Hung Shing TS Shinogi-Zukuri Katana.
Oct 11, 2011 21:58:05 GMT
Post by Adrian Jordan on Oct 11, 2011 21:58:05 GMT
Hello,
I'm posting an out of the box review of my new Hung Shing TS katana. I have a short video to post with it. I first became aware of the Hung Shing TS group, notably Ricky, when he put up his videos of his Hung Shing TS Shobu Fighter Tanto. He has since posted many more videos of his various products in different stages of development, as well as videos explaining his "zero bevel" geometry and "hidden bevel" observations on other manufacturers blades. This sword sells for $190 at the Hung Shing site as well as Ebay, but SBG members get a great discount, bringing the total to $165 shipped. I opted for the full sized Shinoji-Zukuri blade, as this is my favorite blade shape by far.
Full Disclosure:
I do not have any stake with the Hung Shing group. I do have regular contact with Ricky Chen, aka Dadaochen, through his posts on this forum and occasionally through PM's on this forum.
Historic Overview:
The geometry of this katana is of Hung Shing's own design. It is based off of the classic Shinogi-Zukuri geometry.
Sword:
This is the full size Shinogi-Zukuri model. Here are the measurements as posted on the Hung Shing site:
Total Length 99.5cm; 39.2in
Blade Length 68.5cm; 27in
Handle Length 31cm; 12.2in
Thickness 0.6cm; .2in
Width of Blade 3.5cm; 1.4in
Sori: 2.1 cm; .8in
Balance Wt: 12.8 cm; 5in
Total Wt: 2 lbs.
Overview:
Fittings:
Dadaochen summed it up well in a post he put up in an earlier thread; they aren't fancy but they're solid.
Ito is a light brown cotton I believe. It is wrapped in the Katate-Maki style and does not alternate. The wrap is very tight and solid. The sageo appears to be the same material as the wrap. Samegawa is lacquered black. The fuchi/kashira, menuki and tsuba all appear to be a light alloy and have a bamboo theme. They are silver with gold colored accents, except for the menuki, which appears to be a gold colored dragon. The habaki is, I believe, copper and has a matte finish. It has small gaps on either side, but is centered okay. The seppa are the fairly typical copper, though both appear to be placed on the blade side of the tsuka, as opposed to the usual top/bottom placement.
Tsuka Core and Nakago:
Core could have been carved a bit more even. The tsuka does fit very well, though. Nakago is unremarkable. However, I don't view this as a fault. Sometimes no news is good news.
Saya:
The saya is black lacquer over wood. The mouth fairly well carved out. The fit is loose enough to have it fall off if lifted by tsuka, I may choose to shim it slightly. The blade sits closer to the mune side than in the middle. there is a slight rattle, but less so than my Ronin Dojo Budget or even my Kris 26III came with.
Blade:
Alright, now we're getting to the meat of the sword. The blade. La Hoja. Die klinge. La lama.
The blade is very wide, and dialed into Ricky's own "zero bevel" geometry. IT IS SHARP! I was actually able to cut paper with it, something I have not been able to accomplish with my Kaze, Ronin, Munetoshi nor my Kris.
Forgive the poor quality of the cuts. This is more due to me not having even relatively steady hands.
Beyond that, I was also able to get cuts on a tissue paper.
The blade has very light scratching from the reshaping, but I was prepared for that. The kissaki is counter polished. The hamon is faint, but visible. It is done in the Gunome pattern.
While this blade isn't as beefy as my Kaze, as Ricky has said; this is not a zero niku blade. It has a fair amount of niku, and I am now a firm believer in Ricky's "zero bevel." This blade cuts cleaner and easier than any of my other blades. Here is a short video of me cutting with it.
Note: The second to last bottle cut is one of those Government Juice bottles. I usually don't try to cut these as they are very hard, rigid plastic and prone more to shattering than cutting. The TS handled it with ease.
Handling:
Sword is very responsive. The balance is such that it handles heavier cuts well, but is more designed for multiple cut patterns. The tsuka is not too thin or thick.
Final Thoughts:
Is it the prettiest sword in its range? No. It is, however, a sharp and almost dangerously easy sword to cut with.
Think of it like one of Eddie Van Halen's hot rodded guitars. Not always the most attractive, but very versatile and just amazing for what it was made for. The fittings are cheap, but sturdy and well assembled. For a $190 sword, it a good deal. For $165, it's a steal. I am hoping to get a hold of one of the Shinogi-Zukuri Ko-Katanas and make a nice little set. The Shobu Fighter looks great as well.
Thanks for looking, and feel free to ask any questions or to comment. I love feedback.
-Adrian.
I'm posting an out of the box review of my new Hung Shing TS katana. I have a short video to post with it. I first became aware of the Hung Shing TS group, notably Ricky, when he put up his videos of his Hung Shing TS Shobu Fighter Tanto. He has since posted many more videos of his various products in different stages of development, as well as videos explaining his "zero bevel" geometry and "hidden bevel" observations on other manufacturers blades. This sword sells for $190 at the Hung Shing site as well as Ebay, but SBG members get a great discount, bringing the total to $165 shipped. I opted for the full sized Shinoji-Zukuri blade, as this is my favorite blade shape by far.
Full Disclosure:
I do not have any stake with the Hung Shing group. I do have regular contact with Ricky Chen, aka Dadaochen, through his posts on this forum and occasionally through PM's on this forum.
Historic Overview:
The geometry of this katana is of Hung Shing's own design. It is based off of the classic Shinogi-Zukuri geometry.
Sword:
This is the full size Shinogi-Zukuri model. Here are the measurements as posted on the Hung Shing site:
Total Length 99.5cm; 39.2in
Blade Length 68.5cm; 27in
Handle Length 31cm; 12.2in
Thickness 0.6cm; .2in
Width of Blade 3.5cm; 1.4in
Sori: 2.1 cm; .8in
Balance Wt: 12.8 cm; 5in
Total Wt: 2 lbs.
Overview:
Fittings:
Dadaochen summed it up well in a post he put up in an earlier thread; they aren't fancy but they're solid.
Ito is a light brown cotton I believe. It is wrapped in the Katate-Maki style and does not alternate. The wrap is very tight and solid. The sageo appears to be the same material as the wrap. Samegawa is lacquered black. The fuchi/kashira, menuki and tsuba all appear to be a light alloy and have a bamboo theme. They are silver with gold colored accents, except for the menuki, which appears to be a gold colored dragon. The habaki is, I believe, copper and has a matte finish. It has small gaps on either side, but is centered okay. The seppa are the fairly typical copper, though both appear to be placed on the blade side of the tsuka, as opposed to the usual top/bottom placement.
Tsuka Core and Nakago:
Core could have been carved a bit more even. The tsuka does fit very well, though. Nakago is unremarkable. However, I don't view this as a fault. Sometimes no news is good news.
Saya:
The saya is black lacquer over wood. The mouth fairly well carved out. The fit is loose enough to have it fall off if lifted by tsuka, I may choose to shim it slightly. The blade sits closer to the mune side than in the middle. there is a slight rattle, but less so than my Ronin Dojo Budget or even my Kris 26III came with.
Blade:
Alright, now we're getting to the meat of the sword. The blade. La Hoja. Die klinge. La lama.
The blade is very wide, and dialed into Ricky's own "zero bevel" geometry. IT IS SHARP! I was actually able to cut paper with it, something I have not been able to accomplish with my Kaze, Ronin, Munetoshi nor my Kris.
Forgive the poor quality of the cuts. This is more due to me not having even relatively steady hands.
Beyond that, I was also able to get cuts on a tissue paper.
The blade has very light scratching from the reshaping, but I was prepared for that. The kissaki is counter polished. The hamon is faint, but visible. It is done in the Gunome pattern.
While this blade isn't as beefy as my Kaze, as Ricky has said; this is not a zero niku blade. It has a fair amount of niku, and I am now a firm believer in Ricky's "zero bevel." This blade cuts cleaner and easier than any of my other blades. Here is a short video of me cutting with it.
Note: The second to last bottle cut is one of those Government Juice bottles. I usually don't try to cut these as they are very hard, rigid plastic and prone more to shattering than cutting. The TS handled it with ease.
Handling:
Sword is very responsive. The balance is such that it handles heavier cuts well, but is more designed for multiple cut patterns. The tsuka is not too thin or thick.
Final Thoughts:
Is it the prettiest sword in its range? No. It is, however, a sharp and almost dangerously easy sword to cut with.
Think of it like one of Eddie Van Halen's hot rodded guitars. Not always the most attractive, but very versatile and just amazing for what it was made for. The fittings are cheap, but sturdy and well assembled. For a $190 sword, it a good deal. For $165, it's a steal. I am hoping to get a hold of one of the Shinogi-Zukuri Ko-Katanas and make a nice little set. The Shobu Fighter looks great as well.
Thanks for looking, and feel free to ask any questions or to comment. I love feedback.
-Adrian.