Munetoshi Matsu w/Bo-hi & Red Saya: outside the box review
Sept 21, 2013 18:22:33 GMT
Post by FHideg on Sept 21, 2013 18:22:33 GMT
Munetoshi Matsu w/Bo-hi & red saya : outside the box review
Initial impressions
I purchased this blade here in the Classifieds from a fellow forum member about a year ago for $100 shipped. The blade arrived exactly as the seller described it. It arrived in pretty much the same condition as I would imagine a new one would have arrived directly from the Sword Armory. Although they have not had any in stock for awhile. They did however get a light cutter Matsu edition in not too long ago. Which I assume is the T-10 light cutter with a Matsu tsuba vs the Musashi tsuba.
Manufacturers description:
The Matsu (pine tree) stands for long life in Japanese culture. This is due to the pine tree being an evergreen, and therefore staying green year round. This was a very popular tree among the Samurai class due to its masculine appearance and affiliation with long life. The pine tree is the antithesis of the plum blossom in that the plum blossom has a feminine image and closely associated with the fragility of life.
The Matsu is a light, fast, powerful cutter that has proved itself to us time and again. The sword is fully capable of taking multiple mats, but is still light enough for very swift draw cuts and double cuts. This sword is perfect for beginning to intermediate practitioners.
Specifications:
Manufactures Detailed Specs of the Katana:
Blade: The blade of the Katana has been constructed from T10 carbon steel with a bo-hi. The hamon has been authentically created and features a Gunome design with a prominent Nioi line.
The Kissaki is a Chu-Kissaki design with a Midare-komi turn back.
The blade comes full tang and very sharp.
Saya: The Saya features a glossy black lacquered finish and bull horn Koiguchi. The Sageo is black chemical fiber.
Tsuka: The Tsuba is blackened steel in a cut out sukashi design of a pine tree. The Tsuka features two smoked bamboo Mekugi. The Ito is black cotton over white ray skin Samegawa.
The Fuchikashira are black alloy.
Please note that specs will vary slightly from sword to sword.
Overall Length:39.5 "
Blade:Very Sharp
Nagasa Length:27.625 "
Blade Material:T10
Tsuka Length:10.5 "
Niku:Slight
Blade Thickness @ Habaki:0.309 "
Sori:0.622 "
Blade Thickness @ Kissaski:0.24 "
Kissaki Length:1.772 "
Blade Width @ Habaki:1.253 "
Blade Construction:Mono Steel
Blade Width @ Kissaki:0.903 "
Hamon:Gunome
Weight W/O Saya:2 lbs
Balance Point:5.5 "
Tsuba Material:Steel
Hardness of Yakiba:58 HRC
Ito & Sageo Material:Chemical Fiber
Fuchi Kashira Material:Alloy
Sword Name:Matsu
Mekugi:Smoked Bamboo Double Mekugi
Condition:Brand New
Manufacturer:Munetoshi
MSRP: $159-$200
My Description:
Blade: The first thing you notice is the beautiful bright Hamon. (Pictures I take do not, do it justice. My hat goes off to people who can capture the beauty of a Hamon with a camera, I suck it) The thing that turned me off from the Munetoshi line in the past is the Hamon. All the munetoshi blades I had seen, had the Hamon go to the edge of the blade. I do not like a Hamon that touches the blades edge or Ha. With the Matsu this is not the case. Really Nice! The hamon best resembles a cross between Notare and Gunome. And does not touch the Ha anywhere. The polish is mirror, almost looks like a stainless steel. The blade was modestly sharp when I received it. Now razor. Very easy to sharpen, a lot easier to sharpen than my 1060 blade. The Yokote appears real, has no machine lines like my Ronin Dojo Pro 1060, or my Cold Steel Warrior. The Kissaki is a Chu-Kissaki design with a Midare-komi turn back. The Bo-Hi is very nice, and has nice termination. The tang has Munetoshi stamped in it, along with number 29 and Chinese writing on both sides.
Tsuba: The Tsuba is blackened steel in a cut out sukashi design of a pine tree. Very nice!
Habaki: The Habaki fit is perfect!. It's my favorite style, plain Jane, brass Habaki, no designs.
Tsuka: The tsuka is tapered, but thicker than a Ronin. The itto appears to be cotton. It feels very nice, but the color doesn't have the brightness of say a Ronin itto. Kind of reminds me of black shoe laces. It is alternating, very nice, and very tight. The same is in panels, and large enough that no wood is exposed. Nothing special, but not the worst I've seen either. The Menuki are cheap looking, hate them. They are painted gold, and the paint is fading. The Fuchi is plain black metal, which is fine, but a tad to large. Should fit tighter and be more flush. The Kashira is also plain black and lines up perfectly. The Mekugi are smoked bamboo, but stuck out too much. But with a little sanding, now perfect. The two Seppa are brass and plain with no writing, just like I like them. After removing the Tsuka, surprise, surprise a crack, about half inch long. I plan to epoxy it in the future. The Tsuka was very, very tight. And very difficult to remove.
Saya: The Saya is a deep, dark red with speckles. Very nice! It reminds me of some of my wife's nail polish. It is very solid, the blade fits nice and tight, with very little play. Draws very smooth, no complaints. Their is a small paint chip near the mouth, which I knew about before purchase. I need to borrow my wife's nail polish and fix it. The Sageo is my only complaint. It is crap, I plan on replacing it.
Handling: What can I say, it zips through the air, handles very nice. A lot more maneuverable than my other Katana's. Almost feels too light!.
Conclusions: Best $100 katana I've ever purchased. Even at $200, Well worth it. Especially if it cuts as good as it looks.
Pros: Bright Hamon, bright shiny polished, mirror like blade. Nice design.
Cons: Cheap Menuki, almost gaudy, cheap Sageo, fat Tsuka.
The bottom line: For a $200 Katana, it's hard to beat. Especially nice for the $100 I paid for it preowned here in the classifieds. I am extremely pleased to add it to my collection. My only concern is how durable is this blade? I know T10 blades are supposed to be tough, but this blade feels lite and I have a feeling that it would chip easy. No proof one way or the other. Heck this may be as tough as nails. Won't know unless I cut with it, which I haven't done yet. The polish is just too nice to mess up cutting bottles and various objects. Especially since I already have a go to cutter. The bottom line, the money on this sword is in the blade and the polish. Which is we're I prefer to put my money. Fittings can always be upgraded. So if they ever get these back in stock, I would highly recommend this katana, as long as they keep it under $200.
My Collection:
Texas Steel Props & Replicas: Highlander H1 with Ronin Katana 1060 Dojo Pro Blade
Tried & True Armory Elite Katana 1095/1060/1045 laminated (very similar to a Ronin Elite)
Ritter Steel Katana
Cold Steel Warrior 1050
Marto: Sword of the Dragon 420 Stainless Steel Blade
Marto: Duncan Katana 420 Stainless Steel Blade
MartoSpa: Sword of the Dragon 440 Stainless Steel Blade
(These are the other Katana's that I own and use to make comparisons for my reviews)
Initial impressions
I purchased this blade here in the Classifieds from a fellow forum member about a year ago for $100 shipped. The blade arrived exactly as the seller described it. It arrived in pretty much the same condition as I would imagine a new one would have arrived directly from the Sword Armory. Although they have not had any in stock for awhile. They did however get a light cutter Matsu edition in not too long ago. Which I assume is the T-10 light cutter with a Matsu tsuba vs the Musashi tsuba.
Manufacturers description:
The Matsu (pine tree) stands for long life in Japanese culture. This is due to the pine tree being an evergreen, and therefore staying green year round. This was a very popular tree among the Samurai class due to its masculine appearance and affiliation with long life. The pine tree is the antithesis of the plum blossom in that the plum blossom has a feminine image and closely associated with the fragility of life.
The Matsu is a light, fast, powerful cutter that has proved itself to us time and again. The sword is fully capable of taking multiple mats, but is still light enough for very swift draw cuts and double cuts. This sword is perfect for beginning to intermediate practitioners.
Specifications:
Manufactures Detailed Specs of the Katana:
Blade: The blade of the Katana has been constructed from T10 carbon steel with a bo-hi. The hamon has been authentically created and features a Gunome design with a prominent Nioi line.
The Kissaki is a Chu-Kissaki design with a Midare-komi turn back.
The blade comes full tang and very sharp.
Saya: The Saya features a glossy black lacquered finish and bull horn Koiguchi. The Sageo is black chemical fiber.
Tsuka: The Tsuba is blackened steel in a cut out sukashi design of a pine tree. The Tsuka features two smoked bamboo Mekugi. The Ito is black cotton over white ray skin Samegawa.
The Fuchikashira are black alloy.
Please note that specs will vary slightly from sword to sword.
Overall Length:39.5 "
Blade:Very Sharp
Nagasa Length:27.625 "
Blade Material:T10
Tsuka Length:10.5 "
Niku:Slight
Blade Thickness @ Habaki:0.309 "
Sori:0.622 "
Blade Thickness @ Kissaski:0.24 "
Kissaki Length:1.772 "
Blade Width @ Habaki:1.253 "
Blade Construction:Mono Steel
Blade Width @ Kissaki:0.903 "
Hamon:Gunome
Weight W/O Saya:2 lbs
Balance Point:5.5 "
Tsuba Material:Steel
Hardness of Yakiba:58 HRC
Ito & Sageo Material:Chemical Fiber
Fuchi Kashira Material:Alloy
Sword Name:Matsu
Mekugi:Smoked Bamboo Double Mekugi
Condition:Brand New
Manufacturer:Munetoshi
MSRP: $159-$200
My Description:
Blade: The first thing you notice is the beautiful bright Hamon. (Pictures I take do not, do it justice. My hat goes off to people who can capture the beauty of a Hamon with a camera, I suck it) The thing that turned me off from the Munetoshi line in the past is the Hamon. All the munetoshi blades I had seen, had the Hamon go to the edge of the blade. I do not like a Hamon that touches the blades edge or Ha. With the Matsu this is not the case. Really Nice! The hamon best resembles a cross between Notare and Gunome. And does not touch the Ha anywhere. The polish is mirror, almost looks like a stainless steel. The blade was modestly sharp when I received it. Now razor. Very easy to sharpen, a lot easier to sharpen than my 1060 blade. The Yokote appears real, has no machine lines like my Ronin Dojo Pro 1060, or my Cold Steel Warrior. The Kissaki is a Chu-Kissaki design with a Midare-komi turn back. The Bo-Hi is very nice, and has nice termination. The tang has Munetoshi stamped in it, along with number 29 and Chinese writing on both sides.
Tsuba: The Tsuba is blackened steel in a cut out sukashi design of a pine tree. Very nice!
Habaki: The Habaki fit is perfect!. It's my favorite style, plain Jane, brass Habaki, no designs.
Tsuka: The tsuka is tapered, but thicker than a Ronin. The itto appears to be cotton. It feels very nice, but the color doesn't have the brightness of say a Ronin itto. Kind of reminds me of black shoe laces. It is alternating, very nice, and very tight. The same is in panels, and large enough that no wood is exposed. Nothing special, but not the worst I've seen either. The Menuki are cheap looking, hate them. They are painted gold, and the paint is fading. The Fuchi is plain black metal, which is fine, but a tad to large. Should fit tighter and be more flush. The Kashira is also plain black and lines up perfectly. The Mekugi are smoked bamboo, but stuck out too much. But with a little sanding, now perfect. The two Seppa are brass and plain with no writing, just like I like them. After removing the Tsuka, surprise, surprise a crack, about half inch long. I plan to epoxy it in the future. The Tsuka was very, very tight. And very difficult to remove.
Saya: The Saya is a deep, dark red with speckles. Very nice! It reminds me of some of my wife's nail polish. It is very solid, the blade fits nice and tight, with very little play. Draws very smooth, no complaints. Their is a small paint chip near the mouth, which I knew about before purchase. I need to borrow my wife's nail polish and fix it. The Sageo is my only complaint. It is crap, I plan on replacing it.
Handling: What can I say, it zips through the air, handles very nice. A lot more maneuverable than my other Katana's. Almost feels too light!.
Conclusions: Best $100 katana I've ever purchased. Even at $200, Well worth it. Especially if it cuts as good as it looks.
Pros: Bright Hamon, bright shiny polished, mirror like blade. Nice design.
Cons: Cheap Menuki, almost gaudy, cheap Sageo, fat Tsuka.
The bottom line: For a $200 Katana, it's hard to beat. Especially nice for the $100 I paid for it preowned here in the classifieds. I am extremely pleased to add it to my collection. My only concern is how durable is this blade? I know T10 blades are supposed to be tough, but this blade feels lite and I have a feeling that it would chip easy. No proof one way or the other. Heck this may be as tough as nails. Won't know unless I cut with it, which I haven't done yet. The polish is just too nice to mess up cutting bottles and various objects. Especially since I already have a go to cutter. The bottom line, the money on this sword is in the blade and the polish. Which is we're I prefer to put my money. Fittings can always be upgraded. So if they ever get these back in stock, I would highly recommend this katana, as long as they keep it under $200.
My Collection:
Texas Steel Props & Replicas: Highlander H1 with Ronin Katana 1060 Dojo Pro Blade
Tried & True Armory Elite Katana 1095/1060/1045 laminated (very similar to a Ronin Elite)
Ritter Steel Katana
Cold Steel Warrior 1050
Marto: Sword of the Dragon 420 Stainless Steel Blade
Marto: Duncan Katana 420 Stainless Steel Blade
MartoSpa: Sword of the Dragon 440 Stainless Steel Blade
(These are the other Katana's that I own and use to make comparisons for my reviews)