Huawei Differentially Hardened Unokubi Zukuri
May 30, 2014 2:04:25 GMT
Post by skane on May 30, 2014 2:04:25 GMT
Huawei Differentially Hardened Unokubi Zukuri
Introduction
I have several shinogi zukuri and a shobu zukuri production blades. I was interested in trying out an unokubi zukuri blade. I’ve had a pretty good experience with two previous Huawei swords, so I placed an order for a differentially hardened Huawei unokubi zukuri.
www.ebay.com/itm/Handmade-T10-Clay-Tempered-Unokubi-Zukuri-Hishi-Gami-Rayskin-Saya-katana-/271226833225?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f26610949
Order was placed May 12, and arrived on May 27. $320 US delivered.
Historical Overview
Here’s some info I found for the sugata… Unokubi Zukuri sugata is commonly used for naginata. The unokubi zukuri blade starts as shinogi zukuri or hira zukuri cross-section at munemachi, then around halfway to the tip, the blade takes on a diamond shaped cross section (thinner back/mune). The mune is thickened again at the kissaki. Unokubi Zukuri can have a yokote. The sword in this review does not.
Ref links
www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/styles.html
meiboku.info/guide/form/zukuri/index.htm
Full Disclosure
I have no relationship with Huawei. The sword in this review was purchased full price through Huawei’s ebay store.
I’m a hobbyist backyard cutter and own other Chinese-production Japanese style swords.
Initial Impressions
This was my 3rd order from Huawei. I stayed within the basic non-custom options (tsuba, fuchi, kashira, ito color, sageo color). The sword was well packed in the usual yellow taped styrofoam box, with the usual Huawei black and silver sword bag. Tsuka and blade were wrapped in plastic. Blade was heavily oiled.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 28” (tip to mune-machi)
Tsuka Length: 10.75”
Overall Length: ~ 40”
Tsuba Width: 3.125”
Motohaba: 32mm
Motokasane: 7.8mm
Sakikasane: 5mm
POB (Point of Balance): 4.75” from tsuba
Pictures are 1000 pixels wide and may be truncated depending on your screen size and forum style choice...
Blade
Introduction
I have several shinogi zukuri and a shobu zukuri production blades. I was interested in trying out an unokubi zukuri blade. I’ve had a pretty good experience with two previous Huawei swords, so I placed an order for a differentially hardened Huawei unokubi zukuri.
www.ebay.com/itm/Handmade-T10-Clay-Tempered-Unokubi-Zukuri-Hishi-Gami-Rayskin-Saya-katana-/271226833225?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f26610949
Order was placed May 12, and arrived on May 27. $320 US delivered.
Historical Overview
Here’s some info I found for the sugata… Unokubi Zukuri sugata is commonly used for naginata. The unokubi zukuri blade starts as shinogi zukuri or hira zukuri cross-section at munemachi, then around halfway to the tip, the blade takes on a diamond shaped cross section (thinner back/mune). The mune is thickened again at the kissaki. Unokubi Zukuri can have a yokote. The sword in this review does not.
Ref links
www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/styles.html
meiboku.info/guide/form/zukuri/index.htm
Full Disclosure
I have no relationship with Huawei. The sword in this review was purchased full price through Huawei’s ebay store.
I’m a hobbyist backyard cutter and own other Chinese-production Japanese style swords.
Initial Impressions
This was my 3rd order from Huawei. I stayed within the basic non-custom options (tsuba, fuchi, kashira, ito color, sageo color). The sword was well packed in the usual yellow taped styrofoam box, with the usual Huawei black and silver sword bag. Tsuka and blade were wrapped in plastic. Blade was heavily oiled.
Statistics
Nagasa Length: 28” (tip to mune-machi)
Tsuka Length: 10.75”
Overall Length: ~ 40”
Tsuba Width: 3.125”
Motohaba: 32mm
Motokasane: 7.8mm
Sakikasane: 5mm
POB (Point of Balance): 4.75” from tsuba
Pictures are 1000 pixels wide and may be truncated depending on your screen size and forum style choice...
Blade
[*]Material (per Huawei description) is clay tempered T10.[/*:m]
[*]Blade has nicely cut/ground lines (bohi, shinogi, upper back taper grinds).[/*:m]
[*]Iori (back ridge) and ha (edge) appear straight and centered.[/*:m]
[*]The start and end points of taper grinds above shinogi were not perfectly the same on both sides of blade, but close/good enough for the price point, imo.[/*:m]
[*]Polishing is a little rough in a few areas.[/*:m]
[*]See pics for hamon.[/*:m]
[*]Kissaki shape/profile could be a little smoother, but again, good enough for the price point.[/*:m]
[*]There were a couple small grind scratches that weren’t polished out within the hamon at the blade’s halfway point. I rubbed those out with sandpaper. It’s a cutter that’ll get scratched up anyway, but the grind scratches were a bit much.[/*:m]
[*]Majority of the cutting edge was paper-cutting sharp, with exception of the kissaki. Kissaki edge was slightly rough/biased to one side, so I touched it up with a 1000/4000 grit waterstone.[/*:m][/list:u]
Bad angle/lighting on this pic, hard to see kissaki ...
Tsuka
[*]I expected the tsuka to be a little undersized before I placed the order. This model comes with the heavy, thick, alloy Artsfeng fuchi and kashira options that seem undersized for production blades. The tsuka was sized down (compared to my other Huawei’s) to accommodate the small Fuchi/Kashira. Aside from that, the tsuka is comfortably tapered, on the subjectively small side. Profile-flow from saya is interrupted by the smallish tsuka.[/*:m]
[*]Samegawa is finished in black. Small nodes with mediocre density (outer / edge samegawa).[/*:m]
[*]Ito is synthetic silk. Wrap is done with hishigami. The wrap is very tight with quite consistent diamonds. The end knots were moderately tight. There is pinching and overlap of the ito at the kashira to work around spacing. Ito wrap is not flush with kashira rims.[/*:m]
[*]There was some movement on the kashira. I locked down the kashira with a glue injection, and glued down the overlaps on the end knots. All other fittings and tsuka/blade fit are tight with no movement. [/*:m]
[*]After I took the out-of-box pictures, the tsuka got a lacquer job that turned the maroon ito to a purple-black color. I had some spare purple sageo laying around, so it worked out.[/*:m][/list:u]
There's a hump on the ha-side of the fuchi... I guess more wood is better than less though; fittings are undersized for this blade.
Here's a comparison pic with a Dynasty Forge Musha on top, and a Ronin Dojo Pro at bottom to see saya-tsuka profile flows. Pic was taken after tsuka was lacquered.
Blade, fittings and tsuka alignment along length and across mune-ha are good.
Habaki, Tsuba, Fuchi, Kashira
Habaki is decently centered, with small gapping between shinogi to ha. Koshirae is blingy Artsfeng stuff. Heavy thick alloy fittings. I think it’s a coin theme. Blade will probably turn into a DIY tsuka project with different fittings.
Saya
[*]Saya is well done for the price point. Huawei is getting a good rep for their saya builds.[/*:m]
[*]There is very slight rattle. Nice internal channel alignment, no blade-binding in saya.[/*:m]
[*]Koiguchi/habaki fit is great. It has ~ 1.5 mm space/headroom between forward seppa and koiguchi face when holding firm.[/*:m]
[*]The koiguchi has substantial wood and horn liner.[/*:m]
[*]Kurikata and kojiri are horn.[/*:m]
[*]Sageo is short and is more like ito than sageo, not a surprise, I planned on replacing it anyway.[/*:m][/list:u]
Handling Characteristics
Light and maneuverable, but everything is tight, nicely balanced, and it has enough weight to feel “solid”.
I cut a few bottles with it. It cut fine, no surprises. I'll cut more with it and maybe post a vid update later.
Pros
[*]Blade geometry is nice for the price point[/*:m]
[*]Saya is nicely fit and finished[/*:m]
[*]Tsukamaki[/*:m]
[*]Blade, tsuka, and fittings alignment and tightness[/*:m]
[*]Responsive, low-effort handling, nice acceleration and braking [/*:m][/list:u]
Cons
Overall, I think this sword is a good value for the price point and I’m satisfied with the purchase. Here are the cons… mostly minor and/or subjective stuff.
[*]A couple grind scratches weren’t polished out on the hamon[/*:m]
[*]“outer edge” samegawa; very small nodes. Ok for the price point.[/*:m]
[*]Black samegawa (I like natural color).[/*:m]
[*]Fittings are blingy. Tsuba looks disproportionally thick.[/*:m]
[*]Fuchi/Kashira seem undersized for blade width, dictating a smaller/narrower tsuka.[/*:m]
[*]Sageo length and material.[/*:m][/list:u]
Bottom Line
A decent choice for a differentially hardened unokubi zukuri cutter. I like it.
Hope this review helps anyone considering this model. FYI, there is another review of a Huawei Unokubi Zukuri from 2013 at this forum post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16690
It might be a different model/version though.