Cold Steel Nodachi Review
Oct 3, 2012 20:10:32 GMT
Post by Jussi Ekholm on Oct 3, 2012 20:10:32 GMT
Introduction
Well, I've been looking for this particular piece for many years. Many times I've been tempted to buy one, but I have always backed up. Until now... As Kult of Athena had this beast at bargain price of 300$ in their scratch & dent sale, I knew instantly that now is the time to buy this weapon.
Historical Overview
This will be tough section to figure out... Not enough blade length to classify as an odachi, yet still bit short tsuka for a nagamaki. But for overall feel & blade shape I would say this is a nagamaki. I don't go for further detailed description about nagamaki in this review, as information is easily found, if this sparked your intrest. But probably research into it's origins was made when this was made. If I remember correctly Fred Chen was the first to come up with production nagamaki (at least among the first), so they must have been doing research on this subject, and therefore the product looks somewhat historically accurate.
Full disclosure
Well, it's safe to say my review will be negatively biased as for years I've been focusing mostly on antiques, and this is a low/mid-end production piece. That was my initial thought at least... I have gotten another nagamaki fairly recently, and this is a weapon style I like. For several years I've been loving odachi and nagamaki. I also own/have owned few Fred Chen pieces, and I like his style. It has always been one of my favorite Chinese forges.
Initial impressions
Well as this was listed in Kult of Athena S&D sale as badly cracked saya, I was fearing the worst. When the sword arrived I unpacked it and first got my hands on the saya. With bad expectations I opened it and... I was expecting totally cracked saya, one that I could not even house the blade in, but there was only one big crack and that was it. I was so happy and KoA yet again offered an amazing deal. Then I wrapped the blade open, and didn't find anything wrong with it. So at the great discount price I got myself a real steal.
Statistics
Nagasa: 83,4cm 2 shaku 7 sun 4 bu
Motohaba: 3,5cm
Sakihaba: 3,8cm
Motokasane: 8mm
Sakikasane: 7mm
Sori: 2,0cm
Overall length: 143,5cm
Overall length in saya: 149,5cm
Tsuka: 57,7cm
Sugata: Unokubi-zukuri
Mune: Iori
Hamon: -
Hada: -
Hi: Naginata-hi with long soe-bi
Steel: 1055
Components
Please forgive the somewhat poor pictures, bad lighting and there is some excessive oil left as I rubbed off the marks that plastic wrap left there.
The blade is just lovely. I very seldom say this about TH blades but I really like this. The sugata of the blade is very nice to my eye, and it's hard to believe the price of this, it may be my love for nagamaki but I think that this is sugata-wise one of the finest production blades I've owned. If only this was DH with hamon...
As you can see from the pictures the start of the hi is nice maru-dome, which is fairly nicely executed, and the soe-bi ends pretty much at the same spot. The end slanting of hi is also pretty well made.
Here you can see the very well made unokubi slanting.
In overall the sugata is very strong and intimidating. I really like this sword, and it's rare for me to say such a compliment for production stuff.
Tsuka is long, but I would had wanted maybe extra 30-50cm, in order to get more better nagamaki feel. The current length feels ok though.
Tsuka shape feels good to my hands. I've liked Fred Chen tsuka before, and I like this one too. Ito is cotton, and wrapped quite tightly. Tsuka has panels of real rayskin, I don't see any seams, but they are probably hidden under the folds (or they have had a huge skin).Tsuba, F&K and menuki are yanone-themed, and I actually think they are pretty nice. Ito is not entirely flush with fuchi or kashira, but you have to remember the price range here.
I like the habaki so much it deserves few words to it. This might be the best habaki I've seen on production pieces. Even though my pictures suck you can see the good buildup on it. I think this is very well done.
And finally saya and the crack. Saya is quite rough ishime pattern but I think it's fitting the overall appearance quite well. The crack is much smaller than I expected, and there is no problems inserting the sword into saya and drawing it from saya. Although that is bad crack, I think the discount I got was very generous indeed.
Handling characteristics
Heavy, unwieldy, a true beast... Though usually bad words, in this review they are good, as those are the comments I've read by people who have handled an authentic nagamaki. Unfortunately I probably won't cut anything with this during this year, so that'll have to wait until the next year. But this feels so powerful in hand. I like the way this weapon is behaving.
Conclusion
Well as you have read the review you know that I am absolutely pleased with the weapon. This topped my expectations, and it's one of the few production swords I really like instantly. Even though I'm an antique buff, I still find some production stuff very appealing, and this one is just great. You've already read what are the aspects that made me like this so much.
The price was amazing. Even after shipping and taxes the total price was c. 350€ (450$), when this weapon costs 650€ (c.850$) if bought within Finland. That bad crack is just minor aspect, which does mean nothing serious to me, as I use the saya to house the blade, I won't perform draws with this.
So another great product by Fred Chen. I know many people diss Cold Steel products, but personally over the years I've found CS products being generally quite good. This is by far the best Cold Steel product I've seen, and for the price I got it I think this deal is really hard to beat.
Well, I've been looking for this particular piece for many years. Many times I've been tempted to buy one, but I have always backed up. Until now... As Kult of Athena had this beast at bargain price of 300$ in their scratch & dent sale, I knew instantly that now is the time to buy this weapon.
Historical Overview
This will be tough section to figure out... Not enough blade length to classify as an odachi, yet still bit short tsuka for a nagamaki. But for overall feel & blade shape I would say this is a nagamaki. I don't go for further detailed description about nagamaki in this review, as information is easily found, if this sparked your intrest. But probably research into it's origins was made when this was made. If I remember correctly Fred Chen was the first to come up with production nagamaki (at least among the first), so they must have been doing research on this subject, and therefore the product looks somewhat historically accurate.
Full disclosure
Well, it's safe to say my review will be negatively biased as for years I've been focusing mostly on antiques, and this is a low/mid-end production piece. That was my initial thought at least... I have gotten another nagamaki fairly recently, and this is a weapon style I like. For several years I've been loving odachi and nagamaki. I also own/have owned few Fred Chen pieces, and I like his style. It has always been one of my favorite Chinese forges.
Initial impressions
Well as this was listed in Kult of Athena S&D sale as badly cracked saya, I was fearing the worst. When the sword arrived I unpacked it and first got my hands on the saya. With bad expectations I opened it and... I was expecting totally cracked saya, one that I could not even house the blade in, but there was only one big crack and that was it. I was so happy and KoA yet again offered an amazing deal. Then I wrapped the blade open, and didn't find anything wrong with it. So at the great discount price I got myself a real steal.
Statistics
Nagasa: 83,4cm 2 shaku 7 sun 4 bu
Motohaba: 3,5cm
Sakihaba: 3,8cm
Motokasane: 8mm
Sakikasane: 7mm
Sori: 2,0cm
Overall length: 143,5cm
Overall length in saya: 149,5cm
Tsuka: 57,7cm
Sugata: Unokubi-zukuri
Mune: Iori
Hamon: -
Hada: -
Hi: Naginata-hi with long soe-bi
Steel: 1055
Components
Please forgive the somewhat poor pictures, bad lighting and there is some excessive oil left as I rubbed off the marks that plastic wrap left there.
The blade is just lovely. I very seldom say this about TH blades but I really like this. The sugata of the blade is very nice to my eye, and it's hard to believe the price of this, it may be my love for nagamaki but I think that this is sugata-wise one of the finest production blades I've owned. If only this was DH with hamon...
As you can see from the pictures the start of the hi is nice maru-dome, which is fairly nicely executed, and the soe-bi ends pretty much at the same spot. The end slanting of hi is also pretty well made.
Here you can see the very well made unokubi slanting.
In overall the sugata is very strong and intimidating. I really like this sword, and it's rare for me to say such a compliment for production stuff.
Tsuka is long, but I would had wanted maybe extra 30-50cm, in order to get more better nagamaki feel. The current length feels ok though.
Tsuka shape feels good to my hands. I've liked Fred Chen tsuka before, and I like this one too. Ito is cotton, and wrapped quite tightly. Tsuka has panels of real rayskin, I don't see any seams, but they are probably hidden under the folds (or they have had a huge skin).Tsuba, F&K and menuki are yanone-themed, and I actually think they are pretty nice. Ito is not entirely flush with fuchi or kashira, but you have to remember the price range here.
I like the habaki so much it deserves few words to it. This might be the best habaki I've seen on production pieces. Even though my pictures suck you can see the good buildup on it. I think this is very well done.
And finally saya and the crack. Saya is quite rough ishime pattern but I think it's fitting the overall appearance quite well. The crack is much smaller than I expected, and there is no problems inserting the sword into saya and drawing it from saya. Although that is bad crack, I think the discount I got was very generous indeed.
Handling characteristics
Heavy, unwieldy, a true beast... Though usually bad words, in this review they are good, as those are the comments I've read by people who have handled an authentic nagamaki. Unfortunately I probably won't cut anything with this during this year, so that'll have to wait until the next year. But this feels so powerful in hand. I like the way this weapon is behaving.
Conclusion
Well as you have read the review you know that I am absolutely pleased with the weapon. This topped my expectations, and it's one of the few production swords I really like instantly. Even though I'm an antique buff, I still find some production stuff very appealing, and this one is just great. You've already read what are the aspects that made me like this so much.
The price was amazing. Even after shipping and taxes the total price was c. 350€ (450$), when this weapon costs 650€ (c.850$) if bought within Finland. That bad crack is just minor aspect, which does mean nothing serious to me, as I use the saya to house the blade, I won't perform draws with this.
So another great product by Fred Chen. I know many people diss Cold Steel products, but personally over the years I've found CS products being generally quite good. This is by far the best Cold Steel product I've seen, and for the price I got it I think this deal is really hard to beat.