Munetoshi T10 Takemori
Apr 23, 2011 23:07:02 GMT
Post by Ilúvatar on Apr 23, 2011 23:07:02 GMT
Munetoshi T10 Takemori Review
Introduction
Recently, I've had a growing interest in Japanese culture, namely their swords. As my interest began to grow, I decided it was time to buy my first Katana. I started asking around and was soon introduced to Munetoshi, a company that SwordNArmory actually owns. I had heard exceedingly positive things about their swords, so I decided to check them out. Upon wandering around SwordNArmory.com, I came across the Munetoshi Takemori. It instantly caught my eye. Everything about this sword looked very promising. After viewing the cutting videos and hypnotic pictures that seemed to cry out "buy me" with every click, I grabbed my wallet and headed ever to SwordNArmory's warehouse to plop down my payment of $258. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Historical overview
Throughout the history of Japan, the Shinogi Zukuri style has probably been the most common style used for the blade of a Katana, which is a sword that was used by the Samurai. I'm afraid that is all the insight I can offer in this section, so let me just stop right there before I make myself look stupid :lol: .
Full Disclosure
Let me say right now that I am a noob, if you will, when it comes to Katanas. I know a thing or two, but I just started collecting and I'm not quite a Katana genius yet . So, bear with me as I probably will not be able to give as much information as a more knowledgeable person. This is also my very first review so it goes hand in hand. This is my first Munetoshi sword so I had no idea what to expect. I will try to write this review to the best of my ability. Here we go.
Initial Impressions
I live fairly close to SwordNArmory, so instead of paying shipping costs I went straight to their warehouse. The employees were very helpful and respectful and I can say that I am very pleased with their customer service. The box that the sword came in is just that, a box.
I didn't expect more because I don't see why there is a need for a fancier container. You're just going to end up throwing it away. The sword was secured safely and hidden in a very elegant sword bag which has some cool Japanese characters on it.
With sweaty palms and a thumping heart, I pulled the sword out of the bag. Let me just say this thing looks awesome. The fittings are tight and are very elegant. The ito leaves something to be desired, but we'll get to that later. The sword comes with a nice care kit that includes rice paper, cotton cloth, a little brass hammer and awl, a powder ball, and choji oil.
The sword feels really comfortable in the hand and is balanced pretty well. It is easy to abruptly stop it mid-swing. However, nothing completely mesmerized me like the blade did. I must have stared at it for a good 5 minutes.
Saying that the blade is simply beautiful doesn't give this sword enough justice. The one thing that caught my eye the most is the hamon. It is a Gunome design and it continues all the way through to the Kissaki. It is very vibrant and visible, and extremely attractive. So much that I have to pause and take a look at it every time I take the sword out of the saya :shock: . Very sturdy, very well made.
Statistics
These are the statistics taken directly from SwordNArmory's website.
Overall Length: 39.875 "
Blade: Very Sharp
Nagasa Length: 28 "
Blade Material: T10
Tsuka Length: 10.75 "
Niku: Light to Medium
Blade Thickness @ Habaki: 0.294 "
Sori: 0.7 "
Blade Thickness @ Kissaski: 0.252 "
Kissaki Length: 1.753 "
Blade Width @ Habaki: 1.234 "
Blade Construction: Mono Steel
Blade Width @ Kissaki: 0.882 "
Hamon: Gunome
Weight W/O Saya: 2.35 lbs
Balance Point: 5.5 "
Tsuba Material: Steel
Hardness of Yakiba: 58 HRC
Ito & Sageo Material: Chemical Fiber
Fuchi Kashira Material: Alloy
Sword Name: Takémori (Bamboo Forest)
Mekugi: Smoked Bamboo double Mekugi
Condition: Brand New
Manufacturer: Munetoshi
Components
This sword is very well put together although there are a few minor flaws.
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is a 28 inch long Shinogi Zukuri design. Again, I can't stress enough how beautiful the hamon is. It feels like it just jumps out at you when you take the sword out of the saya. The Kissaki is nicely executed.
The blade has a nice mirror polish, and is scratch free. It is VERY sharp.
It cuts paper like butter, and sends water bottles running to the hills in fear. I do have one complaint. The blade is not perfectly aligned with the Habaki. This doesn't bother me in the least, but it's worth mentioning.
Great blade. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The Handle/Tsuka
The tsuka is very elegant. The ito and the sageo are both dark blue chemical fiber. It looks nice and is pretty comfortable, but it's not far from that "shoelacy" material. As for whether it alternates or not, I haven't the slightest idea. Maybe someone can post a comment and let me know. The same is real, and the menuki are a bamboo branch design. The sword is held together by two bamboo mekugi.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is made of blackened steel, and is in a cut out sukashi design of pampas grass. I like the tsuba, it gives the sword a sort of crisp look.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The Fuchi and the Kashira are both in a bamboo branch/leaf design. They are elegant and simple, and this is to my liking.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is made of hard wood, and is finished in many layers of black lacquered paint. It is really shiny and glossy, but picks up finger prints easily. The sword fits into the saya very snug, and it does not move around or rattle. The sageo is dark blue chemical fiber.
Handling Characteristics
This sword is very comfortable in the hand. 2.3 lbs is considerably light for a sword with a medium to heavy niku, and no-hi. It is agile, but it still feels like it has enough power to cut down Optimus Prime . I am 6'3 170 lbs and swinging this sword is effortless for me. Handling it with one hand is easy enough as well.
Test Cutting
These are some clips of me cutting some plastic bottles. I know I suck, but I just wanted to give an idea of how this sword cuts. It has amazing plastic murdering abilities.
I don't have any tatami, but here is the video that SwordNArmory has for this sword cutting tatami.
Conclusions
This is a GREAT sword. It is everything I expected and more. The blade is extremely beautiful with an vibrant hamon, and mirror polish. However, it isn't perfectly aligned with the Habaki. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. The tsuka is comfortable and all of the fittings are tight. The saya is a nice black lacquered finish and the blade fits into it perfectly. This thing is light and fast but has some real cutting power. Again, great sword.
Pros
-Beautiful blade
-Eye popping hamon (it really will make your eyes pop)
-Fittings are nice and tight
-Handles really nicely without sacrificing cutting power
-It's fun just looking at this thing
Cons
-Blade isn't perfectly aligned with the Habaki
-The ito could be better
The Bottom Line
I would DEFINITELY recommend this sword to anyone who is looking for a good overall katana in the sub $300 price range. This katana is well rounded in terms of looks and handling. You WON'T be disappointed.
Introduction
Recently, I've had a growing interest in Japanese culture, namely their swords. As my interest began to grow, I decided it was time to buy my first Katana. I started asking around and was soon introduced to Munetoshi, a company that SwordNArmory actually owns. I had heard exceedingly positive things about their swords, so I decided to check them out. Upon wandering around SwordNArmory.com, I came across the Munetoshi Takemori. It instantly caught my eye. Everything about this sword looked very promising. After viewing the cutting videos and hypnotic pictures that seemed to cry out "buy me" with every click, I grabbed my wallet and headed ever to SwordNArmory's warehouse to plop down my payment of $258. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Historical overview
Throughout the history of Japan, the Shinogi Zukuri style has probably been the most common style used for the blade of a Katana, which is a sword that was used by the Samurai. I'm afraid that is all the insight I can offer in this section, so let me just stop right there before I make myself look stupid :lol: .
Full Disclosure
Let me say right now that I am a noob, if you will, when it comes to Katanas. I know a thing or two, but I just started collecting and I'm not quite a Katana genius yet . So, bear with me as I probably will not be able to give as much information as a more knowledgeable person. This is also my very first review so it goes hand in hand. This is my first Munetoshi sword so I had no idea what to expect. I will try to write this review to the best of my ability. Here we go.
Initial Impressions
I live fairly close to SwordNArmory, so instead of paying shipping costs I went straight to their warehouse. The employees were very helpful and respectful and I can say that I am very pleased with their customer service. The box that the sword came in is just that, a box.
I didn't expect more because I don't see why there is a need for a fancier container. You're just going to end up throwing it away. The sword was secured safely and hidden in a very elegant sword bag which has some cool Japanese characters on it.
With sweaty palms and a thumping heart, I pulled the sword out of the bag. Let me just say this thing looks awesome. The fittings are tight and are very elegant. The ito leaves something to be desired, but we'll get to that later. The sword comes with a nice care kit that includes rice paper, cotton cloth, a little brass hammer and awl, a powder ball, and choji oil.
The sword feels really comfortable in the hand and is balanced pretty well. It is easy to abruptly stop it mid-swing. However, nothing completely mesmerized me like the blade did. I must have stared at it for a good 5 minutes.
Saying that the blade is simply beautiful doesn't give this sword enough justice. The one thing that caught my eye the most is the hamon. It is a Gunome design and it continues all the way through to the Kissaki. It is very vibrant and visible, and extremely attractive. So much that I have to pause and take a look at it every time I take the sword out of the saya :shock: . Very sturdy, very well made.
Statistics
These are the statistics taken directly from SwordNArmory's website.
Overall Length: 39.875 "
Blade: Very Sharp
Nagasa Length: 28 "
Blade Material: T10
Tsuka Length: 10.75 "
Niku: Light to Medium
Blade Thickness @ Habaki: 0.294 "
Sori: 0.7 "
Blade Thickness @ Kissaski: 0.252 "
Kissaki Length: 1.753 "
Blade Width @ Habaki: 1.234 "
Blade Construction: Mono Steel
Blade Width @ Kissaki: 0.882 "
Hamon: Gunome
Weight W/O Saya: 2.35 lbs
Balance Point: 5.5 "
Tsuba Material: Steel
Hardness of Yakiba: 58 HRC
Ito & Sageo Material: Chemical Fiber
Fuchi Kashira Material: Alloy
Sword Name: Takémori (Bamboo Forest)
Mekugi: Smoked Bamboo double Mekugi
Condition: Brand New
Manufacturer: Munetoshi
Components
This sword is very well put together although there are a few minor flaws.
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is a 28 inch long Shinogi Zukuri design. Again, I can't stress enough how beautiful the hamon is. It feels like it just jumps out at you when you take the sword out of the saya. The Kissaki is nicely executed.
The blade has a nice mirror polish, and is scratch free. It is VERY sharp.
It cuts paper like butter, and sends water bottles running to the hills in fear. I do have one complaint. The blade is not perfectly aligned with the Habaki. This doesn't bother me in the least, but it's worth mentioning.
Great blade. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The Handle/Tsuka
The tsuka is very elegant. The ito and the sageo are both dark blue chemical fiber. It looks nice and is pretty comfortable, but it's not far from that "shoelacy" material. As for whether it alternates or not, I haven't the slightest idea. Maybe someone can post a comment and let me know. The same is real, and the menuki are a bamboo branch design. The sword is held together by two bamboo mekugi.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is made of blackened steel, and is in a cut out sukashi design of pampas grass. I like the tsuba, it gives the sword a sort of crisp look.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The Fuchi and the Kashira are both in a bamboo branch/leaf design. They are elegant and simple, and this is to my liking.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is made of hard wood, and is finished in many layers of black lacquered paint. It is really shiny and glossy, but picks up finger prints easily. The sword fits into the saya very snug, and it does not move around or rattle. The sageo is dark blue chemical fiber.
Handling Characteristics
This sword is very comfortable in the hand. 2.3 lbs is considerably light for a sword with a medium to heavy niku, and no-hi. It is agile, but it still feels like it has enough power to cut down Optimus Prime . I am 6'3 170 lbs and swinging this sword is effortless for me. Handling it with one hand is easy enough as well.
Test Cutting
These are some clips of me cutting some plastic bottles. I know I suck, but I just wanted to give an idea of how this sword cuts. It has amazing plastic murdering abilities.
I don't have any tatami, but here is the video that SwordNArmory has for this sword cutting tatami.
Conclusions
This is a GREAT sword. It is everything I expected and more. The blade is extremely beautiful with an vibrant hamon, and mirror polish. However, it isn't perfectly aligned with the Habaki. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. The tsuka is comfortable and all of the fittings are tight. The saya is a nice black lacquered finish and the blade fits into it perfectly. This thing is light and fast but has some real cutting power. Again, great sword.
Pros
-Beautiful blade
-Eye popping hamon (it really will make your eyes pop)
-Fittings are nice and tight
-Handles really nicely without sacrificing cutting power
-It's fun just looking at this thing
Cons
-Blade isn't perfectly aligned with the Habaki
-The ito could be better
The Bottom Line
I would DEFINITELY recommend this sword to anyone who is looking for a good overall katana in the sub $300 price range. This katana is well rounded in terms of looks and handling. You WON'T be disappointed.