Hazama Yakiba: Black Widow Spider Katana
Oct 4, 2013 22:33:38 GMT
Post by Matthew.Jensen on Oct 4, 2013 22:33:38 GMT
Introduction
I purchased a collection of swords. From my understanding the collection belonged to someone that had passed away. Friends of the family where assisting with the sale and I was able to buy a portion of the collection. In this collection was the Black Widow Spider Katana from Sharp Swords or Hazama Yakiba. After reviewing the Angel Sword Bright Knight Katana, I found it somewhat serendipitous that I would have the chance to review a blade from Hazama Yakiba. The community feeling about Angel Sword and Hazama Yakiba seem to share a few common themes.
Long story short, I was not actively looking for a blade from Haz to review, this one happened to find me.
When I noticed the etching/engraving on the blade I recognized it as possibly being a blade from Hazama Yakiba. I reached out to Haz though eBay to confirm the blade was one of his works. After a few messages we began chatting on the phone. Haz was able to confirm the blade was his work. I asked if he would be OK with me dong a review on SBG and he welcomed the prospect. He seemed generous with his time and knowledge.
I don’t know much about the satiation honestly but he seemed like a nice enough guy on the phone. I did not get any weird vibe from him and that was somewhat surprising given the context of the conversation. The context being “Hey I am a stranger from the internet, is this your work? I want to review it on SBG.”
Full Disclosure
This review reflects my personal opinions and bias. I am not a knowledgeable historian or advanced practitioner. Please keep that in mind while reading.
I purchased a collection of swords. From my understanding the collection belonged to someone that had passed away. Friends of the family where assisting with the sale and I was able to buy a portion of the collection. In this collection was the Black Widow Spider Katana from Sharp Swords or Hazama Yakiba. After reviewing the Angel Sword Bright Knight Katana, I found it somewhat serendipitous that I would have the chance to review a blade from Hazama Yakiba. The community feeling about Angel Sword and Hazama Yakiba seem to share a few common themes.
Long story short, I was not actively looking for a blade from Haz to review, this one happened to find me.
When I noticed the etching/engraving on the blade I recognized it as possibly being a blade from Hazama Yakiba. I reached out to Haz though eBay to confirm the blade was one of his works. After a few messages we began chatting on the phone. Haz was able to confirm the blade was his work. I asked if he would be OK with me dong a review on SBG and he welcomed the prospect. He seemed generous with his time and knowledge.
I don’t know much about the satiation honestly but he seemed like a nice enough guy on the phone. I did not get any weird vibe from him and that was somewhat surprising given the context of the conversation. The context being “Hey I am a stranger from the internet, is this your work? I want to review it on SBG.”
Full Disclosure
This review reflects my personal opinions and bias. I am not a knowledgeable historian or advanced practitioner. Please keep that in mind while reading.
- I am not employed or affiliated with any sword manufacturer.
I am writing this review in an effort to contribute to the community and not for any type of compensation.
I am a novice collector and trader of both antique and modern edged weapons.
I have owned over 150 modern katana in the last two years ranging from basic Musashi to Howard Clark L6 and many blades in-between. I acknowledge that owning something (even a lot) does not make a person an expert. I will be the first to admit my level of knowledge is that of a novice. Perhaps one day I will qualify to have an opinion but for now read my review and understand it is the perspective of a newbie enthusiast. That said, I have learned quite a bit about swords in the last few years and I can attribute a lot of that to this forum. I hope this helps give back.[/list:u]
Initial Impressions
This katana was purchased second hand so I don’t have a lot to say about how it was originally packed. I can say that it survived quite well considering it was shipped in a box with 15 other blades. I did notice that the blade did not appear to be used at all. Also it had wax on the blade similar to the Ronin Elite I bought.
At first glance the blade has a somewhat distinct look. The sori(blade curvature) does not fit the mold of what I am used to seeing in production blades. Other than the shape, the lacquer work on the saya is on the nicer side of what you see from production blades. The fittings are what you find commonly on most production blades out of Longquan. Initially I thought it had a few unique characteristics but nothing stood out as amazing.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 27.25” (without habaki)
Motokasane: 5/16"
Sakikasane: 4/16"
Moto-haba: 1 5/16"
Saki-haba: 14/16"
Sori: 7/8"
Handle/Tsuka Length: 14.75”
Overall Length: 42.75”
Guard/Tsuba Width: 3.25”
POB (Point of Balance): 4”
Weight: 2lb 13oz (without saya)
Steel: 1095 Monosteel
MSRP: $805
Components
The Blade/Nagasa: The blade has a hamon that is easy to see in person but does not pop in a photo unless you have direct sunlight.
The polish on the blade is well done for a non custom blade. It is smooth and the lines are clean. I don’t see any ripples in the shinogi when I hold it upto the light. I think the mirror polish looks good but I would like to see a sharper yakote and better defined kissaki. The blade itself looks nice overall.
The nakago is nothing special. No extra detail or signature on the blade. I would like to see some attention paid to the nakago but I understand why it does not receive as much attention as the blade. The blade also has an etching/engraving on it. I don’t personally care for it but I can see how some folks might like it.
The Habaki Is also fitted quite well. The nakago is not cut traditionally but the lines on the habaki are clean.
The Handle/Tsuka: The handle does not rattle when moving at speed. The ito is tight and the dimonds in the tsukamaki seem even. The samagawa is not a full wrap but has nice nodules. They seem to stand out well through the black lacquer.
The tsuka core is solid. It was not cracked. I know that should be a given but a lot of production blades have bad tsuka cores from the factory. The mikugi came out without a lot of strain and I could get the nakago out of the tsuka with the proper amount of force. It was not stuck as many blades tend to be.
The Guard/Tsuba: The tsuba is tight, no wiggle. It seems properly fitted. It comes off like it should and goes back on like it should. I like the tsuba theme more than the other fittings. It is simple but still a little thick for my tastes.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira: The fuchi/kashira are my least favorite part of this blade personally. I don’t think they match the theme well. I am not personally a fan of the embellished copper fittings that come from a lot of blades in Longquan.
I prefer the simple steel or plain copper fittings. While I don’t care for the theme, they are fitted properly. They don’t stand over the ito on the blade or sit under it so far that they look too small.
The Scabbard/Saya:
The saya has some nice lacquer work on it. It is not something that I would say is the best I have ever seen but I think it does look very nice for a production style sword. The saya itself is quite thick like many production style swords.
I like it when they are a little more trim but I can’t complain. The koiguchi and kojiri are fitted appropriately. The habaki is held properly as well. It is tight without being a struggle to release.
Handling Characteristics
The sword balance point and the way it feels don’t seem to match. The POB was about 4” and usually that makes the blade feel very light and balanced. This blade feels more tip heavy than it should. That is great for me personally because I prefer that type of feeling. Still, it was a learning experience, I have never had a blade that had such a low POB while maintaining its feeling of heft. I would not have expected to be surprised by the blade but admittedly that gave me a little smile.
In terms of moving the blade, I would not describe it as lively. The extra sori and tip heavy balance feel a little foreign to me. I am sure that is a personal thing but I would not say the blade moves easily. Still, feels like it would make a nice cutting blade.
While moving the blade, it feels solid. No rattling or concerns from that side of things.
Test Cutting:
I have not done any test cutting with the blade. I am sure I will get to it soon but school and the weather have prevented me from doing much with the blade so far. I will update the review with some cutting stuff eventually.
Conclusions
This blade had a few surprises for me that I liked. I know Hazama Yakiba gets some criticism for various things but I just looked at the product and not any of the marketing. At $805, it is not an inexpensive blade. Also there are a lot of other blades out there that use similar fittings and have similar characteristics for a lot less money. Still, I can see that a little extra care was put into these blades. The lacquer on the saya is well done, the habaki fits well and holds well, the polish is nicer than average, and the sori is deeper, and the balance is unique. If you think that stuff is worth money then $805 probably does not seem crazy. At least I don’t think that it is so expensive that the price can’t be justified in some way.
The question I am sure people will ask is “Would you pay $805?” The simple answer is no. You should understand that my answer has my own personal bias in it. I love my Bamboo Mat for example but I would not likely pay the $1200 MSRP for that either. In my mind I compared this blade to my Ronin Elite ($850) based on the price category and features. The Haz blade has some nice stuff. Unique sori, nice tsukamaki, nice lacquer, unique feeling but for $45 more (in this case) I can get a Ronin Elite with a polish that is just as nice (in a different way), interesting lamination, similar fittings, and a full samegawa wrap on the tsuka. When I compare some of the other blades that are out there, I personally believe there are other things that suit me better.
That said, I don’t think this blade was a rip off, it just does not fit me personally. If Haz had a blade that tugged at my heart strings, I would not purchase and feel like I did not get a product of value. I might be incline to change the fittings but I still think the blade is nice. Also, all of my thoughts are based on light handling of the blade and looking over it. I have not cut anything with it yet. That might change things a bit.
Pros
Well fit habaki
Better than average polish
Smooth blade and clean lines
Nice lacquer work
Unique sori
Unique balance feeling
Cons
High cost
Average kisassaki and yakote
Simple fittings
The Bottom Line
I like how the sword moves but I don’t care much for the look. I will have a better idea after I do some cutting with it but at the moment all my points of criticism are subjective. I can’t spot anything fundamentally wrong with the sword and so while I don’t personally like the look of some things, it is still a good sword. There are a lot of good things out there for $800, if you are looking for a blade that has a nice hamon with a solid mirror polish, well lacquered saya, a spider etching, a deeper sori, and feel, than this might be a good choice. I can’t say this sword makes my personal favorites list but I do think it is a well made production style blade.
Hope this helps and cutting info will come sometime in the not too distant future. Please keep your comments respectful so the tread does not get locked before I can post that stuff.