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Post by Arwyn on Sept 16, 2014 23:36:23 GMT
So, I am eyeing a new katana, something with a larger blade on it instead of the bog standard 27". Since I am 6'4"/1.93m I am looking for swords that match, something like 29" to 33"/74cm to 83cm. Especially since I am looking at actually taking an Iaido class finally, my katana itch is acting up again!
I have several fairly nice mid range swords, but I am looking for something a bit nicer. Never have owned at Hanwei (shocking right?) so that may be an option, but I am not overly fond of their tsuka. I have seen Kaneie, and those are gorgeous, but MAN are they proud of them, and you have to get em out of the EU, not cheap.
I own a Ronin O-Kat, and its been a great sword. Eyed some of the Ronin elites and hammer forged line, and the look good, just wish the were a tad bigger.
So, for all of you katana enthusiasts, any recommendations in the $500 to $1000 range? I'm rebuilding my scandalously depleted sword fun (yes I am looking at you Sean!), so a decent katana is on order.
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Post by randomnobody on Sept 16, 2014 23:50:41 GMT
Katana that size are hard to come by, granted it's been a while since I've looked. All that comes to mind readily is Cheness' okat and one or two of Cold Steel's models...neither of which I would consider "nicer" swords.
Maybe try Hauwei or one of the other eBay vendors some of our members might recommend? Find a sword you like, shoot 'em a message saying something like "I want this but 30" long" and see what they say?
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Post by backyardsamurai1969 on Sept 16, 2014 23:57:54 GMT
While it's not $500-$1,000 (being only $269 right now, plus shipping), the Hanwei Raptor Nanbokucho has a 13" tsuka and a 30" blade, which is 5160 spring steel....so very durable. It's a well put together sword, though not the fanciest. A great cutter, and bigger than the standard katana.
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Post by skane on Sept 17, 2014 0:06:26 GMT
Take a look at Dynasty Forge. They offer 32" O-katanas in several models.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Sept 17, 2014 0:10:04 GMT
The only thing I can think of in that range (actually, slightly higher) are Bugei katanas... you can specify the length of the sword to fit your needs. If I think of any others, I'll edit the post.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 17, 2014 1:12:07 GMT
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Post by crazywolf on Sept 17, 2014 2:09:29 GMT
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Post by Krelian on Sept 17, 2014 7:00:40 GMT
It would likely cost over $800 but the Hanwei Lion Dog is 30".
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 17, 2014 11:57:55 GMT
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Post by VicoSprite on Sept 18, 2014 23:28:27 GMT
Kris Cutlery 29iv has a 29" nagasa. Hanwei's Wind and Thunder has a large blade and cool Saguha hamon. Traditional Filipino Weapons has a 29" nagasa with 5160/d2 blade. You can get 30" blade option on bugei 5160 models. Raptor's. Dynasty Forge musha and bushi. And a lot of Hanwei's elites are 29"'s.
I love my Kris 29iv, I have a Lion Dog, it has a wicked blade with a wild hamon. If you find a 29.5" version of a deep sori Last Legend, pick it up! TFW has a cool looking katana with a nice menuki, but I don't know about the d2, it would probably be a great blade. If you get a Raptor, the blade itself is awesome, but the tsuka needs shaping. But my favorite katana of all in the Hanwei Musashi Daito, with a shortened tsuka, I love that katana, it has around a 29.5" nagasa. Cheers buddy, Cody
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Post by frankthebunny on Sept 19, 2014 0:45:07 GMT
Remember that most of the nagasa measurements are from the tip of the kissaki to the mune machi so the the tsuba, it would be about another 3/4"-1" longer.
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Post by VicoSprite on Sept 19, 2014 2:39:09 GMT
Good point, usually from the tsuba to kissaki is usually another 3/4 inch or so. I hate how some companies will add the habaki to the blade lengths. Cheers buddy, Cody
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Post by Matthew.Jensen on Sept 19, 2014 2:56:50 GMT
It is indeed hard to find a blade in the 30"+ range. I'm 6'2" and it is hard for me to find something that fits too.
I have had Cold Steel Warrior Okatana and Dynasty Forge Musha Okatana(32") blades if I remember correctly. They felt a bit sluggish and oversized. I suppose that is natural for their size and cost but they did not leave me with a very positive impression. The Musha I had was even customized and had a nicer mount but it still was too much beef for me.
I have also had a Cheness 30" trial run katana. I liked it more than the Dynasty Forge and Cold Steel blades in the same range. It handled a bit better. As for the KC and TFW blades... I have handled a few KC 29 (the old version) and a TFW katana (very similar to the old KC29). They are fun blades but still only 29ish inches. I would prefer them over the cheness, cold steel, and dynasty forge musha but its not exactly a fair comparison. The other blades were 30+ inches and had wider profiles.
Anyway, my two cents are to go up just a bit more and do something custom. There have been some nice custom blades sold in recent years that were just outside of your budget that sold on the classifieds. Keep your funds handy and I am sure you can snag one at the right time.
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Post by frankthebunny on Sept 19, 2014 3:09:49 GMT
Well, I suppose the measured length from kissaki to tsuba does have more of a practical significance than the proper nagasa. I mean if someone wants to know what length will feel most comfortable swinging, it's more important to know the actual length. So if someone were looking for a 30" blade, one listed as 29" nagasa would be suitable. I'm not sure how Euro blade length are measured, is it from the cross guard or does it depend on the blade design?
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Post by Arwyn on Sept 22, 2014 20:28:35 GMT
Thanks all for the recommendations. For the record, I do have some of the swords mentioned. I have the Ronin O-Katana, and its a solid sword, my first Japanese style blade actually. I have a Kris 29, its a very nice sword, definitely needs some dressing up though! I also have a nice custom from Huawei at 33" but its a beast of a sword, since its a no-hi blade.
I will take a look at some of the Bugei's.
As far as Euro measurements, it depends on the blade, but usually its top of the crossguard on up. Swords with long ricassos are sometimes measured differently, but generally, its crossguard on up.
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Post by Gakuseinozen on Sept 22, 2014 20:46:43 GMT
I'm still amazed at the difference in blade lengths between euros and katanas. 27-28" is normal for a katana, which is a two handed sword, but for a euro that's definitely in the "short sword" category. On the Cheness website, they list their 33" katanas as being "HUGE" but for a euro that's either a long 1 hander or a short two hander. Longswords go from 33 to 37 inches, and great swords are in the 41 inch range.
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Sept 22, 2014 23:34:23 GMT
There is a limit on how long blade can be drawn effectively from the obi (depending on multiple factors), due to the method how katana is carried one cannot go over his/hers maximum effective draw length. I can draw the bottom odachi from obi but it's past my effective drawing length as it's nagasa is 96,3 cm (38"). My draw is not effective and my technique breaks. However I can draw odachi of 125,6 cm (49,5") nagasa when carrying it in tachi style. Tachi style carrying is similar to longsword rig. While you can draw longswords while they are thrust through the belt, its much easier to draw them from a rig from the hip. As for the original question, there are multiple places where you can get longer than average swords but I think most are made per order basis. If you plan on taking iaido, I suggest waiting on the recommendation of the sensei. Various styles have different recommendations about swords. Longer swords are not necessarily better, it depends on many things. I just happen to like very large swords due to their historical background but they are different beasts from katana. Also aside from length weight is one very important thing to consider when choosing a sword for iai. That bottom odachi weighs c. 2,5 kgs (5,5 lbs) so drawing it and handling it with one hand puts huge strain and is not very wise. Of course it's way outside of regular katana weigh range but I'm using it as an extreme example. There will be very large difference whether your sword weighs 850 grams or 1450 grams for example.
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