Musha Bushido Katana Review
Dec 25, 2014 1:14:00 GMT
Post by TheWall on Dec 25, 2014 1:14:00 GMT
Introduction:
I recently found myself in a position to purchase a katana for use in my Iaido class and for practicing kata at home, in between classes. I set a budget, and began shopping for katana in that price range, since I expected this was likely to be a one-time chance, at least for several years. What I eventually ended up buying was less expensive than what I had set aside, so, having a little extra discretionary funds (and acknowledging my wife’s concerns that practicing with a shinken definitely made the consequences of a momentary lapse of attention much more serious), I decided to find an iaito, as well. However, having already spent a few hundred dollars on -- let’s face it -- something that has limited practical use in my day to day life, I decided to find the least expensive iaito that would still be usable for kata practice, and to save the nicer, more expensive shinken for “dress” occasions.
Historical Overview:
I’ll be honest here, while I’m a big fan of both Japanese swords and Japanese swordsmanship, I’m not nearly familiar enough with famous swords from Japan’s history to do justice to this section. For now, suffice it to say that this sword is made in the “shinogi zukuri” style -- the traditional shape and geometry that most people think of when someone says, “samurai sword.” The construction is not particularly authentic, being a through-hardened, production sword forged of 1045 carbon steel with a cosmetic hamon, rather than being made of tamahagane, differentially hardened, and hand-crafted by a master smith, but it looks reasonably close to a traditional katana.
Full Disclosure:
I purchased this sword at full price from an E-Bay retailer, and have no affiliation with either this particular seller or the manufacturer other than, of course, the purchase of this particular sword.
While I studied Kendo for three years or so some twenty years ago, and have been studying Iaido (using bokken) for the past ten months, I have limited experience with other swords or katana. I borrowed a Shinwa (which I will review separately) for a couple of weeks while searching for a katana of my own, but this is the first katana I have ever owned. As of the time of writing this review, I have also received and practiced with a Huawei shinken, but these three are the only katana that I have any real experience with. Consequently, it is safe to say that I have very little prior knowledge of swords upon which to judge this katana, which may very well affect my review of this particular blade.
Initial Impressions:
Three thoughts sprang to mind as I unpacked this sword:
1. Considering the price, this is a much nicer sword than I expected;
2. As I had read in other reviews, this sword is definitely a little blade heavy; and
3. The tsuka-ito is very tight, but a little sloppy (the diamonds are somewhat uneven, for example).
I really didn’t expect much for an $80 (shipped) katana, but when this sword arrived, I was pleasantly surprised.
Statistics:
Blade/Nagasa Length: 27 in.
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 in.
Overall Length: 38 ½ in.
Guard/Tsuba Width: 3 ¼ in. dia.
POB (Point of Balance): 6 in. forward of the tsuba.
COP (Center of Percussion): I honestly have no idea how to determine this measurement.
Weight: I don’t currently have a scale accurate enough to weigh the katana.
Components:
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is forged of 1045 carbon steel, with an artificial hamon. Again, I’m relatively inexperienced, but my best guess is that the hamon was created with a wire brush and stencil, brushing along the length of the blade (as opposed to brushing towards the edge). I’m not completely certain that what I am seeing are scratch marks rather than the grain of the steel, but since the “scratch” marks are much more obvious than grain on the rest of the blade, I believe it’s not just the grain that I’m seeing:
Being an iaito, the blade is not sharp, although the kissaki is pointed enough to warrant caution around others.
When I initially cleaned the shipping grease off of the blade and applied a little light machine oil, I could feel ripples in the sides of the blade. I then spent a little time examining the blade under some better lighting, and there was definitely some discernible waviness as I sighted down the blade. Considering the price of the katana, this isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but it’s certainly worth mentioning as it could be an issue for others — particularly, for someone wanting a sword for display. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the ripples in a photograph for this review:
I had read other reviews of this sword online where customers had received blades that were twisted or bent slightly. Consequently, I placed the blade of my katana on a flat surface and checked for any bends or twists in the blade, but found nothing obvious.
The Handle/Tsuka
As you would expect at this price point, the same appears to merely be panels in the tsuka under the ito, rather than a full wrap. Additionally, the mekugi displace the same slightly where they protrude through the tsuba. Apparently the holes in the same don’t quite line up with the holes in the tsuba:
The tsuka-ito is tight; I’ve noticed no play or slippage yet while practicing kata with this katana. Aesthetically, the ito might be a little sloppy...
...but functionally, it was done very well. The tsuka is wasp-waisted, which is good, as it helps the Iaido practitioner grip the katana while practicing.
The dimensions of the tsuka are satisfactory. Having very little with which to compare this katana, I can say little about the feel of the tsuka other than that it seems to work well for me so far. Additionally, the blade seems to be quite snug in the tsuka; there is no discernible slop when practicing kata with this katana, unlike the Shinwa which I borrowed while waiting for this katana to arrive, which, despite being another $45 more expensive than this katana, was far more loose and sloppy feeling.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is made from non-magnetic metal, possibly brass or an alloy of some kind. I don’t know the common name of the tsuba shape on this katana, although I’ve seen it on a number of other iaito and shinken. It looks like the petals on a daisy or possibly somewhat like a wagon wheel. At any rate, there is a lot of open space in the tsuba, which I’m sure affects the balance of the katana -- which I’ll describe in more detail later:
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The pommel of the sword is plain, with a faux-weathered finish on the fuchi-kashira. It’s dark, almost black, with dark, weathered brass showing through the finish as if worn by use. As my aesthetic tastes tend towards minimalism, I prefer the simple look of this pommel to some of the flashier, more ornate pommels I’ve seen on other katana, including my more expensive Huawei shinken. The pommel seems to be made from the same kind of metal as the tsuba. It’s noticeably cool to the touch, so I’m certain it is metal, but is non-magnetic, so whatever it is, it isn’t steel or iron (sorry the photo turned out rather blurry):
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is made entirely of hardwood (there is no horn in the koiguchi), and is finished in a pleasing matte black. The shitodome is made of gold-plated metal. The katana fits snugly in the saya with no rattling, even when shaken, yet the blade pops loose easily with a little thumb-pressure on the tsuba. In short, the fit is perfect, and the saya is plain, but in a good way. I like it.
Handling Characteristics:
My first impression upon removing the katana from the saya is that it feels noticeably blade-heavy, despite the bo-hi. The Shinwa I borrowed before purchasing this sword definitely felt better balanced than this katana and the Huawei shinken is far, far more enjoyable to wield. Even worse, I have found it rather difficult to get a tachi-kaze from this sword, even though it’s extremely easy to get the tachi-kaze from my shinken. As a result, I find myself reaching for the shinken much more often than this katana when practicing, unless others are around. In fact, after practicing with this katana for a while, I found myself trying to muscle through swings in an attempt to “swing harder” to bring out the tachi-kaze. Once aware of this problem, I was able to correct it, but IMHO, an iaito should help develop *good* technique, not tempt you to use poor technique. This, and the blade-heavy feel of the sword, really is the greatest drawback to this particular katana, in my opinion. It’s not unusable for kata practice, but it certainly is not ideal.
Test Cutting (if applicable):
Not applicable -- it’s an iaito.
Conclusions:
I pretty much bought this katana on a lark, drawn more by the price-point than anything else. My expectations weren’t especially high, given the low price ($80, shipped, to Alaska). Overall, I’d have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised by this sword, even though it isn’t quite ideal for Iaido practice. The components are appropriate for a utilitarian katana for kata practice, although the weak tachi-kaze is a drawback for the inexperienced student trying to learn to swing properly.
Without a doubt, the most significant problem that I’ve found with this sword is the balance and feel. There is also the definite waviness in the blade itself, but again, that’s an aesthetic -- rather than functional -- issue.
Definitely be aware that the weak tachi-kaze can tempt the Iaido practitioner into using too much muscle in a misguided attempt to draw out more sound. Consequently, if you are looking for a katana to help you learn to swing properly, you might want to consider a different katana. Although it is probably acceptable for kata practice, or for a student who is already confident with his/her swing, there are certainly better choices for a practitioner who is trying to learn good form, particularly for one who is counting on the audible feedback to help tune (no pun intended) their swing.
Pros
By far, the biggest “pro” to this sword is in the bang-for-the-buck category. I was rather surprised and impressed by the overall construction quality of this sword, considering the price point: the fittings are appropriate for a lower-end production sword; the blade, though not perfect, is reasonably well made; the sword does not rattle in the saya, nor is the tang loose inside the tsuka; the ito is tight; and the saya is tasteful, with a pleasing, matte finish.
Cons
On the down side, the blade is definitely heavier than I expected, and there are definite ripples when you sight down the blade with the light reflecting off the side of the blade. While the ito is tight, the “diamonds” in the wrap aren’t aligned vertically nor are they consistent in size. The same are merely panels rather than a full wrap. The mekugi displace the same slightly as they exit the side of the tsuka due to poor alignment between the same and the holes through the tsuka. Finally, and most important to me, the balance and the weak tachi-kaze makes this katana less than ideal, given the primary purpose I intended for this sword.
The Bottom Line
If you are a serious practitioner of Iaido, or if you are only going to buy one katana, I would probably recommend that you save your money for a higher quality sword. On the other hand, if you are looking for a low-end “beater” to get started with, if you are on a budget and simply cannot afford a higher-end katana, or if you simply need a decent katana to get you by for a little while until you can buy your dream sword, then this katana is a decent choice. You won’t impress your buddies at the dojo with this sword, and it’s not going to be the one katana that you always choose for practice because of its excellent balance and feel. However, in my opinion, this sword is nonetheless a decent value. The price is very, very low, and while the manufacturer definitely cut a few corners to meet this price point, the quality is better than I expected, all things considered. It's definitely not a bad sword, and I would certainly recommend it over the Shinwa that I borrowed for anything other than display purposes.
I recently found myself in a position to purchase a katana for use in my Iaido class and for practicing kata at home, in between classes. I set a budget, and began shopping for katana in that price range, since I expected this was likely to be a one-time chance, at least for several years. What I eventually ended up buying was less expensive than what I had set aside, so, having a little extra discretionary funds (and acknowledging my wife’s concerns that practicing with a shinken definitely made the consequences of a momentary lapse of attention much more serious), I decided to find an iaito, as well. However, having already spent a few hundred dollars on -- let’s face it -- something that has limited practical use in my day to day life, I decided to find the least expensive iaito that would still be usable for kata practice, and to save the nicer, more expensive shinken for “dress” occasions.
Historical Overview:
I’ll be honest here, while I’m a big fan of both Japanese swords and Japanese swordsmanship, I’m not nearly familiar enough with famous swords from Japan’s history to do justice to this section. For now, suffice it to say that this sword is made in the “shinogi zukuri” style -- the traditional shape and geometry that most people think of when someone says, “samurai sword.” The construction is not particularly authentic, being a through-hardened, production sword forged of 1045 carbon steel with a cosmetic hamon, rather than being made of tamahagane, differentially hardened, and hand-crafted by a master smith, but it looks reasonably close to a traditional katana.
Full Disclosure:
I purchased this sword at full price from an E-Bay retailer, and have no affiliation with either this particular seller or the manufacturer other than, of course, the purchase of this particular sword.
While I studied Kendo for three years or so some twenty years ago, and have been studying Iaido (using bokken) for the past ten months, I have limited experience with other swords or katana. I borrowed a Shinwa (which I will review separately) for a couple of weeks while searching for a katana of my own, but this is the first katana I have ever owned. As of the time of writing this review, I have also received and practiced with a Huawei shinken, but these three are the only katana that I have any real experience with. Consequently, it is safe to say that I have very little prior knowledge of swords upon which to judge this katana, which may very well affect my review of this particular blade.
Initial Impressions:
Three thoughts sprang to mind as I unpacked this sword:
1. Considering the price, this is a much nicer sword than I expected;
2. As I had read in other reviews, this sword is definitely a little blade heavy; and
3. The tsuka-ito is very tight, but a little sloppy (the diamonds are somewhat uneven, for example).
I really didn’t expect much for an $80 (shipped) katana, but when this sword arrived, I was pleasantly surprised.
Statistics:
Blade/Nagasa Length: 27 in.
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 in.
Overall Length: 38 ½ in.
Guard/Tsuba Width: 3 ¼ in. dia.
POB (Point of Balance): 6 in. forward of the tsuba.
COP (Center of Percussion): I honestly have no idea how to determine this measurement.
Weight: I don’t currently have a scale accurate enough to weigh the katana.
Components:
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is forged of 1045 carbon steel, with an artificial hamon. Again, I’m relatively inexperienced, but my best guess is that the hamon was created with a wire brush and stencil, brushing along the length of the blade (as opposed to brushing towards the edge). I’m not completely certain that what I am seeing are scratch marks rather than the grain of the steel, but since the “scratch” marks are much more obvious than grain on the rest of the blade, I believe it’s not just the grain that I’m seeing:
Being an iaito, the blade is not sharp, although the kissaki is pointed enough to warrant caution around others.
When I initially cleaned the shipping grease off of the blade and applied a little light machine oil, I could feel ripples in the sides of the blade. I then spent a little time examining the blade under some better lighting, and there was definitely some discernible waviness as I sighted down the blade. Considering the price of the katana, this isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but it’s certainly worth mentioning as it could be an issue for others — particularly, for someone wanting a sword for display. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the ripples in a photograph for this review:
I had read other reviews of this sword online where customers had received blades that were twisted or bent slightly. Consequently, I placed the blade of my katana on a flat surface and checked for any bends or twists in the blade, but found nothing obvious.
The Handle/Tsuka
As you would expect at this price point, the same appears to merely be panels in the tsuka under the ito, rather than a full wrap. Additionally, the mekugi displace the same slightly where they protrude through the tsuba. Apparently the holes in the same don’t quite line up with the holes in the tsuba:
The tsuka-ito is tight; I’ve noticed no play or slippage yet while practicing kata with this katana. Aesthetically, the ito might be a little sloppy...
...but functionally, it was done very well. The tsuka is wasp-waisted, which is good, as it helps the Iaido practitioner grip the katana while practicing.
The dimensions of the tsuka are satisfactory. Having very little with which to compare this katana, I can say little about the feel of the tsuka other than that it seems to work well for me so far. Additionally, the blade seems to be quite snug in the tsuka; there is no discernible slop when practicing kata with this katana, unlike the Shinwa which I borrowed while waiting for this katana to arrive, which, despite being another $45 more expensive than this katana, was far more loose and sloppy feeling.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is made from non-magnetic metal, possibly brass or an alloy of some kind. I don’t know the common name of the tsuba shape on this katana, although I’ve seen it on a number of other iaito and shinken. It looks like the petals on a daisy or possibly somewhat like a wagon wheel. At any rate, there is a lot of open space in the tsuba, which I’m sure affects the balance of the katana -- which I’ll describe in more detail later:
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The pommel of the sword is plain, with a faux-weathered finish on the fuchi-kashira. It’s dark, almost black, with dark, weathered brass showing through the finish as if worn by use. As my aesthetic tastes tend towards minimalism, I prefer the simple look of this pommel to some of the flashier, more ornate pommels I’ve seen on other katana, including my more expensive Huawei shinken. The pommel seems to be made from the same kind of metal as the tsuba. It’s noticeably cool to the touch, so I’m certain it is metal, but is non-magnetic, so whatever it is, it isn’t steel or iron (sorry the photo turned out rather blurry):
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is made entirely of hardwood (there is no horn in the koiguchi), and is finished in a pleasing matte black. The shitodome is made of gold-plated metal. The katana fits snugly in the saya with no rattling, even when shaken, yet the blade pops loose easily with a little thumb-pressure on the tsuba. In short, the fit is perfect, and the saya is plain, but in a good way. I like it.
Handling Characteristics:
My first impression upon removing the katana from the saya is that it feels noticeably blade-heavy, despite the bo-hi. The Shinwa I borrowed before purchasing this sword definitely felt better balanced than this katana and the Huawei shinken is far, far more enjoyable to wield. Even worse, I have found it rather difficult to get a tachi-kaze from this sword, even though it’s extremely easy to get the tachi-kaze from my shinken. As a result, I find myself reaching for the shinken much more often than this katana when practicing, unless others are around. In fact, after practicing with this katana for a while, I found myself trying to muscle through swings in an attempt to “swing harder” to bring out the tachi-kaze. Once aware of this problem, I was able to correct it, but IMHO, an iaito should help develop *good* technique, not tempt you to use poor technique. This, and the blade-heavy feel of the sword, really is the greatest drawback to this particular katana, in my opinion. It’s not unusable for kata practice, but it certainly is not ideal.
Test Cutting (if applicable):
Not applicable -- it’s an iaito.
Conclusions:
I pretty much bought this katana on a lark, drawn more by the price-point than anything else. My expectations weren’t especially high, given the low price ($80, shipped, to Alaska). Overall, I’d have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised by this sword, even though it isn’t quite ideal for Iaido practice. The components are appropriate for a utilitarian katana for kata practice, although the weak tachi-kaze is a drawback for the inexperienced student trying to learn to swing properly.
Without a doubt, the most significant problem that I’ve found with this sword is the balance and feel. There is also the definite waviness in the blade itself, but again, that’s an aesthetic -- rather than functional -- issue.
Definitely be aware that the weak tachi-kaze can tempt the Iaido practitioner into using too much muscle in a misguided attempt to draw out more sound. Consequently, if you are looking for a katana to help you learn to swing properly, you might want to consider a different katana. Although it is probably acceptable for kata practice, or for a student who is already confident with his/her swing, there are certainly better choices for a practitioner who is trying to learn good form, particularly for one who is counting on the audible feedback to help tune (no pun intended) their swing.
Pros
By far, the biggest “pro” to this sword is in the bang-for-the-buck category. I was rather surprised and impressed by the overall construction quality of this sword, considering the price point: the fittings are appropriate for a lower-end production sword; the blade, though not perfect, is reasonably well made; the sword does not rattle in the saya, nor is the tang loose inside the tsuka; the ito is tight; and the saya is tasteful, with a pleasing, matte finish.
Cons
On the down side, the blade is definitely heavier than I expected, and there are definite ripples when you sight down the blade with the light reflecting off the side of the blade. While the ito is tight, the “diamonds” in the wrap aren’t aligned vertically nor are they consistent in size. The same are merely panels rather than a full wrap. The mekugi displace the same slightly as they exit the side of the tsuka due to poor alignment between the same and the holes through the tsuka. Finally, and most important to me, the balance and the weak tachi-kaze makes this katana less than ideal, given the primary purpose I intended for this sword.
The Bottom Line
If you are a serious practitioner of Iaido, or if you are only going to buy one katana, I would probably recommend that you save your money for a higher quality sword. On the other hand, if you are looking for a low-end “beater” to get started with, if you are on a budget and simply cannot afford a higher-end katana, or if you simply need a decent katana to get you by for a little while until you can buy your dream sword, then this katana is a decent choice. You won’t impress your buddies at the dojo with this sword, and it’s not going to be the one katana that you always choose for practice because of its excellent balance and feel. However, in my opinion, this sword is nonetheless a decent value. The price is very, very low, and while the manufacturer definitely cut a few corners to meet this price point, the quality is better than I expected, all things considered. It's definitely not a bad sword, and I would certainly recommend it over the Shinwa that I borrowed for anything other than display purposes.