Ebay tanto comparative multi-review
Feb 9, 2011 8:44:59 GMT
Post by 6stringseme on Feb 9, 2011 8:44:59 GMT
Introduction
I have amassed quite a collection of entry to mid-level "functional swords" over the past couple of years, but what I didn't have was any good examples of tanto. I like a particular style of tanto, having some sori, small (or no) tsuba, and resembling a small katana, but most of the offerings available from domestic sources are the more simple and traditional (and IMO a bit boring, at least in my price range) hira-zukuri style, and mostly straight-bladed. Several chinese forges offer tanto in shapes that I liked for reasonable prices, but the question was: which one?
Originally I was going to get a JWHOTSTEEL forge 10" 1060 kanmuri-otoshi but their prices seem to climb every month, and $200 is pretty tough to swallow when it used to be $130 a year or so ago. I decided to spread my money out a bit and buy several tanto at once, from multiple chinese sellers, using the relatively secure marketplace of ebay rather than the individual seller's websites.
Historical overview
Tanto have been carried in Japan dating back to the 700's. In times of peace, they were more likely to be made artistically and beautifully for ceremonial purposes, whereas in times of war they tended to be simpler and more functional. There were many styles made, some crafted by shortening katanas, some from spearpoints, even some disguised as small personal items such as fans.
Whether for personal defense or just utilitarian everyday use, carrying a blade is common even today... though, concealed or openly carrying a japanese tanto today is likely to be illegal and is extremely inadvisable. Thus, true tanto are rarely used today as they were in the past and are even less likely to be seen in western countries, except in those dojos that practice tantojutsu... and even they are unlikely to use sharp tanto as training tools.
Full Disclosure
I'm totally unbiased in my reviews, but I might be tolerant of some things that others will take issue with. Very few of the swords I have reviewed yet are over $200, and I'm pretty familiar with the limitations of swords and knives in this price range. I do think, though, that swords of surprising quality, durability, and beauty can be acquired today within the modest budget of $300 USD, and sometimes well below that.
Initial Impressions
I purchased a total of five tanto on ebay, spending just over $400 USD total. The sellers and the prices of their tanto (including shipping) are as follows:
Brandonswords - $62
Ryanswords - $90
Shirly-sword - $73
Canadaswords - $128
Candaswords (shirasaya) - $100
Each of these tantos was packaged nicely, and all had either a cloth sword bag or a padded sword box (with the exception of the Canadaswords shirasaya which came by itself in an unmarked styrofoam block). The brandonswords and shirlyswords tantos even came with what looks like a greeting card and information about cleaning and maintenance. All of the tsukas were shrinkwrapped except obviously the shirasaya. They all shipped promptly except for Ryanswords, who used China Post rather than EMS.
(The Brandonswords tanto with bag and card)
(The shirasaya in styrofoam)
Statistics
- Blade/Nagasa Length: Brandonswords - 11.3 inches
Ryanswords - 11.3 inches
Shirly-sword - 13.0 inches
Canadaswords - 11.5 inches
Canadaswords shirasaya - 11.5 inches
- Handle/Tsuka Length: Brandonswords - 6.0 inches
Ryanswords - 4.5 inches
Shirly-sword - 6.25 inches
Canadaswords - 5.25 inches
Canadaswords shirasaya - 4.25 inches
- Overall Length: Brandonswords - 17.3 inches
Ryanswords - 15.75 inches
Shirly-sword - 19.25 inches
Canadaswords - 16.75 inches
Canadaswords shirasaya - 15.75 inches
- Guard/Tsuba Width: Only the Canadaswords "Chrysanthemum" has a true tsuba. It's a small oval shaped one measuring 1.5x2 inches. The Shirlyswords has an iron oval that is just slightly larger than the seppa.
- Weight: I don't have a scale, but I would say the Ryanswords and Brandonswords are on the lighter side, the Canadaswords tantos are medium, and the Shirlyswords is on the heavier side with quite a bit of blade presence.
Components
- Blade(s)
The top tanto in this pic is the Shirlyswords tanto, and the biggest of the 6 shown. It has a very beefy shinogi-zukuri blade and really feels like a weapon compared to the others. The next is the Ryanswords, which has a lighter shinogi-zukuri blade (interestingly enough, the pictures on the auction showed an o-kissaki which this one does NOT have) and an acid etched hamon. The third one is the Brandonswords, which has a blade very similar to the Ryanswords but without the hamon; this one also has the worst polish of the 6 with a relatively scratchy surface. The fourth one is the Canadaswords Chrysanthemum, a DH shobu-zukuri (shown here very unflatteringly) which has the best blade of the 6 which we will be examining more closely in a moment. Next we have the tanto from my collection, a Bushi 1070 unokubi with a wirebrushed hamon, which serves as a benchmark and guide for the type and quality of tanto that I like. Finally, the Canadaswords shirasaya, with a differentially hardened shobu-zukuri blade.
All these tantos are purported to be 1060 AFAIK... but the Canadaswords tantos may be 1095-T10.
The kissakis are counter polished, making them resemble shinogi-zukuri blades (except for the canadaswords which are left as shobu-zukuri). This is not very historically accurate; the only way a real japanese tanto would look like this is if it were constructed from a cut down katana or wakizashi.
- Handle/Tsuka
The tsukas on these tantos are satisfactory, but unimpressive for the most part. All are solid feeling, with tight synthetic ito and real rayskin (though all have tiny nodes). Interesting notes include that the Canadaswords Chrysanthemum is the only one to have alternating ito (extremely tight, very well done wrap) , and the Ryanswords has two mekugi. I wonder how loose the tsuka was before they put the second one in.
- Fuchi/Kashira
All of these tantos have very cheap fittings. The only iron piece on any of these tantos is the Shirlyswords' mini-tsuba, and also the Shirlyswords is the only tanto to feature seppa. The Ryanswords fuchi is loose. All the menuki are passable; I'd say the fittings like most overall are on the Shirlyswords tanto. All the other ones look kind of cheap... but considering the price I paid I have no reason to be surprised at that!
- Saya
With the exception of the shirasaya which is solid as a rock, (and my Bushi of course) all of the tantos exhibit some saya rattle, with the Ryanswords and Brandonswords having the least, and the Shirlyswords having the most. The Canadaswords Chrysanthemum's saya is loose enough to fall off, probably because it has a metal koguichi. The shirasaya has a bullhorn koguichi and horn on the tsuka to match, and is a very well made shirasaya overall especially in this price range. None of these sayas match up to my Bushi 1070, which fits the blade like a glove and doesn't rattle a bit. The sageo on the Shirlyswords and Canadaswords is very thick and heavy. I do not like the paint on the Canadaswords tanto at all, and plan to sand and repaint it at some point.
Test cutting : Not Performed
A Closer look
What this review is really about is the Canadaswords differentially hardened tantos... I wanted a tanto with a real hamon, but wanted to spend less than $200. I stumbled upon this one and was interested right away. I was skeptical that it would look as good as the pictures on the auction, but surprisingly, Canadaswords delivers!
Just look at that activity! Even the boshi is pretty nice.
OK, so I was impressed enough that I immediately bought the shirasaya they were offering. I have to say though, that while it's a nice shirasaya for the price, the hamon doesn't look quite as good as the pictures on the auction site.
Still, it has nice clean lines.
Pros
Good value, functional tantos, all quite sharp
Differentially hardened blades of quality can be had for a low price, if the buyer is careful
Fast shipping through EMS for all but one
Cons
Cheap tantos are cheap... be sure you know what you're buying
Fittings likely to be of low quality in tantos under $100
Limited practical use
The Bottom Line
Buying tantos from Chinese sellers on Ebay is an excellent way to begin a collection and/or procure blades for custom work. However, do not expect much in the $60 range. I would recommend tantos from Canadaswords, and would definitely buy from them again; the Chrysanthemum in particular is a good candidate for remounting. The Shirlyswords tanto has exceptional blade presence in such a small sword... it's an o-tanto for sure, maybe even a ko-wakizashi... it's well worth the money and I would consider buying another if I could justify it.
Next I think I'll buy a 6-tier stand and cut it down to display these more effectively.
PS. Ryanswords apologized profusely for the nearly 2 month wait, and promised to send a sword stand and refund me $20 since they didn't have to pay EMS shipping price, which was paid for when the auction closed. As of this being posted, they have done neither.
Thanks for reading!
I have amassed quite a collection of entry to mid-level "functional swords" over the past couple of years, but what I didn't have was any good examples of tanto. I like a particular style of tanto, having some sori, small (or no) tsuba, and resembling a small katana, but most of the offerings available from domestic sources are the more simple and traditional (and IMO a bit boring, at least in my price range) hira-zukuri style, and mostly straight-bladed. Several chinese forges offer tanto in shapes that I liked for reasonable prices, but the question was: which one?
Originally I was going to get a JWHOTSTEEL forge 10" 1060 kanmuri-otoshi but their prices seem to climb every month, and $200 is pretty tough to swallow when it used to be $130 a year or so ago. I decided to spread my money out a bit and buy several tanto at once, from multiple chinese sellers, using the relatively secure marketplace of ebay rather than the individual seller's websites.
Historical overview
Tanto have been carried in Japan dating back to the 700's. In times of peace, they were more likely to be made artistically and beautifully for ceremonial purposes, whereas in times of war they tended to be simpler and more functional. There were many styles made, some crafted by shortening katanas, some from spearpoints, even some disguised as small personal items such as fans.
Whether for personal defense or just utilitarian everyday use, carrying a blade is common even today... though, concealed or openly carrying a japanese tanto today is likely to be illegal and is extremely inadvisable. Thus, true tanto are rarely used today as they were in the past and are even less likely to be seen in western countries, except in those dojos that practice tantojutsu... and even they are unlikely to use sharp tanto as training tools.
Full Disclosure
I'm totally unbiased in my reviews, but I might be tolerant of some things that others will take issue with. Very few of the swords I have reviewed yet are over $200, and I'm pretty familiar with the limitations of swords and knives in this price range. I do think, though, that swords of surprising quality, durability, and beauty can be acquired today within the modest budget of $300 USD, and sometimes well below that.
Initial Impressions
I purchased a total of five tanto on ebay, spending just over $400 USD total. The sellers and the prices of their tanto (including shipping) are as follows:
Brandonswords - $62
Ryanswords - $90
Shirly-sword - $73
Canadaswords - $128
Candaswords (shirasaya) - $100
Each of these tantos was packaged nicely, and all had either a cloth sword bag or a padded sword box (with the exception of the Canadaswords shirasaya which came by itself in an unmarked styrofoam block). The brandonswords and shirlyswords tantos even came with what looks like a greeting card and information about cleaning and maintenance. All of the tsukas were shrinkwrapped except obviously the shirasaya. They all shipped promptly except for Ryanswords, who used China Post rather than EMS.
(The Brandonswords tanto with bag and card)
(The shirasaya in styrofoam)
Statistics
- Blade/Nagasa Length: Brandonswords - 11.3 inches
Ryanswords - 11.3 inches
Shirly-sword - 13.0 inches
Canadaswords - 11.5 inches
Canadaswords shirasaya - 11.5 inches
- Handle/Tsuka Length: Brandonswords - 6.0 inches
Ryanswords - 4.5 inches
Shirly-sword - 6.25 inches
Canadaswords - 5.25 inches
Canadaswords shirasaya - 4.25 inches
- Overall Length: Brandonswords - 17.3 inches
Ryanswords - 15.75 inches
Shirly-sword - 19.25 inches
Canadaswords - 16.75 inches
Canadaswords shirasaya - 15.75 inches
- Guard/Tsuba Width: Only the Canadaswords "Chrysanthemum" has a true tsuba. It's a small oval shaped one measuring 1.5x2 inches. The Shirlyswords has an iron oval that is just slightly larger than the seppa.
- Weight: I don't have a scale, but I would say the Ryanswords and Brandonswords are on the lighter side, the Canadaswords tantos are medium, and the Shirlyswords is on the heavier side with quite a bit of blade presence.
Components
- Blade(s)
The top tanto in this pic is the Shirlyswords tanto, and the biggest of the 6 shown. It has a very beefy shinogi-zukuri blade and really feels like a weapon compared to the others. The next is the Ryanswords, which has a lighter shinogi-zukuri blade (interestingly enough, the pictures on the auction showed an o-kissaki which this one does NOT have) and an acid etched hamon. The third one is the Brandonswords, which has a blade very similar to the Ryanswords but without the hamon; this one also has the worst polish of the 6 with a relatively scratchy surface. The fourth one is the Canadaswords Chrysanthemum, a DH shobu-zukuri (shown here very unflatteringly) which has the best blade of the 6 which we will be examining more closely in a moment. Next we have the tanto from my collection, a Bushi 1070 unokubi with a wirebrushed hamon, which serves as a benchmark and guide for the type and quality of tanto that I like. Finally, the Canadaswords shirasaya, with a differentially hardened shobu-zukuri blade.
All these tantos are purported to be 1060 AFAIK... but the Canadaswords tantos may be 1095-T10.
The kissakis are counter polished, making them resemble shinogi-zukuri blades (except for the canadaswords which are left as shobu-zukuri). This is not very historically accurate; the only way a real japanese tanto would look like this is if it were constructed from a cut down katana or wakizashi.
- Handle/Tsuka
The tsukas on these tantos are satisfactory, but unimpressive for the most part. All are solid feeling, with tight synthetic ito and real rayskin (though all have tiny nodes). Interesting notes include that the Canadaswords Chrysanthemum is the only one to have alternating ito (extremely tight, very well done wrap) , and the Ryanswords has two mekugi. I wonder how loose the tsuka was before they put the second one in.
- Fuchi/Kashira
All of these tantos have very cheap fittings. The only iron piece on any of these tantos is the Shirlyswords' mini-tsuba, and also the Shirlyswords is the only tanto to feature seppa. The Ryanswords fuchi is loose. All the menuki are passable; I'd say the fittings like most overall are on the Shirlyswords tanto. All the other ones look kind of cheap... but considering the price I paid I have no reason to be surprised at that!
- Saya
With the exception of the shirasaya which is solid as a rock, (and my Bushi of course) all of the tantos exhibit some saya rattle, with the Ryanswords and Brandonswords having the least, and the Shirlyswords having the most. The Canadaswords Chrysanthemum's saya is loose enough to fall off, probably because it has a metal koguichi. The shirasaya has a bullhorn koguichi and horn on the tsuka to match, and is a very well made shirasaya overall especially in this price range. None of these sayas match up to my Bushi 1070, which fits the blade like a glove and doesn't rattle a bit. The sageo on the Shirlyswords and Canadaswords is very thick and heavy. I do not like the paint on the Canadaswords tanto at all, and plan to sand and repaint it at some point.
Test cutting : Not Performed
A Closer look
What this review is really about is the Canadaswords differentially hardened tantos... I wanted a tanto with a real hamon, but wanted to spend less than $200. I stumbled upon this one and was interested right away. I was skeptical that it would look as good as the pictures on the auction, but surprisingly, Canadaswords delivers!
Just look at that activity! Even the boshi is pretty nice.
OK, so I was impressed enough that I immediately bought the shirasaya they were offering. I have to say though, that while it's a nice shirasaya for the price, the hamon doesn't look quite as good as the pictures on the auction site.
Still, it has nice clean lines.
Pros
Good value, functional tantos, all quite sharp
Differentially hardened blades of quality can be had for a low price, if the buyer is careful
Fast shipping through EMS for all but one
Cons
Cheap tantos are cheap... be sure you know what you're buying
Fittings likely to be of low quality in tantos under $100
Limited practical use
The Bottom Line
Buying tantos from Chinese sellers on Ebay is an excellent way to begin a collection and/or procure blades for custom work. However, do not expect much in the $60 range. I would recommend tantos from Canadaswords, and would definitely buy from them again; the Chrysanthemum in particular is a good candidate for remounting. The Shirlyswords tanto has exceptional blade presence in such a small sword... it's an o-tanto for sure, maybe even a ko-wakizashi... it's well worth the money and I would consider buying another if I could justify it.
Next I think I'll buy a 6-tier stand and cut it down to display these more effectively.
PS. Ryanswords apologized profusely for the nearly 2 month wait, and promised to send a sword stand and refund me $20 since they didn't have to pay EMS shipping price, which was paid for when the auction closed. As of this being posted, they have done neither.
Thanks for reading!