Review: Kaneie Naginata-Naoshi
Jun 3, 2013 10:54:07 GMT
Post by stickem on Jun 3, 2013 10:54:07 GMT
~ Kaneie Naginata-Naoshi ~
Introduction
This is the first installment of an epically-long, three-part review intended to help answer the question, “Is it necessary to spend a boatload of loot to get a good sword?” This forum's stated purpose is to discuss sub-$300 swords, so is this enough coin? Should we stop there and not even bother to discuss anything more expensive? Or do we have to spend closer to $1000... over a thousand?!?
Ok, since we all agree determining what constitutes a 'good' sword is by its nature somewhat of a subjective enterprise - dependent on the environment on which the blade will be used and the aesthetic values of its owner - by no means is this to be considered a definitive take on the subject. However, we have to start somewhere, so let's begin... and remember, as always, any errors, omissions, or lack of understanding is nobody's fault but mine.
We will be looking at 3 swords, one each from Hung Shing True Sharp, Kaneie, and Hanwei. Each will be at a different price level; we'll call these levels low (x < $400), medium ($400 < x < $1000), and high ($1000 < x). Everyone's wallet is different, so you may or may not relate to these cutoffs. No worries. Remember, these are just arbitrary lines drawn in sand, not meant to be rules set in stone handed down from a mount. We'll start with the mid-level (x < $1000) Kaneie. So relax... let me pour you some warm some saké, and enjoy!
Background
My weapons training is primarily in the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). In FMA, we typically practice with a machete-type short sword (e.g., a ginunting, bolo, pinuti, etc.). Hence, I am more comfortable and confident using two live one-handed swords (e.g, one in each hand) than I am using one two-handed sword with both hands. So for purposes of these reviews, we'll focus on short swords we can use one-handed. The names you give each (e.g., nagamaki, wakizashi, ko-katana, dao, etc.) are somewhat arbitrary, so please don't fuss over them :roll:
I also think it will be different to review some of the more unusual shapes. Thus getting away from the usual suspect: the shinogi-zukuri katana
There has been a bit of discussion about Kaneie swords recently on the forum, as they have become more accessible to those of us in the US. Their pics on the internet look about as close to actual nihonto as production Chinese swords get these days. As several of the members here whose opinions I value have recommended Kaneie in general - and The Samurai Workshop specifically as the vendor for these - I browsed through their website offerings...
And this is what spoke to me:
Kaneie Naginata-naoshi
Though this discounted model was already sold, I contacted Jeffrey Ching at Sam. Work. to see if he had anything similar. He did not, but was able to look through the inventory in China (where the Kaneie forge is). What he found for me was not only similar, but even better, in my opinion
Here it is:
Historical Overview
The naginata is a traditional Japanese pole-arm mounted on a long shaft, (yes, he said mounted a long shaft :shock: ), similar to a European halberd. Like the Chinese version of the halberd (e.g., the zhan-ma dao and guan dao), the naginata was used primarily as an anti-calvary weapon. Meaning it was used for chopping the leg off a horse to dismount the rider, and so on...
Many extant naginata blades have been shortened and reshaped to make wakizashi- or katana-length swords. According to Kokan Nagayama, a naginata blade is distinguished from a nagamaki because of "its dramatic curvature and width towards the tip."
The term 'nagamaki' is literally translated as 'long wrapping' as many of these swords were mounted with a nakago (tang) which was as long as the blade (e.g., two feet). So it took rather long maki (wrap) to cover a tsuka (handle) of this length. The term 'nagamaki naoshi' refers to "a blade which has been reshaped into a katana or wakizashi, thus altering its original length and curvature." When these blades are o-suriage, the nakago is shortened to a length more traditionally found in katana and wakizashi, and less like the extended tang necessary for mounting as a pole-arm.
So exactly what to properly call the piece I received from Kaneie is up for debate. Jeffrey calls it a naginata-naoshi due to its retaining some of the extreme curvature and width at its tip. On the other hand, we could also call this type of piece a nagamaki-naoshi.
The exact term we use for this specific Kaneie is a game of semantics. Obviously this blade was not made as a naginata to start with, then later modified and remounted as a sword. Rather, the factory made a wakizashi-length sword based on historic naginata sugata. So we'll just refer to it as 'n-n' henceforth for purposes of this review. Please feel free to substitute 'naginata' or 'nagamaki' for the first 'n' of 'n-n' in your mind, whichever you prefer is fine.
"Some folks call it a 'kaiser' blade. I call it a 'sling' blade." :lol: :twisted:
Here are some classic nihonto of this type and references for more depth (and to keep me from being even more long-winded by spelling it all out):
Image from Samurai Antique World
Naohiro Naginata-naoshi
Shikkake Naginata-naoshi
Nagamaki-naoshi Tachi
Hojoji Nagamaki-naoshi
Nihonto Message Board Nagamaki-naoshi
Sword Forum International Nagamaki
Samurai Antique World Nagamaki & Naginata
The sugata of many of these blades is referred to as 'unokubi zukuri' meaning 'cormorant's neck.' Many naginata are kanmuri-otoshi zukuri as well:
Here is a pic of the Kaneie I received showing this cormorant neck shape:
and a general reference describing many of the variations in Japanese blade shape:
Styles & Shapes
Well then, that was more history and academic exercise than many would actually want to participate in, so let's get let it on...
Full Disclosure
I have no prior relationship with the Kaneie forge nor the vendor, Samurai Workshop. I paid for this n-n out of pocket. Neither Jeffrey Ching at Samurai Workshop nor Kaneie forge had any idea I planned to review this sword when I paid for it.
Initial Impressions
When ordering this piece from Jeffrey, it was almost exactly what I had in mind from the start. Only a few details revealed themselves as far as things I would have liked to change from the forge's version. For instance, the brass habaki and seppa did not as flow well as they could (in my opinion) with the rest of the silver-plated fittings, and would flow better if they were silver as well.
Jeffrey responded once the factory mounts a sword, they will not dismount it there and change out the fittings. This is not surprising, and I am not aware of factories who actually do this. However, some of the higher end vendors (e.g., Kaneie, Huanuo/DF, ) have a relationship with customizers who can change things for us after they leave the factory. Jeffrey is such a customizer – as the name of his shop implies – but we decided to save on shipping and VAT considerations, and instead have the sword shipped directly from Kaneie to me. Otherwise it would have to go from Kaneie in Shanghai, to Sam. Work. in the Netherlands for tweaking, and then finally to me in the US.
Jeffrey threw in a Musashino/Mikazuki Musashi crescent moon (e.g., Kamiyoshi Rakuju) tsuba and some black leather ito, and some fingerstones for polishing. For free. Even though I offered to pay for the spare parts. Now that's a nice vendor!
Here it is:
My initial impressions upon handling this sword were two-fold. First, the ito/sageo color was a little greener than I expected. This may be an artifact of monitor settings.
This color is called 'tetsu,' which means 'iron-steel.' According to Jeffrey,'tetsu' comes from the term 'satetsu' referring to the the color of the iron sand used for tamahagane, which has a greenish cast to it. Once Jeffrey dropped this knowledge on me, I happy about this being a traditional color for the ito and sageo.
The most unusual thing about the ito is it actually seems to change colors. Sometimes it appears green and others blue. Don't know if this is an artifact of the light or a trick of the eye, but it is indeed captivating...
Once I unsheathed it, my second impression was the sword handles very similarly to a kukri, one of my favorite machete-type blades. It has a serious presence, and you can easily see how the rather forward balance of the sword toward the tip might be used for chopping a horse's leg, or a human's hand off for that matter... it is an “intimidating Klingon weapon” to use Jeffrey's words.
Statistics (my measurements)
Nagasa Length: 15 ¾ “ = 40 cm = 1.2 shaku (and 16 7/8” when the habaki is included)
Tsuka Length: 7 ¼” (18.5 cm) including the fuchi & kashira
Overall Length: at 40 cm, this wakizashi is closer to the length of tanto than it is katana
Weight: forthcoming (will put it on a scale and revise)
Components
Habaki & Seppa ~
The habaki & seppa are brass, as mentioned previously. The habaki is seated nicely on the mune without gaps (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the habaki fit). The seppa cover the seppa-dai and line up with the perimeter of the fuchi well. Very nicely fitted!
Fuchi & Kashira ~
The fuchi and kashira are the silver-plated brass you typically see on a nice iaito. Again, they are nicely fitted. Here's one of the bonji on the kashira:
Jeffrey informed me the bonji (Sanskrit or Siddham) refer to the Buddhist figure Dainichi Nyorai, who was popular with the samurai. I am unfamiliar with the Japanese version of this figure, but do know him as Vairocana from my own tantric practices. Here is more on bonji and Vairocana for reference:
Vairocana bonji
Having taken Refuge as a Buddhist, this spiritual association with the sword makes me very happy. I believe wielding a sword (as well as the forging of the sword) can be spiritual experiences.
Menuki ~
The menuki are also silver-plated, and look to be some sort of oni, a type of Japanese demon or troll. Before we get into any Trapped-Oni-Soul-Katana type discussion, just ask yourself if it doesn't look like whomever he is is trapped under the ito:
This is not a design I have seen before, so it may be something other than an oni. All I can say is his expression cracks me up and he really looks like he is trying to get out of the tsuka :lol: The sense of humor behind this is probably my favorite thing about the sword, oddly enough.
Nagasa ~
The unokubi zukuri shape and n-n nagasa has been described previously. I will say the naginata-hi in the Kaneie is beautifully carved in a world where many production bo-hi definitely are not. I really admire the long shobu kissaki without yokote, and its pronounced fukura (curvature). The kasane at the end of the blade is rather wide, which makes for a very beefy feel and there are no worries bout thrusting with the tip of this sword. The blade is 1095 steel. The hamon looks to me like togari-gunome.
Originally I had requested a longer version of this blade (around 2 feet or 2.0 shaku), as many historical examples of this blade are of this length. However, I was informed the factory does not make this length. Considering I was asking for a hybrid katana/wakizashi length and an unokubi zukuri shape at the same time, it is a pretty d@mned unusual request. So no worries.
The blade did come with a small spot of rust on it, which was easily removed by a couple minutes of polishing with Mother's Mag. So no worries. Note the Mother's Mag did not effect the hamon, which leads me to conclude it is not at all acid etched unlike most production swords. Instead, it does seem to be a keshi hadori polish, as advertised.
Tsuka ~
The tsuka is just long enough for me to swing it with both hands if I also cover the fuchi and kashira. I can see why nagamaki come with such long handles, as this would probably be necessary to facilitate proper movement if one tried to use this weapon in a two-handed manner. For a blade the length of this Kaneie, a short tsuka works. I probably would prefer the handle and blade to be a bit longer if one was going to use it two-handed. That said, one-handed I could flow with it right out of the box using FMA movements, so it feels comfortable to me.
The ito is made of Japanese cotton and feels comfy. It is tetsu and as you can see, the diamonds are tight and evenly spaced. The samegawa underneath is white and is without an emperor's node.
Tsuba ~
The tsuba is a steel Musashi sea-cucumber shape. It is painted black and is the better three-dimensional version rather than the flat cut-out version. The edges are rounded so they won't nick your fingers. It is a lightweight and functional tsuba. As noted before, I received a complimentary tsuba as well, though Jeffrey warned me it would prove too large to flow well with piece as a whole.
The Scabbard/Saya ~
The habaki clicks into the koiguchi and stays there when I hold the sword upside down by the tsuka. There is a little bit of rattling when shaken while held like this, but it is an oddly-shaped blade and is not the easiest thing in the world to carve a saya to fit, so no worries. The saya is of the classic oar-shape commonly seen on nagamaki with an angled kojiri. Very cool.
The kojiri (as well as the koiguchi and kurikata) all appear to be made of bull horn. The saya is ishime (matte black with texture), which I prefer to high-gloss saya that show finger prints more easily. Happy about that. The sageo feels like rayon silk and matches the ito color perfectly. The purple sword bag it came with appears to be rayon silk as well.
Test Cutting
No test cutting has been performed with this sword. While I have no doubt due to the thickness of the blade you could hack apart pretty much anything you set your mind to, I do not wish to ruin the hadori polish. So we won't be cutting with this piece the way I might with say... a kukri made of 5160 spring steel
Conclusions
Overall, I am very pleased with this Kaneie. It is almost exactly what I had in mind, which is very hard to find for a sword of such unusual sugata. I am not aware of other forges even making similar n-n blades as production pieces, so they probably would have to be a custom item elsewhere.
I must say also, I am particularly pleased with Jeffrey and the customer service at Sam Work. He took the time to discuss n-n with me, identified the bonji, and even threw in some extra fittings pro bono. The blade is a thing of beauty. And the sword arrived in less than a week.
Pros
~ feels like you could chop a rhino's leg off or hack through the jungle with this
~ koshirae are tasteful and well done
~ beautiful blade with unusual sugata and well done naginata-hi
~ nicely shaped hamon with an actual hadori polish
~ extra parts included to do my own customization
Cons
~ too pretty to cut with (not really a con; it is just my fear of FUBARing the polish speaking)
~ a spot of rust on the blade (easily removed with minimal time & effort)
~ wished they used silver-platd habaki & seppa to match the koshirae. Note: this is really a general comment on production swords in general regardless of their maker, in that the default is almost always yellow brass.
The Bottom Line
In sum, the Kaneie forge has pulled of a historically accurate
representation of a naginata/nagamaki-naoshi. I don't think there are many forges who would attempt to pull this off, and even fewer who could possibly do it this well.
I would definitely say this sword beats most others in its price range. This Kaneie and the Hanwei Shinto 25th anniversary are my favorite <$1000 Japanese swords I have held in hand. I certainly would order from this vendor/forge again and would expect you'd be happy if you did so as well. The customer service and attention to detail are excellent!
There are more pics in my next post following this one (seems we reached the limit for attachments in one post during the review).
I'll have reviews on the and Hanwei forthcoming as promised, as time allows...
Thanks for reading and remember to stick'em with the pointy end!
Introduction
This is the first installment of an epically-long, three-part review intended to help answer the question, “Is it necessary to spend a boatload of loot to get a good sword?” This forum's stated purpose is to discuss sub-$300 swords, so is this enough coin? Should we stop there and not even bother to discuss anything more expensive? Or do we have to spend closer to $1000... over a thousand?!?
Ok, since we all agree determining what constitutes a 'good' sword is by its nature somewhat of a subjective enterprise - dependent on the environment on which the blade will be used and the aesthetic values of its owner - by no means is this to be considered a definitive take on the subject. However, we have to start somewhere, so let's begin... and remember, as always, any errors, omissions, or lack of understanding is nobody's fault but mine.
We will be looking at 3 swords, one each from Hung Shing True Sharp, Kaneie, and Hanwei. Each will be at a different price level; we'll call these levels low (x < $400), medium ($400 < x < $1000), and high ($1000 < x). Everyone's wallet is different, so you may or may not relate to these cutoffs. No worries. Remember, these are just arbitrary lines drawn in sand, not meant to be rules set in stone handed down from a mount. We'll start with the mid-level (x < $1000) Kaneie. So relax... let me pour you some warm some saké, and enjoy!
Background
My weapons training is primarily in the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). In FMA, we typically practice with a machete-type short sword (e.g., a ginunting, bolo, pinuti, etc.). Hence, I am more comfortable and confident using two live one-handed swords (e.g, one in each hand) than I am using one two-handed sword with both hands. So for purposes of these reviews, we'll focus on short swords we can use one-handed. The names you give each (e.g., nagamaki, wakizashi, ko-katana, dao, etc.) are somewhat arbitrary, so please don't fuss over them :roll:
I also think it will be different to review some of the more unusual shapes. Thus getting away from the usual suspect: the shinogi-zukuri katana
There has been a bit of discussion about Kaneie swords recently on the forum, as they have become more accessible to those of us in the US. Their pics on the internet look about as close to actual nihonto as production Chinese swords get these days. As several of the members here whose opinions I value have recommended Kaneie in general - and The Samurai Workshop specifically as the vendor for these - I browsed through their website offerings...
And this is what spoke to me:
Kaneie Naginata-naoshi
Though this discounted model was already sold, I contacted Jeffrey Ching at Sam. Work. to see if he had anything similar. He did not, but was able to look through the inventory in China (where the Kaneie forge is). What he found for me was not only similar, but even better, in my opinion
Here it is:
Historical Overview
The naginata is a traditional Japanese pole-arm mounted on a long shaft, (yes, he said mounted a long shaft :shock: ), similar to a European halberd. Like the Chinese version of the halberd (e.g., the zhan-ma dao and guan dao), the naginata was used primarily as an anti-calvary weapon. Meaning it was used for chopping the leg off a horse to dismount the rider, and so on...
Many extant naginata blades have been shortened and reshaped to make wakizashi- or katana-length swords. According to Kokan Nagayama, a naginata blade is distinguished from a nagamaki because of "its dramatic curvature and width towards the tip."
The term 'nagamaki' is literally translated as 'long wrapping' as many of these swords were mounted with a nakago (tang) which was as long as the blade (e.g., two feet). So it took rather long maki (wrap) to cover a tsuka (handle) of this length. The term 'nagamaki naoshi' refers to "a blade which has been reshaped into a katana or wakizashi, thus altering its original length and curvature." When these blades are o-suriage, the nakago is shortened to a length more traditionally found in katana and wakizashi, and less like the extended tang necessary for mounting as a pole-arm.
So exactly what to properly call the piece I received from Kaneie is up for debate. Jeffrey calls it a naginata-naoshi due to its retaining some of the extreme curvature and width at its tip. On the other hand, we could also call this type of piece a nagamaki-naoshi.
The exact term we use for this specific Kaneie is a game of semantics. Obviously this blade was not made as a naginata to start with, then later modified and remounted as a sword. Rather, the factory made a wakizashi-length sword based on historic naginata sugata. So we'll just refer to it as 'n-n' henceforth for purposes of this review. Please feel free to substitute 'naginata' or 'nagamaki' for the first 'n' of 'n-n' in your mind, whichever you prefer is fine.
"Some folks call it a 'kaiser' blade. I call it a 'sling' blade." :lol: :twisted:
Here are some classic nihonto of this type and references for more depth (and to keep me from being even more long-winded by spelling it all out):
Image from Samurai Antique World
Naohiro Naginata-naoshi
Shikkake Naginata-naoshi
Nagamaki-naoshi Tachi
Hojoji Nagamaki-naoshi
Nihonto Message Board Nagamaki-naoshi
Sword Forum International Nagamaki
Samurai Antique World Nagamaki & Naginata
The sugata of many of these blades is referred to as 'unokubi zukuri' meaning 'cormorant's neck.' Many naginata are kanmuri-otoshi zukuri as well:
Here is a pic of the Kaneie I received showing this cormorant neck shape:
and a general reference describing many of the variations in Japanese blade shape:
Styles & Shapes
Well then, that was more history and academic exercise than many would actually want to participate in, so let's get let it on...
Full Disclosure
I have no prior relationship with the Kaneie forge nor the vendor, Samurai Workshop. I paid for this n-n out of pocket. Neither Jeffrey Ching at Samurai Workshop nor Kaneie forge had any idea I planned to review this sword when I paid for it.
Initial Impressions
When ordering this piece from Jeffrey, it was almost exactly what I had in mind from the start. Only a few details revealed themselves as far as things I would have liked to change from the forge's version. For instance, the brass habaki and seppa did not as flow well as they could (in my opinion) with the rest of the silver-plated fittings, and would flow better if they were silver as well.
Jeffrey responded once the factory mounts a sword, they will not dismount it there and change out the fittings. This is not surprising, and I am not aware of factories who actually do this. However, some of the higher end vendors (e.g., Kaneie, Huanuo/DF, ) have a relationship with customizers who can change things for us after they leave the factory. Jeffrey is such a customizer – as the name of his shop implies – but we decided to save on shipping and VAT considerations, and instead have the sword shipped directly from Kaneie to me. Otherwise it would have to go from Kaneie in Shanghai, to Sam. Work. in the Netherlands for tweaking, and then finally to me in the US.
Jeffrey threw in a Musashino/Mikazuki Musashi crescent moon (e.g., Kamiyoshi Rakuju) tsuba and some black leather ito, and some fingerstones for polishing. For free. Even though I offered to pay for the spare parts. Now that's a nice vendor!
Here it is:
My initial impressions upon handling this sword were two-fold. First, the ito/sageo color was a little greener than I expected. This may be an artifact of monitor settings.
This color is called 'tetsu,' which means 'iron-steel.' According to Jeffrey,'tetsu' comes from the term 'satetsu' referring to the the color of the iron sand used for tamahagane, which has a greenish cast to it. Once Jeffrey dropped this knowledge on me, I happy about this being a traditional color for the ito and sageo.
The most unusual thing about the ito is it actually seems to change colors. Sometimes it appears green and others blue. Don't know if this is an artifact of the light or a trick of the eye, but it is indeed captivating...
Once I unsheathed it, my second impression was the sword handles very similarly to a kukri, one of my favorite machete-type blades. It has a serious presence, and you can easily see how the rather forward balance of the sword toward the tip might be used for chopping a horse's leg, or a human's hand off for that matter... it is an “intimidating Klingon weapon” to use Jeffrey's words.
Statistics (my measurements)
Nagasa Length: 15 ¾ “ = 40 cm = 1.2 shaku (and 16 7/8” when the habaki is included)
Tsuka Length: 7 ¼” (18.5 cm) including the fuchi & kashira
Overall Length: at 40 cm, this wakizashi is closer to the length of tanto than it is katana
Weight: forthcoming (will put it on a scale and revise)
Components
Habaki & Seppa ~
The habaki & seppa are brass, as mentioned previously. The habaki is seated nicely on the mune without gaps (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the habaki fit). The seppa cover the seppa-dai and line up with the perimeter of the fuchi well. Very nicely fitted!
Fuchi & Kashira ~
The fuchi and kashira are the silver-plated brass you typically see on a nice iaito. Again, they are nicely fitted. Here's one of the bonji on the kashira:
Jeffrey informed me the bonji (Sanskrit or Siddham) refer to the Buddhist figure Dainichi Nyorai, who was popular with the samurai. I am unfamiliar with the Japanese version of this figure, but do know him as Vairocana from my own tantric practices. Here is more on bonji and Vairocana for reference:
Vairocana bonji
Having taken Refuge as a Buddhist, this spiritual association with the sword makes me very happy. I believe wielding a sword (as well as the forging of the sword) can be spiritual experiences.
Menuki ~
The menuki are also silver-plated, and look to be some sort of oni, a type of Japanese demon or troll. Before we get into any Trapped-Oni-Soul-Katana type discussion, just ask yourself if it doesn't look like whomever he is is trapped under the ito:
This is not a design I have seen before, so it may be something other than an oni. All I can say is his expression cracks me up and he really looks like he is trying to get out of the tsuka :lol: The sense of humor behind this is probably my favorite thing about the sword, oddly enough.
Nagasa ~
The unokubi zukuri shape and n-n nagasa has been described previously. I will say the naginata-hi in the Kaneie is beautifully carved in a world where many production bo-hi definitely are not. I really admire the long shobu kissaki without yokote, and its pronounced fukura (curvature). The kasane at the end of the blade is rather wide, which makes for a very beefy feel and there are no worries bout thrusting with the tip of this sword. The blade is 1095 steel. The hamon looks to me like togari-gunome.
Originally I had requested a longer version of this blade (around 2 feet or 2.0 shaku), as many historical examples of this blade are of this length. However, I was informed the factory does not make this length. Considering I was asking for a hybrid katana/wakizashi length and an unokubi zukuri shape at the same time, it is a pretty d@mned unusual request. So no worries.
The blade did come with a small spot of rust on it, which was easily removed by a couple minutes of polishing with Mother's Mag. So no worries. Note the Mother's Mag did not effect the hamon, which leads me to conclude it is not at all acid etched unlike most production swords. Instead, it does seem to be a keshi hadori polish, as advertised.
Tsuka ~
The tsuka is just long enough for me to swing it with both hands if I also cover the fuchi and kashira. I can see why nagamaki come with such long handles, as this would probably be necessary to facilitate proper movement if one tried to use this weapon in a two-handed manner. For a blade the length of this Kaneie, a short tsuka works. I probably would prefer the handle and blade to be a bit longer if one was going to use it two-handed. That said, one-handed I could flow with it right out of the box using FMA movements, so it feels comfortable to me.
The ito is made of Japanese cotton and feels comfy. It is tetsu and as you can see, the diamonds are tight and evenly spaced. The samegawa underneath is white and is without an emperor's node.
Tsuba ~
The tsuba is a steel Musashi sea-cucumber shape. It is painted black and is the better three-dimensional version rather than the flat cut-out version. The edges are rounded so they won't nick your fingers. It is a lightweight and functional tsuba. As noted before, I received a complimentary tsuba as well, though Jeffrey warned me it would prove too large to flow well with piece as a whole.
The Scabbard/Saya ~
The habaki clicks into the koiguchi and stays there when I hold the sword upside down by the tsuka. There is a little bit of rattling when shaken while held like this, but it is an oddly-shaped blade and is not the easiest thing in the world to carve a saya to fit, so no worries. The saya is of the classic oar-shape commonly seen on nagamaki with an angled kojiri. Very cool.
The kojiri (as well as the koiguchi and kurikata) all appear to be made of bull horn. The saya is ishime (matte black with texture), which I prefer to high-gloss saya that show finger prints more easily. Happy about that. The sageo feels like rayon silk and matches the ito color perfectly. The purple sword bag it came with appears to be rayon silk as well.
Test Cutting
No test cutting has been performed with this sword. While I have no doubt due to the thickness of the blade you could hack apart pretty much anything you set your mind to, I do not wish to ruin the hadori polish. So we won't be cutting with this piece the way I might with say... a kukri made of 5160 spring steel
Conclusions
Overall, I am very pleased with this Kaneie. It is almost exactly what I had in mind, which is very hard to find for a sword of such unusual sugata. I am not aware of other forges even making similar n-n blades as production pieces, so they probably would have to be a custom item elsewhere.
I must say also, I am particularly pleased with Jeffrey and the customer service at Sam Work. He took the time to discuss n-n with me, identified the bonji, and even threw in some extra fittings pro bono. The blade is a thing of beauty. And the sword arrived in less than a week.
Pros
~ feels like you could chop a rhino's leg off or hack through the jungle with this
~ koshirae are tasteful and well done
~ beautiful blade with unusual sugata and well done naginata-hi
~ nicely shaped hamon with an actual hadori polish
~ extra parts included to do my own customization
Cons
~ too pretty to cut with (not really a con; it is just my fear of FUBARing the polish speaking)
~ a spot of rust on the blade (easily removed with minimal time & effort)
~ wished they used silver-platd habaki & seppa to match the koshirae. Note: this is really a general comment on production swords in general regardless of their maker, in that the default is almost always yellow brass.
The Bottom Line
In sum, the Kaneie forge has pulled of a historically accurate
representation of a naginata/nagamaki-naoshi. I don't think there are many forges who would attempt to pull this off, and even fewer who could possibly do it this well.
I would definitely say this sword beats most others in its price range. This Kaneie and the Hanwei Shinto 25th anniversary are my favorite <$1000 Japanese swords I have held in hand. I certainly would order from this vendor/forge again and would expect you'd be happy if you did so as well. The customer service and attention to detail are excellent!
There are more pics in my next post following this one (seems we reached the limit for attachments in one post during the review).
I'll have reviews on the and Hanwei forthcoming as promised, as time allows...
Thanks for reading and remember to stick'em with the pointy end!