Przemek (Przemysław Podstawa) W2 Katana and Tanto Daisho
Dec 17, 2013 0:30:00 GMT
Post by Matthew.Jensen on Dec 17, 2013 0:30:00 GMT
Update September 2015
This is a video I made long after this original post. I thought I would include it at the top because video is cool. It has an overview of the finished product and some other bits. Be warred it has some foul language.
Introduction
I started following Przemysław Podstawa’s work when I noticed one of his pieces for sale of SFI some years ago. His work was rougher then but still had the elements you would hope for in a custom blade. His work has evolved quite a bit over a short time. I think he makes very attractive pieces and his prices have not evolved as quickly as his talent.
As much as I hate to admit it the part that attracted me to these blades was the price and size. I purchased the tanto second had from another member of SBG. I purchased the sword from Przemek directly while he had it on sale. At the time, and even now I was knee deep in sword projects but he made me a deal I could not refuse. The tanto is a nice large sized tanto, and the katana is also right about my size. The right size and right price made up for the bad timing.
Historical overview
I don’t know if Przemek was trying to replicate a period piece or just have some freestyle sword making. I am sure there are more qualified folks that could speak about what elements of the disho have a root in history. I only have novice level subjective info to place here so I will go off in another direction. I’ll cover the recap of the project.
Phase 1: The Beginning.. (6 weeks.. Snail mail from Poland)
This particular project started as an impulse buy. I got lucky to find the blades at a very good price. After I got them in had I started thinking about what I was going to do.
Phase 2: Think… (2 Months)
I was going back and forth with the options I had on this blade. I have a lot of projects in the works and my idea for this blade was “work horse.” I wanted the blade to have a simple look and I wanted to keep the costs of the mount down.
Phase 3: Scrabble.. (3 Months)
I decided to look for pieces that had the mitsudomoe theme. The Hanwei Wind and Thunder fuchi/kashra from a Katana and Wakizashi is what I ended up with. It was a bit of a chore to find them at a decent price but I was able to find them eventually. Both were purchased from folks on selling them on SBG. I found the menuki on hyper café. (note, the stuff they sell on eBay is cheaper than what they sell on their website.. lesson learned)
Once I found the fuchi/kashira/menuki I needed to find a tsuba. I looked at the stuff on Lohman’s site but nothing quite fit. I reached out to Przemek and he was able to make me something at a very fair price.
Phase 4: Off She Goes.. (2 Months)
Once I had all the prices it was time to send it off for mounting or polishing. I opted to send them off to be mounted first because the person I was going to have polish it was already working on a piece for me. I looked over the various options for folks that work in the space of working on koshirae. Once I made a decision on who to work with it was only a matter of sorting out the details and prices. After the plan was made I sent the blade off in a box.
Phase 5: Pre-Polish Playtime (2 months)
I got the mounted blade back in the mail but it was still in smiths polish. It was a good time to do a little test cutting and see how the blade felt after being mounted. During this phase I was also waiting in line for my chosen polisher to be ready.
Phase 6: Polishing… (?)
I am sending the blade off for polish in the near future. I will update the review at a later time when I have more fun stuff to share.
Phase 7: TBD ()
Full Disclosure
I am not being paid to write this review.
I am not an employee of any sword company. I do however buy a lot of swords and sell a good chunk of them.
Przemysław Podstawa did not request that I write this review.
I am a novice sword collector/practitioner. I still have a lot to learn about every subject in this review but I have the swords, so why not share right? Everything that I write in this review is based on my opinion and limited knowledge. Please take that into account as you read.
Katana:
Blade: W2 Unpolished.
Tsuba: Iron Tsuba by Przemysław Podstawa with mitsudomoe theme.
Habaki: Base copper made by Przemysław Podstawa finished by professional in rokusho.
Seppa: Made by professional of rokusho copper.
Fuchi/Kashira: Hanwei Wind and Thunder Wakizahsi Fuchi/Kashira.
Menuki: Hyper Café Menuki.
Saya/Same: Made by professional.
Nagasa/Blade: 29 1/4”
Tsuka/Handle: 11 1/2”
Motokasane: 1/4"
Sakikasane: 3/16"
Moto-haba: 1 5/16"
Saki-haba: 1"
Sori: 5/16”
Weight: 2 lb 13.5 oz
POB: Aprox 6 ¼” from Tsuba
Overall: 42” (no Saya)
Overall : 43 1/2” (in Saya)
Tanto:
Blade: W2 Polished Tanto Balde by Przemysław Podstawa.
Tsuba: Iron Tsuba by Przemysław Podstawa with mitsudomoe theme.
Habaki: Base copper made by Przemysław Podstawa finished by professional in rokusho.
Seppa: Made by professional of rokusho copper.
Fuchi/Kashira: Hanwei Wind and Thunder Wakizahsi Fuchi/Kashira.
Menuki: Hyper Café Menuki.
Saya/Same: Made by professional.
Nagasa/Blade: 10 ½”
Tsuka/Handle: 4 1/2”
Motokasane: 1/4"
Sakikasane: 3/16"
Moto-haba: 1 1/8"
Weight: 1 lb .5 oz
Overall: 16 1/4” (no Saya)
Overall : 17 ¾” (in Saya)
The Blade/Nagasa
The blades are both W2 pieces that are very appealing in appearance. I like the wild hamon that Przemek makes. The katana is only in a smiths polish. I am sure it is going to be looking better after it is in final polish. The lines on the blade are nice overall but it is hard to say how they will turn out until the polishing is done. The smiths polish from Przemek is pretty rough.
The tanto is polished from Przemek. The lines are clean and nice. The tanto has a lot of meat on it. It is hefty like the katana. The hamon is wild but it does not standout outside of direct light. It could be etched a bit or brought out with a touch up polish. Still it is a great looking blade.
The Handle/Tsuka
The tsuka on the katana feels great. The ito is one of the tightest I have ever felt. It fits into my fat hands very well. I opted to use basic samegawa so the nodules are not very large but that was intentional. Everything is just as it should be in terms of placement and feeling.
The tanto has just a full wrap of samegawa. The handle of the tanto feels interesting in the hand. It has a rough texture and sticks in your hand very well. I am glad I went with a just a full wrap. I also like the size of the tanto tsuka. I have larger hands and it feels very comfortable to hold.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba are amazing! I was looking for something that had a nice custom look but wanted to keep it on the budget conscious side. I was having a lot of trouble finding something that fit well. I reached out to Przemek and asked him for his thoughts. He was able to make me a tsuba within my budget very quickly. The tsuba fits well and I am very pleased with it. I actually had him make a few more for some other projects.
The tsuba itself is blackened iron. It’s a simple construction but it has a good amount of depth for how simple the piece is. I thought it fit my idea of “work horse” quite well. I was a little concerned with about using a larger tsuba on the tanto but I am glad I did. It has a very appealing and different look.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The fuchi/Kashira are from Hanwei. They are from a Wind and Thunder Katana and Wakizashi. The wakizashi fuchi/kashira went on the tanto and the katana fuchi/kashira went on the katana. They are solid and had the theme I wanted. I also found menuki that matched from hyper café. I have not complaints about how they are mounted or how they feel.
Still, this is my one regret about the project. The fuchi/kashira/menuki being production pieces helped keep the cost down but I think I would have preferred the look of simple custom pieces. I think the fuchi/kashra/menuki for the project cost around $300-$350 total. I think I could have found custom pieces for close to that price. I am still happy with how they turned out, and I could always have the handle rewrapped or remade with different fittings. Still, that is the one part I think I would have done differently. There is no functional issue, and they are mounted perfectly. I just think the production fittings lessen the experience a bit.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya are both black ishimae with polished horn koiguchi, kojiri, and kurikata. I like the shape and texture of the saya. There is just something about a custom saya that makes me smile. It holds the blade right, it does not have weird residue anywhere, and it is easy to work with.
The ishimae is very fine, almost like a frosted texture. The intention was to make a work horse blade and it seems like this will conceal the inevitable dings a bit better than gloss black will.
Handling Characteristics
The tanto moves easily but feels like it has business to do. It is not a small piece, it’s only a few inches off from being a wakizashi, lol. It almost gives me the sensation of the Japanese style Rambo knife. I find the tanto very comfortable to operate and it is big enough that I could see trying to use it to cut.
The katana is a beast and a bit tip heavy. I like a tip heavy blade so it works well for me. I found the whole piece easy to work with but it required attention. The mass of the blade wants to keep moving if you don’t keep it under control. I have handled a number of blades that tip the scales over 3lb but this one moves a bit differently and felt heavier in the hands. I know the POB is a little higher than most production pieces so that likely contributed a lot to the feeling.
Test Cutting
I did a bit of test cutting with the katana while the blade is in smiths polish. The blade wanted to move thought targets that’s for sure. I did mostly hard targets with the blade and at first I was really trying to power the blade though them. Once I pulled my head from my ass, I realized that all that energy was unnecessary and not helpful. With relatively little effort the blade was moving though rolled news papers with a solid wood core. I was very pleased. I could tell by the sound the blade made moving though the paper that the rough polish was causing a bit of drag. It was difficult to keep water bottles on the stand or prevent the news paper rolls from falling over…. That’s honestly hard for me anyway as I am not very good at cutting.
Conclusions
The jump from production to custom is made a bit easier with people like Przemysław Podstawa out there. Custom blades have more character to them in my opinion, and they get more attention during the critical steps in the making. I think a lot of times people end up with a custom blade they are timed about using because it was such a hefty investment. With this blade the investment was nothing too small but it was a far cry from the $4000-$10000 range that many custom pieces can end up costing.
I am very pleased with the blade and the project overall. I think the blade is unique and mean looking. I wanted a work horse and I think I got one. I still have the final polishing to have done but when it is finished I think it will be a very stunning looking blade. The handling characteristics are a bit odd for some folks because of the hefty feeling but it is my honest preference. I think my good old Bamboo Mat might have a new competitor for regular use.
Pros:
Cost effective custom sword option
Custom sword look and feel
Everything fits and functions as it should
Neutral:
Fits me just right
Tip heavy feeling
Appealing theme (cuz I picked it)
Cons:
I don’t really have any cons that are related to problems or issues with the blade. I am very pleased with the project so far. Still there are some cons to doing a sword project so I can list those.
Energy - You are the one making the decisions about what to do with the mount, how it should look, who you trust to work on it, how much it will cost, finding the parts, doing the shipping, keeping track of everything. It’s not as simple as clicking “buy.” It is very important to manage your own expectations on these kind of projects. It’s a sad thing when you get your finished blade and all you see is years of energy and stress instead of your project come to life.
Time – Each step takes time and many steps cannot happen simultaneously. One person makes the blade, one person makes fittings, one person polishes the blade, and one person mounts the blade. This project is not finished yet and I started over a year ago. It takes some sweet time to get it all done.
Risk – Each step involved has some risk. The blade could get lost in shipping. Something could happen to it while it is in the care of someone else. Each time you send it somewhere there is a risk. This is somewhat manageable by working with people you trust and insuring your packages. Still it is an important note.
The Bottom Line
I would gladly do business with everyone involved with this project again. I wish I had done one or two things differently but overall I am very please. It was also a learning experience for me and I will use that experience in future projects.
I am very happy with both of my blades. I think Przemysław Podstawa does fantastic work and I am very interested to see how he continues to evolve as a smith. I hope this review shows some of the interesting parts of getting a custom blade done and some of the capabilities of Przemysław Podstawa. I would encourage anyone looking for a solid katana to consider him as an option.
This is a video I made long after this original post. I thought I would include it at the top because video is cool. It has an overview of the finished product and some other bits. Be warred it has some foul language.
Introduction
I started following Przemysław Podstawa’s work when I noticed one of his pieces for sale of SFI some years ago. His work was rougher then but still had the elements you would hope for in a custom blade. His work has evolved quite a bit over a short time. I think he makes very attractive pieces and his prices have not evolved as quickly as his talent.
As much as I hate to admit it the part that attracted me to these blades was the price and size. I purchased the tanto second had from another member of SBG. I purchased the sword from Przemek directly while he had it on sale. At the time, and even now I was knee deep in sword projects but he made me a deal I could not refuse. The tanto is a nice large sized tanto, and the katana is also right about my size. The right size and right price made up for the bad timing.
Historical overview
I don’t know if Przemek was trying to replicate a period piece or just have some freestyle sword making. I am sure there are more qualified folks that could speak about what elements of the disho have a root in history. I only have novice level subjective info to place here so I will go off in another direction. I’ll cover the recap of the project.
Phase 1: The Beginning.. (6 weeks.. Snail mail from Poland)
This particular project started as an impulse buy. I got lucky to find the blades at a very good price. After I got them in had I started thinking about what I was going to do.
Phase 2: Think… (2 Months)
I was going back and forth with the options I had on this blade. I have a lot of projects in the works and my idea for this blade was “work horse.” I wanted the blade to have a simple look and I wanted to keep the costs of the mount down.
Phase 3: Scrabble.. (3 Months)
I decided to look for pieces that had the mitsudomoe theme. The Hanwei Wind and Thunder fuchi/kashra from a Katana and Wakizashi is what I ended up with. It was a bit of a chore to find them at a decent price but I was able to find them eventually. Both were purchased from folks on selling them on SBG. I found the menuki on hyper café. (note, the stuff they sell on eBay is cheaper than what they sell on their website.. lesson learned)
Once I found the fuchi/kashira/menuki I needed to find a tsuba. I looked at the stuff on Lohman’s site but nothing quite fit. I reached out to Przemek and he was able to make me something at a very fair price.
Phase 4: Off She Goes.. (2 Months)
Once I had all the prices it was time to send it off for mounting or polishing. I opted to send them off to be mounted first because the person I was going to have polish it was already working on a piece for me. I looked over the various options for folks that work in the space of working on koshirae. Once I made a decision on who to work with it was only a matter of sorting out the details and prices. After the plan was made I sent the blade off in a box.
Phase 5: Pre-Polish Playtime (2 months)
I got the mounted blade back in the mail but it was still in smiths polish. It was a good time to do a little test cutting and see how the blade felt after being mounted. During this phase I was also waiting in line for my chosen polisher to be ready.
Phase 6: Polishing… (?)
I am sending the blade off for polish in the near future. I will update the review at a later time when I have more fun stuff to share.
Phase 7: TBD ()
Full Disclosure
I am not being paid to write this review.
I am not an employee of any sword company. I do however buy a lot of swords and sell a good chunk of them.
Przemysław Podstawa did not request that I write this review.
I am a novice sword collector/practitioner. I still have a lot to learn about every subject in this review but I have the swords, so why not share right? Everything that I write in this review is based on my opinion and limited knowledge. Please take that into account as you read.
Katana:
Blade: W2 Unpolished.
Tsuba: Iron Tsuba by Przemysław Podstawa with mitsudomoe theme.
Habaki: Base copper made by Przemysław Podstawa finished by professional in rokusho.
Seppa: Made by professional of rokusho copper.
Fuchi/Kashira: Hanwei Wind and Thunder Wakizahsi Fuchi/Kashira.
Menuki: Hyper Café Menuki.
Saya/Same: Made by professional.
Nagasa/Blade: 29 1/4”
Tsuka/Handle: 11 1/2”
Motokasane: 1/4"
Sakikasane: 3/16"
Moto-haba: 1 5/16"
Saki-haba: 1"
Sori: 5/16”
Weight: 2 lb 13.5 oz
POB: Aprox 6 ¼” from Tsuba
Overall: 42” (no Saya)
Overall : 43 1/2” (in Saya)
Tanto:
Blade: W2 Polished Tanto Balde by Przemysław Podstawa.
Tsuba: Iron Tsuba by Przemysław Podstawa with mitsudomoe theme.
Habaki: Base copper made by Przemysław Podstawa finished by professional in rokusho.
Seppa: Made by professional of rokusho copper.
Fuchi/Kashira: Hanwei Wind and Thunder Wakizahsi Fuchi/Kashira.
Menuki: Hyper Café Menuki.
Saya/Same: Made by professional.
Nagasa/Blade: 10 ½”
Tsuka/Handle: 4 1/2”
Motokasane: 1/4"
Sakikasane: 3/16"
Moto-haba: 1 1/8"
Weight: 1 lb .5 oz
Overall: 16 1/4” (no Saya)
Overall : 17 ¾” (in Saya)
The Blade/Nagasa
The blades are both W2 pieces that are very appealing in appearance. I like the wild hamon that Przemek makes. The katana is only in a smiths polish. I am sure it is going to be looking better after it is in final polish. The lines on the blade are nice overall but it is hard to say how they will turn out until the polishing is done. The smiths polish from Przemek is pretty rough.
The tanto is polished from Przemek. The lines are clean and nice. The tanto has a lot of meat on it. It is hefty like the katana. The hamon is wild but it does not standout outside of direct light. It could be etched a bit or brought out with a touch up polish. Still it is a great looking blade.
The Handle/Tsuka
The tsuka on the katana feels great. The ito is one of the tightest I have ever felt. It fits into my fat hands very well. I opted to use basic samegawa so the nodules are not very large but that was intentional. Everything is just as it should be in terms of placement and feeling.
The tanto has just a full wrap of samegawa. The handle of the tanto feels interesting in the hand. It has a rough texture and sticks in your hand very well. I am glad I went with a just a full wrap. I also like the size of the tanto tsuka. I have larger hands and it feels very comfortable to hold.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba are amazing! I was looking for something that had a nice custom look but wanted to keep it on the budget conscious side. I was having a lot of trouble finding something that fit well. I reached out to Przemek and asked him for his thoughts. He was able to make me a tsuba within my budget very quickly. The tsuba fits well and I am very pleased with it. I actually had him make a few more for some other projects.
The tsuba itself is blackened iron. It’s a simple construction but it has a good amount of depth for how simple the piece is. I thought it fit my idea of “work horse” quite well. I was a little concerned with about using a larger tsuba on the tanto but I am glad I did. It has a very appealing and different look.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The fuchi/Kashira are from Hanwei. They are from a Wind and Thunder Katana and Wakizashi. The wakizashi fuchi/kashira went on the tanto and the katana fuchi/kashira went on the katana. They are solid and had the theme I wanted. I also found menuki that matched from hyper café. I have not complaints about how they are mounted or how they feel.
Still, this is my one regret about the project. The fuchi/kashira/menuki being production pieces helped keep the cost down but I think I would have preferred the look of simple custom pieces. I think the fuchi/kashra/menuki for the project cost around $300-$350 total. I think I could have found custom pieces for close to that price. I am still happy with how they turned out, and I could always have the handle rewrapped or remade with different fittings. Still, that is the one part I think I would have done differently. There is no functional issue, and they are mounted perfectly. I just think the production fittings lessen the experience a bit.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya are both black ishimae with polished horn koiguchi, kojiri, and kurikata. I like the shape and texture of the saya. There is just something about a custom saya that makes me smile. It holds the blade right, it does not have weird residue anywhere, and it is easy to work with.
The ishimae is very fine, almost like a frosted texture. The intention was to make a work horse blade and it seems like this will conceal the inevitable dings a bit better than gloss black will.
Handling Characteristics
The tanto moves easily but feels like it has business to do. It is not a small piece, it’s only a few inches off from being a wakizashi, lol. It almost gives me the sensation of the Japanese style Rambo knife. I find the tanto very comfortable to operate and it is big enough that I could see trying to use it to cut.
The katana is a beast and a bit tip heavy. I like a tip heavy blade so it works well for me. I found the whole piece easy to work with but it required attention. The mass of the blade wants to keep moving if you don’t keep it under control. I have handled a number of blades that tip the scales over 3lb but this one moves a bit differently and felt heavier in the hands. I know the POB is a little higher than most production pieces so that likely contributed a lot to the feeling.
Test Cutting
I did a bit of test cutting with the katana while the blade is in smiths polish. The blade wanted to move thought targets that’s for sure. I did mostly hard targets with the blade and at first I was really trying to power the blade though them. Once I pulled my head from my ass, I realized that all that energy was unnecessary and not helpful. With relatively little effort the blade was moving though rolled news papers with a solid wood core. I was very pleased. I could tell by the sound the blade made moving though the paper that the rough polish was causing a bit of drag. It was difficult to keep water bottles on the stand or prevent the news paper rolls from falling over…. That’s honestly hard for me anyway as I am not very good at cutting.
Conclusions
The jump from production to custom is made a bit easier with people like Przemysław Podstawa out there. Custom blades have more character to them in my opinion, and they get more attention during the critical steps in the making. I think a lot of times people end up with a custom blade they are timed about using because it was such a hefty investment. With this blade the investment was nothing too small but it was a far cry from the $4000-$10000 range that many custom pieces can end up costing.
I am very pleased with the blade and the project overall. I think the blade is unique and mean looking. I wanted a work horse and I think I got one. I still have the final polishing to have done but when it is finished I think it will be a very stunning looking blade. The handling characteristics are a bit odd for some folks because of the hefty feeling but it is my honest preference. I think my good old Bamboo Mat might have a new competitor for regular use.
Pros:
Cost effective custom sword option
Custom sword look and feel
Everything fits and functions as it should
Neutral:
Fits me just right
Tip heavy feeling
Appealing theme (cuz I picked it)
Cons:
I don’t really have any cons that are related to problems or issues with the blade. I am very pleased with the project so far. Still there are some cons to doing a sword project so I can list those.
Energy - You are the one making the decisions about what to do with the mount, how it should look, who you trust to work on it, how much it will cost, finding the parts, doing the shipping, keeping track of everything. It’s not as simple as clicking “buy.” It is very important to manage your own expectations on these kind of projects. It’s a sad thing when you get your finished blade and all you see is years of energy and stress instead of your project come to life.
Time – Each step takes time and many steps cannot happen simultaneously. One person makes the blade, one person makes fittings, one person polishes the blade, and one person mounts the blade. This project is not finished yet and I started over a year ago. It takes some sweet time to get it all done.
Risk – Each step involved has some risk. The blade could get lost in shipping. Something could happen to it while it is in the care of someone else. Each time you send it somewhere there is a risk. This is somewhat manageable by working with people you trust and insuring your packages. Still it is an important note.
The Bottom Line
I would gladly do business with everyone involved with this project again. I wish I had done one or two things differently but overall I am very please. It was also a learning experience for me and I will use that experience in future projects.
I am very happy with both of my blades. I think Przemysław Podstawa does fantastic work and I am very interested to see how he continues to evolve as a smith. I hope this review shows some of the interesting parts of getting a custom blade done and some of the capabilities of Przemysław Podstawa. I would encourage anyone looking for a solid katana to consider him as an option.