Dynasty Forge 1060 Musha Shobu Katana
Apr 6, 2014 18:30:13 GMT
Post by Curtis_Louis on Apr 6, 2014 18:30:13 GMT
Introduction
I figured that I would do a quick review on this Katana and add some more to it once the weather figures out what it wants to do. More than anything, I wanted to post some pictures because there just aren't many pictures of this particular Dynasty Forge Katana around.
I purchased my first Katana about two years ago. The addition of this DF Musha makes it the sixth one in my collection.
My interest in swords is mostly utilitarian. I love to cut in the backyard. I am more than willing to forego aesthetics in favor of a solid, performing, backyard beast.
I have wanted this particular Katana for a long time. Every time they become available, I make some excuse to hold off on the purchase and the next thing I know, its back ordered. So, once I saw these in stock once again at KOA, I did not hesitate to make the purchase.
Four of my six Katana are through hardened blades. Two Raptors, a Wiwingti Ko-Katana and of course, this new DF. The other two, a Kris Cutlery Hira Zukuri and a Musashi Warrior are traditional DH blades.
I prefer the TH blades because they are so forgiving and tough as nails. I don't mind the absence of a more traditional appearance.
I have some high dollar European swords that hang on my walls and will never be used for cutting (while they belong to me, that is) but the vast majority of my collection see regular cutting sessions. This is true of all six of my Katana.
Historical overview
This is taken from the product description from the manufacturer...
A Shobu katana has an elegantly formed blade that ends in an uninterrupted sweeping tip. ‘’Shobu’’ means ‘’Iris’’ - an apt description for the similarity in form between the blade and the leaf of the Iris plant. Most katana have Kissaki tips with a well-defined ‘’Yokote’’ - a visible line that marks the beginning of the tip. The Shobu forgoes this for a blade that arcs into an aesthetically natural tip.
Full Disclosure
I purchased this Katana brand new, at full price, from Kult of Athena.
Initial Impressions
The sword was purchased on Tuesday evening online and was waiting for me when I got home from work on Thursday.
The sword was double boxed and double padded. The outer box was from Kult of Athena and the inner box was the manufacturers box I assume.
I unwrapped the sword and did the 'ol once over. I was very happy upon my initial examination. Solid, solid, solid. The sword felt great in hand and the blade was paper cutting sharp right out of the box.
Statistics
Taken from KOA website...
Overall Length: 41'' Blade: 29 1/8''
Weight: 2 lb 9.1 oz
P.O.B.: 6 3/8''
Thickness: 7.6 mm - 5.1 mm
Width: 32.4 mm
Grip Length: 11 1/2''
The blade length above is accurate as well as the grip length and POB. I could not verify the other stats at this time.
Components
Blackened steel (magnetic) fittings. The tsuka is VERY tightly wrapped over a nice strip of ray skin. The menuki are well placed and do not budge.
The cutting edge of the blade has a satin polish (maybe 400-600 grit) and the spine is mirror polished. The blade is very sharp.
I really like the saya. It has a nice, thick, black lacquer finish. My favorite part of the saya is the iron end cap. This is the only one of my Katana that have this. I find it an attractive addition.
If you are looking for a "Spartan" cutter, this is it. The Musha line is the DF lowest price Katana offering, so it sacrifices the cosmetics to keep the price down. (Just the way I like it). It does not, however, sacrifice any of its performance.
I will let the pics do the talking...
Handling Characteristics
This sword has lots of blade presence. The tsuka is very comfortable for me. It has a gradual taper in the middle that allows for repetitive hand placement.
I have had very little time to do any cutting with this sword. However, I did manage a few quick cutting sessions Friday evening and yesterday afternoon. I cut twenty water bottles, four milk containers and twelve diet DR PEPPER (thick walled) bottles. This Katana made quick work of everything I had.
I found it easy to maintain proper edge alignment. It is a heavy Katana, but I do not find it to be any slower than either of my Raptors. My KC, WSS and Musashi are all much lighter swords and much quicker. The weight of the DF does not hinder a quick recovery and maintains a smooth, controllable transition. I have not had enough experience with this sword yet to say that I like it better than my WSS or Raptor, but on initial handling/cutting, I have an ear to ear grin.
Pros
Rock solid assembly
Nicely defined tsuka shape
Very nice saya with iron end cap
Excellent blade profile makes cutting thicker targets easy
Cons
Won't win any beauty pageants
Availability.
The Bottom Line
Would I recommend this sword to a friend? Heck yeah. This is a solid cutter that can easily take on harder targets. It is a well designed Katana and a lot of fun. If you can find one in stock around the $325 mark, I say grab it. At some point this year, I will purchase a Ronin Katana Dojo-Pro. I am very interested in performing a side by side comparison with this DF, my Hanwei Raptor and a Ronin Dojo-Pro.
Thanks for reading.
Curt
I figured that I would do a quick review on this Katana and add some more to it once the weather figures out what it wants to do. More than anything, I wanted to post some pictures because there just aren't many pictures of this particular Dynasty Forge Katana around.
I purchased my first Katana about two years ago. The addition of this DF Musha makes it the sixth one in my collection.
My interest in swords is mostly utilitarian. I love to cut in the backyard. I am more than willing to forego aesthetics in favor of a solid, performing, backyard beast.
I have wanted this particular Katana for a long time. Every time they become available, I make some excuse to hold off on the purchase and the next thing I know, its back ordered. So, once I saw these in stock once again at KOA, I did not hesitate to make the purchase.
Four of my six Katana are through hardened blades. Two Raptors, a Wiwingti Ko-Katana and of course, this new DF. The other two, a Kris Cutlery Hira Zukuri and a Musashi Warrior are traditional DH blades.
I prefer the TH blades because they are so forgiving and tough as nails. I don't mind the absence of a more traditional appearance.
I have some high dollar European swords that hang on my walls and will never be used for cutting (while they belong to me, that is) but the vast majority of my collection see regular cutting sessions. This is true of all six of my Katana.
Historical overview
This is taken from the product description from the manufacturer...
A Shobu katana has an elegantly formed blade that ends in an uninterrupted sweeping tip. ‘’Shobu’’ means ‘’Iris’’ - an apt description for the similarity in form between the blade and the leaf of the Iris plant. Most katana have Kissaki tips with a well-defined ‘’Yokote’’ - a visible line that marks the beginning of the tip. The Shobu forgoes this for a blade that arcs into an aesthetically natural tip.
Full Disclosure
I purchased this Katana brand new, at full price, from Kult of Athena.
Initial Impressions
The sword was purchased on Tuesday evening online and was waiting for me when I got home from work on Thursday.
The sword was double boxed and double padded. The outer box was from Kult of Athena and the inner box was the manufacturers box I assume.
I unwrapped the sword and did the 'ol once over. I was very happy upon my initial examination. Solid, solid, solid. The sword felt great in hand and the blade was paper cutting sharp right out of the box.
Statistics
Taken from KOA website...
Overall Length: 41'' Blade: 29 1/8''
Weight: 2 lb 9.1 oz
P.O.B.: 6 3/8''
Thickness: 7.6 mm - 5.1 mm
Width: 32.4 mm
Grip Length: 11 1/2''
The blade length above is accurate as well as the grip length and POB. I could not verify the other stats at this time.
Components
Blackened steel (magnetic) fittings. The tsuka is VERY tightly wrapped over a nice strip of ray skin. The menuki are well placed and do not budge.
The cutting edge of the blade has a satin polish (maybe 400-600 grit) and the spine is mirror polished. The blade is very sharp.
I really like the saya. It has a nice, thick, black lacquer finish. My favorite part of the saya is the iron end cap. This is the only one of my Katana that have this. I find it an attractive addition.
If you are looking for a "Spartan" cutter, this is it. The Musha line is the DF lowest price Katana offering, so it sacrifices the cosmetics to keep the price down. (Just the way I like it). It does not, however, sacrifice any of its performance.
I will let the pics do the talking...
Handling Characteristics
This sword has lots of blade presence. The tsuka is very comfortable for me. It has a gradual taper in the middle that allows for repetitive hand placement.
I have had very little time to do any cutting with this sword. However, I did manage a few quick cutting sessions Friday evening and yesterday afternoon. I cut twenty water bottles, four milk containers and twelve diet DR PEPPER (thick walled) bottles. This Katana made quick work of everything I had.
I found it easy to maintain proper edge alignment. It is a heavy Katana, but I do not find it to be any slower than either of my Raptors. My KC, WSS and Musashi are all much lighter swords and much quicker. The weight of the DF does not hinder a quick recovery and maintains a smooth, controllable transition. I have not had enough experience with this sword yet to say that I like it better than my WSS or Raptor, but on initial handling/cutting, I have an ear to ear grin.
Pros
Rock solid assembly
Nicely defined tsuka shape
Very nice saya with iron end cap
Excellent blade profile makes cutting thicker targets easy
Cons
Won't win any beauty pageants
Availability.
The Bottom Line
Would I recommend this sword to a friend? Heck yeah. This is a solid cutter that can easily take on harder targets. It is a well designed Katana and a lot of fun. If you can find one in stock around the $325 mark, I say grab it. At some point this year, I will purchase a Ronin Katana Dojo-Pro. I am very interested in performing a side by side comparison with this DF, my Hanwei Raptor and a Ronin Dojo-Pro.
Thanks for reading.
Curt