Huawei 1.5" Sori Full-wrapped Tsuka Katana
Dec 10, 2012 20:34:55 GMT
Post by JagerTotez on Dec 10, 2012 20:34:55 GMT
Introduction
Good afternoon everyone! I've got another quick picture-laden review for you! This time of my Huawei katana. This particular one is their very deep (1.5") sori and full-wrapped same model. This is my second review so I am by no means an expert and this will mainly server as a pictoral reference to what I received and my own personal opinions on it.
So let us begin then!
Historical overview
Right, so as with my Ryumon Tanto review, I am by no means and expert or qualified to give you a historical overview of this blade.
What little I know on the subject as of yet is that deeper sori tend to place the blade in the earlier time periods of japan. During the Edo era (to my knowledge), many rules were put in place regarding swords and so a more standard style of sword was developed. Before then, many different styles were seen and blade shape as well as fittings were fairly dependent on the maker and customer.
Take the above with generous portions of salt as I am not well-versed in the history of katana. If anyone else has more accurate and/or in-depth info by all means please post or PM and I shall update this and change this.
Full Disclosure
As stated above, I am NOT an expert. I will never claim to be one and I may very well be wrong on things as well as I assure you I do not have the knowledge or training at the moment to give a deep in-depth look at the handling and etc of the blade.
What I can offer you is my limited knowledge, aesthetic opinions, reasons for buying, fit and finish opinions, and how the sword feels to me personally.
I am not affiliated with any company and all my opinions are my own and may change over time.
Initial Impressions
Hooray it arrived! I just began training in Nami Ryu and my Sensei has been urging me to get my own katana and tanto for use in the dojo (As he says: "Bokken are pretty darn lousy at cutting, so when we get to that point you'll really want to have yourself a good sword!)
This is the package that came finally! (I say finally but seeing as it came from China the shipping time wasn't half bad.)
All told, shipping included, this sword ran me a VERY reasonable $317.00. I decided to choose a red/ burgundy ito, a simple tsuba with a flower design, and menuki of the same design (I was seeking a very traditional appearance.)
So let's open it up and see if everything is as I requested!
*attacks tape*
So it took me a bit to figure how to open this tape without spending a few hours vacuuming up the packaging, which, as you can see is just a block of styrofoam cut down the middle with a katana-shaped cutout for the sword.
After carefully tearing up some tape in the corner I found the line and used a razor to cut the tape along it to open it with as little mess as possible.
Be careful when doing this though, as in some spots the saya and other areas of the katana were very close to the edge and could be scratched if you go too deep.
Once I got the package half open, I popped out the katana itself and saw the sword bag it came with. I was expecting a floral pattern as many people seem to get from their buys in China, but I was pleasantly surprised with a nice black back with a cross-hatched pattern with a few dragons on it. I like it very much. It seems to be made out of cotton and is lined with white on the inside.
This was wrapped in a plastic sheath, though it did not fully cover the encased sword. weird but unimportant.
I took that plastic off and the admired the bag for a moment.
This was the moment of truth! Was my katana as I ordered it? Was everything good as far as fittings, blade, and etc?
YES!
Upon opening the bag and revealing my order, I was more than pleased with how my choices came out. Everything looked great so far with the saya, tsuka, and tsuba!
As with many other people's orders from Huawei (and I think China in general?) the tsuka was shrink-wrapped.
I, like some others, think this may be to help prevent breaks in the wood of the tsuka.
So at this point I unwrapped the tsuka's shrink-wrap and got to looking at everything closely.
The tsuka is very nice. It is, as advertized, fully wrapped in same. No panels here! The ito wrap is VERY tight. It doesn't even budge when I press hard on it and there is no glue used. The menuki is a very shiny flower of some sort. I would very much appreciate what kind it is as I could not find out what it was. I very much liked it and matched my tsuba with it.
The tsuba is a very simple round one made of steel with simple cut outs of the same flower I used for my menuki. I was going for a very traditional and non-flashy style for this sword and I succeeded I think.
All fittings on the tsuka are very tight. No wobble anywhere. I am more than satisfied with my purchase so far.
Now lets move to the blade!
Unsheathing this was a pleasure. The blade was wrapped in a plastic sheath and liberally oiled under this to protect the blade during shipping.
I removed this wrapping very easily by unraveling the end for a space to hold and slowly pulling it. The plastic simply fell off as the blade effortlessly freed itself with it's edge.
After removing the plastic and wiping the blade of excess oil this is what I was greeted with.
The hamon is natural and not man-made and is very subtle until light hits just the right way which illuminated it and it shows very brilliantly.
My photographs do not do it justice
You'll also notice the very nice mirror polish. Again, photos do not do it justice. My camera is not that great sadly.
The habiki is brass with some form of pattern on it that is accented with black... paint? I may sand that out or replace it all together but it isn't offensive.
You'll also notice what looks like scratched on the blade in the above picture, those are just bits of hair and other particles in the oil still on the blade. The blade itself is flawless.
Also, though I don't have pictured yet (Will update), the blade is perfectly centered in the habiki. There is no cant in this blade like there was in my tanto from Ryumon.
The kissaki, while not as finely polished as the rest of the blade, is very nice.
All told I am very very pleased.
Statistics
These are the listed stats of the sword from Huawei, I will do my own tonight.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 70.5 CM
Handle/Tsuka Length: 30.5 CM
Overall Length: 106 CM
POB (Point of Balance): (Didn't check yet)
Weight: (Didn't check yet)
Handling Characteristics
I have not tested this blade yet. This will have to wait but I can say that the sword feels very good in hand and (to me) is very maneuverable. Nami Ryu uses deep-sori blades and longer handles so YMMV.
Test Cutting
I have not been able to get out and cut with it yet, however as stated above, the blade freed itself with a gentle tug from it's plastic sheath, and I did some quick paper cuts and it effortlessly cut paper with neat clean cuts.
Conclusions
All in all, I am more than happy with my purchase. Everything is as I ordered and the sword is exactly as I had hoped it would be in both feel and aesthetics. It slices paper with ease and I have no reason to think it would not cut tatami and serve me well in the dojo.
I fully recommend this blade and Huawei to anyone looking for a custom/semi-custom sword for a very reasonable price.
Pros:
Cost
Sharpest blade I've owned (Not owned many yet mind you.)
Feels great in hand (to me.)
Customizable
Cons:
Blade sori/ Tsuka length not for everyone.
Habiki not to my personal taste
Good afternoon everyone! I've got another quick picture-laden review for you! This time of my Huawei katana. This particular one is their very deep (1.5") sori and full-wrapped same model. This is my second review so I am by no means an expert and this will mainly server as a pictoral reference to what I received and my own personal opinions on it.
So let us begin then!
Historical overview
Right, so as with my Ryumon Tanto review, I am by no means and expert or qualified to give you a historical overview of this blade.
What little I know on the subject as of yet is that deeper sori tend to place the blade in the earlier time periods of japan. During the Edo era (to my knowledge), many rules were put in place regarding swords and so a more standard style of sword was developed. Before then, many different styles were seen and blade shape as well as fittings were fairly dependent on the maker and customer.
Take the above with generous portions of salt as I am not well-versed in the history of katana. If anyone else has more accurate and/or in-depth info by all means please post or PM and I shall update this and change this.
Full Disclosure
As stated above, I am NOT an expert. I will never claim to be one and I may very well be wrong on things as well as I assure you I do not have the knowledge or training at the moment to give a deep in-depth look at the handling and etc of the blade.
What I can offer you is my limited knowledge, aesthetic opinions, reasons for buying, fit and finish opinions, and how the sword feels to me personally.
I am not affiliated with any company and all my opinions are my own and may change over time.
Initial Impressions
Hooray it arrived! I just began training in Nami Ryu and my Sensei has been urging me to get my own katana and tanto for use in the dojo (As he says: "Bokken are pretty darn lousy at cutting, so when we get to that point you'll really want to have yourself a good sword!)
This is the package that came finally! (I say finally but seeing as it came from China the shipping time wasn't half bad.)
All told, shipping included, this sword ran me a VERY reasonable $317.00. I decided to choose a red/ burgundy ito, a simple tsuba with a flower design, and menuki of the same design (I was seeking a very traditional appearance.)
So let's open it up and see if everything is as I requested!
*attacks tape*
So it took me a bit to figure how to open this tape without spending a few hours vacuuming up the packaging, which, as you can see is just a block of styrofoam cut down the middle with a katana-shaped cutout for the sword.
After carefully tearing up some tape in the corner I found the line and used a razor to cut the tape along it to open it with as little mess as possible.
Be careful when doing this though, as in some spots the saya and other areas of the katana were very close to the edge and could be scratched if you go too deep.
Once I got the package half open, I popped out the katana itself and saw the sword bag it came with. I was expecting a floral pattern as many people seem to get from their buys in China, but I was pleasantly surprised with a nice black back with a cross-hatched pattern with a few dragons on it. I like it very much. It seems to be made out of cotton and is lined with white on the inside.
This was wrapped in a plastic sheath, though it did not fully cover the encased sword. weird but unimportant.
I took that plastic off and the admired the bag for a moment.
This was the moment of truth! Was my katana as I ordered it? Was everything good as far as fittings, blade, and etc?
YES!
Upon opening the bag and revealing my order, I was more than pleased with how my choices came out. Everything looked great so far with the saya, tsuka, and tsuba!
As with many other people's orders from Huawei (and I think China in general?) the tsuka was shrink-wrapped.
I, like some others, think this may be to help prevent breaks in the wood of the tsuka.
So at this point I unwrapped the tsuka's shrink-wrap and got to looking at everything closely.
The tsuka is very nice. It is, as advertized, fully wrapped in same. No panels here! The ito wrap is VERY tight. It doesn't even budge when I press hard on it and there is no glue used. The menuki is a very shiny flower of some sort. I would very much appreciate what kind it is as I could not find out what it was. I very much liked it and matched my tsuba with it.
The tsuba is a very simple round one made of steel with simple cut outs of the same flower I used for my menuki. I was going for a very traditional and non-flashy style for this sword and I succeeded I think.
All fittings on the tsuka are very tight. No wobble anywhere. I am more than satisfied with my purchase so far.
Now lets move to the blade!
Unsheathing this was a pleasure. The blade was wrapped in a plastic sheath and liberally oiled under this to protect the blade during shipping.
I removed this wrapping very easily by unraveling the end for a space to hold and slowly pulling it. The plastic simply fell off as the blade effortlessly freed itself with it's edge.
After removing the plastic and wiping the blade of excess oil this is what I was greeted with.
The hamon is natural and not man-made and is very subtle until light hits just the right way which illuminated it and it shows very brilliantly.
My photographs do not do it justice
You'll also notice the very nice mirror polish. Again, photos do not do it justice. My camera is not that great sadly.
The habiki is brass with some form of pattern on it that is accented with black... paint? I may sand that out or replace it all together but it isn't offensive.
You'll also notice what looks like scratched on the blade in the above picture, those are just bits of hair and other particles in the oil still on the blade. The blade itself is flawless.
Also, though I don't have pictured yet (Will update), the blade is perfectly centered in the habiki. There is no cant in this blade like there was in my tanto from Ryumon.
The kissaki, while not as finely polished as the rest of the blade, is very nice.
All told I am very very pleased.
Statistics
These are the listed stats of the sword from Huawei, I will do my own tonight.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 70.5 CM
Handle/Tsuka Length: 30.5 CM
Overall Length: 106 CM
POB (Point of Balance): (Didn't check yet)
Weight: (Didn't check yet)
Handling Characteristics
I have not tested this blade yet. This will have to wait but I can say that the sword feels very good in hand and (to me) is very maneuverable. Nami Ryu uses deep-sori blades and longer handles so YMMV.
Test Cutting
I have not been able to get out and cut with it yet, however as stated above, the blade freed itself with a gentle tug from it's plastic sheath, and I did some quick paper cuts and it effortlessly cut paper with neat clean cuts.
Conclusions
All in all, I am more than happy with my purchase. Everything is as I ordered and the sword is exactly as I had hoped it would be in both feel and aesthetics. It slices paper with ease and I have no reason to think it would not cut tatami and serve me well in the dojo.
I fully recommend this blade and Huawei to anyone looking for a custom/semi-custom sword for a very reasonable price.
Pros:
Cost
Sharpest blade I've owned (Not owned many yet mind you.)
Feels great in hand (to me.)
Customizable
Cons:
Blade sori/ Tsuka length not for everyone.
Habiki not to my personal taste