Kris Cutlery Katana 29 III *Update*
Nov 16, 2010 6:21:03 GMT
Post by Crimsoned on Nov 16, 2010 6:21:03 GMT
Introduction
Hi SBGForum, and first and foremost thank you. I thank you because I have learnt so much about katana’s and weapons in general from this forum’s friendly forumites. Now I only started collecting a few months ago and my collection is but humble compared to others’ collections. I first with a Musashi Shirakawa series (SS809BK) katana and later through a fortunate local purchase a Hanwei Practical Plus Katana. Immediately from transitioning from a budget $79.99 katana to a $200+ sword quality, I knew I couldn’t go back to the Musashi Shirakawa series . I realized the $300~ market was just the best bang for the buck because you didn’t have to worry about quality so much as preference. So I waited/prowled for deals on katanas locally and online, quick to find in this economy however was met with an empty wallet or priorities to be taken care of.
I had researched for months on my next katana, it was down to Dynasty Forge or Kris Cutlery. I decided to bite the bullet, and just take a chance with Kris Cutlery, after all if it came out bad it would be a lesson well learned not just for I but for SBG as well. I made the first payment, of an epic $69.00. (seriously was not planned, paypal took $6.00 in fees related to setting a new credit card.) A week later I sucked it up and paid the final $226.00 for a total of $275 for the Katana and $20 for shipping.
Historical overview
Overall I am not a history major, nor do I profess about having seemingly infinite wisdom in traditional Japanese Katana form. So I would prefer to keep this empty.
Full Disclosure
I fully disclose that I am in no way shape or form affiliated with Kris Cutlery, this review is independently made by an amateur/noob katana collector. I stand to gain nothing from this review, except perhaps some embarrassment.
Initial Impressions
Packaging was not the best I have seen, but sufficient. It was bubble wrapped, and peanut surrounded in a typical long rectangle box used for sword. The katana itself is very beautiful and handles quite well or at least in my small range or perception it handles better then my Hanwei Practical Plus Katana. It’s got a very attractive yokote, tsuka, and hamon. The ito-maki is very tight, and I have no doubt it will last, however the itomaki is not the best shaped then again there likely was no hishigami used. The saya I actually like, I was thinking I’d have to sand it down and lacquer it a matte black but I kinda like it the way it is. It feels very warm. Overall the fittings I found to be very plain yet with elegance in the katana’s curved design.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 29”~
Tsuka/Nakago Length: 10”~ nakago is estimated to be 8.7”~
Overall Length: 39”~, closer to 40”
Tsuba Width: 3”
POB (Point of Balance): 6”~
COP (Center of Percussion): N/A
Weight: 2.6 lbs
Components
Nagasa
The nagasa is in a shinogi-zukuri-like-form with a straight fukura. It has a 4 inch bo-hi along the left side, the 4 inch measured distance is starting from the habaki. The actual bo-hi extends below the habaki into the nakago an approximate 2”. It has a geometric yokote/kissaki as there is a plane shift in the kissaki and the shift in plane for the yokote. The nagasa has a mild appleseed geometry and perhaps could be considered more of a diamond geometry.
The polish is rough, however I knew that, and rather like it.
The blade does have niku. It is evident when holding the katana with the edge facing you, you cannot see the shinogi, and when held with the mune facing you you can see the steel between the shinogi and ha protrude past the shinogi/mune.
The Habaki is iron, has a “silver” finish and also has a somewhat rough-fine polish compared to other habaki in the price range however considering other vendor’s habaki are typically brass using iron is definitely a plus. The habaki and ha are aligned properly.
The seppas are not your typical geared or scallop seppas. they are just seppas with the edges at an angle. They are brass.
Tsuka
The tsuka is curved in morozori with the nakago in a shape I cannot compare to a traditional nakago, SwordLord corrected me and mentioned the nakago is in kiri/ichimonji style! No cracks or fractures on the tsuka, from what I can see. The nakago is oxidized to remain friction (SwordLord).
The ito is brown polyblend (synthetic) material and alternates. It has a very tight itomaki, however the itomaki is inconsistent in shape. While the crossovers do make diamonds, the diamonds are not consistent in sizes nor proportions. It does not seem to use hishigami, I would venture to say it does not. Overall I am happy with the itomaki and believe it will hold up, even though it does have flaws.
The menuki placement seems correct, under the palm. The menuki are dragons and are brass according to manufacturer, they appear to be “antiqued”.
The tsuka is wrapped by black gauze-like-material below the ito. In other words, there is no samegawa.
The seppas are not your typical geared or scallop seppas. they are just seppas with the edges at an angle. They are brass.
Tsuba
Tsuba is very simple. It is 3” in diameter, around 1/5” to 1/4” thick closer to 1/5”. It is blackened iron and is plain with no aesthetic design. It only has two holes, one large on small both next to each other and both align with the mune. The holes are neither for Kozuka’s nor Kogai.
Fuchi-Kashira
Fuchi-Kashira are made of iron that has been blackened, thus blackened iron (who comes up with the clever names?). They too share the tsuba’s simple design, however they do not have holes since that would only reveal the tsuka and allow for moisture to seep in. They’re quite elegant in my personal taste.
Saya
Originally to be sanded down and lacquered matte black, however now that I have it in my hands it’s growing on me… a lot. I cannot confirm the wood type appears to be a Philippine type of wood perhaps coconut wood, or santol? It is very soft as it arrived with a very very minor dent.
Both the koiguchi and kojiri are blackened iron, the koiguichi however does not extend into the actually “mouth” and is only there to keep the wood from splitting. Both are plain and have no designs. The kojiri is round. Right on the kojiri there is a small fracture, it looks to have happened as if the kojiri was forced in.
The kurikata is made of buffalo horn and has a very straight edge design. No Sageo is included with the katana, which is fine because I personally dislike shoelace-like sageo. I will likely order some Sageo from Mr. Lohman. For now it has the Sageo from my PPK.
Handling Characteristics
I found it to be well balanced compared to my PPK, however I have not been able to properly handle it as one of my fingers has a cut in it from cooking. I prefer to leave this part until I heal.
Update: A cut
I woke up this morning my wound no longer hurt when pressed so I decided I'd make a test cut, however to reduce the risks of opening the cut again I decided to go for a single target. The target is traditional: the packaging box. Ha!
My first attempt was bad, the box was standing freely and moves. The katana only nicked it. The 2nd attempt was successful. I went no resistance during the cut what so ever, I actually thought I didn't cut it but my eyes knew that was not the story. The cut was successful, the form was no. The cut was not clean however I know that was my form/the fact the box was falling as it was cut while it free from any weight. No damage to blade or polish.
Update2+testing:
I did a few tests on the katana that I consider to be slightly abusive.
First test was against a solid wood 2"x4" block. The strike was not done with full force, and was mostly done with edge retention and proper form in mind. It was a deep and clean cut, but of course did not go through.
Second test was against a broom, it did not cut it due to bad form.
Third test and a stronger hit to the 2"x4" block. The strike was done with force intended. Cut was deep, but not as clean.
Fourth test was paper cutting. It took many tries but it did manage to cut paper, I found the issue is edge alignment not so much sharpness with the paper cutting.
There are no nicks or micro nicks along the ha of the blade.
*There is more concerning the fit of the tsuba/habaki/seppa/saya at the bottom*
Conclusions
Overall I really like the katana. The blade is very beautiful, the hamon appears to be nice and thick with some activity. The overall geometry while not crisps are at least more traditional then other vendors sub $300 offerings. I wasn’t disappointed with the sword, and while it does have its flaws however for the price of $295 with shipping it certainly was worth it and will likely get another katana or perhaps a wakizashi from Kris Cutlery. I’d say this is definitely a katana designed to be used, and not meant for display.
The Good and Bad.
Pros (not shared with other katanas in the price range)
*Nagase between ha/shinogi there is plenty of niku for a sub $300 sword. Actually it perhaps is the only katana with niku in the sub $300 market.
*Geometric yokote/kissaki
*Curved tsuka
*Appleseed geometry
*Bo-hi/no-hi compromise with a small 4” bo-hi.
*Iron Habaki
Cons
*No samegawa, however full understandable as that money went towards the blade
*hishigami please?
* That it does not share my sense of humor.
The line that is at the bottom
I would recommend this katana to anyone looking for a quality katana ready to be used right out of the package. It’s got the capability to make some cuts all the while keeping it’s beauty (or perhaps more like not being able to lose beauty because it never had any in most people’s eyes).
Update
After testing the blade some I discovered two problems. The first is with the fit of the tsuka, tsuba, habaki, and seppa. They have loosened just a bit. I suspect this would have happened regardless of target.
Second the saya lost it's grip with the habaki thus was loose, and would fall out. No problem and something that will happen naturally as temperatures vary and constant sheathing and unsheathing occur no fault on the manufacturer for this. I have properly shimmed, then sanded the shimming down to tighten the hold so it will not fall out.
Signed,
Luis G.
Texas
November 16, 2010
Extra test: $80 Musashi Shikarawa series blade vs kris cutlery 5160 blade
I decided to put the Kris Cutlery katana to the test the Practical Katana was put against which was the edge to edge strike against the musashi ss809bk (DH 1060 blade known for it's soft heat treatment). This time however the strike was small and was more like a bump.
WARNING: DO NOT REATTEMPT THIS TEST WITH ANY BLADES REGARDLESS OF MANUFACTURER. IT WILL LEAVE BOTH BLADES DAMAGED.
First is the Kris cutlery. Very small nick, can be taken out with 3000 grit polishing~. This type of damage is normal for most katanas that are undergoing a lot of bamboo cutting, yet the test is much much more abusive then bamboo, it is steel vs steel..
Second is the Musashi SS809BK, it actually is not a nick it is a very small cut. The soft steel that was cut is bent around thus what you see looks like an nick. Overall the Musashi took more damage.
Hi SBGForum, and first and foremost thank you. I thank you because I have learnt so much about katana’s and weapons in general from this forum’s friendly forumites. Now I only started collecting a few months ago and my collection is but humble compared to others’ collections. I first with a Musashi Shirakawa series (SS809BK) katana and later through a fortunate local purchase a Hanwei Practical Plus Katana. Immediately from transitioning from a budget $79.99 katana to a $200+ sword quality, I knew I couldn’t go back to the Musashi Shirakawa series . I realized the $300~ market was just the best bang for the buck because you didn’t have to worry about quality so much as preference. So I waited/prowled for deals on katanas locally and online, quick to find in this economy however was met with an empty wallet or priorities to be taken care of.
I had researched for months on my next katana, it was down to Dynasty Forge or Kris Cutlery. I decided to bite the bullet, and just take a chance with Kris Cutlery, after all if it came out bad it would be a lesson well learned not just for I but for SBG as well. I made the first payment, of an epic $69.00. (seriously was not planned, paypal took $6.00 in fees related to setting a new credit card.) A week later I sucked it up and paid the final $226.00 for a total of $275 for the Katana and $20 for shipping.
Historical overview
Overall I am not a history major, nor do I profess about having seemingly infinite wisdom in traditional Japanese Katana form. So I would prefer to keep this empty.
Full Disclosure
I fully disclose that I am in no way shape or form affiliated with Kris Cutlery, this review is independently made by an amateur/noob katana collector. I stand to gain nothing from this review, except perhaps some embarrassment.
Initial Impressions
Packaging was not the best I have seen, but sufficient. It was bubble wrapped, and peanut surrounded in a typical long rectangle box used for sword. The katana itself is very beautiful and handles quite well or at least in my small range or perception it handles better then my Hanwei Practical Plus Katana. It’s got a very attractive yokote, tsuka, and hamon. The ito-maki is very tight, and I have no doubt it will last, however the itomaki is not the best shaped then again there likely was no hishigami used. The saya I actually like, I was thinking I’d have to sand it down and lacquer it a matte black but I kinda like it the way it is. It feels very warm. Overall the fittings I found to be very plain yet with elegance in the katana’s curved design.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 29”~
Tsuka/Nakago Length: 10”~ nakago is estimated to be 8.7”~
Overall Length: 39”~, closer to 40”
Tsuba Width: 3”
POB (Point of Balance): 6”~
COP (Center of Percussion): N/A
Weight: 2.6 lbs
Components
Nagasa
The nagasa is in a shinogi-zukuri-like-form with a straight fukura. It has a 4 inch bo-hi along the left side, the 4 inch measured distance is starting from the habaki. The actual bo-hi extends below the habaki into the nakago an approximate 2”. It has a geometric yokote/kissaki as there is a plane shift in the kissaki and the shift in plane for the yokote. The nagasa has a mild appleseed geometry and perhaps could be considered more of a diamond geometry.
The polish is rough, however I knew that, and rather like it.
The blade does have niku. It is evident when holding the katana with the edge facing you, you cannot see the shinogi, and when held with the mune facing you you can see the steel between the shinogi and ha protrude past the shinogi/mune.
The Habaki is iron, has a “silver” finish and also has a somewhat rough-fine polish compared to other habaki in the price range however considering other vendor’s habaki are typically brass using iron is definitely a plus. The habaki and ha are aligned properly.
The seppas are not your typical geared or scallop seppas. they are just seppas with the edges at an angle. They are brass.
Tsuka
The tsuka is curved in morozori with the nakago in a shape I cannot compare to a traditional nakago, SwordLord corrected me and mentioned the nakago is in kiri/ichimonji style! No cracks or fractures on the tsuka, from what I can see. The nakago is oxidized to remain friction (SwordLord).
The ito is brown polyblend (synthetic) material and alternates. It has a very tight itomaki, however the itomaki is inconsistent in shape. While the crossovers do make diamonds, the diamonds are not consistent in sizes nor proportions. It does not seem to use hishigami, I would venture to say it does not. Overall I am happy with the itomaki and believe it will hold up, even though it does have flaws.
The menuki placement seems correct, under the palm. The menuki are dragons and are brass according to manufacturer, they appear to be “antiqued”.
The tsuka is wrapped by black gauze-like-material below the ito. In other words, there is no samegawa.
The seppas are not your typical geared or scallop seppas. they are just seppas with the edges at an angle. They are brass.
Tsuba
Tsuba is very simple. It is 3” in diameter, around 1/5” to 1/4” thick closer to 1/5”. It is blackened iron and is plain with no aesthetic design. It only has two holes, one large on small both next to each other and both align with the mune. The holes are neither for Kozuka’s nor Kogai.
Fuchi-Kashira
Fuchi-Kashira are made of iron that has been blackened, thus blackened iron (who comes up with the clever names?). They too share the tsuba’s simple design, however they do not have holes since that would only reveal the tsuka and allow for moisture to seep in. They’re quite elegant in my personal taste.
Saya
Originally to be sanded down and lacquered matte black, however now that I have it in my hands it’s growing on me… a lot. I cannot confirm the wood type appears to be a Philippine type of wood perhaps coconut wood, or santol? It is very soft as it arrived with a very very minor dent.
Both the koiguchi and kojiri are blackened iron, the koiguichi however does not extend into the actually “mouth” and is only there to keep the wood from splitting. Both are plain and have no designs. The kojiri is round. Right on the kojiri there is a small fracture, it looks to have happened as if the kojiri was forced in.
The kurikata is made of buffalo horn and has a very straight edge design. No Sageo is included with the katana, which is fine because I personally dislike shoelace-like sageo. I will likely order some Sageo from Mr. Lohman. For now it has the Sageo from my PPK.
Handling Characteristics
I found it to be well balanced compared to my PPK, however I have not been able to properly handle it as one of my fingers has a cut in it from cooking. I prefer to leave this part until I heal.
Update: A cut
I woke up this morning my wound no longer hurt when pressed so I decided I'd make a test cut, however to reduce the risks of opening the cut again I decided to go for a single target. The target is traditional: the packaging box. Ha!
My first attempt was bad, the box was standing freely and moves. The katana only nicked it. The 2nd attempt was successful. I went no resistance during the cut what so ever, I actually thought I didn't cut it but my eyes knew that was not the story. The cut was successful, the form was no. The cut was not clean however I know that was my form/the fact the box was falling as it was cut while it free from any weight. No damage to blade or polish.
Update2+testing:
I did a few tests on the katana that I consider to be slightly abusive.
First test was against a solid wood 2"x4" block. The strike was not done with full force, and was mostly done with edge retention and proper form in mind. It was a deep and clean cut, but of course did not go through.
Second test was against a broom, it did not cut it due to bad form.
Third test and a stronger hit to the 2"x4" block. The strike was done with force intended. Cut was deep, but not as clean.
Fourth test was paper cutting. It took many tries but it did manage to cut paper, I found the issue is edge alignment not so much sharpness with the paper cutting.
There are no nicks or micro nicks along the ha of the blade.
*There is more concerning the fit of the tsuba/habaki/seppa/saya at the bottom*
Conclusions
Overall I really like the katana. The blade is very beautiful, the hamon appears to be nice and thick with some activity. The overall geometry while not crisps are at least more traditional then other vendors sub $300 offerings. I wasn’t disappointed with the sword, and while it does have its flaws however for the price of $295 with shipping it certainly was worth it and will likely get another katana or perhaps a wakizashi from Kris Cutlery. I’d say this is definitely a katana designed to be used, and not meant for display.
The Good and Bad.
Pros (not shared with other katanas in the price range)
*Nagase between ha/shinogi there is plenty of niku for a sub $300 sword. Actually it perhaps is the only katana with niku in the sub $300 market.
*Geometric yokote/kissaki
*Curved tsuka
*Appleseed geometry
*Bo-hi/no-hi compromise with a small 4” bo-hi.
*Iron Habaki
Cons
*No samegawa, however full understandable as that money went towards the blade
*hishigami please?
* That it does not share my sense of humor.
The line that is at the bottom
I would recommend this katana to anyone looking for a quality katana ready to be used right out of the package. It’s got the capability to make some cuts all the while keeping it’s beauty (or perhaps more like not being able to lose beauty because it never had any in most people’s eyes).
Update
After testing the blade some I discovered two problems. The first is with the fit of the tsuka, tsuba, habaki, and seppa. They have loosened just a bit. I suspect this would have happened regardless of target.
Second the saya lost it's grip with the habaki thus was loose, and would fall out. No problem and something that will happen naturally as temperatures vary and constant sheathing and unsheathing occur no fault on the manufacturer for this. I have properly shimmed, then sanded the shimming down to tighten the hold so it will not fall out.
Signed,
Luis G.
Texas
November 16, 2010
Extra test: $80 Musashi Shikarawa series blade vs kris cutlery 5160 blade
I decided to put the Kris Cutlery katana to the test the Practical Katana was put against which was the edge to edge strike against the musashi ss809bk (DH 1060 blade known for it's soft heat treatment). This time however the strike was small and was more like a bump.
WARNING: DO NOT REATTEMPT THIS TEST WITH ANY BLADES REGARDLESS OF MANUFACTURER. IT WILL LEAVE BOTH BLADES DAMAGED.
First is the Kris cutlery. Very small nick, can be taken out with 3000 grit polishing~. This type of damage is normal for most katanas that are undergoing a lot of bamboo cutting, yet the test is much much more abusive then bamboo, it is steel vs steel..
Second is the Musashi SS809BK, it actually is not a nick it is a very small cut. The soft steel that was cut is bent around thus what you see looks like an nick. Overall the Musashi took more damage.