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Post by LG Martial Arts on Feb 26, 2014 12:29:27 GMT
Yes and no... low level students use iaito, but once proficient enough, their sensei will (probably) give them permission to use shinken, usually once they have at least a Nidan level rank. A lot of senseis I've seen and heard/read about also use shinken in their training (iai techniques, not just cutting), since it brings another dimension into their training. Shihan Miyake, my Iaido sensei uses one of his nihonto during class to demonstrate techniques almost exclusively.
BTW, that's a really nice looking blade on the "Project T-10 katana" - nice review!
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Post by frankthebunny on Feb 28, 2014 2:49:41 GMT
Thanks LGM Richard, while the PT-10 is obviously no substitute for a nihonto, as really no production sword is, and while it might be affordable I think $5-600 is a little unrealistic. I don't know of any other production sword with the same level of features that falls within that price range these days. There is also a no-hi version of this sword so those that don't prefer hi (such as myself) have other options. Thanks for the link
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Post by Richard Arias on Feb 28, 2014 4:57:05 GMT
Frank,
The book is a good read and gives the reader the inside view of an above average swordsman with a lifetime of experience. Some things about Nakamura's view dont ring true across the board. I have only cut with 1/10th of the blades he did in his lifetime but he like Obata only favor Koto and Shinto blades. If you read Obata's book "The Naked Blade" (which in my openion is a lesser book compared to Nakamura's) he talks more about why the blades of Koto and Shinto were better than newer era blades... but again books are too old to include a view of modern blades. But Obata's lacks the luster of Military training and experience.
As for the blade you reviewed the forges could produce blades to higher standards at a decent price it is done in the gun world by taurus and armscore making match grade pistols for 6 $600-700 compared to spingfeild and colts $1,800+. MAS had the chance to change the sword word in that way as did oni forge. But they wont do it the same way Bugei wont stop billing people $1,200 for what should be an $800 sword.
Its what really bugs me about the sword world. Everyone is copying eachother and not being original...
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Post by LastGodslayer on Feb 28, 2014 11:21:30 GMT
lt'll be at or over 1000$ because of the hadori. Thats where the cost is at.
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Post by Richard Arias on Feb 28, 2014 17:49:27 GMT
In my experince its mostly yes. When you see Iai guys at Tai Kai or Embu when they have the option of shinken for a Kata most will pick the Iaito. Partly because it is lighter so its easier to control and makes the techniques look cleaner. Also at an Embu or a Seminar it makes beginners think the sesnei is good because he can make noise from the sword.
To a certain point allot of Iai cares more for form than function. Because function does not look near as pretty as a Kata or Kumitachi with an Iaito will lead you to believe.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Feb 28, 2014 18:27:35 GMT
And like I mentioned, it comes down to the instructor. You don't need a bo-hi sword to produce tachikaze, especially if you're a sensei. Implying that bo-hi katanas are used exclusively to impress students is kind of demeaning to lots of instructors who have been studying and teaching for long periods of time. Also, while I do agree that there are iai schools that are more interested in form over function, that isn't always the case. I've been very fortunate to continue my study of Iaido with Shihan Miyake (more than 8 years), who takes the techniques seriously and explains (when possible) the reasoning behind the technique and why or why not it would work in certain situations. It seems your experience is vastly different to mine. I'm not implying my views are superior to yours, just pointing out that (myself included), we need to get away from generalizations and see/hear what others have to say in a critical fashion that leaves the arts better off in the long run. Sorry Josh if it seems like I'm hijacking your thread. This is my last comment on Iaido here. Getting back to your review, the blade looks stunning, really well done compared to other modern production katanas. Very few can match this example. I'll just say though that the fittings don't really impress me, think they could be better seeing as the blade is so nice.
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Post by johnwalter on Feb 28, 2014 19:21:15 GMT
I love the hamon.Like the tsukamaki.The tsuka,imho,is abit too thin for heavy tameshigiri.I cant really tell without handling it tho. The fittings are a huge letdown,the saya,looks very familiar. Another stellar review Josh.
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Post by Richard Arias on Feb 28, 2014 21:52:30 GMT
www.toyamaryu.org/ratings2006.htm The sword looks like a good one. But where it really could be made to shine is in the hands of the swordsman who finally tests it. I would make a vote to send it to Nihonzashi and Mike Femal Sensei. He is one of the best Iai and Batto cutters in the States and for years he had an index going and I think we should work on getting that back with the current fan favorites here so that we can start giving people good data.
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Post by frankthebunny on Mar 3, 2014 18:56:56 GMT
I agree that it would be beneficial to have it tested in the hands of a professional and I think some of these were sent to other people for test cutting. I believe I was sent one of these not for my professional opinion of how it performs but for the other aspects such as fit and finish and aesthetics. Different people in the sword world tend to focus on different things and while I definitely wouldn't make the best judge of performance, some expert swordsmen might not notice as much as I do on the other levels. A good blade that cuts well alone doesn't make a whole katana and when paying good money for a sword, you want to know what else is going on At least I would That being said, I've just added a couple of cutting vids by a complete amateur....yours truly, lol Go easy :oops:
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Post by Alex.Moranz on Mar 3, 2014 21:28:31 GMT
great videos Josh. Those vines looked like pretty nice cutting targets. I do have one question though. Did you smoke your car with a few of them while you were cutting? It looked like one of those vines bounced off the back of the car.
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Post by frankthebunny on Mar 3, 2014 21:37:03 GMT
Lol, I don't think so but I will go back to the video to check. It wouldn't be the worst thing to hit it though since my friend the Ent already fell on the hood and left a nice dent.
Oh ok, I see where it looks like it was hitting my car but there is a actually deck with stone steps over there and that's what the pieces were bouncing off of.
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Post by Bluntsword on Mar 4, 2014 0:28:28 GMT
Great review Josh, as always. Questions:- does the habaki have machigane? (I don't think so but I'll ask anyway) - are my eyes deceiving me or is the tang's mune side following the blade curvature? if it does... well done to the sword smith. Pro from what I can see:- great blade, the overall shape and lines of all sections are in proportion and flow nicely. The curvature is fluent and continues into the nakago (I think, there's no pic that shows the whole blade and tang). - the polish is nicely done, the transition from soft to hard steel stands out. The polishing work is almost perfect as the polisher has polished over the hamon to create the brighter whiter section of the hamon. The overall hamon section is great as well you can see the white ha is even along the entire ha length. - hada is extremely fine and tight, very hard to see in the pics, so that leads me to assume that this sword is folded at least 12 times. The blade alone would be over $600 Con from what I can see:- I don't like the ito, for some reason it doesn't look like good quality ito to me, maybe because it looks furry and not smooth. - personal taste, I would like the tsuka to be more rikko & gyaku menuki placement. - the same has overall very small nodes,with out any emperor nodes at all. - Also I'm not sure if it was a full same wrap? can't remember reading it any where. - fittings could be better quality Why doesn't any highend production swords (besides Bugie) have the hook on the saya. The sword will be over $800 and will be competition for the upper sword market (guestimation ).
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Post by frankthebunny on Mar 4, 2014 1:44:18 GMT
Thanks Yes, the sori continues into the nakago. It is done well where it's not a stick straight interruption and yet not like a banana which makes fitting the tsuka harder. I'll try to get a full length blade shot in soon. The predominant feature of this sword is the blades polish imho. It is fine and stands alone in the production sword market right now. There are other makers that showcase a well executed hamon but this is usually done by etching which unfortunately will be removed to some extent with use. I have seen many "frosty" hamon rub off in spots just by drawing and re-sheathing the blades in the saya. This doesn't mean the real hamon is removed but just the enhanced visibility. Still, it effects the overall aesthetics. The "white" on this hamon has not rubbed off even with cutting of abrasive targets that have caused surface scratches. I think it would ease the minds of those who might be afraid to cut with such a nice looking polished blade. I don't believe this steel was folded. I have seen tight itame grain structure like this before on 1095 steel swords that were also not folded. I am still not sure that this is T-10 and not 1095, or if there is a lot of difference between the two. When it comes to Chinese made katana and their steel types, I try to take it all with a grain of salt. The proof should be in the pudding and in this case so far, the steel looks great as does the hamon, and the edge has held up extremely well on hard targets. I will soon be getting a supply of fresh bamboo which I will be happy to cut to bits with these swords The ito is cotton and even though it's not the typical cheap shoelace variety, cotton ito still has a tendency to fuzz a bit until it gets smooth with dirt and sweat. Close up pics don't help here, lol. But it is of course purely a personal preference and I for one love silk best and would like to see these tsuka with premium silk ito.
I also don't love the samegawa quality. These are panels not a full wrap. I think I'd rather have well done panels with better samegawa than a full wrap by someone who doesn't know how to do it properly. It's pretty labor intensive and takes a lot of skill to do a nice full wrap that is as strong as it's supposed to be and looks good as well. Plus you need a full skin to do this, or at least the best part of a whole skin and this can add a lot of cost. I agree, Fittings can definitely be improved upon although I did like the simple but handsome rust patina tsuba. Most of the time the absence of certain features are because of a prohibitive cost or lack of interest from the consumer or lack of knowledge from the maker or sometimes a combo. Kaeshizuno require installation of a small block of horn implanted in the saya core and since they didn't even use horn for the kurikata or kojiri, I'm not surprised that it's not included. I feel the saya of this sword is more of an afterthought and just for protecting the blade. Again, costs would likely be higher if they raised the level of craftsmanship and lacquer on these saya but I feel it would be worth it. It will be in the upper range for sure and mostly for the outstanding polish. Sadly for us, the prices on almost all of these production swords have been rising, or at least the better ones, so if Raptors and DF Musha are going for $500 (retail) it would make sense that something like this would be much more. I just hope the prices don't continue to rise because it might make more sense to buy a nihonto eventually :lol:
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Post by chrisperoni on Mar 4, 2014 2:19:11 GMT
Hey - Josh - so who makes the dang thing!??!?
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Post by ghost55 on Mar 4, 2014 5:31:28 GMT
Good question!
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Post by Bluntsword on Mar 4, 2014 13:25:17 GMT
Guessing game, who ever get's it right gets to keep the sword I'm guessing Skyjiro.
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Post by LastGodslayer on Mar 4, 2014 14:10:02 GMT
The blade is too good for Skyjiro... C'mon guys, you've seen *this* blade before Not sure if the guys making the blade are the guys making the sword though...
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Mar 4, 2014 14:54:18 GMT
One hint might be in the polish too. While I agree that this is nice sword, I'm still bummed that the retail price will most likely put this being(to what I consider) high end production stuff. I just wish they've dropped the polish to keep the price at more reasonable level, but that's just me as I personally don't shop at the level of high end production stuff.
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Post by Krelian on Mar 4, 2014 15:23:33 GMT
I feel the exact same.
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Post by LastGodslayer on Mar 4, 2014 18:21:33 GMT
Although the sword isn't my cup of tea, I think its a welcome high end production katana, in a market where you generally can only have the choice of a good blade or of over-the-top koshirae. If it handles as good as it should (especially the bo-hi version) it might actually make the 1st ever high end blade that you can actually use... Lets just see if it prices itself with Kaneie or lower.
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