Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2011 11:29:11 GMT
Hy everyone im new on this forum and im interested in buying a katana in around the 300$ range, i've been doing research about a week now of what katana i should get and im still unsure as to what i should get. Through my research i written down the following swords: Hanwei Performance: -Practical XL -Practical XL Light -Practical Elite Plus
Hanwei Raptor Series( all of them)
Cheness: Katana Kaze
Currently i've drawn my attention to the Katana Kaze and the Raptor Series especially because the Katana kaze has 9260 arc steel and rather that chipping or shattering on stronger targets it will bend(most of the time). What im looking in a katana is first the blade( since i am not going to buy another one in the near future i want a sword that will last) and second the fittings. I will be using it ocasionally on tatami, watterbottes,paper and similar things. Also if u guys know any other katanas in this price range please let me know, and thank u for the amaizing reviews of swods, this site is by far the best sword site on the internet.
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ghost
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Post by ghost on Jul 27, 2011 18:17:31 GMT
Lots of threads on new kat recommendations. I'd drop the Cheness Kaze from consideration - their QC has never really caught up (cracked tsukas, dullness, etc) and they might be overbuilt; Shoboshi likes his a lot so you might want to pm him for his POV. -try considering the Kris Cutlery 5160 lines - same price range & iron fittings; No rayskin and synth. ito but decent tsuka core and phenomenal blade -all the Hanweis you've linked - including the raptors - have bulky tsukas; Holding my nanbokucho is like holding a sledgehammer; Finish on the raptor fittings are also not very well done/clean. -The Hanwei Practical series are not as great for beginners since they set easily from a flubbed cut, as compared to all the others previously mentioned.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Jul 27, 2011 18:36:57 GMT
I have a Kaze and am very happy with it, though it is now, in my opinion, overpriced. I you really want one, order it from Kult of Athena and ask them to inspect it before shipping. They are a solid vendor and will do this. I ordered mine for here at the SBG Store and it came free from any of the usual defects. Ghost makes a great point with Kris Cutlery. The blade is a tank and the fittings, while not traditional, are well done and solid.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Jul 27, 2011 19:11:57 GMT
Also, many good Huawei reviews are coming in, so you may want to consider them. The fittings are said to be lack-luster but functional and the blades, for the most part, seem to be very good. For about $300 you can get a fully customized katana. Food for thought.
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Post by Crimsoned on Jul 27, 2011 21:35:41 GMT
Yeah the blades are very beautiful, unfortunately I did get a badly tempered one. The actual koshirae is what I'd consider passable, not exactly ugly but not exactly good lucking.
That really surprised me is the saya, and the tsuka. The saya is astoundingly well made, nice thin almost like a nihonto's saya I held. One of the better saya's I've seen on both production and even some custom swords. It's samewrap was very well done, the buffalo horn fitting were also very well executed. The tsuka uses the hardest wood I have seen yet used for a tsuka, it's tough stuff I feel bad for whoever carved it. The only issue is the tsuka sits far too tight on the blade, requiring a mallet to remove and the koshirae (seppa/tsuba) were not filed to match the nakago so they used to wobble until I had the ito rewrapped and filed the tsuka a little to give it a better fit.
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Post by Lonely Wolf Forge on Jul 27, 2011 22:27:38 GMT
Dadaochens Hung Shing blades seem very good based on his video evidence.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2011 6:53:05 GMT
Wow so many responses only after one day, thanks again for the comments. The thing is i live in Europe Romania and i have never bought anything from outside and while it will be alot cheaper shipping and all i dont know about out customs if they will allow me to keep it or return it(i will definatly investigate this). I was thinking of ordering from this site www.katana.ro . They have a couple of Cheness Katanas like the Kaze, Tenchi and so on and have a partnership with Hanwei. I've seen alot of ppl complain about the Cheness that it isn't up to date some have said that the Hanwei are better, i personally dont know. I am gonna check out the Dadaochens Hung Shing blades and also the Kris Cutlery blades. What do u guys think about the Ronin Blades, the have pretty good reviews here.
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Post by mikejapan on Jul 28, 2011 6:57:10 GMT
If I had the option of buying another katana that is well tempered and built. I would hands down get a Kris Cutlery Katana 29 series. They have a subtle "SUBTLE" hamon but with the right polishing technique it can be brought out. The reviews gives KC top ratings from what I have read. I really do want one but that's not gonna happen. Oh yeah, their cheap!
Michael
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Jul 28, 2011 7:01:30 GMT
I have a Ronin 1045 and while the ito wrap and samegawa were not great, the blade is a real beast. If you are looking at the 1060 line I imagine that the blade is great and they don't seem to have as many fitting deficiencies as the 1045 line.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2011 7:30:45 GMT
After some more research i think im gonna buy either a Katana Kaze or Tenchi from Kult of Athena since it's going to cost almost half of what would cost ordering it from here. Have any of u guys ever had any problems with customs confiscating youre katana, if so will i get my money back?
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Jul 29, 2011 7:39:09 GMT
I'm not sure about the potential customs problems, but I would strongly recommend the Kaze over the Tenchi. It has a very attractive, tough blade. While I don't have a Tenchi, it seems that it is one of their more problem prone models. The Tenchi blade will likely be a bit tougher, but it will dull faster and is not as sharp out of the box. Also, if you're ordering from Kult of Athena, you may want to look at Dynasty Forge. They have a Musha Class 1060 katana which is said to be very good. www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=DFM2&name=Dynasty+Forge+Musha+1060+Katana+Single+Ring+Musashi+ThemeI hope this helps, and be sure to report which you choose. Have fun.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2011 14:19:29 GMT
Ive seen alot of videos compairing the Kaze with Tenchi and im pleased with the Kaze , and youre right the Tenchi isnt as sharp as the Kaze out of the box.Although i only took a quick look the their website especially at the Kaze they have alot of katans.It's easy to get lost as to what u should choose by their website.Im gonna check out that Dinasty Forge katana when i get home, i wonder if it better than the Kaze. I saw a video yesterday about the Hanwei Raptor Series and those blade can cut with ease tatami but they cant cut paper as well as the hanwei performance can wich is a bit of a surprise.Next week im gonna order so i still have time to research some more blades. Thanks again.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Jul 29, 2011 20:28:34 GMT
The Raptors are more tuned towards medium to heavy cutting. This means that the blade will not be as sharp as the light-cutting tuned Practical line. The Raptors are Through Hardened and so will not take as sharp an edge nor hold an edge as long as the Differential Hardened Practical line, but will be much tougher and less likely to take a bend or suffer edge damage. So, as with anything, it's a trade-off. Do you want the sharper, albeit more fragile Practical, or the less sharp but much tougher Raptor.
The same is true about the Cheness. The DH Kaze is sharper and will hold an edge longer than the TH Tenchi, though as I said, the Tenchi seems to be on the receiving end of more poor reviews that most other Cheness models. Another thing to note is that although the Kaze is 9260 spring steel, the DH process takes away a great deal of the flexibility that the TH swords enjoy because of the edge hardening. It is still as tough or tougher than many 1060 DH blades out there, but if you were expecting it to be able to take the abuse the Tenchi can, it cannot.
The Dynasty Forge 1060 Musha is said to be very tough and well made, with a nice sharp edge, but like any production piece an individual sword may have problems. Cracked tsukas seem to be the most prevailent of these. From what I've seen, this sword may actually be a better cost-to-value katana than any other on this list.
The Dynasty Forge is TH, but is said to have a good edge with good edge retention. The fittings are likely to be better than those on the Kaze, and the blade may be tougher. The Kaze is DH, and has a great hamon. It is fairly tough, but like any DH katana will take a bend easier than a TH.
One way to avoid things like a cracked tsuka and loose wrap is to request that the folks at Kult of Athena actually take your sword apart and inspect it for such damage prior to shipping. They will do this for you, and it may save you some grief. I'd hate for you to get it and then have to go through the process of have it replaced or just sent back from all the way in Romania.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2011 6:51:20 GMT
Thanks for the clear explanation after all of theese i think im going with the Kaze, i also checked customs and it's legal to import this sword in my country or any other UE ( European Union) countries.I see they have a special instructions bar when u order so im going to ask them to do that there.Thanks again
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Jul 30, 2011 18:02:37 GMT
I'm very happy with my Kaze, I hope you are with yours as well.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2011 6:56:45 GMT
Im sure i will, ive done some calculating trying to figure out how much it will cost from Kult of Athena versus if i buy it from over here. Over here is 30$ more but im not sure if they already have it in stoc or if they will ship it themselves, if they already have it in stoc i will probably buy it from here since it already arrived here in perfect condition. Im not sure how good it will ship from outside. Cheers
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