Ronin Dojo Pro Model 17 "Tetsumaru"
Mar 12, 2013 22:43:08 GMT
Post by Sugiyama on Mar 12, 2013 22:43:08 GMT
UPDATE:
After some discussion with other forum members, my tune has changed a bit. These katanas are great, but be prepared to do some DIY work. In my time of owning this katana, I've retied the ito knot, had my ito loosen, my habaki come loose, and my saya just plain not fit. I've fixed all of these problems myself with materials I've had around the house, and it works just fine now. Don't get me wrong, these swords are incredible! They're well priced, they look great, and they are beasts of cutters. This sword has been through alot in the few months I've had it. I'd still recommend it, just be ready to fix some problems.
Edit:
Pictures removed due to size problems.
Intro:
I quested for two months in search of the perfect swords. I started on the subreddit of /r/SWORDS, who directed me to you without hesitation. From then on out, I read review after review. I think I've read every single Dojo Pro review on this forum. Anyway, after months of deciding, I chose Ronin as the best company, and a week of my search ended up being which one looked best. I finally got the model 17. I placed my order, then played the waiting game.
Specs:
Blade length- 28 inches
Tsuka Length- 11 inches
POB- 5 inches from tsuba
Weight- 2.6 pounds
Blade Material- 1060 steel
(Note that the Model 17 ("Tetsumaru") has a 1" sori, which is double that of the average Ronin Katana, though this is merely for aesthetics)
It arrived a week after I ordered it. Very fast, especially all the way from Texas!
Initial Impressions:
I was awestruck. I was that kid who was unable to sleep waiting for Christmas morning. The saya is very nicely lacquered, and the buffalo horn adds a great dimension to it. The sageo is nice and tight, and feels like a very strong material.
After getting past the saya, I moved on to the tsuka. The rayskin looks great, the menuki are pretty nifty, and the ito looks amazing. It is very tight and well wrapped. It didn't shift at all for about a month.
Then, there was the real reason I picked this sword. The tsuba. 8 circles representing mortality. Solid iron. Beautiful and effective. It feels very sturdy, as well.
Finally,I unleashed the beast. The blade. It was initially caked in a lot of gunk. Not just wax, but dirt, grass and pieces of leaves. This was easily removed to reveal the wonderfully polished blade underneath.
The habaki was also initially coated in some gunk, but it was cleaned off very easily. It fit on the blade quite well (though later it would require maintenance).
One thing I noticed nearly immediately after cleaning the sword was a very prominent ghost hamon on the middle of the blade. I actually like it. It's very attractive, and it makes the sword feel unique.
I was very impressed. It looked nice, was well assembled, and heavy duty. But swords weren't just meant to look pretty. Now we get to the meat and potatoes of the sword itself.
HANDLING:
This sword has some good forward bias. It has a lot of authority, without being obnoxious. It handles very well, though due to the nature of Dotanuki style blades, it is a bit heavier and a bit less maneuverable. Of course I'm a mid-sized guy (5'8" with good muscle), and my friend who is a bit more stout and strong wields his quite well.
TEST CUTTING:
I've cut through water bottles, milk gallons, thick jugs, thin sticks, dowels of wood, sunday newspapers, thick branches with no effort after sharpening this sword. In that time, the sword has been damaged severely 3 times, all of which were times it hit by accident that are harder than the sword itself. The sword also has incredible edge retention. Once, I cut down a small tree in 10-12 hits, then cleanly cut a bottle in half afterwards.
PROS:
-Tough blade that isn't too heavy
-Solid construction
-Great edge retention
-Traditional Fittings
CONS:
-Much DIY work has been put into this katana to keep it in working order.
-LOTS of rattling in the saya. If rattling in the saya were something I cared about at all, I'd have shipped it back. My friend's S n' D katana saya rattles way less. My cheap $100 katana I bought at a mall many years ago doesn't rattle at all. It's a nit-picky detail, though.
I don't do cutting practice, so the rattling really doesn't bother me too much. The sword itself is high quality, so I can live with it.
OVERALL:
I've grown to love this sword. It's quick, sharp, well polished, has traditional samegawa (though from what I've heard recently, chemical ito), has a tough and beautiful tsuba, excellent buffalo horn fittings on the saya, and is very high quality. From what I can tell, this sword is a force to be reckoned with. I love it, and I'd recommend it to anyone in the market for a sub-$300 katana, but only if they have the patience to fix the issues that will appear initially.
A thanks goes out to those who helped me with my decision to go with Ronin.
After some discussion with other forum members, my tune has changed a bit. These katanas are great, but be prepared to do some DIY work. In my time of owning this katana, I've retied the ito knot, had my ito loosen, my habaki come loose, and my saya just plain not fit. I've fixed all of these problems myself with materials I've had around the house, and it works just fine now. Don't get me wrong, these swords are incredible! They're well priced, they look great, and they are beasts of cutters. This sword has been through alot in the few months I've had it. I'd still recommend it, just be ready to fix some problems.
Edit:
Pictures removed due to size problems.
Intro:
I quested for two months in search of the perfect swords. I started on the subreddit of /r/SWORDS, who directed me to you without hesitation. From then on out, I read review after review. I think I've read every single Dojo Pro review on this forum. Anyway, after months of deciding, I chose Ronin as the best company, and a week of my search ended up being which one looked best. I finally got the model 17. I placed my order, then played the waiting game.
Specs:
Blade length- 28 inches
Tsuka Length- 11 inches
POB- 5 inches from tsuba
Weight- 2.6 pounds
Blade Material- 1060 steel
(Note that the Model 17 ("Tetsumaru") has a 1" sori, which is double that of the average Ronin Katana, though this is merely for aesthetics)
It arrived a week after I ordered it. Very fast, especially all the way from Texas!
Initial Impressions:
I was awestruck. I was that kid who was unable to sleep waiting for Christmas morning. The saya is very nicely lacquered, and the buffalo horn adds a great dimension to it. The sageo is nice and tight, and feels like a very strong material.
After getting past the saya, I moved on to the tsuka. The rayskin looks great, the menuki are pretty nifty, and the ito looks amazing. It is very tight and well wrapped. It didn't shift at all for about a month.
Then, there was the real reason I picked this sword. The tsuba. 8 circles representing mortality. Solid iron. Beautiful and effective. It feels very sturdy, as well.
Finally,I unleashed the beast. The blade. It was initially caked in a lot of gunk. Not just wax, but dirt, grass and pieces of leaves. This was easily removed to reveal the wonderfully polished blade underneath.
The habaki was also initially coated in some gunk, but it was cleaned off very easily. It fit on the blade quite well (though later it would require maintenance).
One thing I noticed nearly immediately after cleaning the sword was a very prominent ghost hamon on the middle of the blade. I actually like it. It's very attractive, and it makes the sword feel unique.
I was very impressed. It looked nice, was well assembled, and heavy duty. But swords weren't just meant to look pretty. Now we get to the meat and potatoes of the sword itself.
HANDLING:
This sword has some good forward bias. It has a lot of authority, without being obnoxious. It handles very well, though due to the nature of Dotanuki style blades, it is a bit heavier and a bit less maneuverable. Of course I'm a mid-sized guy (5'8" with good muscle), and my friend who is a bit more stout and strong wields his quite well.
TEST CUTTING:
I've cut through water bottles, milk gallons, thick jugs, thin sticks, dowels of wood, sunday newspapers, thick branches with no effort after sharpening this sword. In that time, the sword has been damaged severely 3 times, all of which were times it hit by accident that are harder than the sword itself. The sword also has incredible edge retention. Once, I cut down a small tree in 10-12 hits, then cleanly cut a bottle in half afterwards.
PROS:
-Tough blade that isn't too heavy
-Solid construction
-Great edge retention
-Traditional Fittings
CONS:
-Much DIY work has been put into this katana to keep it in working order.
-LOTS of rattling in the saya. If rattling in the saya were something I cared about at all, I'd have shipped it back. My friend's S n' D katana saya rattles way less. My cheap $100 katana I bought at a mall many years ago doesn't rattle at all. It's a nit-picky detail, though.
I don't do cutting practice, so the rattling really doesn't bother me too much. The sword itself is high quality, so I can live with it.
OVERALL:
I've grown to love this sword. It's quick, sharp, well polished, has traditional samegawa (though from what I've heard recently, chemical ito), has a tough and beautiful tsuba, excellent buffalo horn fittings on the saya, and is very high quality. From what I can tell, this sword is a force to be reckoned with. I love it, and I'd recommend it to anyone in the market for a sub-$300 katana, but only if they have the patience to fix the issues that will appear initially.
A thanks goes out to those who helped me with my decision to go with Ronin.