Mikeeman
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Post by Mikeeman on Dec 3, 2014 4:39:55 GMT
Welcome to the New-and-Improved Review Template!
Daniel, you are just... Just SO polite.
Introduction
This sword came in to my posession by a rather wierd turn of events. RinC posted that this was up for grabs on eBay over in the Japanese Swords section and fellow member Aurelien was interested, but the seller did not ship internationally. Me, being the amazing person that I am, told Aurelien that if he decided to bid on it, he could have it shipped to me here in the States and I would send it abroad to him. (He lives in France) See, France? Not all Americans are poop-heads. :lol: Anyway, I got it on Friday and took it out for a test drive on Sunday. I should also mention that this sword is a "used" sword. You can tell, but it also appears to be well maintained.
Historical overview
Old swords were sharp. This sword is sharp. Sounds historical to me.
Full Disclosure
This sword was FREE for me to review. I did not pay for it and Aurelien actually paid me more than shipping would cost to him, even after being told he didn't have to. So in essence, I got paid to rent this sword for about a week.
Initial Impressions
The day I got it, I had been up the 24 hours prior due to getting called in to make overnight repairs at the plant I work at. So my first impression of this sword was "It's freakin' heavy and clumsy." That's not really the case, that's just what I first thought because I was tired and didcombobulated from my sleep schedule being messed up. I wasn't particularly in love with it. It's balanced much like the Bugei Dragonfly I have, only much beefier. The blade came with NO OIL ON IT. It wasn't in bad shape or anything, just no oil. Though, that's the seller's fault, not Hanwei's.
Statistics
You can look this up if you want to. I'm lazy. Plus, specs don't matter to me as much as how the sword actually handles.
Components
I received in the package the sword, a sword box, a sword bag, and what appears to be some kind of instructions. I didn't care much to see what they actually were. Just noticed one of the papers were cut. Not really sure why.
The Blade/Nagasa
First off, this thing is massive. At 30" and no hi, this thing is very commanding. You can VERY clearly see that this blade has heavy niku.
Also, surprisingly, it has a geometric yokote. Not only is that not the norm, but it's also very rare on an o-kissaki. It gets harder to pull off the longer the kissaki gets.
The blade has a very distinct and interesting hamon. It looks nothing like what they have in the picture over at Kult of Athena. The hamon on this one looks exactly like a serrated knife blade. It's very precisely done and even down the length of the blade.
The habaki fits pretty good. I didn't disassemble it because it isn't mine, but I'd expect it fits just fine without much movement. I'm not sure what it's called, but I like the habakis that have the little cutout on the ha side for the blade to sit in just like the mune side. You can see it's got a little wear on it from it's last user. Habaki fits the saya nicely.
The Handle/Tsuka
The handle suffers from the typical "Axe Handle" syndrome that Hanwei is so famous for. But, honestly, with a 30" no-hi blade, you probably need all the counter weight you can get. And it's not so "Axe Handley" that it's hard to hold or anything. The one, big, complaint that I have about the tsuka is how loose the ito is. It seems to hold together well enough, but you can push it around with minimal force. I just don't know if that's something you should have to worry about on a $900 sword. Rayskin looks pretty nice, though.
The Guard/Tsuba
It's nice and full. Not a lot of cut-outs so it keeps a good weight. Gotta keep all that weight to counter-balance that massive blade. The one thing I guess I don't really like about it, is that it's hard to tell what's on it. It just kinda looks... Lumpy.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The fittings seem nice enough, I guess. The feel nice and solid and look fairly good. Like the tsuba, though, they just looks lumpy, to me.
The Scabbard/Saya
Here, I have a big complaint. I guess it's called rattan, but it seems poorly done, to me. it's got lumps or bubbles or something in it and I just don't like it. Other than that, it's got a nice bullhorn koiguchi and bullhorn whatever you call the thing at the other end. I thought that was kind of a cool touch. The sageo, however is a little... Weird. I don't know if it's the stock sageo, or not, but it looks good on one side, but the other side is very light and missing color. That's not camera problems causing the light. It's actually just lighter on that side. The blade rattles in the saya. I hate to be nit-picky, but this sword has a lot of problems I'd expect on a $60 Musashi. Not a $900 Hanwei.
Handling Characteristics
This sword handles ok, I guess. It's hard for me to judge because I, for the most part, don't like swords that handle like this one. It's balanced EXACTLY like my Bugei Dragonfly and, for some reason, It's just not clicking with me. But I use shorter, lighter, light-target katana more often than not. So I can tell that it's balanced well, just not what I'm used to. Good balance, just heavy.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
I only cut water bottles with this because it's not mine and I didn't dare cut heavy targets for fear of ruining Aurelien's fancy sword. It cut the bottles just fine, you can just tell that's not what it's meant for. Heavy, though it is, it seems to move well enough.
Conclusions
All in all, HWS-1 or not, I don't think this sword is worth the price they are commanding. It's a great sword, for sure, and I'm sure the steel holds a great edge over extended use, but so do DH 9260s. And they cost considerably less. Especially considering all the things that are so minor wrong with it that you see on swords in a much lower price range. I just can't justify the price tag for the product. But that's just my opinion.
Pros
- Good balance - tsuka and fittings seem to fit great - Fancy-pants steel with a very unique hamon
Cons
- A lot of minor details messed up that you would expect on lower end swords - Fittings just seem lumpy - Rattan on the saya looks bad, IMO
The Bottom Line
I'm sure this is a great sword, I just don't see why it's a $900 sword.
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Post by VicoSprite on Dec 3, 2014 5:24:08 GMT
That's the way the sageo is supposed to be, hehe. I thought the same thing when I got mine, but they intentionally fade the color of the silk. A lot of the higher end Hanwei's sageo have this done on them. Bummer about the ito being loose. I really think that the Lion Dog would be a bit less cumbersome feeling with a very large steel tsuba. Good review. Cheers buddy, Cody
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Mikeeman
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Post by Mikeeman on Dec 3, 2014 5:27:42 GMT
It's pretty well balanced, honestly. It's just pretty heavy. Or, at least, it's heavy compared to what I'm used to.
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Post by VicoSprite on Dec 3, 2014 7:32:34 GMT
Yes the balance isn't bad, I do agree. To me however, it just feels cumbersome due to the overall weight and longer tsuka. I am not very good at handling a tsuka longer than 11.5 ", which to me is the optimal size. Any larger (to me) and there starts to be diminishing returns. I think it would feel pretty good if the tsuka was a bit shorter. Cheers buddy, Cody
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Post by TheMu on Dec 3, 2014 17:13:56 GMT
Thanks for the review Mikeeman! That's really great thing you did helping Aurelien to get that sword and congratulations to Aurelien for your new sword. I bought Liondog a couple of years ago. I got it dirt cheap from Oriental Weaponry UK. Tip of the blade was lightly damaged when it arrived. Ito in it was also really loose and it wore out in a year. Ito is partially synthetic. Fuchi was very loose on my Liondog. There isn't that much niku in mine and my blade has "waves", geometry isn't very clean. My tsuka has some shape/curvature. Same wasn't too high quality in mine. No problem with saya fit or finish. I like the tsuba and other fittings. I too don't think it's worth the full price but it's an amazing sword and worth to check out if you find it somewhere on discount. Vico is right with his idea of heavier tsuba making the balance better. I customized my Liondog as you can see in my avatar (or HERE). IMO heavier tsuba does make the balance even better. I don't think it's a very lively sword but it's a well designed strong and heavy work horse. I like big sturdy swords. Maybe because I'm a little guy. I didn't watch your cutting video to the very end. Did you get those bottles to stay on top of each other? :lol: Just kidding, nice cutting!
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Post by Robert in California on Dec 3, 2014 17:46:23 GMT
Thanks for the L.D. review. +1 karma Sounds like a good sword for a strong person. Also sounds like new tsuka ito wrap is in order. Not all swords click with all owners. I see that you also, find it hard to photograph the hamon on shiny blade swords. RinC
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Post by Aurélien on Dec 3, 2014 18:38:27 GMT
Nice review Mike! And thanks again for your help! I will make my own review - I think it would be quite interesting to get 2 differents reviews for exactly the SAME model. I already agree with you on that point : $900 is too much for such a sword. I'd rather buy a $700/800 Hanwei Bushido... But for 350 bucks, this sword becomes quite interesting
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Post by whitefeathers on Dec 4, 2014 22:45:58 GMT
The sageo is supposed to be that way. I like it. I also love okissaki. Very nice of you to help out
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Post by atrixnet on Dec 5, 2014 18:00:57 GMT
Agree. Very nice of you to help out. That's really awesome. Good review too.
My lion dog tsuba features are easy to see, and the ito does not slide. I've practiced with it for 40 minutes every day since I got it and the wrap shows no signs of wear. It's just a little shiny in places.
My palms and fingers on the other hand do show signs of wear. There are calluses and noticeably stronger grip. I visited my neurologist a couple days ago and he did the "squeeze my fingers as hard as you can" test. I told him it wasn't a good idea. He said no, it has to be the hardest you can squeeze. So...there was some bone crunching and a softly spoken "f****". I asked if I hurt him and he said no and he would be back. New doctor came in and I never saw the first guy again. #truestory I feel bad for him.
Working with such a beast of a sword every day until it becomes "lively" to you is an endeavor, but I have enjoyed it. Now that I've been accepted into a koryu and will formally begin studying a cutting iai, they use much lighter iaito and katana. I'll be looking to buy an iaito soon (already purchased a dojo cutter from FtheB), but my point is that despite the dojo practice, I still plan to continue strength training with the LD longsword each night. It's made a big difference in my life, and not just physically. The kata calms me down considerably. Doing it with a live blade even moreso.
I'd also echo that handling a sword with a long tsuka is drastically more difficult than a short one. I've learned this because I've worked with and currently own two different styles of swords: the LD obviously, but also a "modern" (less traditional) trick/competition geometry-type sword for light target cutting as shown in my videos. The longer tsuka on the LD makes finding the "correct" angle much more difficult because the longer tsuka gives you a lot more rope to hang yourself, as it were. You have vastly more maneuverability of the blade, more options on where to put and direct it. Training muscle memory to find the narrow sweet spot where you hear the tachikaze and achieve correct angle alignment with every cut is harder with the LD than a lighter, shorter sword, especially during the period of time when you are adjusting to the heft of the LD and the length of the tsuka. On the other hand, with a sword like the LD with appleseed geometry and heavy niku (i.e.- a beast sword) you can swing it any way you want and still be likely to inflict maximum damage.
I've got to review my LD as well, but I've put so much time into preparing it photographically that I can't figure out how to fit it into the venue here at the forum. There's a slideshow on google+ that's publicly viewable, but I think directing traffic away from the site is bad form. Maybe I'll just use it as supplemental material and use a smaller selection for the review.
Sorry for long reply.
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Mikeeman
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Post by Mikeeman on Dec 5, 2014 20:55:35 GMT
LInk?
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Post by atrixnet on Dec 5, 2014 21:25:13 GMT
goo.gl/P64GQGEdit: stick it out to the end. The measurement photos are boring, I know, but there's more sweetness after that, including a view of the lion dog on the underside of the tsuba.
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Post by Aurélien on Dec 5, 2014 22:23:03 GMT
I checked the weight of the Lion Dog on KOA's website - this sword is more or less in the same weight range than the Ronin Dojo Pro, the Raptor and the Samurai. An usual and normal weight for me. And also a usual tsuka length for me. I think I'm gonna love this katana... atrixnet: You don't get less precised with a longer handle. Cause almost all your precision (edge alignment and target focus) must only come from your right hand. Therefore, no tsuka length is supposed to interfere with your accuracy. And the bigger the distance between your hands, the more powerful and faster your cuts. Continue to train with a longer tsuka, or at least, with a maximum gap between your two hands - you will quickly see that your cuts are now more precise/powerful/natural... and less strength demanding. Soon, you will consider your lighter swords as toys for girls! But even on a short girlie tsuka, your hands must NOT touch each other. Long life to War Swords!
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Mikeeman
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Post by Mikeeman on Dec 5, 2014 22:33:35 GMT
Dude, you got some SERIOUS bear claws, there. That thing looks dainty compared to your hand.
And hey, what's wrong with light swords? YOU'RE A GIRL!!! :lol: (Meant as light-hearted humor. Please take as such.)
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Post by atrixnet on Dec 5, 2014 22:42:56 GMT
Nope. Too late. I'm offended. Uhhh. Hold on, I forgot what I was offended for. Hey look, a post! Hi Mikeeman! I hope you enjoyed the photos.
But regarding girls and swords: tell me if I'm spelling this right: S-E-X-Y. That's meant as light-hearted humor as well. Don't anyone go get all in a huff. My wife is starting to train informally and I bought her a nice TH sword for Christmas. I'm really proud to have a kick-@$$ wife, and I'm really proud of her for overcoming her fear of swords and becoming an empowered person who will eventually also be able to kick some @$$ of her own.
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Mikeeman
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Post by Mikeeman on Dec 5, 2014 22:45:29 GMT
Maybe you should get her in one that game of SWORD we got goin'.
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Post by Aurélien on Dec 5, 2014 22:59:12 GMT
BEWARE young demoiselles!! This video includes a "heavy" sword, with a 13" tsuka.
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Post by atrixnet on Dec 5, 2014 23:07:48 GMT
My 12.5 inch tsuka is not afraid. But dang. Dude can cut.
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Post by whitefeathers on Dec 5, 2014 23:12:27 GMT
short light swords toy for girls? short girly tsuka?
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Mikeeman
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Post by Mikeeman on Dec 5, 2014 23:14:59 GMT
OH NO! WE'VE BEEN CAUGHT!!! :lol:
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Post by Aurélien on Dec 5, 2014 23:31:43 GMT
DON'T SEND HERMANN NOR THE CREEPY MASKED GUY AFTER ME!! PLEASE!! Attachments:
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