Skyjiro TJ2 "The Samurai" Review
May 7, 2013 1:11:06 GMT
Post by Judosailor on May 7, 2013 1:11:06 GMT
Introduction
I first was made aware of Skyjiro swords through a thread here where a Skyjiro employee posed as a regular consumer to praise how awesome their swords are. While I found the actions of that employee to be reprehensible (and ridiculously and hilariously obvious!), I took a look at Skyjiro’s website, and liked what I saw when it came to the actual swords themselves. When I was able to verify through email that they are working with David Goldberg (aka Kinzan), a respected Smith, and also saw that they are “endorsed” by Bugei, I decided to give them a try. I started with one of their entry level swords in their TJ line called The Samurai.
Skyjiro has two lines of Production swords, their SJ and TJ lines. The SJ line is their higher end line, and the TJ line is meant to be an entry level line of dojo cutters. They go out of their way in their ad copy to point out how the swords in their TJ line are designed to be more forgiving of less than perfect cutting technique.
The Samurai retails for $250 and I feel it is important to mention that at that price The Samurai is still in the category of an under $300 “budget” katana. Some Skyjiro swords retail for $1000 or more, but this sword certainly should not be considered representative of those higher end swords.
Throughout this review I compare this sword to another that I own, a Ten Ryu Musashi (TR-004) DH katana that retails for about half as much (around $120). I basically kept the question in my mind of, “Would I be willing to pay twice as much for this Skyjiro sword over the Ten Ryu?”
Historical overview
This is a Chinese made production katana in the Shinogi-Zukuri style.
Full Disclosure
I am an ebay/online seller. I do not have my own line of swords (like Ryan Sword), but resell production katana that I buy from wholesalers. When I find a sword I like, I usually end up selling the same model sword on ebay. I do not believe this creates a bias in my review, however, because if the sword turned out to be horrible, I simply wouldn’t sell that model sword. I have nothing invested in this sword other than what I spent on it to buy one for myself. And no, I am NOT an authorized seller for Skyjiro and am in no way affiliated with their company.
Initial Impressions
My initial impressions were extremely favorable! The sword came in a brown shipping box, but them was also packed in an entirely Styrofoam box. It was very securely and safely packaged. The Saya, tsuka and tsuba were all shrink-wrapped in cellophane as well. Everything looked great, no dings or scratches anywhere and everything was super tight with no movement in any of the pieces. The sword slid easily out of the saya. There was a heavy coat of oil on the blade. Everything was straight and true, and the edge was very sharp (sharp enough that it cut my thumb a bit when I was gently wiping the oil off).
Statistics
Here are the specifications on this model sword.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28 3/4" from tsuba/base of habaki.
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 3/8"
Overall Length: 39 3/8"
Guard/Tsuba Width: 2 5/8"
POB (Point of Balance): 6" from tsuba (almost exactly!)
COP (Center of Percussion): about 20" above the tsuba.
Weight: app. 2 1/2 lbs (specs say 2.4).
Components
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is folded 1070 High Carbon Steel. It has no bohi, and is through-hardened with a “double imitation hamon.” The blade was brightly polished with a very visible folding pattern. The blade geometry looked very nice in light of my growing experience. It definitely had much more “meat” on it than the Ten Ryu DH Musashi I was comparing it to. The blade was wider at the yokote than the Ten Ryu which had a noticeable taper. The blade also had more meat on it at the Kissaki. Sori was nice.
I was a little disappointed in the lack of niku. I was unable to get a decent picture of it, but using a credit card as a straight edge revealed only the slightest bit of niku. I can definitely say it was not none, but it was hard to tell.
Folding Pattern
Comparison shot of Kissaki
The Handle/Tsuka
This sword has a nicely curved nakago. The tsuka is well fit and tight. The ito is cotton, seems decent and it wrapped in an alternating pattern as it should be.
Comparison Shot of Tsuka's
The Guard/Tsuba
Unfortunately, I could not find anywhere what material the Tsuba is made from. Doesn't look like Zinc to me, though.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
Appear to be very nice. Design is a cloudy moon over some folliage. Fitted tight and secure.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is black lacquered. The sageo is cotton, but seems thicker and nicer than the Ten Ryu Musashi.
Handling Characteristics
Not surprisingly, with more “meat” on it, this sword is slightly heavier than the Ten Ryu. Though not badly balanced, it definitely does not feel as quick in my hands. The extra weight took a little getting used to, but once I started to get comfortable with it, I felt it handled well. To be honest, I would probably opt for a model with a bohi in the future, to get back some of the lightness and quickness.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
I will mostly let the video speak for itself. However I will say the sword is very sharp and cut well when I kept things simple. Downward diagonal cuts sheared through bundled straw and water bottles with ease. Double cuts, and cuts that I’m not as good at didn’t go so well. I believe that was mostly due to my inexperience with its heavier blade.
Conclusions
This sword compares well on paper with other swords in the same price range. I found no flaws, and no features that I really thought were lacking that should have been there. I was overall pleased with this sword. I initially liked the look of it in pictures on the web, and I would say it definitely lived up to my expectations when I had it in hand.
Pros
• Great looking presentation both in saya and with bared blade.
• Nice polish with visible folding pattern.
• Improved blade geometry over lesser priced swords.
Cons
• “Meatier” blade and no-hi create a heavier sword that doesn’t handle quite as quick and light as other swords.
• Though I don’t actually mind it, I think most would consider the imitation hamon a con. It could probably be polished off with some mothers mag, however.
The Bottom Line
Would I be willing to pay twice as much for this sword than I did for my Ten Ryu Musashi (which I love)? Yes, absolutely! Getting this sword has in fact taught me a lot about the little differences in construction and blade geometry that will increasingly make the difference between lesser and higher priced swords as I move up the sword food chain in my collection. It has a good steel, a beautiful folding pattern, and a great over all presentation. However, it is also a tough and functional dojo cutter.
In the end, I would recommend this sword. I understand that people were turned off by their fake reviews, and I realize that people will always recommend the few favored brands over brands like Skyjiro. But at times it seems Skyjiro is said in the same breath as Thaitsuki, and I find that comparison to be totally unfair. Skyjiro is absolutely a legitimate entry into the world of production katana. And with the improved quality control that will come from their relationship with David Goldberg and their relationship with bugei I think we will be seeing a lot more from Skyjiro.
I first was made aware of Skyjiro swords through a thread here where a Skyjiro employee posed as a regular consumer to praise how awesome their swords are. While I found the actions of that employee to be reprehensible (and ridiculously and hilariously obvious!), I took a look at Skyjiro’s website, and liked what I saw when it came to the actual swords themselves. When I was able to verify through email that they are working with David Goldberg (aka Kinzan), a respected Smith, and also saw that they are “endorsed” by Bugei, I decided to give them a try. I started with one of their entry level swords in their TJ line called The Samurai.
Skyjiro has two lines of Production swords, their SJ and TJ lines. The SJ line is their higher end line, and the TJ line is meant to be an entry level line of dojo cutters. They go out of their way in their ad copy to point out how the swords in their TJ line are designed to be more forgiving of less than perfect cutting technique.
The Samurai retails for $250 and I feel it is important to mention that at that price The Samurai is still in the category of an under $300 “budget” katana. Some Skyjiro swords retail for $1000 or more, but this sword certainly should not be considered representative of those higher end swords.
Throughout this review I compare this sword to another that I own, a Ten Ryu Musashi (TR-004) DH katana that retails for about half as much (around $120). I basically kept the question in my mind of, “Would I be willing to pay twice as much for this Skyjiro sword over the Ten Ryu?”
Historical overview
This is a Chinese made production katana in the Shinogi-Zukuri style.
Full Disclosure
I am an ebay/online seller. I do not have my own line of swords (like Ryan Sword), but resell production katana that I buy from wholesalers. When I find a sword I like, I usually end up selling the same model sword on ebay. I do not believe this creates a bias in my review, however, because if the sword turned out to be horrible, I simply wouldn’t sell that model sword. I have nothing invested in this sword other than what I spent on it to buy one for myself. And no, I am NOT an authorized seller for Skyjiro and am in no way affiliated with their company.
Initial Impressions
My initial impressions were extremely favorable! The sword came in a brown shipping box, but them was also packed in an entirely Styrofoam box. It was very securely and safely packaged. The Saya, tsuka and tsuba were all shrink-wrapped in cellophane as well. Everything looked great, no dings or scratches anywhere and everything was super tight with no movement in any of the pieces. The sword slid easily out of the saya. There was a heavy coat of oil on the blade. Everything was straight and true, and the edge was very sharp (sharp enough that it cut my thumb a bit when I was gently wiping the oil off).
Statistics
Here are the specifications on this model sword.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28 3/4" from tsuba/base of habaki.
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 3/8"
Overall Length: 39 3/8"
Guard/Tsuba Width: 2 5/8"
POB (Point of Balance): 6" from tsuba (almost exactly!)
COP (Center of Percussion): about 20" above the tsuba.
Weight: app. 2 1/2 lbs (specs say 2.4).
Components
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is folded 1070 High Carbon Steel. It has no bohi, and is through-hardened with a “double imitation hamon.” The blade was brightly polished with a very visible folding pattern. The blade geometry looked very nice in light of my growing experience. It definitely had much more “meat” on it than the Ten Ryu DH Musashi I was comparing it to. The blade was wider at the yokote than the Ten Ryu which had a noticeable taper. The blade also had more meat on it at the Kissaki. Sori was nice.
I was a little disappointed in the lack of niku. I was unable to get a decent picture of it, but using a credit card as a straight edge revealed only the slightest bit of niku. I can definitely say it was not none, but it was hard to tell.
Folding Pattern
Comparison shot of Kissaki
The Handle/Tsuka
This sword has a nicely curved nakago. The tsuka is well fit and tight. The ito is cotton, seems decent and it wrapped in an alternating pattern as it should be.
Comparison Shot of Tsuka's
The Guard/Tsuba
Unfortunately, I could not find anywhere what material the Tsuba is made from. Doesn't look like Zinc to me, though.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
Appear to be very nice. Design is a cloudy moon over some folliage. Fitted tight and secure.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is black lacquered. The sageo is cotton, but seems thicker and nicer than the Ten Ryu Musashi.
Handling Characteristics
Not surprisingly, with more “meat” on it, this sword is slightly heavier than the Ten Ryu. Though not badly balanced, it definitely does not feel as quick in my hands. The extra weight took a little getting used to, but once I started to get comfortable with it, I felt it handled well. To be honest, I would probably opt for a model with a bohi in the future, to get back some of the lightness and quickness.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
I will mostly let the video speak for itself. However I will say the sword is very sharp and cut well when I kept things simple. Downward diagonal cuts sheared through bundled straw and water bottles with ease. Double cuts, and cuts that I’m not as good at didn’t go so well. I believe that was mostly due to my inexperience with its heavier blade.
Conclusions
This sword compares well on paper with other swords in the same price range. I found no flaws, and no features that I really thought were lacking that should have been there. I was overall pleased with this sword. I initially liked the look of it in pictures on the web, and I would say it definitely lived up to my expectations when I had it in hand.
Pros
• Great looking presentation both in saya and with bared blade.
• Nice polish with visible folding pattern.
• Improved blade geometry over lesser priced swords.
Cons
• “Meatier” blade and no-hi create a heavier sword that doesn’t handle quite as quick and light as other swords.
• Though I don’t actually mind it, I think most would consider the imitation hamon a con. It could probably be polished off with some mothers mag, however.
The Bottom Line
Would I be willing to pay twice as much for this sword than I did for my Ten Ryu Musashi (which I love)? Yes, absolutely! Getting this sword has in fact taught me a lot about the little differences in construction and blade geometry that will increasingly make the difference between lesser and higher priced swords as I move up the sword food chain in my collection. It has a good steel, a beautiful folding pattern, and a great over all presentation. However, it is also a tough and functional dojo cutter.
In the end, I would recommend this sword. I understand that people were turned off by their fake reviews, and I realize that people will always recommend the few favored brands over brands like Skyjiro. But at times it seems Skyjiro is said in the same breath as Thaitsuki, and I find that comparison to be totally unfair. Skyjiro is absolutely a legitimate entry into the world of production katana. And with the improved quality control that will come from their relationship with David Goldberg and their relationship with bugei I think we will be seeing a lot more from Skyjiro.