Hanwei Japanese Shinto Katana (SH1001)
Dec 22, 2011 4:51:42 GMT
Post by mbec5979 on Dec 22, 2011 4:51:42 GMT
After 9 months of collecting i had decided it was time to hit up the more upmarket katanas. So i chose hanwei. Mainly because of there great reviews and popularity.
After 2 weeks of review searching and trying to work out which one i had wanted i decided with the japanese shinto.
With a price tag of $999.0 aust. it was a big move. I decided to purchase the katana over the counter in a small shop in sydney called Lawrance Ordnance. The owner of the store was very pollite and helpfull and had no problems with showing and letting me handle his stock.
The sword
Upon reviewing the katana face to face for the first time i was amazed at how light it was and the width of the blade especially at the tip was no wider than my thumb. certainly diffrent than all my other katanas. The store owner told me that the sword is specificly ment to replicate what a true samurai sword blade looks and feels. And his not wrongSHINTO (20).JPG[/attachment]
The cotton ido wrap is extremely well done and the feel of the sword is fantastic. BUT!
One of the bigest problems hanwei have is quality control and i regret not examining the blade more carefully when i purchesd it. Not only did i find the blade itself not very sharp but 1 inch in lengh from the habaki was totaly dull (not even sharpened) and a tiny half mm nick in the balde about 7 inches from the tip of point (barely visible but still there)SHINTO (16).JPG[/attachment]SHINTO (12).JPG[/attachment]
Overall i feel that the shinto is a great collectors peice but does feel very fragile as i have not brought myself to do a cutting test. I simply love this sword for the way it looks and feels and is a must have for collectors with not a big budget. But i do stress at strong examination of hanweis blades brought over the counter and remmber to be wary from buying hanwei on ebay as MOST will have quality issues.
Specifications
Overall: 39 1/2“
Blade Length: 27“
Handle Length: 11 1/4”
Weight: 1lb 14oz
Thickness at Guard: .260SHINTO.JPG[/attachment]SHINTO (14).JPG[/attachment]SHINTO (3).JPG[/attachment]
After 2 weeks of review searching and trying to work out which one i had wanted i decided with the japanese shinto.
With a price tag of $999.0 aust. it was a big move. I decided to purchase the katana over the counter in a small shop in sydney called Lawrance Ordnance. The owner of the store was very pollite and helpfull and had no problems with showing and letting me handle his stock.
The sword
Upon reviewing the katana face to face for the first time i was amazed at how light it was and the width of the blade especially at the tip was no wider than my thumb. certainly diffrent than all my other katanas. The store owner told me that the sword is specificly ment to replicate what a true samurai sword blade looks and feels. And his not wrongSHINTO (20).JPG[/attachment]
The cotton ido wrap is extremely well done and the feel of the sword is fantastic. BUT!
One of the bigest problems hanwei have is quality control and i regret not examining the blade more carefully when i purchesd it. Not only did i find the blade itself not very sharp but 1 inch in lengh from the habaki was totaly dull (not even sharpened) and a tiny half mm nick in the balde about 7 inches from the tip of point (barely visible but still there)SHINTO (16).JPG[/attachment]SHINTO (12).JPG[/attachment]
Overall i feel that the shinto is a great collectors peice but does feel very fragile as i have not brought myself to do a cutting test. I simply love this sword for the way it looks and feels and is a must have for collectors with not a big budget. But i do stress at strong examination of hanweis blades brought over the counter and remmber to be wary from buying hanwei on ebay as MOST will have quality issues.
Specifications
Overall: 39 1/2“
Blade Length: 27“
Handle Length: 11 1/4”
Weight: 1lb 14oz
Thickness at Guard: .260SHINTO.JPG[/attachment]SHINTO (14).JPG[/attachment]SHINTO (3).JPG[/attachment]