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Post by KatanaSS on Feb 21, 2013 3:56:12 GMT
Looking for advice from some of the veteran members on this. I want to add a third Katana to my sprouting collection but can't decide between the Cheness 9260 full length Tenchi or the Ronin Tsuru #003. Maybe even the Ronin Kobuke #015 with the 26" blade since I am on the smaller side. These are in my price range & fit the purpose I'm wanting, which is a no nonsense tough blade with function instead of flash. My question is if the Cheness 9260 spring steel blade or the Ronin 1060 carbon blade is better? They are both through hardened & price is almost identical. Blade descriptions are similar also as far as the toughness & abilities. Any pros & cons suggestions would be welcome. Thanks in advance.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Feb 21, 2013 4:48:43 GMT
Perfectly tempered, I'd say that the Cheness 9260 has a more forgiving blade. A bit tougher. As a whole, Cheness does thing a bit sloppily. They don't alternate their ito, which is a pain in the ass to do, but is done that way for a reason. The polish is often uneven, with a poorly cross-polished kissaki. Edge is sometimes uneven. But, like I said, when they do the blade right they are real bruisers. I own a Kaze, and it's fantastic. As I also mentioned before, the Tenchi Ko-Katana is one of my all-time favorites.
However, the Ronin is a better overall sword, hands down. Better handling, better fittings, better fit and finish, better customer service. Much closer to what a Japanese styled sword is supposed to be. A little less tough than the Tenchi. The ito alternates, but occasionally will come a bit loose.
I'd personally snap up one of those 26" models.
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Post by Krelian on Feb 21, 2013 5:56:00 GMT
I'd suggest a Ronin as it's a fine blade in its own right and it would add nice diversity to your lineup that already includes a Cheness (and a Musashi).
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hhmoore
Member
Sneaking around once in a while
Posts: 656
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Post by hhmoore on Feb 21, 2013 8:47:38 GMT
I started with a Cheness KoKat, because it had been a long time since I did any swordwork - I just felt more comfortable with a shorter, lighter blade. I've been quite happy with it to date, even though I have progressed to full sized blades...I mention this because my first katana was the Cheness Tenchi. I don't regret that choice, either; and I still love taking that out for cutting, even though I have "better" swords. I saw in your other thread that you are 5'5" - depending on what you plan to do with it, a full size katana might not be the most comfortable option for you. Don't get me wrong - you could cut with it...but, unless you have some training, your "form" and handling would suffer from the extra length. If ALL you are doing is displaying, and going out back once in a while to whack some bottles and soaked paper, the extra length won't matter a whole lot - in fact, it will probably help by adding some mass to the business end. Choose the sword that is most visually appealing to you in your price range (as long as said sword has been shown to be of good quality, that is). If you plan to do more handling, any training, etc, the length of the sword will have much more importance. Cheness vs Ronin - the Ronin Dojo Pro is a nicer all around katana, IMO; but the Cheness has the better blade (I've seen lots of comments about Cheness' inconsistencies and less than steller QC, but I've got no complaints with my two). In addition to doing a better job with the basic details, Ronin also has a few different length options in the Dojo Pro line; which is where the Musashi comes into play. If your Musashi seems big to you, keep that in mind when you're considering options. If you're comfortable with the length, feel free to disregard the rest of this. The KoBuke, which you already mentioned as a possibility, will probably fit you better than the #03. There's also Ronin's KoKat - which would fall between the KoBuke & your Cheness KoKat in length I have no experience with either of those Ronin's; but I've seen reviews of the KoKat, and I doubt that Ronin dropped the ball on any of the models in their Dojo Pro line. FWIW, when my fiancee's son was dropping not so subtle hints about wanting a katana of his own, I was looking at the KoKat and the KoBuke - he had dismissed my Cheness KoKat as too small (without ever having handled it, mind you), saying he definitely wanted a full sized sword. He's only an inch or two taller than you, and likely to stay there, so I strongly felt those were better options for him. For the record, when I asked what he planned to do with the katana when he got it, his response (almost word for word) was: Most of the time, it will just sit on my dresser looking good; but, obviously, I'll be taking it outside to swing it around sometimes...maybe do some cutting.
**It bears mentioning that he is turning 21 soon; so if he REALLY wants a katana, he'll end up with one. He has never, to my knowledge, even touched a sword; and he had not expressed any interest in them until he started saying he wanted one. It was my opinion that he was hoping his mother would decide to get it for him, enlisting me to handle the selection...unfortunately, she's not comfortable with him having one.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Feb 21, 2013 13:51:04 GMT
I would agree, you may be disappointed with a current Cheness - So either Ronin or as an alternative.
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Post by KatanaSS on Feb 21, 2013 17:34:08 GMT
Thanks for the advise everyone. Much appreciated! I have read about the hit & miss QC for Cheness recently. Luckily the Ko Katana I recently bought through the SBG store was fine & had no issues. I did take it apart for inspection & did find the tsuka cracked & the tang area was not a consistent flat section but looked like it had grinder flat spots at random areas. None of these affected the tightness of the tsuka though. I am leaning towards the 26" Ronin just because it sounds like an ideal length for my height.
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Post by KatanaSS on Feb 21, 2013 17:39:16 GMT
Thank you AJ I am really thinking hard about the 26" Ronin since I already have a 22" & 28" blade, a 26" would fill the gap & give me a variety of choices to experiment with.
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