Hanwei 47 Ronin Katana
Nov 4, 2010 7:32:14 GMT
Post by Lobster Hunter on Nov 4, 2010 7:32:14 GMT
Hanwei 47 Ronin katana
The koshirae pays homage to the famed warriors who successfully avenged their lord. The real life story of the 47 ronin is one of the most well known in Japan. It's an enduring account of samurai values in action and has been represented countless times in art and media. A comparable example in American history might be something like the story of the Alamo.
Here's the Wikipedia link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin
Link with images: www.47ronins.com/image-gallery.html
I had been interested in a folded steel katana with bo-hi for a while. I liked the look of the 47 Ronin more than the currently available Dynasty Forge folded Bushi themes, so I took the plunge and ordered one from Marc at Wiwingti for under $700. The sword arrived in perfect condition in a timely fashion and the customer service was excellent. Merci beaucoup, Marc!
The first thing that struck me as I unsheathed the Ronin was how lively it felt in one hand. It felt light, but not too light.
Stats on my particular sword:
Nagasa(from munemachi to tip): 28.5"
Blade thickness near habaki: 7mm
Blade thickness near kissaki: slightly over 4mm
Blade width near habaki: 33mm
Blade width at yokote: 25mm
Sori: a rather shallow 9/16th of an inch.
Tsuka: 11"
Tsuka circumference: 3 7/8" at thinnest, 4 1/8" at thickest
Total length including saya: 44.75"
Point of balance: 5.25" from tsuba
Weight: 2lb 7oz
The blade is well shaped in a typical shinogi zukuri style with bo-hi. Made of Swedish powder steel (which supposedly is a rather pure steel with a very even distribution of carbon). This is the steel found in most of Bugei's swords as well as in some of Hanwei's other high end swords.
It is folded to create a very active hada and differentially hardened. Of course, Hanwei had to acid etch that frosty opaque hamon on top of the hamon. Hm.
I was very impressed with the bo-hi termination.
The sharp geometry change at the yokote is a nice touch.
The tsuka is pretty straight with very little shaping but it's thickness is just right for my average sized hands (7.5" from wrist to tip of middle finger). I noticed that there's even a VERY subtle curve to the shape that follows the curve of the blade. I don't know if this is a fluke or if this is how they carved the tsuka core for all of the Ronin models.
The black cotton ito is super tightly wrapped in the traditional alternating hinerimaki style. The ito feels stiffer than most cotton ito I've felt. The same is of decent quality with some "emperor nodes" on the omote side.
The menuki looks like some kanji over bamboo or something. I wonder what it means??? On the fuchi are several double left alternating "comma" symbols (hidari futasudomoe) of the sort you might find in a Buddhist shrine. Perhaps this is in reference to where the 47 ronin were buried?
The rounded kashira has the two crossed falcon feather crest (Maruni chigai takanoha) which was apparently popular with some samurai families.
The tsuba is of the rounded square variety (perhaps referred to as aroi gata?).
The front of the tsuba features a samurai in relief (perhaps he is supposed to represent the leader of the 47, Oishi Kuranosuke?).
The back of the tsuba features a band of bushi. The tsuba and fuchi/kashira are made of stout and heavy blackened steel. These fittings were a real selling point for me.
The saya is made of a very dense, heavy wood. It has a satin black finish with good quality horn kurigata, koiguchi, and kojiri. The weird thing is that it's about 3 inches longer than it really needs to be. The black sageo is made of a very thick and stiff cord. I'm not sure if it's made of cotton or chemical fiber.
Handling
The 47 Ronin kat is an amazingly well balanced sword. I've owned a dozen or so katanas and the Ronin is by far the best handling one of them all by a big margin. It possesses a perfect balance of agility and power. It feels light and nimble but has a way of "snapping" into place with authority with each cutting stroke. At 2lb 7oz, this is not exactly a "light" sword. It just feels like one. When you hear about how a good sword should feel "alive" in the hands, this is what they mean.
The habaki/koiguchi fit is pretty good out of the box (just a tad loose for my taste) and the blade doesn't rattle in its saya. Drawing and sheathing is smooth and silent. The tachikaze sounds nice and crisp.
Cutting
I just managed to cut a water filled plastic milk jug and some water bottles while on a recent camping trip (my backyard is too small for cutting stuff). All the cuts were clean and effortless. It felt like I just had to think about cutting my target and it would split in two neat pieces with a sharp crack. My Ronin seems to have a will of its own. Amazing.
Our camera ran out of juice so I snapped this with my crappy phone camera. I don't know how it would fare against heavier targets like tatami & bamboo but judging by the way it cuts with authority and ease, I certainly would not be afraid to try.
Pros:
-Excellent balance & handling
-Good blade shape and polish
-High quality fittings
Cons:
-I find the hada and frosty hamon a bit garish
-saya seems too long for the blade
So, in conclusion... if you're looking for a superbly balanced, differentially hardened, folded katana with bo-hi in a classic shinogi zukuri shape for under $800, the Hanwei 47 Ronin is a solid bet.
My wife took most of the photos. Thanks, Ariel!
Thanks for reading!
The koshirae pays homage to the famed warriors who successfully avenged their lord. The real life story of the 47 ronin is one of the most well known in Japan. It's an enduring account of samurai values in action and has been represented countless times in art and media. A comparable example in American history might be something like the story of the Alamo.
Here's the Wikipedia link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin
Link with images: www.47ronins.com/image-gallery.html
I had been interested in a folded steel katana with bo-hi for a while. I liked the look of the 47 Ronin more than the currently available Dynasty Forge folded Bushi themes, so I took the plunge and ordered one from Marc at Wiwingti for under $700. The sword arrived in perfect condition in a timely fashion and the customer service was excellent. Merci beaucoup, Marc!
The first thing that struck me as I unsheathed the Ronin was how lively it felt in one hand. It felt light, but not too light.
Stats on my particular sword:
Nagasa(from munemachi to tip): 28.5"
Blade thickness near habaki: 7mm
Blade thickness near kissaki: slightly over 4mm
Blade width near habaki: 33mm
Blade width at yokote: 25mm
Sori: a rather shallow 9/16th of an inch.
Tsuka: 11"
Tsuka circumference: 3 7/8" at thinnest, 4 1/8" at thickest
Total length including saya: 44.75"
Point of balance: 5.25" from tsuba
Weight: 2lb 7oz
The blade is well shaped in a typical shinogi zukuri style with bo-hi. Made of Swedish powder steel (which supposedly is a rather pure steel with a very even distribution of carbon). This is the steel found in most of Bugei's swords as well as in some of Hanwei's other high end swords.
It is folded to create a very active hada and differentially hardened. Of course, Hanwei had to acid etch that frosty opaque hamon on top of the hamon. Hm.
I was very impressed with the bo-hi termination.
The sharp geometry change at the yokote is a nice touch.
The tsuka is pretty straight with very little shaping but it's thickness is just right for my average sized hands (7.5" from wrist to tip of middle finger). I noticed that there's even a VERY subtle curve to the shape that follows the curve of the blade. I don't know if this is a fluke or if this is how they carved the tsuka core for all of the Ronin models.
The black cotton ito is super tightly wrapped in the traditional alternating hinerimaki style. The ito feels stiffer than most cotton ito I've felt. The same is of decent quality with some "emperor nodes" on the omote side.
The menuki looks like some kanji over bamboo or something. I wonder what it means??? On the fuchi are several double left alternating "comma" symbols (hidari futasudomoe) of the sort you might find in a Buddhist shrine. Perhaps this is in reference to where the 47 ronin were buried?
The rounded kashira has the two crossed falcon feather crest (Maruni chigai takanoha) which was apparently popular with some samurai families.
The tsuba is of the rounded square variety (perhaps referred to as aroi gata?).
The front of the tsuba features a samurai in relief (perhaps he is supposed to represent the leader of the 47, Oishi Kuranosuke?).
The back of the tsuba features a band of bushi. The tsuba and fuchi/kashira are made of stout and heavy blackened steel. These fittings were a real selling point for me.
The saya is made of a very dense, heavy wood. It has a satin black finish with good quality horn kurigata, koiguchi, and kojiri. The weird thing is that it's about 3 inches longer than it really needs to be. The black sageo is made of a very thick and stiff cord. I'm not sure if it's made of cotton or chemical fiber.
Handling
The 47 Ronin kat is an amazingly well balanced sword. I've owned a dozen or so katanas and the Ronin is by far the best handling one of them all by a big margin. It possesses a perfect balance of agility and power. It feels light and nimble but has a way of "snapping" into place with authority with each cutting stroke. At 2lb 7oz, this is not exactly a "light" sword. It just feels like one. When you hear about how a good sword should feel "alive" in the hands, this is what they mean.
The habaki/koiguchi fit is pretty good out of the box (just a tad loose for my taste) and the blade doesn't rattle in its saya. Drawing and sheathing is smooth and silent. The tachikaze sounds nice and crisp.
Cutting
I just managed to cut a water filled plastic milk jug and some water bottles while on a recent camping trip (my backyard is too small for cutting stuff). All the cuts were clean and effortless. It felt like I just had to think about cutting my target and it would split in two neat pieces with a sharp crack. My Ronin seems to have a will of its own. Amazing.
Our camera ran out of juice so I snapped this with my crappy phone camera. I don't know how it would fare against heavier targets like tatami & bamboo but judging by the way it cuts with authority and ease, I certainly would not be afraid to try.
Pros:
-Excellent balance & handling
-Good blade shape and polish
-High quality fittings
Cons:
-I find the hada and frosty hamon a bit garish
-saya seems too long for the blade
So, in conclusion... if you're looking for a superbly balanced, differentially hardened, folded katana with bo-hi in a classic shinogi zukuri shape for under $800, the Hanwei 47 Ronin is a solid bet.
My wife took most of the photos. Thanks, Ariel!
Thanks for reading!
