Dynasty Forge Bushi Forge Folded Shobu Zukuri Silver Wave
Jan 19, 2013 20:03:10 GMT
Post by Laramie on Jan 19, 2013 20:03:10 GMT
Several members who were helpful in answering my questions asked that I give a review of the sword when I received it. I am not sure if I will have pictures or not. I took some but I have not tried to figure out how to upload them, so we'll see. If not I refer you to the stunning pictures and excellent (made me want one!) review by Marc Kaden Ridgeway found in our very own Sword Reviews.
The Process Leading To
So I got caught up in the idea of a katana by watching a review of katanas by a guy who I normally watch for his gun reviews. I followed that with a little probing search, which in turn led me to SBG. I looked at many swords and was sure I would buy a $300.00 sword and be very happy with it. No doubt I could have been but alas it was not meant to be. The more I looked and saw the more I got caught up in gathering reviews and other information in forums, particularly this one. I had a company picked out and was just trying to settle on a model when I read a review where the reviewer immediately started seeing damage to the edge( should I say ha?) upon cutting. I kept looking at other brands and many models with many starts and stops in choosing. Good blades were found with so-so fittings and vice versa, at least to accounts I found through reading. Then I saw a katana with shobu zukuri and I was hooked on the look. I ran those models down and found something I did not like about each of them whether it was reported tsuka issues or poor balance until the last thing I found was the above mentioned review by MKR and I was done and done for. At twice the price of where I thought I'd be but like Marc and some of the other commentators, I too, saw it as a "must have" piece. My first katana and I jumped head first into what I considered the deep end.
The Purchase
I found it at the Keener Edge, who I have no other connection with, and ordered it at a slight savings over factory direct. Richard, at Keener Edge, let me know he did not have these in stock and that it would be coming direct from DF in Canada. He did a good job in informing me of what to expect time-wise on shipments through customs. Everything went very smoothly and I began the wait. From Jan. 9th to today, the 19th it made its way here and USPS delivered the katana.
Unpackaging and Initial Inspection
Double boxed and double bubble wrapped, well done! After that was all removed there was a long plain cloth black bag tied at the top. I untied it and let the bag slide to the ground while holding the saya. First thing I did was shake it and there was no sound going front to back and only a little when shaken vigorously from side to side. I would not shake the saya so hard if I were running full tilt with it tied to my side so I think it would be absolutely silent under any condition short of 'paint shaker' mode. I used one hand and one thumb to loosen the katana from it's saya and got my first look at the blade, but more on that later because I first wiggled hard on the kashira and the tsuba without effect. I tried to spin the fuchi but it and it's seppa remained solidly in place. I grabbed a clean cloth to wrap the blade in and from the mune tried to wiggle the blade in the habaki. Solid, solid, solid. The kojiri on the saya did not move. Check.
Detailed Inspection (And One Cut)
Now I really got some lights on and inspected the blade. This is what made me choose the Bushi over the Musha, the hada which covers the blade in what I believe is called O-Mukume pattern of grain. I am looking for the hamon that Marc described but I must conclude I am not competent enough to see it. To be sure, there is a flowing to the grain near the ha but it doesn't cover the entire length of the blade. I am enthralled with this blade's appearance and with light playing across it could sit staring into it's O-Mukume pattern and meditate. The tsuba is a deeply relieved and etched design of crashing waves and is quite attractive as it is the theme throughout on the kashira, fuchi and kojiri as well. I picked up a piece of paper towel and ran the blade across it and it cut it on my first try. A little ragged and I couldn't get it to cut the subsequently smaller pieces. I'm sorry, I had nothing else to cut that wasn't furniture and I live in a villa without an enclosed backyard.
Swinging It
I am not trained in any bladed martial arts let alone Iaido but I will give my impression on the moving blade. A little personal info here seems appropriate. I have always done well with sports that require swinging and arm strength baseball, hockey, golf even tennis though I wasn't crazy about the game because it was like Ping Pong except you were standing on the table. So when I picked up the katana I did it with one hand and it felt a little nose heavy. As soon as I put my other hand where it was supposed to be, I could picture swinging it with enthusiasm for some period of time. Indeed, swinging it one-handed from above my head to just knee level I was able to get an audible whoosh. I did this for about five minutes one and two handed and I quickly learned that the lovely tsuba with it's nice wave design was going to chew my thumb knuckle if i didn't my hand away from it. Too bad because that one inch difference changed the balance particularly one handed, not so much with two. Speaking of two hands- I had mine placed one on each menuki and it felt like they were made to be there. I'm left-handed so the menuki were in my palms where I can see a right-hander having his fingers over them. The point of balance was just at 5.5 inches from the tsuba and katana is so nicely made that it was stable with just the mune balancing on one finger at that spot.
Final Thoughts
The fit and finish is exceptional. Now I am not comparing it to any other katana because this is my first. As an object de art, tool, weapon it is well put together. One of the things I remembered to look for was how well the blade went into the habaki. This is straight and true with the slightest rise of the habaki above the mune which is as I understand correct to fit into the saya. The saya is black laquered wood with nice wrap of sageo and the kurigata is finished of by two nice evenly placed pieces for shitodome. If I am to do any amount of real tameshigiri I would have to change the tsuba or get used to holding it further back and to get full range of movement I think it is too far back for balance.
Thanks
To all of you and the rest of the brotherhood of the sword- you got me into this- so I hope I was able to give a little back.
The Process Leading To
So I got caught up in the idea of a katana by watching a review of katanas by a guy who I normally watch for his gun reviews. I followed that with a little probing search, which in turn led me to SBG. I looked at many swords and was sure I would buy a $300.00 sword and be very happy with it. No doubt I could have been but alas it was not meant to be. The more I looked and saw the more I got caught up in gathering reviews and other information in forums, particularly this one. I had a company picked out and was just trying to settle on a model when I read a review where the reviewer immediately started seeing damage to the edge( should I say ha?) upon cutting. I kept looking at other brands and many models with many starts and stops in choosing. Good blades were found with so-so fittings and vice versa, at least to accounts I found through reading. Then I saw a katana with shobu zukuri and I was hooked on the look. I ran those models down and found something I did not like about each of them whether it was reported tsuka issues or poor balance until the last thing I found was the above mentioned review by MKR and I was done and done for. At twice the price of where I thought I'd be but like Marc and some of the other commentators, I too, saw it as a "must have" piece. My first katana and I jumped head first into what I considered the deep end.
The Purchase
I found it at the Keener Edge, who I have no other connection with, and ordered it at a slight savings over factory direct. Richard, at Keener Edge, let me know he did not have these in stock and that it would be coming direct from DF in Canada. He did a good job in informing me of what to expect time-wise on shipments through customs. Everything went very smoothly and I began the wait. From Jan. 9th to today, the 19th it made its way here and USPS delivered the katana.
Unpackaging and Initial Inspection
Double boxed and double bubble wrapped, well done! After that was all removed there was a long plain cloth black bag tied at the top. I untied it and let the bag slide to the ground while holding the saya. First thing I did was shake it and there was no sound going front to back and only a little when shaken vigorously from side to side. I would not shake the saya so hard if I were running full tilt with it tied to my side so I think it would be absolutely silent under any condition short of 'paint shaker' mode. I used one hand and one thumb to loosen the katana from it's saya and got my first look at the blade, but more on that later because I first wiggled hard on the kashira and the tsuba without effect. I tried to spin the fuchi but it and it's seppa remained solidly in place. I grabbed a clean cloth to wrap the blade in and from the mune tried to wiggle the blade in the habaki. Solid, solid, solid. The kojiri on the saya did not move. Check.
Detailed Inspection (And One Cut)
Now I really got some lights on and inspected the blade. This is what made me choose the Bushi over the Musha, the hada which covers the blade in what I believe is called O-Mukume pattern of grain. I am looking for the hamon that Marc described but I must conclude I am not competent enough to see it. To be sure, there is a flowing to the grain near the ha but it doesn't cover the entire length of the blade. I am enthralled with this blade's appearance and with light playing across it could sit staring into it's O-Mukume pattern and meditate. The tsuba is a deeply relieved and etched design of crashing waves and is quite attractive as it is the theme throughout on the kashira, fuchi and kojiri as well. I picked up a piece of paper towel and ran the blade across it and it cut it on my first try. A little ragged and I couldn't get it to cut the subsequently smaller pieces. I'm sorry, I had nothing else to cut that wasn't furniture and I live in a villa without an enclosed backyard.
Swinging It
I am not trained in any bladed martial arts let alone Iaido but I will give my impression on the moving blade. A little personal info here seems appropriate. I have always done well with sports that require swinging and arm strength baseball, hockey, golf even tennis though I wasn't crazy about the game because it was like Ping Pong except you were standing on the table. So when I picked up the katana I did it with one hand and it felt a little nose heavy. As soon as I put my other hand where it was supposed to be, I could picture swinging it with enthusiasm for some period of time. Indeed, swinging it one-handed from above my head to just knee level I was able to get an audible whoosh. I did this for about five minutes one and two handed and I quickly learned that the lovely tsuba with it's nice wave design was going to chew my thumb knuckle if i didn't my hand away from it. Too bad because that one inch difference changed the balance particularly one handed, not so much with two. Speaking of two hands- I had mine placed one on each menuki and it felt like they were made to be there. I'm left-handed so the menuki were in my palms where I can see a right-hander having his fingers over them. The point of balance was just at 5.5 inches from the tsuba and katana is so nicely made that it was stable with just the mune balancing on one finger at that spot.
Final Thoughts
The fit and finish is exceptional. Now I am not comparing it to any other katana because this is my first. As an object de art, tool, weapon it is well put together. One of the things I remembered to look for was how well the blade went into the habaki. This is straight and true with the slightest rise of the habaki above the mune which is as I understand correct to fit into the saya. The saya is black laquered wood with nice wrap of sageo and the kurigata is finished of by two nice evenly placed pieces for shitodome. If I am to do any amount of real tameshigiri I would have to change the tsuba or get used to holding it further back and to get full range of movement I think it is too far back for balance.
Thanks
To all of you and the rest of the brotherhood of the sword- you got me into this- so I hope I was able to give a little back.