Sinosword Daisho - Shobu Katana and Kanmuri-Otoshi Ko-Katana
Jan 2, 2014 20:58:25 GMT
Post by napper on Jan 2, 2014 20:58:25 GMT
Introduction
This is the Review to the already announced Daisho from that post /thread/38169
Most of the Story has been told there.
Full Disclosure
I have no relationship to Sinoswordsc financially or in other circumstances. I'm alo by no means an expert in nihonto and reviewing, so this will be based on my own observations and knowledge that I have build up over the last couple of years.
Initial Impressions
My only contact at Sino was Mr Kane, who was very responsive and helpfull in his mails. I don't felt that there has been a languange barrier at any time. Promised waiting time for the swords has been 50 days. I then received the swords on 16th December 2013 in a good shape. A bit later though, but swords have been stuck in german customs.
Both swords have been securely packed in a single silk covered wooden box. The swords lay in that box in a tight silk layered styrofoam inlay wrapped in a silk bag.
Unpacked I was very impressed by the two with the Ko-Katana the most, as it fet very handy and wicked in my Hands.
Here is what I found, starting with the katana:
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 72,5cm (28.5"
Steel: T10 folded, Kobuse construction
Handle/Tsuka Length: 33,5cm (13.2")
Motohaba/ width at habaki: 32mm (1.26")
Sakihaba/ width near to kissaki: 27mm (1.06")
Motokasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 6mm (0.23")
Sakikasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 5mm (0.19")
Sori: 17mm (0.66")
POB (Point of Balance): 15cm (5.9") from tsuka
Weight: 1,1kg without saya
The Blade/Nagasa
Blade is of shobu zukuri sugata with a tori sori offering a nice fumbari. The well pronounced hamon is midare that shows some activity. The hardly visible (I couldn't manage to get a Picture from that) hada is masame mixed with some mokume. It has an Iori-Mune and a low shinogi, what is not typical for shobu sugata. Typically there should be a high shinogi resambling a diamond shape in the cross section. That is something I missed out to discuss with Sino and rethinking I should have done so. I already pointed that out to Mr Kane and hopefully he will take care of that in the future.
The polish is a traditional style as offered and is not of mirror type.
Blade has definately niku, as you can see in the picture.
The Handle/Tsuka
The Tsuka is wrapped with brown silk ito in katatemaki using hishigami. Ito is alternating and very tight. I choosed a iron floral style tsuba for this one that came out nice with crisp lines. Habaki, Fuchi and Kashira are plane ones as I don't like the other fancy styles they offered. Fuchi is flush with the ito, but the kashira is not.
As a downside the Tsuka is not centered on the nakago, therefore the line from saya to tsuka looks a bit awkward and the seppa is off-centre.
The Scabbard/Saya
I decided to go with a natural wood saya with buffalo horn koiguchi and kojiri. I like the natural Wood grain pattern the most, what is not very traditional. The koiguchi and the kojiri are smoothly integrated and well polished. Although the habaki has the right tigh fit, there is still some small rattle.
Ko-Katana:
(pics in next post)
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 62cm (24.4")
Steel: T10 folded, Kobuse construction
Handle/Tsuka Length: 26,5cm (10.4")
Motohaba/ width at habaki: 31mm (1.22")
Sakihaba/ width near to kissaki: 24mm (0.94")
Motokasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 7mm (0.27")
Sakikasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 6mm (0.24")
Sori: 14mm (0.55")
POB (Point of Balance): 10cm (3.94") from tsuka
Weight: 0,85kg without saya
The Blade/Nagasa
Blade is of kanmuri-otoshi zukuri sugata with a tori sori. There is a well shaped long naginata-hi. As it has he same polish as the katana the hamon is well pronounced midare and the almost not visible hada is masame.
Blade has definately niku, as you can see in the Picture, but is more scant as on the katana.
The Handle/Tsuka
The Tsuka is matching wrapped with brown silk ito in katatemaki using hishigami. Ito is also alternating and very tight. I choosed a small tanto style iron tsuba for this Ko-Katana resambling an aikuchi theme (don't know the exact style yet, but can be historicaly seen on other katana and wakizashi). Habaki, Fuchi and Kashira are the same as on the katana, too. Here the Fuchi is also flush with the ito, but the kashira is not.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is of the same good Quality as on the Katana, but has no rattle in it.
Handling Characteristics/ Test Cutting
I'm not backyard cutter and haven't studied martial arts yet, so I have not done any cutting up to now and I can't give a reliable review in this area. I only want to say this:
The katana is not a heavy sword, it feels light when swung. The Ko-Katana feels really like a handsome speedy everything cutter.
Conclusions
I paid 428$ for the Katana and 398$ for the Ko-katana plus 85$ shipping, for that pricepoint I'm satisfied with the Quality and the fact that I got customized swords. Yes, there is a flaw on the katana with tsuka off-centre, but overall the Quality is good. I would recommend this vendor to others, but as with any other chinese vendor be specific what you want, as this is what you get. I'm already thinking out an order for a nagamaki (hello, Jussi ) as that is another sword style I fell in love with.
This is the Review to the already announced Daisho from that post /thread/38169
Most of the Story has been told there.
Full Disclosure
I have no relationship to Sinoswordsc financially or in other circumstances. I'm alo by no means an expert in nihonto and reviewing, so this will be based on my own observations and knowledge that I have build up over the last couple of years.
Initial Impressions
My only contact at Sino was Mr Kane, who was very responsive and helpfull in his mails. I don't felt that there has been a languange barrier at any time. Promised waiting time for the swords has been 50 days. I then received the swords on 16th December 2013 in a good shape. A bit later though, but swords have been stuck in german customs.
Both swords have been securely packed in a single silk covered wooden box. The swords lay in that box in a tight silk layered styrofoam inlay wrapped in a silk bag.
Unpacked I was very impressed by the two with the Ko-Katana the most, as it fet very handy and wicked in my Hands.
Here is what I found, starting with the katana:
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 72,5cm (28.5"
Steel: T10 folded, Kobuse construction
Handle/Tsuka Length: 33,5cm (13.2")
Motohaba/ width at habaki: 32mm (1.26")
Sakihaba/ width near to kissaki: 27mm (1.06")
Motokasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 6mm (0.23")
Sakikasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 5mm (0.19")
Sori: 17mm (0.66")
POB (Point of Balance): 15cm (5.9") from tsuka
Weight: 1,1kg without saya
The Blade/Nagasa
Blade is of shobu zukuri sugata with a tori sori offering a nice fumbari. The well pronounced hamon is midare that shows some activity. The hardly visible (I couldn't manage to get a Picture from that) hada is masame mixed with some mokume. It has an Iori-Mune and a low shinogi, what is not typical for shobu sugata. Typically there should be a high shinogi resambling a diamond shape in the cross section. That is something I missed out to discuss with Sino and rethinking I should have done so. I already pointed that out to Mr Kane and hopefully he will take care of that in the future.
The polish is a traditional style as offered and is not of mirror type.
Blade has definately niku, as you can see in the picture.
The Handle/Tsuka
The Tsuka is wrapped with brown silk ito in katatemaki using hishigami. Ito is alternating and very tight. I choosed a iron floral style tsuba for this one that came out nice with crisp lines. Habaki, Fuchi and Kashira are plane ones as I don't like the other fancy styles they offered. Fuchi is flush with the ito, but the kashira is not.
As a downside the Tsuka is not centered on the nakago, therefore the line from saya to tsuka looks a bit awkward and the seppa is off-centre.
The Scabbard/Saya
I decided to go with a natural wood saya with buffalo horn koiguchi and kojiri. I like the natural Wood grain pattern the most, what is not very traditional. The koiguchi and the kojiri are smoothly integrated and well polished. Although the habaki has the right tigh fit, there is still some small rattle.
Ko-Katana:
(pics in next post)
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 62cm (24.4")
Steel: T10 folded, Kobuse construction
Handle/Tsuka Length: 26,5cm (10.4")
Motohaba/ width at habaki: 31mm (1.22")
Sakihaba/ width near to kissaki: 24mm (0.94")
Motokasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 7mm (0.27")
Sakikasane/ Mune thickness at kissaki: 6mm (0.24")
Sori: 14mm (0.55")
POB (Point of Balance): 10cm (3.94") from tsuka
Weight: 0,85kg without saya
The Blade/Nagasa
Blade is of kanmuri-otoshi zukuri sugata with a tori sori. There is a well shaped long naginata-hi. As it has he same polish as the katana the hamon is well pronounced midare and the almost not visible hada is masame.
Blade has definately niku, as you can see in the Picture, but is more scant as on the katana.
The Handle/Tsuka
The Tsuka is matching wrapped with brown silk ito in katatemaki using hishigami. Ito is also alternating and very tight. I choosed a small tanto style iron tsuba for this Ko-Katana resambling an aikuchi theme (don't know the exact style yet, but can be historicaly seen on other katana and wakizashi). Habaki, Fuchi and Kashira are the same as on the katana, too. Here the Fuchi is also flush with the ito, but the kashira is not.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is of the same good Quality as on the Katana, but has no rattle in it.
Handling Characteristics/ Test Cutting
I'm not backyard cutter and haven't studied martial arts yet, so I have not done any cutting up to now and I can't give a reliable review in this area. I only want to say this:
The katana is not a heavy sword, it feels light when swung. The Ko-Katana feels really like a handsome speedy everything cutter.
Conclusions
I paid 428$ for the Katana and 398$ for the Ko-katana plus 85$ shipping, for that pricepoint I'm satisfied with the Quality and the fact that I got customized swords. Yes, there is a flaw on the katana with tsuka off-centre, but overall the Quality is good. I would recommend this vendor to others, but as with any other chinese vendor be specific what you want, as this is what you get. I'm already thinking out an order for a nagamaki (hello, Jussi ) as that is another sword style I fell in love with.