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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 22, 2007 13:32:04 GMT
Hey All I got one of these for my dad. I just inspected it and thought I'd post my impressions for the researching purchasers out there. Musashi are selling these at $49 down from $69. Global gear have a few of these on ebay and I've been stalking along with all the other swords out there waiting for a steel. Did alright too. The handle (tsuka) is quite short at only about 27cm, so It feels quite lithe. The blade is also a little narrower than my G-Series katanas (photographed below), but exactly the same length - I think its 28". Its a little lighter than my other ones too - Around 1050g. It feels nicely springy when I flex tested it. Wire brushed kissaki is tidy. The bo-hi varies very slightly but not visably. Good points. Blade is sharp and pretty neat. No crappy phony heat treat line (hamon). Nice guard (tsuba). The cotton wrap (ito) is tight enough though not mega tight - it won't shift during use. The tsuka is nice and tight. The pegs (mekugi) are bamboo of course. There's a couple of not so great points. The 'ray skin' (same) is only plastic (yuk!). What frustrates me is that the musashi site stated it is a ray skin wrap and their photos look like ray skin. See here: www.musashiswords.com/shop/product.php?productid=57&cat=0&page=1The tsuba is slightly lose and can be moved a tiny bit. The seppa can be pushed across too. You can get a slightly thicker spacer, or pack a bit of epoxy on the insides of the seppa - thats what I'd do. The tsuba had worn through the bag and the box and the black has come off slightly. There was also some cracking of the wood at the tip end of the saya. Like a flake of wood lifting. But these have a reputation for a decent blade and it handles good so you should be able to cut up some boxes or prune some trees for a bit of fun. Would make a good first blade for some light practice cutting. Cheers
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2007 16:07:05 GMT
Hi Brenno,
Does your Musashi have the logo etched on the habaki? Fake same indicates that is one of the original stock when it was first introduced. The new variant has real same.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 22, 2007 16:16:22 GMT
A-ha that explains it. No there is no logo on the habaki. I thought your pictures online looked like real same.
How old would it be? I wonder how Global Gear got them? I hadn't seen them with any Musashi swords until about a month ago. It was quite rough that it had worn through the bag and the box, I wonder how long its been kicking about?
Zinje, whats the blade like on those older ones (temper / steel type?)? Still sturdy and reliable? thats the main thing.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2007 16:28:42 GMT
These had a very short run due to increasing manufacturing cost.The importer did not seem interested to produce these at a higher cost. I'm trying to think when they first came out and I am thinking in June of 07. You know after looking at the habaki on yours. The logo looks to be polished out. As far as I know, the blade should be exactly the same as the new variant.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 22, 2007 16:31:50 GMT
Gawd thats only 6 months ago. I thought you'd say years ago when the movie came out. It is a nice sword anyway, with real same would be great for the money!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2007 23:07:19 GMT
I seem to hear more and more bad things about the condition of sword s arriving from global gear. For us in the states, we dont have to deal with it, but I can see how it could be a let-down for those in Australia.
How long is 27 centimeters, about a foot in American measurements? Because I have found the Charcoal Black Tsuba series tsukas to be the perfect length.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 23, 2007 2:19:52 GMT
I seem to hear more and more bad things about the condition of sword s arriving from global gear. For us in the states, we dont have to deal with it, but I can see how it could be a let-down for those in Australia. How long is 27 centimeters, about a foot in American measurements? Because I have found the Charcoal Black Tsuba series tsukas to be the perfect length. If they arrive at all. This one was lost by the couriers for 2 weeks! A foot is 304.8mm, but most people just think 300mm for easy conversion. So the 270mm is like 10.8". That is probably a much more historically accurate length for a tsuka than my other two pictured at 13" and 15". I've been given the green light to use this for some bottle cutting, so I'll update this in a little while with more impressions.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2007 5:09:01 GMT
I seem to hear more and more bad things about the condition of sword s arriving from global gear. For us in the states, we dont have to deal with it, but I can see how it could be a let-down for those in Australia. How long is 27 centimeters, about a foot in American measurements? Because I have found the Charcoal Black Tsuba series tsukas to be the perfect length. If they arrive at all. This one was lost by the couriers for 2 weeks! A foot is 304.8mm, but most people just think 300mm for easy conversion. So the 270mm is like 10.8". That is probably a much more historically accurate length for a tsuka than my other two pictured at 13" and 15". I've been given the green light to use this for some bottle cutting, so I'll update this in a little while with more impressions. I have the shikozua or whatever and it cuts bottles very nicely, was my first functional katana, which i happily paid 100 dollars for at a gunshow. now that they are 50 I have ordered another hard to not get a musashi whenever im buying another sword. Any new lines coming out in the new year?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2007 9:35:26 GMT
bloody australian customs and bloody australian postage and bloody bloody bloody freaking length of time it takes for anything to get here from overseas if it bloody well gets here.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 23, 2007 13:27:53 GMT
Twas handled by TNT and Niteroad Express. Veryyyy lame service!! I'll leave it at that. My Celtic from imperial only took 6 days to get here. That was so cool.
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Post by YlliwCir on Dec 23, 2007 13:46:15 GMT
Looks like a good deal, Brenno. I got a sub $100 Musashi a while back and while they can be a little iffy on the fittings, my scabbard had some chips in it and the buttcap came loose shortly after I bought it, the blades can be very sturdy indeed. I was trying to cut some small 8oz. squat bottles the other day and wacked the hell outta my stands several times. Didn't hurt the blade at all.
Oh yeah, cut the bottles very nicely when I could hit em. LOL
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 23, 2007 14:14:07 GMT
Yeah, I took a HUGE slice off the MDF board I rest the bottles on, and the sword shone through beutifully. No scuffing, no set. Don't tell dad.
Otherwise it cut like a lazer.
Good blade.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2007 20:47:43 GMT
yeah i cant wait for my kenjin to come in.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2007 13:24:43 GMT
Nice purchase Brenno!
Not a bad price at all. I do not care for the letters on the blade, but I do like the fact the they did not try to put some type of hamon on it. Least it doesn't look like it.
Yes, Musashi swords are very well worth the money IMO.
The fittings,,,ummmm, ....meh, I challenge anyone to find any better for the price. And if you do, let me know!! ;D ;D
I am finding out that when buying these sub 300's you are really getting the same type quality in each sword. What you are paying for is the blade, which looks like you got a fine one!
Cutting pics, please!! ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 31, 2007 16:41:34 GMT
Yeah, theres no poxy hamon. I was saying that I prefer no phoney hamon, same for dad, it SO cheapens a sword. Dad has it now, so no pics, but I did shave a 4" slice clean off an MDF board, to no detriment. And it cut bottles like a lazer. The blade is fine. I got it for $31AUD + Shipping $35AU, Thats like $25 US + 28 US. Mwa haa haa haa haa haa!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2007 17:23:39 GMT
Great price, and the fact that you even got it at all is an accomplishment (the way it sounds for your shipping situation over there ;D)
You are correct about the hamon, and the wire brushed ones are the absolute worst! Not Musashi's specifically, but in general!
Roger, could you give us a figure on the blade, just for kicks?
1045, 1050-1060? Hand forged? Through hardened?
Didn't we have a thread somewhere about wish lists for swords? I am going to look, my wish would be the "No hamon at all" option on the thru hardened monosteel beaters. That would make some of us pretty happy, don't ya'll agree? Might cut down cost a little, and no more trying to polish one of those out.
Anyway Brenn, what a great gift for the price!
the other 2---A sea dragon? and what else?
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 31, 2007 17:46:43 GMT
The other two are global gear's G-200 and G-201 I think were the models. Ones a snake, and the other's fot a little guy in a scenery on the tsuba. They are fine sub $100 swords too. And you're right - the difference between a $100 and a $300 katana is null and void.
I like the shorter grips, though the 15" tsuka is not obtrusive. I like the blade sans Bo Hi. Those wire brushed hamons do come out with a bit of polishing.
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Post by YlliwCir on Jan 1, 2008 4:34:56 GMT
I got two kats a sub $100 musashi and a $200 cheness. I like the cheness better as it has no bo-hi and is a bit beefer and the fittings are tighter. They cut pretty much the same so far tho. lol. I'd rather not have the fake hamon either.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2008 15:09:34 GMT
Ric, Do you still havethe Ritter?
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Post by YlliwCir on Jan 1, 2008 17:12:54 GMT
LOL, Don't let Rammy hear you call it that. I got a Rittersteel full tang "katana". I don't like to call it a katana because it tends to upset some real katana lovers. Still, I have grown to like it quite a bit for what it is; a super tough beater that while it isn't elegant, it will cut when sharpened and I wouldn't be afraid to hack up a tree with it. Was that what you were refering to, Farmer?
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