Cheness Mokko Katana/Wakizashi
Aug 1, 2007 18:51:13 GMT
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2007 18:51:13 GMT
Good evening, sword lovers from all parts. This will be my first, but hopefully not last, review. Accordingly, I ask that you bear with me and my crappy photography. The wakizashi has already been reviewed, but because they are a pair, it would be downright wrong to do one without the other, especially seeing as I own both. Enjoy the review.
To begin, I bought the sword myself and I got the wakizashi as a present for scoring in the 98% percentile on my college entrance exam (sweet deal, huh?). Because the katana preceded the Wakizashi in my collection by several months, it was not just out-of-the-box satisfaction, but continuous experimentation and excellent performance that I decided to go with the same model when I got the wakizashi. In fact, as I mention later, I actually got a friend to buy the same model after showing off what it can do. Another sword-fanatic has been shown the light of functional sub-$300 blades!
NOTE: I do not practice any form of JSA. I know karate and five other Japanese words, that’s it. I will no-doubt butcher the terminology. Also, I don’t use these swords for dojo cutting or for practicing kata. This is just my backyard experience with the swords.
NOTE 2: I chose the katana without a bo-hi, however my wakizashi does have a bo-hi.
Two considerations were important in my decision for the katana:
1) I was on a serious budget. Teaching Tae Kwon Do to little kids is gratifying, but doesn’t make one particularly wealthy. The US$199.99 price tag, coupled with Cheness’ great reputation for quality budget swords (and the reviews on SBG) made this an attractive buy.
2) I don’t abuse my blades, and I cringe whenever I see the videos of Paul smashing a perfectly good sword into a tire pell, wood block, or steel bar. It’s pretty damn cool, but it hurts to watch. I had no need of a super high-strength blade like the Tenchi or the Kaze. The 1060 carbon steel was the natural choice for me as a mix between cost and durability.
Specs:
Mokko Katana
Steel- 1060 Carbon Steel
Weight- 2.9lbs with saya
Point of Balance- ~6" from tsuba
Price- US$199.99
Blade length- 28’’
Handle length- 11’’
Mokko Wakizashi
Steel- 1060 carbon steel
Weight- 1.1lbs with saya
Point of Balance- ~4.5 inches from tsuba
Price- US$169.99
Blade length- 18’’
Handle length- 8’’
I ordered the katana from Paul at the SBG store. Service was quick and good, it arrived within the same week I ordered it, and it came with the usual extras, all for a very good price. The wakizashi I ordered direct from Cheness, which took a little longer because they sent me another Mokko katana instead of the wakizashi, so I had to send it back. In the end, both arrived after much anticipation. With great fervor, I tore open the carboard shipping box and reverently unsealed the nice display box that Cheness swords come in. I very nearly skipped work on the day the katana came so I could get a good look at it. But like the good Boy Scout that I never was, I waited until later to inspect my first katana.
FIT AND FINISH:
The Mokko katana is definitely a utilitarian no-nonsense blade. The handguard is plain black with a simple design, which manages a kind of rugged appeal in its simplicity. Completely without aesthetic frills, this is a sword designed more for cutting than for displaying. The wrapping on the hilt (tsuka?) is the traditional black with black iron ornaments in the shape of some kind of oriental serpent. The tsuka is double-pegged and the wrappings are about as tight and firm as you can get. The handle is capped with a plain black…er…cap. Again, although it is very plain, this sword definitely looks like it means business, and I actually prefer this style over the newer style used for the Mokko wakizashi. The same is apparently real on both the katana and wakizashi, but since I’ve never seen a ray let alone skinned one, I can’t really say either way.
The saya is lacquered black and the sageo was tight and even. In my boredom one evening, I looked up a webpage on how to tie the sageo and decided to do it myself. This amateur job is what you see in the pictures. I don’t think it looks too bad though, for a first attempt. The saya has plenty of dings, scrapes, and places where the lacquer has been taken off. That’s my fault. I seem to bash the bloody thing on a wall whenever I take it off its stand. Anyhow, the blade also fits in the saya snugly and doesn’t slip out whenever it tips forward. I’ve nearly lost some fingers with other swords because of that.
The mokko wakizashi is slightly flashier, but not gaudy, with very attractive brass fittings. The tsuba has a different design than the katana, featuring a bamboo theme that I quite like. The tsuka is, like the katana, tightly and evenly wrapped, double pegged, and features some sort of brass serpent under the wrappings. The cap on the tsuka also features a brass bamboo theme. I do prefer the plain utilitarian style of the katana better, because I have personal inhibitions against using pretty weapons, but the style on the wakizashi is definitely attractive, especially for the money.
The saya is lacquered black with tight sageo. Surprisingly, this one doesn’t have any dings or nicks that I’m aware of. But then again, I cut with it a whole lot less. Overall, the fittings on both blades are superb.
THE BLADE: I was surprised when I first got the katana. How can a two-handed sword be so short? I’m used to blades over 30’’ long, so I had to work on getting in a little closer when I started cutting with it. When I passed through a couple of bottles, the box it came in, more bottles, a bit of rolled-up carpet, another box, the neighbor’s cat, pool noodles, and whatever else was close enough to swing at, I began to appreciate just what a bloody razor this thing is. The blade is uniformly razor sharp and can handle just about anything you can throw at it. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of cutting, but I assure you that all cuts were neat. The sword never tore through anything, nor does it merely bat things away. It just slices through and keeps on going. Every time it has failed to cut, it’s been because I have no technique whatsoever and screwed up.
The blade has an attractive ‘tameshigiri polish’ which is uniform all over the blade, or it was until I scuffed it in a few places. The hamon is probably fake considering the price and the monosteel blade. Nevertheless, it is artfully done, subtle, and looks like the real thing to my untrained eyes.
The wakizashi is identical in the blade, except obviously shorter and with a bo-hi. The blades are much better than I would have expected for under $200.
OVERALL: I’m sorry I couldn’t get any pictures of cutting, but I didn’t have anything harder than a couple of milk jugs on hand to cut, and my pocket knives can handle milk jugs so what does that prove? Even if I can’t show you how well it cuts, rest assured that both swords perform magnificently against everything I’ve tried to cut. My best friend got his first katana (a Mokko with bo-hi, on my advice) on the same day that my wakizashi arrived, so we went into his back yard with armfuls of plastic bottles and had a field day. Sometimes the blades even cut through the plastic bottle caps with the same ease as the rest of the bottle. Many brave bottles died that day, sacrificing themselves for the improvement of our technique. Stephen is also very pleased with his blade and hasn’t had any problems with it so far. I can imagine SFI members scolding us for going outside unsupervised and untrained, having an unofficial cutting contest. But what the hell? We’re seventeen and it was fun. There really isn’t much left to say about these gems. They’re attractive, cut like lightsabers, handle well, and were dirt cheap. I have had NO problems whatsoever with either blade, even after six months of moderate use. Cardboard, saplings, a deer carcass, bottles, pool noodles, a Styrofoam archery target, sacks of grain…nothing does more than mar the finish, and even then only on the edge. There are NO chips, nicks, dings, cracks, or any other structural imperfections in the blades. For less than $200, and less than $400 for the pair, can you ask for any more?
RATINGS:
Fit and finish= 5/5 for both. This may seem generous, but considering that I bought the katana for practical purposes and the wakizashi mainly for display, the fittings on each are perfect for what I wanted them for.
Structural integrity= 4/5 Everything is tight and great, and both swords are double pegged. However, I don’t know (and won’t EVER test) if the sword could handle the amazing amount of abuse that Paul seems to insist on putting his swords through for our benefit, simply because it’s 1060 carbon steel instead of 9260 spring steel, and therefore slightly less durable than the higher-end Cheness swords. I will say that nothing I’ve done to them has done anything more than scuff the polish or leave some marks from tree sap, from the days before I discovered the uses of mineral oil and a clean cloth.
Handling= 4/5 Maybe it’s just my technique, but the katana is a tad bit blade-heavy. I’m a big guy (5’11’’, 200 lbs, quite strong), but this might be a minor issue for smaller people. I don’t have a problem with it but I thought I’d point it out. The bo-hi version is probably spot-on for balance, but I chose durability over balance when I selected the sword. Don’t get me wrong – the katana is very maneuverable and agile, but it is more suited for tameshigiri than for kata.
5/5 for the wakizashi, which is so light and well balanced that it feels like an extension of my arm. Seriously, this thing sings through the air and can change direction effortlessly. I love the whistling noise it makes because of the bo-hi.
Value for Money= 5/5 Are you kidding??? Tight fittings, an attractive sword, a wonderful blade, good quality, and very nice balance for under US$200? They’re not heirloom swords and I doubt any JSA masters use it, but for the price it really can’t be beat. As a dojo cutter I would HIGHLY recommend the Mokko series.
Overall= 5/5 They may not be as famous as their cousins, the Tenchi and the Kaze, but these swords met and exceeded my every expectations for a sword in this price range. I’d like to thank the folks at SBG for getting the word out about Cheness, or I’d still be saving up for that Hanwei Orchid katana. These are definitely blades worthy of a “buy it now!” stamp.
((Ok, sorry for the delay with the pics. I hope you enjoyed the review!))
To begin, I bought the sword myself and I got the wakizashi as a present for scoring in the 98% percentile on my college entrance exam (sweet deal, huh?). Because the katana preceded the Wakizashi in my collection by several months, it was not just out-of-the-box satisfaction, but continuous experimentation and excellent performance that I decided to go with the same model when I got the wakizashi. In fact, as I mention later, I actually got a friend to buy the same model after showing off what it can do. Another sword-fanatic has been shown the light of functional sub-$300 blades!
NOTE: I do not practice any form of JSA. I know karate and five other Japanese words, that’s it. I will no-doubt butcher the terminology. Also, I don’t use these swords for dojo cutting or for practicing kata. This is just my backyard experience with the swords.
NOTE 2: I chose the katana without a bo-hi, however my wakizashi does have a bo-hi.
Two considerations were important in my decision for the katana:
1) I was on a serious budget. Teaching Tae Kwon Do to little kids is gratifying, but doesn’t make one particularly wealthy. The US$199.99 price tag, coupled with Cheness’ great reputation for quality budget swords (and the reviews on SBG) made this an attractive buy.
2) I don’t abuse my blades, and I cringe whenever I see the videos of Paul smashing a perfectly good sword into a tire pell, wood block, or steel bar. It’s pretty damn cool, but it hurts to watch. I had no need of a super high-strength blade like the Tenchi or the Kaze. The 1060 carbon steel was the natural choice for me as a mix between cost and durability.
Specs:
Mokko Katana
Steel- 1060 Carbon Steel
Weight- 2.9lbs with saya
Point of Balance- ~6" from tsuba
Price- US$199.99
Blade length- 28’’
Handle length- 11’’
Mokko Wakizashi
Steel- 1060 carbon steel
Weight- 1.1lbs with saya
Point of Balance- ~4.5 inches from tsuba
Price- US$169.99
Blade length- 18’’
Handle length- 8’’
I ordered the katana from Paul at the SBG store. Service was quick and good, it arrived within the same week I ordered it, and it came with the usual extras, all for a very good price. The wakizashi I ordered direct from Cheness, which took a little longer because they sent me another Mokko katana instead of the wakizashi, so I had to send it back. In the end, both arrived after much anticipation. With great fervor, I tore open the carboard shipping box and reverently unsealed the nice display box that Cheness swords come in. I very nearly skipped work on the day the katana came so I could get a good look at it. But like the good Boy Scout that I never was, I waited until later to inspect my first katana.
FIT AND FINISH:
The Mokko katana is definitely a utilitarian no-nonsense blade. The handguard is plain black with a simple design, which manages a kind of rugged appeal in its simplicity. Completely without aesthetic frills, this is a sword designed more for cutting than for displaying. The wrapping on the hilt (tsuka?) is the traditional black with black iron ornaments in the shape of some kind of oriental serpent. The tsuka is double-pegged and the wrappings are about as tight and firm as you can get. The handle is capped with a plain black…er…cap. Again, although it is very plain, this sword definitely looks like it means business, and I actually prefer this style over the newer style used for the Mokko wakizashi. The same is apparently real on both the katana and wakizashi, but since I’ve never seen a ray let alone skinned one, I can’t really say either way.
The saya is lacquered black and the sageo was tight and even. In my boredom one evening, I looked up a webpage on how to tie the sageo and decided to do it myself. This amateur job is what you see in the pictures. I don’t think it looks too bad though, for a first attempt. The saya has plenty of dings, scrapes, and places where the lacquer has been taken off. That’s my fault. I seem to bash the bloody thing on a wall whenever I take it off its stand. Anyhow, the blade also fits in the saya snugly and doesn’t slip out whenever it tips forward. I’ve nearly lost some fingers with other swords because of that.
The mokko wakizashi is slightly flashier, but not gaudy, with very attractive brass fittings. The tsuba has a different design than the katana, featuring a bamboo theme that I quite like. The tsuka is, like the katana, tightly and evenly wrapped, double pegged, and features some sort of brass serpent under the wrappings. The cap on the tsuka also features a brass bamboo theme. I do prefer the plain utilitarian style of the katana better, because I have personal inhibitions against using pretty weapons, but the style on the wakizashi is definitely attractive, especially for the money.
The saya is lacquered black with tight sageo. Surprisingly, this one doesn’t have any dings or nicks that I’m aware of. But then again, I cut with it a whole lot less. Overall, the fittings on both blades are superb.
THE BLADE: I was surprised when I first got the katana. How can a two-handed sword be so short? I’m used to blades over 30’’ long, so I had to work on getting in a little closer when I started cutting with it. When I passed through a couple of bottles, the box it came in, more bottles, a bit of rolled-up carpet, another box, the neighbor’s cat, pool noodles, and whatever else was close enough to swing at, I began to appreciate just what a bloody razor this thing is. The blade is uniformly razor sharp and can handle just about anything you can throw at it. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of cutting, but I assure you that all cuts were neat. The sword never tore through anything, nor does it merely bat things away. It just slices through and keeps on going. Every time it has failed to cut, it’s been because I have no technique whatsoever and screwed up.
The blade has an attractive ‘tameshigiri polish’ which is uniform all over the blade, or it was until I scuffed it in a few places. The hamon is probably fake considering the price and the monosteel blade. Nevertheless, it is artfully done, subtle, and looks like the real thing to my untrained eyes.
The wakizashi is identical in the blade, except obviously shorter and with a bo-hi. The blades are much better than I would have expected for under $200.
OVERALL: I’m sorry I couldn’t get any pictures of cutting, but I didn’t have anything harder than a couple of milk jugs on hand to cut, and my pocket knives can handle milk jugs so what does that prove? Even if I can’t show you how well it cuts, rest assured that both swords perform magnificently against everything I’ve tried to cut. My best friend got his first katana (a Mokko with bo-hi, on my advice) on the same day that my wakizashi arrived, so we went into his back yard with armfuls of plastic bottles and had a field day. Sometimes the blades even cut through the plastic bottle caps with the same ease as the rest of the bottle. Many brave bottles died that day, sacrificing themselves for the improvement of our technique. Stephen is also very pleased with his blade and hasn’t had any problems with it so far. I can imagine SFI members scolding us for going outside unsupervised and untrained, having an unofficial cutting contest. But what the hell? We’re seventeen and it was fun. There really isn’t much left to say about these gems. They’re attractive, cut like lightsabers, handle well, and were dirt cheap. I have had NO problems whatsoever with either blade, even after six months of moderate use. Cardboard, saplings, a deer carcass, bottles, pool noodles, a Styrofoam archery target, sacks of grain…nothing does more than mar the finish, and even then only on the edge. There are NO chips, nicks, dings, cracks, or any other structural imperfections in the blades. For less than $200, and less than $400 for the pair, can you ask for any more?
RATINGS:
Fit and finish= 5/5 for both. This may seem generous, but considering that I bought the katana for practical purposes and the wakizashi mainly for display, the fittings on each are perfect for what I wanted them for.
Structural integrity= 4/5 Everything is tight and great, and both swords are double pegged. However, I don’t know (and won’t EVER test) if the sword could handle the amazing amount of abuse that Paul seems to insist on putting his swords through for our benefit, simply because it’s 1060 carbon steel instead of 9260 spring steel, and therefore slightly less durable than the higher-end Cheness swords. I will say that nothing I’ve done to them has done anything more than scuff the polish or leave some marks from tree sap, from the days before I discovered the uses of mineral oil and a clean cloth.
Handling= 4/5 Maybe it’s just my technique, but the katana is a tad bit blade-heavy. I’m a big guy (5’11’’, 200 lbs, quite strong), but this might be a minor issue for smaller people. I don’t have a problem with it but I thought I’d point it out. The bo-hi version is probably spot-on for balance, but I chose durability over balance when I selected the sword. Don’t get me wrong – the katana is very maneuverable and agile, but it is more suited for tameshigiri than for kata.
5/5 for the wakizashi, which is so light and well balanced that it feels like an extension of my arm. Seriously, this thing sings through the air and can change direction effortlessly. I love the whistling noise it makes because of the bo-hi.
Value for Money= 5/5 Are you kidding??? Tight fittings, an attractive sword, a wonderful blade, good quality, and very nice balance for under US$200? They’re not heirloom swords and I doubt any JSA masters use it, but for the price it really can’t be beat. As a dojo cutter I would HIGHLY recommend the Mokko series.
Overall= 5/5 They may not be as famous as their cousins, the Tenchi and the Kaze, but these swords met and exceeded my every expectations for a sword in this price range. I’d like to thank the folks at SBG for getting the word out about Cheness, or I’d still be saving up for that Hanwei Orchid katana. These are definitely blades worthy of a “buy it now!” stamp.
((Ok, sorry for the delay with the pics. I hope you enjoyed the review!))