when it sings as I swing it (tachi-kaze). This is also a good indication that you are swinging it correctly as if you do it incorrectly there is either no noise or a whirring sound to let you know.
Until next post people.
(Rammstein, now it’s time for your highly suspicious left-handed questions so fire away ! ;D )