Iaito Review: Tozando Custom Workshop
Mar 17, 2011 23:23:15 GMT
Post by craigd on Mar 17, 2011 23:23:15 GMT
Introduction
When I was looking for an Iaito I realised there were not enough reviews out there, so on receiving mine I thought I would contribute although I am not remotely close to being an expert, so take this as what it is, a review from someone owning an Iaito for the first time.
(sorry I waffle a bit on the following intro... :oops: )
I have been fascinated by the Katana for over 20 years (I am sure Highlander had a say in that /blush), and about 15 years ago bought my first 'sword' with some help from my future wife, a wallhanger Katana from a Martial Arts shop with machined blade, filed hamon, bevelled edge, plastic 'same' with tiny bumps, glued on gold coloured Fuchi and awful 'ito' that unravelled after a few hours. Still I loved it, and back then £50 was a lot of money for what would nowadays buy you a decent blade, I am glad I have never used it to cut as I suspect I would have ended up worse off than my target.
In the years since, lacking the funds to buy an Antique Nihonto it kept me going until I recently bought a Hanwei Tori Elite, and a Hanwei Musashi XL Light.
Then at the end of November 2010, after years of wanting a JSA close to me, I decided to bite the bullet and travel the 70 miles to our nearest Iaido club with a work colleague who started at the same time. The style is MJER, and I am loving it. The teachers are excellent, the dojo is wonderful (a church hall) and the fellow Iaidoka great people.
As a result I decided to sell my Musashi and buy an Iaito. Thus began the hunt. I must have read about dozens of Iaito including, but not limited to RGW, Ninecircles, Hanwei Tori, Hanwei Tsuru, Tozando, Aoi Budogo, Meirin, Yamato, Zhi/BuyIaito etc.
My preferences after my own research, and most importantly talking to my instructors were: Light blade ~ 2.45 Shaku, Waisted Tsuka, Suede Ito, Silver fittings.
In the end I opted for the Tozando custom Workshop, the number of options in that range are amazing and I was able to get exactly what I was after. They also had a 15% sale on which helped.
I also decided on a Japanese iaito because I wanted to know what I was missing with my Shinken, so paid a bit extra (or rather the bank did..) to get the Koshirae I wanted. :ugeek:
So, if you actually read that... Bravo! Now you know a bit about me and my requirements, on to the bit you are actually interested in.
Full Disclosure
While I have been fascinated by Katanas for over 2 decades, which is longer than the colleague who goes with me to our classes has been alive (jeez I am old), and have read numerous books, my first-hand experience with Shinken and Iaito is extremely limited. As such this review is likely to miss out on subtleties that more experienced practitioners would pick up on.
Initial Impressions
I ordered this on the 31st January for £500 incl. Shipping (~$800/€575), and was told it was built and on its way on the 2nd March, 4.5 weeks later. I was so excited I tracked its progress, even being so sad as to plot the route on a map.
The day it arrived...was hellish, I was too busy with work and it had to wait a few hours before I could finally unpack it.
At last the moment arrived and I carefully opened the 2 cardboard boxes it was contained in, removed the bubble wrap, slipped off the elegant purple sword bag.. and whistled in admiration.
The Tsuka just looked back at me proudly and yelled "Yeah!!".
Holding the Dark brown Saya in my left hand, I popped the sword out with my thumb on the Tsuba and slowly withdrew the blade. It felt wonderful, it felt 'right'.
I can't afford a Nihonto, but hell, this 'felt' closer to the real thing than the Tori I own. I don't mean the blade, which is zinc/aluminium alloy with a fake Hamon, it is somethign else, partly the workmanship, and partly just knowing the fittings were put together and shipped from Japan.
Statistics
I am going to include some measurements from my Tori Elite here as it will help with my comments later in the review.
Blade/Nagasa Length:
(Measured from tip of the Kissaki to Munemachi/Notch on Habaki)
Requested: 2.45 Shaku (~74cm)
Actual: 74.4 cm (70.5cm for Tori)
Sori:
Actual: 18mm (20mm for Tori)
Tsuka Length:
Requested: 25.8cm (8.5 Sun. Tori is 28.3cm)
Actual: 26cm*
* This includes the Fuchi which will add a couple of mm in thickness
Overall Length:
Actual: 103.5cm (end of Fuchi to tip of Kissaki)
Guard/Tsuba Width:
Actual: 4mm
POB (Point of Balance):
Actual: 14.5cm/5.75" (Tori 11.5cm/4.5")
Weight (excl. Saya):
Actual: 850g (Tori 1.18Kg)
Components
(many thanks to my wonderful & gorgeous wife who modelled for the photos, even putting on my Gi/Hakama. So no critique on technique as she has never done Iai. )
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade itself is a satin finish which I admit was a wee bit of a disappointment even though it looks really nice. That said, considering the abuse it is likely to get this may be a really good thing.
The bohi is nicely done with a mirror finish and the Hamon looks lovely although you can easily tell it is fake with the brush marks. I opted for Midare Hamon and I am very pleased with the shape and pattern.
The profile is quite a lot different to the Tori, which is comparatively quite a deep blade (from Mune to Hasaki) as it was obviously designed for cutting.
I believe the blade is the same blade found on all their Iaito's, and apparently some other manufacturers as well.
The Handle/Tsuka
One word. Fantastic.
The Tsuka is tapered and slightly curved (Rikko?) and the dark brown suede leather Ito over white Same feels wonderful to hold with no movement. It feels, and looks, far nicer than the suede leather on the Tori which is a problem as I now want to rewrap my Tori.
The same is decent quality and looks really nice, imo both sides look better than the Tori's despite the lack of an emperor node. The emperor node is an option but I couldn't justify the extra cost.
The Menuki are a pair of silver symbols/characters, although I couldn't tell you what they stand for. I went for a fairly simple/clean option and it looks wonderful against the Brown Ito and White Same.
After reading and speaking to one of my instructors I opted for the 28cm length on the Tsuka, a point I was wary on as the Tori felt great with its longer length. Well... I am converted, the length is wonderful and placed next to each other the longer Tsuka on the Tori looks oversized.
(note: Tori is on top)
The Guard/Tsuba
The Tsuba is circular and fairly delicate in matte black with a Tree and Bird (Sorry to say I can't tell you what kind )
I umm'ed and ah'd on my choice but I am quite pleased with the result, again there are a lot of options to pick from.
The Fuchi-Kashira/Habaki
One of the reasons I opted for Tozando was the choice of fittings (although you can find these and the Meunki on some other sites) and a major criteria for me was antique silver finish on the Fuchi/Kashira and the Habaki.
I love these, and I am so glad I opted for them even though they are something of an extravagance for many people. I was quite worried how the Brown/White/Silver would look as I coudln't really find any images on the web but they all compliment each other very nicely.
One possible issue, is that because I went for quite an ornate, and deep, Kashira my thumb may rub on it during extended practuce sessions/seminars. This wasn't a problem with my first 2 hour class using it so hopefully there is nothing to worry about..
The Saya
The saya is nicely finished in a speckled matte brown, I opted for a Brown Cotton Sageo although I think it would look better with a paler/lighter brown.
The Sword fits snugly into the Saya, with a positive action required to seat/unseat the blade. There are no rattles.
I didn't go for the real buffalo horn which was an option although it would certainly have been nice to have.
The finish at the Koiguchi is very clean and looks a lot better than my Tori's.
Handling Characteristics
OK, as mentioned before, my experience here is very limited. However the sword feels wonderful to hold and use, and gives a nice and effortless Tachi-Kaze/whistle as you swing it around.
The 2.45 Shaku seems ideal for me at 6' and being substantially lighter than my Tori it should mean I can use it for fairly long periods of time. From talking with one of my instructors the light weight also helps with refining my posture and form, as the heavier something is the more you tend to over-compensate. (apparently the senior instructors from Japan like to use a thin wooden stick about 1 foot in length to emphasise the point)
Conclusions
So.. the TLDR version (Too Long Didn't Read).
This is everything I hoped for and more. Build quality, finish, aesthetics are all top notch, and the feedback as it glides through the air is comforting. I can pretend for a little while, at least until my next lesson, that I actually know what I am doing.
I asked for some feedback from one of my instructors and one of the senior pupils (who is also an instructor for his own classes). The feedback was very positive with one of them asking me to price up an option for him with suede leather ito even though he usually trains with a shinken outside of this particular dojo. (/gulp)
Pros
Give a brief list of the aspects of the sword that you believed were the most positive, for example:
- The large array of options on the Custom
- The shape of the Tsuka
- The suede leather Ito feel wonderful to hold
- Handling feels really nice
- Fuchi/Kashira/Habaki nicely made and tightly fitted
- The hamon looks really nice even though it is artificial
Cons
OK, this is a hard one but I would maybe have preferred a mirror finish on the blade and I would have liked the option of a lighter brown for the sageo.
The Bottom Line
I would highly recommend both Tozando and this Iaito, the build quality is exceptional, it looks gorgeous, it feels wonderful to use and Tozando were a pleasure to deal with.
NOTE: My colleague/friend has ordered an Iaito from Buyiaito.com, I will update this review with a small comparison when it arrives.
When I was looking for an Iaito I realised there were not enough reviews out there, so on receiving mine I thought I would contribute although I am not remotely close to being an expert, so take this as what it is, a review from someone owning an Iaito for the first time.
(sorry I waffle a bit on the following intro... :oops: )
I have been fascinated by the Katana for over 20 years (I am sure Highlander had a say in that /blush), and about 15 years ago bought my first 'sword' with some help from my future wife, a wallhanger Katana from a Martial Arts shop with machined blade, filed hamon, bevelled edge, plastic 'same' with tiny bumps, glued on gold coloured Fuchi and awful 'ito' that unravelled after a few hours. Still I loved it, and back then £50 was a lot of money for what would nowadays buy you a decent blade, I am glad I have never used it to cut as I suspect I would have ended up worse off than my target.
In the years since, lacking the funds to buy an Antique Nihonto it kept me going until I recently bought a Hanwei Tori Elite, and a Hanwei Musashi XL Light.
Then at the end of November 2010, after years of wanting a JSA close to me, I decided to bite the bullet and travel the 70 miles to our nearest Iaido club with a work colleague who started at the same time. The style is MJER, and I am loving it. The teachers are excellent, the dojo is wonderful (a church hall) and the fellow Iaidoka great people.
As a result I decided to sell my Musashi and buy an Iaito. Thus began the hunt. I must have read about dozens of Iaito including, but not limited to RGW, Ninecircles, Hanwei Tori, Hanwei Tsuru, Tozando, Aoi Budogo, Meirin, Yamato, Zhi/BuyIaito etc.
My preferences after my own research, and most importantly talking to my instructors were: Light blade ~ 2.45 Shaku, Waisted Tsuka, Suede Ito, Silver fittings.
In the end I opted for the Tozando custom Workshop, the number of options in that range are amazing and I was able to get exactly what I was after. They also had a 15% sale on which helped.
I also decided on a Japanese iaito because I wanted to know what I was missing with my Shinken, so paid a bit extra (or rather the bank did..) to get the Koshirae I wanted. :ugeek:
So, if you actually read that... Bravo! Now you know a bit about me and my requirements, on to the bit you are actually interested in.
Full Disclosure
While I have been fascinated by Katanas for over 2 decades, which is longer than the colleague who goes with me to our classes has been alive (jeez I am old), and have read numerous books, my first-hand experience with Shinken and Iaito is extremely limited. As such this review is likely to miss out on subtleties that more experienced practitioners would pick up on.
Initial Impressions
I ordered this on the 31st January for £500 incl. Shipping (~$800/€575), and was told it was built and on its way on the 2nd March, 4.5 weeks later. I was so excited I tracked its progress, even being so sad as to plot the route on a map.
The day it arrived...was hellish, I was too busy with work and it had to wait a few hours before I could finally unpack it.
At last the moment arrived and I carefully opened the 2 cardboard boxes it was contained in, removed the bubble wrap, slipped off the elegant purple sword bag.. and whistled in admiration.
The Tsuka just looked back at me proudly and yelled "Yeah!!".
Holding the Dark brown Saya in my left hand, I popped the sword out with my thumb on the Tsuba and slowly withdrew the blade. It felt wonderful, it felt 'right'.
I can't afford a Nihonto, but hell, this 'felt' closer to the real thing than the Tori I own. I don't mean the blade, which is zinc/aluminium alloy with a fake Hamon, it is somethign else, partly the workmanship, and partly just knowing the fittings were put together and shipped from Japan.
Statistics
I am going to include some measurements from my Tori Elite here as it will help with my comments later in the review.
Blade/Nagasa Length:
(Measured from tip of the Kissaki to Munemachi/Notch on Habaki)
Requested: 2.45 Shaku (~74cm)
Actual: 74.4 cm (70.5cm for Tori)
Sori:
Actual: 18mm (20mm for Tori)
Tsuka Length:
Requested: 25.8cm (8.5 Sun. Tori is 28.3cm)
Actual: 26cm*
* This includes the Fuchi which will add a couple of mm in thickness
Overall Length:
Actual: 103.5cm (end of Fuchi to tip of Kissaki)
Guard/Tsuba Width:
Actual: 4mm
POB (Point of Balance):
Actual: 14.5cm/5.75" (Tori 11.5cm/4.5")
Weight (excl. Saya):
Actual: 850g (Tori 1.18Kg)
Components
(many thanks to my wonderful & gorgeous wife who modelled for the photos, even putting on my Gi/Hakama. So no critique on technique as she has never done Iai. )
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade itself is a satin finish which I admit was a wee bit of a disappointment even though it looks really nice. That said, considering the abuse it is likely to get this may be a really good thing.
The bohi is nicely done with a mirror finish and the Hamon looks lovely although you can easily tell it is fake with the brush marks. I opted for Midare Hamon and I am very pleased with the shape and pattern.
The profile is quite a lot different to the Tori, which is comparatively quite a deep blade (from Mune to Hasaki) as it was obviously designed for cutting.
I believe the blade is the same blade found on all their Iaito's, and apparently some other manufacturers as well.
The Handle/Tsuka
One word. Fantastic.
The Tsuka is tapered and slightly curved (Rikko?) and the dark brown suede leather Ito over white Same feels wonderful to hold with no movement. It feels, and looks, far nicer than the suede leather on the Tori which is a problem as I now want to rewrap my Tori.
The same is decent quality and looks really nice, imo both sides look better than the Tori's despite the lack of an emperor node. The emperor node is an option but I couldn't justify the extra cost.
The Menuki are a pair of silver symbols/characters, although I couldn't tell you what they stand for. I went for a fairly simple/clean option and it looks wonderful against the Brown Ito and White Same.
After reading and speaking to one of my instructors I opted for the 28cm length on the Tsuka, a point I was wary on as the Tori felt great with its longer length. Well... I am converted, the length is wonderful and placed next to each other the longer Tsuka on the Tori looks oversized.
(note: Tori is on top)
The Guard/Tsuba
The Tsuba is circular and fairly delicate in matte black with a Tree and Bird (Sorry to say I can't tell you what kind )
I umm'ed and ah'd on my choice but I am quite pleased with the result, again there are a lot of options to pick from.
The Fuchi-Kashira/Habaki
One of the reasons I opted for Tozando was the choice of fittings (although you can find these and the Meunki on some other sites) and a major criteria for me was antique silver finish on the Fuchi/Kashira and the Habaki.
I love these, and I am so glad I opted for them even though they are something of an extravagance for many people. I was quite worried how the Brown/White/Silver would look as I coudln't really find any images on the web but they all compliment each other very nicely.
One possible issue, is that because I went for quite an ornate, and deep, Kashira my thumb may rub on it during extended practuce sessions/seminars. This wasn't a problem with my first 2 hour class using it so hopefully there is nothing to worry about..
The Saya
The saya is nicely finished in a speckled matte brown, I opted for a Brown Cotton Sageo although I think it would look better with a paler/lighter brown.
The Sword fits snugly into the Saya, with a positive action required to seat/unseat the blade. There are no rattles.
I didn't go for the real buffalo horn which was an option although it would certainly have been nice to have.
The finish at the Koiguchi is very clean and looks a lot better than my Tori's.
Handling Characteristics
OK, as mentioned before, my experience here is very limited. However the sword feels wonderful to hold and use, and gives a nice and effortless Tachi-Kaze/whistle as you swing it around.
The 2.45 Shaku seems ideal for me at 6' and being substantially lighter than my Tori it should mean I can use it for fairly long periods of time. From talking with one of my instructors the light weight also helps with refining my posture and form, as the heavier something is the more you tend to over-compensate. (apparently the senior instructors from Japan like to use a thin wooden stick about 1 foot in length to emphasise the point)
Conclusions
So.. the TLDR version (Too Long Didn't Read).
This is everything I hoped for and more. Build quality, finish, aesthetics are all top notch, and the feedback as it glides through the air is comforting. I can pretend for a little while, at least until my next lesson, that I actually know what I am doing.
I asked for some feedback from one of my instructors and one of the senior pupils (who is also an instructor for his own classes). The feedback was very positive with one of them asking me to price up an option for him with suede leather ito even though he usually trains with a shinken outside of this particular dojo. (/gulp)
Pros
Give a brief list of the aspects of the sword that you believed were the most positive, for example:
- The large array of options on the Custom
- The shape of the Tsuka
- The suede leather Ito feel wonderful to hold
- Handling feels really nice
- Fuchi/Kashira/Habaki nicely made and tightly fitted
- The hamon looks really nice even though it is artificial
Cons
OK, this is a hard one but I would maybe have preferred a mirror finish on the blade and I would have liked the option of a lighter brown for the sageo.
The Bottom Line
I would highly recommend both Tozando and this Iaito, the build quality is exceptional, it looks gorgeous, it feels wonderful to use and Tozando were a pleasure to deal with.
NOTE: My colleague/friend has ordered an Iaito from Buyiaito.com, I will update this review with a small comparison when it arrives.