Sinosword Custom O-katana Review
Jan 15, 2011 14:15:14 GMT
Post by LastGodslayer on Jan 15, 2011 14:15:14 GMT
First review, hope its a good one. By the way, I suck at taking pictures...
EDIT: Just added a few things that came up after a year of use.
Okay, Intro...
Ever since my younger years, I enjoyed the look of Nihonto. I had the chance of handling quite a few SLO and a few production swords. Eventually I realized I'd prefer a longer sword for a number of reasons (height not being one of them as I am 5'9''). Amazingly, I came across an odachi by Kanemitsu and it just spoke to me. Like someone had the same Idea I had 600 years ago. Naturally I wanted to have on, but come on... A national treasure? SO I went and got myself a copy of sorts.
This is the sword I'm talking about
Historical Overview
My sword is a replica of a treasure of the Uesugi clan, and possibly one of the various swords made by Kanemitsu and his relatives that were used by Uesugi Kenshin himself. It is a good example of the Nanbokucho sugata with over 3 feet of cutting edge, scant niku, little fumabara and extended chu kissaki with little fukura. Of course, my sword is made out of modern T10 steel, so it features no discernable hada, and the hamon is rather simple (although something weird happens that I can't seem to get in picture)
I am in no way associated with Sinosword, Yamato Budogu or Token Bijutsu Kogeisha. I'm a fan though, so...
Initial Impressions
This sword had quite the ride, first arriving at Belgium and only then coming to me. Despite the extended travel, everything was a-ok on arrival. Then again, I had the help of Dave Lorrez from samurai-sword-shop, and he is an amazing friend, and the only reason I didn't get my custom from him was because the forge he works with was full at the time.
The sword handles quite well for it size. It is a bit tip heavy, which takes its toll on my elbows, but that is how a sword is supposed to be. My form however needs work...
Decently sharp. Not razor sharp, but that is quite unnecessary for a sword, particularly one this big.
Stats
Nagasa: 36'' (more accurately, 91,5cm)
Motohaba: 32mm
Sakihaba: 27mm
Motokasane: 7mm
Sakikasane: 5mm
Sori: hmm... maybe 3cm
Tsuka: 12.5'' (again, more accurately, 32cm)
Overall length: hmm... no idea. Guesstimated at 127cm
POB: 6-7'' from tsuba
COP: Hard to measure, but the node appears to be at the top of the monouchi, so YAY!
Weight: around 3lbs (close to 1,5kg)
The Blade
Very nice blade. Mirror polished, including the kissaki, so at a glance, it looks very nice. Nicely curved, neither whippy nor bendy. The hamon is a notare/midare mix. VERY well executed. Never dips close to the edge. Boshi is plentiful too.
The hamon has this effect, where under the hamon (between the hamon and the edge) there is this dense area of hamon. I tried to draw it...
The Tsuka
The tsuka has a very nice rikko shape. I like the ito as its not shoelacy at all, it is quite rough though, almost suede like, although it gets glazed quickly. The fittings appear to be blackened brass flower themed fuchi kashira, and brass long dragons. The kashira features silver shitodome. I had to get them from Token Bijutsu Kogeisha (not Yamato Budogu). The same appears to be real, yet with small node size. No hishigami (apparently)
The Tsuba
The tsuba is a bit of Mr. Charles Wu magic. The theme is 6 wings, and is superbly chiseled. Topped off by silver seppas from Yamato.
The Saya
Nothing outstanding here. Black gloss, came without dings. The koiguchi appears to be wood, but I could be wrong. The kuigata is nicely shaped and flows decently into the saya itself.
Stuff that sticks out...
There are a couple of things that deserve special mention:
On the plus side, is the fact that the habaki was bought from Yamato Budogu, and although it is not custom made for this blade, there are no gaps except where some more niku should be. It doesn't move anywhere, yet slides off the blade with ease. The saya holds the sword when held upside down, even after many usheathings.
There is, as usual, something less nice to be said. The kissaki was ground deeper than the monouchi. So instead of a real geometric kissaki, I kinda got a "fake" geometric kissaki. Still functional, just not very pretty.
The blade is also polished unevenly, making the edge turn slightly to the blade's left at the monouchi. Its slight, but noticably affects cutting. Then there is a small issue with the fit of the tsuka. When temperatures change enough a rattle appears at the end of the nakago.
Handling characteristics
The sword is much heavier than a regular sized iaito. However it is much better balanced, than lets say, a masahiro nin-to. It has somewhat of a forward balance, but nothing too extreme. Will destroy elbows if one tends to grip it too hard because of its weight.
Test Cutting
No vid or pic, sorry. I can tell you however that it cuts cardboard boxes with ease, but requires good alignment in order to go through a mat.
Conclusion
This is a very good sword for the price (don't worry, I'll let you know at the end). The only production sword sized like it is the Cold Steel O katana, and maybe the old Shimzu o katana from Yarinohanzo (they are back). However, none of them have/had hamon.
It is a very good sword for ones ego. Not because of its size, but because after a few hours of practice, I found myself swinging it like it was much smaller, which makes for a terrifying feeling of power. It is also a very bad sword for beginners, as the extra weight can damage the body quickly. It will however expose where your technique is poor.
I'd totally get another custom from Sinosword, as their communication was very good, and almost nothing got lost in translation. I will however give Dave's stuff a try first as he's a salesman I absolutely trust, and I consider him a friend.
Even after a year of recriational use, and after noticing a few issues, I still fell it was a great purchase.
Pros
- Good polish on the kissaki
- Nice rikko shape on the tsuka
- Amazingly good fit with an aftermarket habaki
- Hand carved tsuba (although this was a result of a personal contact with the craftsmen, and not the result of Sinosword's service)
- Very close specs to the desired ones
- 215€ sword (with direct shipping) + 80€ from the habaki/seppa/shitodome for kashira
Cons
- "Fake" real yokote
- The last 1/4 of the nakago rattles in the tsuka.
- The edge is slightly uneven.
So, this is it. I'm pretty sure I talked too much about some things and completely forgot to mention others, so you guys let me know whats missing.
Thanks for reading!
EDIT: Just added a few things that came up after a year of use.
Okay, Intro...
Ever since my younger years, I enjoyed the look of Nihonto. I had the chance of handling quite a few SLO and a few production swords. Eventually I realized I'd prefer a longer sword for a number of reasons (height not being one of them as I am 5'9''). Amazingly, I came across an odachi by Kanemitsu and it just spoke to me. Like someone had the same Idea I had 600 years ago. Naturally I wanted to have on, but come on... A national treasure? SO I went and got myself a copy of sorts.
This is the sword I'm talking about
Historical Overview
My sword is a replica of a treasure of the Uesugi clan, and possibly one of the various swords made by Kanemitsu and his relatives that were used by Uesugi Kenshin himself. It is a good example of the Nanbokucho sugata with over 3 feet of cutting edge, scant niku, little fumabara and extended chu kissaki with little fukura. Of course, my sword is made out of modern T10 steel, so it features no discernable hada, and the hamon is rather simple (although something weird happens that I can't seem to get in picture)
I am in no way associated with Sinosword, Yamato Budogu or Token Bijutsu Kogeisha. I'm a fan though, so...
Initial Impressions
This sword had quite the ride, first arriving at Belgium and only then coming to me. Despite the extended travel, everything was a-ok on arrival. Then again, I had the help of Dave Lorrez from samurai-sword-shop, and he is an amazing friend, and the only reason I didn't get my custom from him was because the forge he works with was full at the time.
The sword handles quite well for it size. It is a bit tip heavy, which takes its toll on my elbows, but that is how a sword is supposed to be. My form however needs work...
Decently sharp. Not razor sharp, but that is quite unnecessary for a sword, particularly one this big.
Stats
Nagasa: 36'' (more accurately, 91,5cm)
Motohaba: 32mm
Sakihaba: 27mm
Motokasane: 7mm
Sakikasane: 5mm
Sori: hmm... maybe 3cm
Tsuka: 12.5'' (again, more accurately, 32cm)
Overall length: hmm... no idea. Guesstimated at 127cm
POB: 6-7'' from tsuba
COP: Hard to measure, but the node appears to be at the top of the monouchi, so YAY!
Weight: around 3lbs (close to 1,5kg)
The Blade
Very nice blade. Mirror polished, including the kissaki, so at a glance, it looks very nice. Nicely curved, neither whippy nor bendy. The hamon is a notare/midare mix. VERY well executed. Never dips close to the edge. Boshi is plentiful too.
The hamon has this effect, where under the hamon (between the hamon and the edge) there is this dense area of hamon. I tried to draw it...
The Tsuka
The tsuka has a very nice rikko shape. I like the ito as its not shoelacy at all, it is quite rough though, almost suede like, although it gets glazed quickly. The fittings appear to be blackened brass flower themed fuchi kashira, and brass long dragons. The kashira features silver shitodome. I had to get them from Token Bijutsu Kogeisha (not Yamato Budogu). The same appears to be real, yet with small node size. No hishigami (apparently)
The Tsuba
The tsuba is a bit of Mr. Charles Wu magic. The theme is 6 wings, and is superbly chiseled. Topped off by silver seppas from Yamato.
The Saya
Nothing outstanding here. Black gloss, came without dings. The koiguchi appears to be wood, but I could be wrong. The kuigata is nicely shaped and flows decently into the saya itself.
Stuff that sticks out...
There are a couple of things that deserve special mention:
On the plus side, is the fact that the habaki was bought from Yamato Budogu, and although it is not custom made for this blade, there are no gaps except where some more niku should be. It doesn't move anywhere, yet slides off the blade with ease. The saya holds the sword when held upside down, even after many usheathings.
There is, as usual, something less nice to be said. The kissaki was ground deeper than the monouchi. So instead of a real geometric kissaki, I kinda got a "fake" geometric kissaki. Still functional, just not very pretty.
The blade is also polished unevenly, making the edge turn slightly to the blade's left at the monouchi. Its slight, but noticably affects cutting. Then there is a small issue with the fit of the tsuka. When temperatures change enough a rattle appears at the end of the nakago.
Handling characteristics
The sword is much heavier than a regular sized iaito. However it is much better balanced, than lets say, a masahiro nin-to. It has somewhat of a forward balance, but nothing too extreme. Will destroy elbows if one tends to grip it too hard because of its weight.
Test Cutting
No vid or pic, sorry. I can tell you however that it cuts cardboard boxes with ease, but requires good alignment in order to go through a mat.
Conclusion
This is a very good sword for the price (don't worry, I'll let you know at the end). The only production sword sized like it is the Cold Steel O katana, and maybe the old Shimzu o katana from Yarinohanzo (they are back). However, none of them have/had hamon.
It is a very good sword for ones ego. Not because of its size, but because after a few hours of practice, I found myself swinging it like it was much smaller, which makes for a terrifying feeling of power. It is also a very bad sword for beginners, as the extra weight can damage the body quickly. It will however expose where your technique is poor.
I'd totally get another custom from Sinosword, as their communication was very good, and almost nothing got lost in translation. I will however give Dave's stuff a try first as he's a salesman I absolutely trust, and I consider him a friend.
Even after a year of recriational use, and after noticing a few issues, I still fell it was a great purchase.
Pros
- Good polish on the kissaki
- Nice rikko shape on the tsuka
- Amazingly good fit with an aftermarket habaki
- Hand carved tsuba (although this was a result of a personal contact with the craftsmen, and not the result of Sinosword's service)
- Very close specs to the desired ones
- 215€ sword (with direct shipping) + 80€ from the habaki/seppa/shitodome for kashira
Cons
- "Fake" real yokote
- The last 1/4 of the nakago rattles in the tsuka.
- The edge is slightly uneven.
So, this is it. I'm pretty sure I talked too much about some things and completely forgot to mention others, so you guys let me know whats missing.
Thanks for reading!