Two budget tanto reviews
Oct 12, 2014 19:12:26 GMT
Post by Robnose on Oct 12, 2014 19:12:26 GMT
Hi everybody. This is my first post on the forum in many years. I haven't been here since before the forum changed. I think my last post was around 2008. In any case, I'll give it a whirl.
Introduction
I have been looking for an affordable tanto for a while now. Something that doesn't cost as much as a katana but also not a piece of junk. I took a chance on two tantos from Swordnarmoury and felt compelled to review them. Mainly because I could find very few reviews on budget tantos. There aren't many out there and most are not reviewed. This review is somewhat of a customization thread as well. I didn't take any pics of these tantos when I bought them last year as I never thought I would be reviewing them. All I have are the "after" pics.
First up:
Through Hardened 1045 Carbon Steel Shobu Style Samurai Tanto Sword Full Tang
Stats
taken from Swordnarmory description:
• Overall Length: 13.75 "
• Blade Length: 8.75 "
• Tsuka Length: 5 "
• Blade Material: 1040 Carbon Steel
• Blade: Sharpened
• Maker: Musashi
• Condition: Brand New
Initial Impressions
Shipped fast. No issues with packaging or shipping. I thought the blade would have a slight curve based on the picture. It is straight. It is a blade heavy tanto. I wasn't really expecting much for the price point. I wasn't disappointed. That's not hard when you have no expectations is it? It was just plain unremarkable. I 'll discuss the components in pre and post customization below:
Components
Pre-work
Blade:
Thick, heavy, straight, and unevenly ground. I can't remember if it had a brushed hamon. The nakago is also rectangular and does not resemble a "normal" nakago at all. It is very "rat tail ish" if you get my meaning. perhaps this is why the tanto feels so blade heavy when holding it. it also has no habaki. This is where you can notice the defect in the grind.
Tsuka:
Ito was very shoelace like. Frayed and loose. Tsuka core was however solid and whole. Seems to be constructed of 4 pieces of wood. Similar to the way some wooden scabbards are constructed. Two scales and two edge pieces all glued together. this makes sense due too the irregular shaped nakago. I guess it is easier to make it this way ti fit a rectangular shape. I myself have done this on a medieval type sword handle.
Tsuba & habaki:
There are none on this model.
Fuchi & kashira:
Unremarkable plain black fittings. Common on sub $100 beaters all over the market. I have no idea what the base metal is but you will see there is a copper primer under the flat black top coat.
Saya:
Gloss black in good shape with an excellent fit.
Post work
Blade:
All I did to the blade was wet sanding. I think I removed a brushed hamon but I really can't remember. At best I sharpened it.
Tsuka:
I had some red ito kicking around so I did a rewrap. First one in years.
Fuchi & kashira:
I brushed off the flat black paint to the copper primer. I stopped here because I liked the color.
Saya:
I didn't do a thing to the saya. It was fine as is.
Some pics of the finished tanto.
Conclusion
I took a gamble on this tanto. at first i wasn't impressed in the slightest. Although I wasn't expecting anything. In fact, I was expecting junk at that price point. While this tanto is extremely plain and generic, It is solid and sharp. It still has a few issues with the finish of the blade but they are minor. What matters most is the fun I had working on it. It is a great project blade for anyone who wants to fool around with customization without fear of ruining a $200 tanto!
Pros
-great project blade
-price point
cons
-Cheap materials
-blade defects
Second up:
Red Tanto Handmade Carbon Steel Samurai Sword with Dragon and Tiger Scabbard
stats
taken from swordnarmory
• Overall Length: 15 "
• Blade Length: 9.5 "
• Handle Length: 5.5 "
• Blade: Slightly Sharpened
• Blade Material: Carbon Steel
• Condition: Brand New
initial impressions
This is what I had been looking for in a budget tanto. Something with decent fittings and slightly curved blade. Again, I wasn't expecting much for the price but i was genuinely disappointed with the number of issues with this tanto. it was like it was assembled in the dark. The blade and fittings were good but it had numerous issues in assembly. It was unacceptable in it's current condition.
components
Pre-work
Blade:
Nice geometry and slightly curved with a wire brushed hamon. the nakago resembled a miniature katana nakago. I'm assuming this is normal for tantos unlike the first blade I mentioned. other than the hamon, I liked the blade.
Tsuba, habaki & seppa:
I think the tsuba is steel and fits the blade perfectly. The seppa are brass and are not the "cog" style found on cheaper katana. the habaki is brass but the fit was horrible. it was tight but completely misaligned and twisted. It protruded past the edge of the blade and recessed into the spine about 1/8" or more.
Fuchi & kashira:
Brass I think and well fitted. No play whatsoever. Nice and solid. The shitodome (sp?) are also brass which was surprising. I've owned production katanas from reputable vendors who've used plastic.
Tsuka:
When disassembled, most of the problems became clear. The core was cracked and at least 3 shims fell out. one shim was as wide as the nakago-ana and was wedged in the side. This caused the blade to be totally misaligned with the tsuka. I think it was also affecting the habaki. basically, everything from the habaki down was misaligned. It was an absolute mess and I needed to fix it.
Saya:
The saya is basically covered in a giant clear coated sticker. I hated the picture and the fit was poor due to the alignment issues of the habaki and tsuka.
Post Work
Blade:
Just polished off the horrible brushed hamon. I'd rather have none than a cheap fake one.
Tsuba, habaki & seppa:
All i did here was make a shim from brass and insert it in the habaki along the spine. Fixed the issues with one shim. it lined up perfectly after that.
Fuchi & kashira:
I sanded off a little of the finish to bring out the flower motif.
Tsuka:
Here's where it gets fun. stripped the tsuka bare. Glued the crack together with wood glue applied with a syringe. set up perfect after that. I had to shim the blade again but I took my time and cut and fit ONE shim properly. I glued this in place with wood glue. When I assembled the tanto, everything fit snugly and aligned perfectly. I then wrapped the tsuka with gutted paracord. I was out of ito.
Saya:
I had to shave the sticker off with a utility knife. It kept gumming up the sand paper. I just spray painted it black.
here are some pics of the post work.
Conclusion
I was disappointed at first but I love this tanto. It's exactly what I've wanted from the beginning. I enjoyed working on it as well as the satisfaction of fixing the mentioned issues. I think the fittings alone are worth more than the cost. I've had worse fittings on some of my kats! That's not to mention the blade. This piece is well worth the cash just for it's parts. although, I would not recommend it to anyone who isn't willing or capable of fixing any faulty issues.
pros
-Price point
-Quality fittings
-Awesome project blade
cons
-MUCH DIY work
Thanks for reading and I hope this review helps someone else who's in the market for a budget tanto.
Introduction
I have been looking for an affordable tanto for a while now. Something that doesn't cost as much as a katana but also not a piece of junk. I took a chance on two tantos from Swordnarmoury and felt compelled to review them. Mainly because I could find very few reviews on budget tantos. There aren't many out there and most are not reviewed. This review is somewhat of a customization thread as well. I didn't take any pics of these tantos when I bought them last year as I never thought I would be reviewing them. All I have are the "after" pics.
First up:
Through Hardened 1045 Carbon Steel Shobu Style Samurai Tanto Sword Full Tang
Stats
taken from Swordnarmory description:
• Overall Length: 13.75 "
• Blade Length: 8.75 "
• Tsuka Length: 5 "
• Blade Material: 1040 Carbon Steel
• Blade: Sharpened
• Maker: Musashi
• Condition: Brand New
Initial Impressions
Shipped fast. No issues with packaging or shipping. I thought the blade would have a slight curve based on the picture. It is straight. It is a blade heavy tanto. I wasn't really expecting much for the price point. I wasn't disappointed. That's not hard when you have no expectations is it? It was just plain unremarkable. I 'll discuss the components in pre and post customization below:
Components
Pre-work
Blade:
Thick, heavy, straight, and unevenly ground. I can't remember if it had a brushed hamon. The nakago is also rectangular and does not resemble a "normal" nakago at all. It is very "rat tail ish" if you get my meaning. perhaps this is why the tanto feels so blade heavy when holding it. it also has no habaki. This is where you can notice the defect in the grind.
Tsuka:
Ito was very shoelace like. Frayed and loose. Tsuka core was however solid and whole. Seems to be constructed of 4 pieces of wood. Similar to the way some wooden scabbards are constructed. Two scales and two edge pieces all glued together. this makes sense due too the irregular shaped nakago. I guess it is easier to make it this way ti fit a rectangular shape. I myself have done this on a medieval type sword handle.
Tsuba & habaki:
There are none on this model.
Fuchi & kashira:
Unremarkable plain black fittings. Common on sub $100 beaters all over the market. I have no idea what the base metal is but you will see there is a copper primer under the flat black top coat.
Saya:
Gloss black in good shape with an excellent fit.
Post work
Blade:
All I did to the blade was wet sanding. I think I removed a brushed hamon but I really can't remember. At best I sharpened it.
Tsuka:
I had some red ito kicking around so I did a rewrap. First one in years.
Fuchi & kashira:
I brushed off the flat black paint to the copper primer. I stopped here because I liked the color.
Saya:
I didn't do a thing to the saya. It was fine as is.
Some pics of the finished tanto.
Conclusion
I took a gamble on this tanto. at first i wasn't impressed in the slightest. Although I wasn't expecting anything. In fact, I was expecting junk at that price point. While this tanto is extremely plain and generic, It is solid and sharp. It still has a few issues with the finish of the blade but they are minor. What matters most is the fun I had working on it. It is a great project blade for anyone who wants to fool around with customization without fear of ruining a $200 tanto!
Pros
-great project blade
-price point
cons
-Cheap materials
-blade defects
Second up:
Red Tanto Handmade Carbon Steel Samurai Sword with Dragon and Tiger Scabbard
stats
taken from swordnarmory
• Overall Length: 15 "
• Blade Length: 9.5 "
• Handle Length: 5.5 "
• Blade: Slightly Sharpened
• Blade Material: Carbon Steel
• Condition: Brand New
initial impressions
This is what I had been looking for in a budget tanto. Something with decent fittings and slightly curved blade. Again, I wasn't expecting much for the price but i was genuinely disappointed with the number of issues with this tanto. it was like it was assembled in the dark. The blade and fittings were good but it had numerous issues in assembly. It was unacceptable in it's current condition.
components
Pre-work
Blade:
Nice geometry and slightly curved with a wire brushed hamon. the nakago resembled a miniature katana nakago. I'm assuming this is normal for tantos unlike the first blade I mentioned. other than the hamon, I liked the blade.
Tsuba, habaki & seppa:
I think the tsuba is steel and fits the blade perfectly. The seppa are brass and are not the "cog" style found on cheaper katana. the habaki is brass but the fit was horrible. it was tight but completely misaligned and twisted. It protruded past the edge of the blade and recessed into the spine about 1/8" or more.
Fuchi & kashira:
Brass I think and well fitted. No play whatsoever. Nice and solid. The shitodome (sp?) are also brass which was surprising. I've owned production katanas from reputable vendors who've used plastic.
Tsuka:
When disassembled, most of the problems became clear. The core was cracked and at least 3 shims fell out. one shim was as wide as the nakago-ana and was wedged in the side. This caused the blade to be totally misaligned with the tsuka. I think it was also affecting the habaki. basically, everything from the habaki down was misaligned. It was an absolute mess and I needed to fix it.
Saya:
The saya is basically covered in a giant clear coated sticker. I hated the picture and the fit was poor due to the alignment issues of the habaki and tsuka.
Post Work
Blade:
Just polished off the horrible brushed hamon. I'd rather have none than a cheap fake one.
Tsuba, habaki & seppa:
All i did here was make a shim from brass and insert it in the habaki along the spine. Fixed the issues with one shim. it lined up perfectly after that.
Fuchi & kashira:
I sanded off a little of the finish to bring out the flower motif.
Tsuka:
Here's where it gets fun. stripped the tsuka bare. Glued the crack together with wood glue applied with a syringe. set up perfect after that. I had to shim the blade again but I took my time and cut and fit ONE shim properly. I glued this in place with wood glue. When I assembled the tanto, everything fit snugly and aligned perfectly. I then wrapped the tsuka with gutted paracord. I was out of ito.
Saya:
I had to shave the sticker off with a utility knife. It kept gumming up the sand paper. I just spray painted it black.
here are some pics of the post work.
Conclusion
I was disappointed at first but I love this tanto. It's exactly what I've wanted from the beginning. I enjoyed working on it as well as the satisfaction of fixing the mentioned issues. I think the fittings alone are worth more than the cost. I've had worse fittings on some of my kats! That's not to mention the blade. This piece is well worth the cash just for it's parts. although, I would not recommend it to anyone who isn't willing or capable of fixing any faulty issues.
pros
-Price point
-Quality fittings
-Awesome project blade
cons
-MUCH DIY work
Thanks for reading and I hope this review helps someone else who's in the market for a budget tanto.