Ronin Katana European line model #4
Jan 7, 2015 20:42:51 GMT
Post by Draven on Jan 7, 2015 20:42:51 GMT
EDIT: Tang break - SEE POST 5!
EDIT 2: Chris from RK e-mailed me back within 10 minutes of me emailing him to offer me a replacement. He also offered to refund shipping.
EDIT 3: I decided not to take Chris up on the offer and repaired it myself. Chris tells me that throughout their testing a weld never failed - based on how rigorously they test their swords and how public they are about it, I am inclined to believe him.
All in all, it took a little stress and work, but I have a sword I am happy with. I'm hoping that further reviews show this to be a lemon.
Howdy Folks! This is a review for the Ronin Katana Euro model 4.
Introduction
I have a love for hand and a half swords. The idea of having a weapon that is useful in an unarmored as well as armored setting is very appealing. With that in mind, I'm not big on swords without fullers (with a few exceptions), so that's an important thing for me. With that in mind, I largely bought this sword because I felt it would fit well with Tolkien-inspired customizations I like to do with swords and scabbards.
Historical overview
This sword isn't easy for me to classify exactly. I believe Chris over at Ronin Katana stated that this line wasn't really intended to be a textbook sword of any type - just solid, historically inspired backyard cutters. With that in mind, I won't fret too much about accuracy, as I really like that philosophy. But, in case you're wondering, it looks somewhat like an XII type, but the grip is too long for an XII and the blade is too short for an XIIa. I think I would put it in between an XII and XIII.
Full Disclosure
This sword was bought and paid for by myself with no prompting from anyone at RK or SBG (I did buy it at the SBG store). I did not take advantage of the discount that was offered in December and I have had no contact with anyone about it, except mentioning in a post a couple days ago that I was going to review it.
Initial Impressions
Firstly, shipping was prompt and I have no complaints with that at all. I was updated whenever there was news and got a tracking number when it was shipped.
The fun begins! Here's how she looked from UPS:
There was a lot of shaking inside which made me worry about how well packed it was.
Just another box :D
As you can see, the packing was more than adequate and there was no movement at all inside the smaller box.
I do hate styrofoam though! This comes off with a dish towel and a little elbow grease.
There she is! very exciting!
Statistics
These were all measured by me, I ignored vendor specs.
Blade Length: 33 1/4"
Handle Length: 7" grip, pommel adds a little more, bringing it to 8" of good grip length
Overall Length: 43 1/4"
Guard Width: 8 1/4"
POB (Point of Balance): 6"
Weight: 2lb 7oz
Blade width: 1.8"
Blade thickness: .23" at guard, .164" at fuller termination, .135" 2" from tip
Components
The Blade
The blade is quite rigid for its weight - I was worried on such a light sword that it would be whippy, but not at all.
The fuller is well executed and attractive.
I didn't get a great picture of it, but the cross section is basically lenticular - a little flat on the bevels, but has no sharp transitions like a diamond.
The Handle
The handle is very well shaped and quite attractive. The leather wrap was cord wrapped and isn't sloppy at all to my eyes.
The seam is visible but slight.
The cord wrap is't perfect, but I think it's good enough for a $250 sword. The leather was not the ideal leather for cord wrapping, so the indentation isn't sharp as it would be on vegetable tanned leather. The leather has a little bit of give in it, kinda 'squishy' which feels nice and very grippy. All in all, a well done grip IMO.
The Guard
The guard is very nice indeed.
The blade slot is magnificent, IMO. A very good fit, symmetrical (when I disassembled it I checked and it could go back either way just as well) and the slot is deep. The guard tapers very nicely to the outermost edges. Clean lines and simple.
The Pommel
Again, wonderful. It is hex-nut affixed, so disassembly is easy:
I took it down with a 3/16" wrench. It's basically the same as a HT nut, but a larger outer diameter. I don't know the thread size but will try to find out.
The pommel is also keyed, as you can see. The faceting is very nicely done and part of the reason I bought this sword.
The Scabbard
The scabbard is simple but honestly great for the price. Just the fact that it has a suspension system for the price is astounding!
You can see the core and as you ca see the leather is turned over quite nicely.
The fit at the throat is quite good also.
The suspension, with the belt missing. Unfortunately the belt is too small for me - the belt buckles and needs enough left over to buckle to the scabbard, so I'd say a 36" waist max for this belt - I'll just make a new belt and it'll be good to go.
The chape is magnificent!I REALLY like the chape.
Unfortunately, the scabbard doesn't hold the sword in. It's really well made, just not tight enough IMO. I guess that's a matter for personal preference, maybe I've been making scabbards too tight.
Handling Characteristics
The POB is farther than I like, but it is a very light sword and handles wonderfully. It feels fine with one hand (I injured my wrist a while back, so I can't one-hand the 3 1/2 lb swords like I used to) but the good sized grip means it feels fine with two also. The truest hand and a half sword I've personally handled.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
The sword was not paper cutting sharp when I got it so I didn't bother test cutting. I certainly will after sharpening, though.
Conclusions
This sword is around the H/T price range and offers a very nice alternative. I like the looks much better than the H/T bastard (the closest in terms of size and handling) and I'm very happy to have had this alternative. Honestly, I know they just came out with these swords in december, but I think they should expand the line. This is a really well executed sword for the money, with features and a balance of attributes that many swords in the price range (and a bit above) don't achieve.
For the record I'm not sure if the fittings are mild steel or stainless as I can't find my gun blue right now. They're weakly magnetic, which right now makes me thing stainless.
Pros
-All the machining/forging is well executed - blade slot, pommel facets, guard, fuller all good
-Wood core scabbard with suspension
-Good grip wrap
-Can be disassembled (i consider this a pro, I know not all do)
-Keyed pommel
-Handles very nicely
Cons
-Not based on a specific historical sword (this doesn't bother me, but it may bother some)
-Scabbard fit is somewhat loose
-threaded portion of tang might be welded? I didn't notice this when I took it down but did in the pictures. I'll double check and update as appropriate.
-Sword belt too short - I suppose they can't fit everyone though!
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this in a heartbeat. It is well made, good looking and affordable. What's not to like!?
EDIT 2: Chris from RK e-mailed me back within 10 minutes of me emailing him to offer me a replacement. He also offered to refund shipping.
EDIT 3: I decided not to take Chris up on the offer and repaired it myself. Chris tells me that throughout their testing a weld never failed - based on how rigorously they test their swords and how public they are about it, I am inclined to believe him.
All in all, it took a little stress and work, but I have a sword I am happy with. I'm hoping that further reviews show this to be a lemon.
Howdy Folks! This is a review for the Ronin Katana Euro model 4.
Introduction
I have a love for hand and a half swords. The idea of having a weapon that is useful in an unarmored as well as armored setting is very appealing. With that in mind, I'm not big on swords without fullers (with a few exceptions), so that's an important thing for me. With that in mind, I largely bought this sword because I felt it would fit well with Tolkien-inspired customizations I like to do with swords and scabbards.
Historical overview
This sword isn't easy for me to classify exactly. I believe Chris over at Ronin Katana stated that this line wasn't really intended to be a textbook sword of any type - just solid, historically inspired backyard cutters. With that in mind, I won't fret too much about accuracy, as I really like that philosophy. But, in case you're wondering, it looks somewhat like an XII type, but the grip is too long for an XII and the blade is too short for an XIIa. I think I would put it in between an XII and XIII.
Full Disclosure
This sword was bought and paid for by myself with no prompting from anyone at RK or SBG (I did buy it at the SBG store). I did not take advantage of the discount that was offered in December and I have had no contact with anyone about it, except mentioning in a post a couple days ago that I was going to review it.
Initial Impressions
Firstly, shipping was prompt and I have no complaints with that at all. I was updated whenever there was news and got a tracking number when it was shipped.
The fun begins! Here's how she looked from UPS:
There was a lot of shaking inside which made me worry about how well packed it was.
Just another box :D
As you can see, the packing was more than adequate and there was no movement at all inside the smaller box.
I do hate styrofoam though! This comes off with a dish towel and a little elbow grease.
There she is! very exciting!
Statistics
These were all measured by me, I ignored vendor specs.
Blade Length: 33 1/4"
Handle Length: 7" grip, pommel adds a little more, bringing it to 8" of good grip length
Overall Length: 43 1/4"
Guard Width: 8 1/4"
POB (Point of Balance): 6"
Weight: 2lb 7oz
Blade width: 1.8"
Blade thickness: .23" at guard, .164" at fuller termination, .135" 2" from tip
Components
The Blade
The blade is quite rigid for its weight - I was worried on such a light sword that it would be whippy, but not at all.
The fuller is well executed and attractive.
I didn't get a great picture of it, but the cross section is basically lenticular - a little flat on the bevels, but has no sharp transitions like a diamond.
The Handle
The handle is very well shaped and quite attractive. The leather wrap was cord wrapped and isn't sloppy at all to my eyes.
The seam is visible but slight.
The cord wrap is't perfect, but I think it's good enough for a $250 sword. The leather was not the ideal leather for cord wrapping, so the indentation isn't sharp as it would be on vegetable tanned leather. The leather has a little bit of give in it, kinda 'squishy' which feels nice and very grippy. All in all, a well done grip IMO.
The Guard
The guard is very nice indeed.
The blade slot is magnificent, IMO. A very good fit, symmetrical (when I disassembled it I checked and it could go back either way just as well) and the slot is deep. The guard tapers very nicely to the outermost edges. Clean lines and simple.
The Pommel
Again, wonderful. It is hex-nut affixed, so disassembly is easy:
I took it down with a 3/16" wrench. It's basically the same as a HT nut, but a larger outer diameter. I don't know the thread size but will try to find out.
The pommel is also keyed, as you can see. The faceting is very nicely done and part of the reason I bought this sword.
The Scabbard
The scabbard is simple but honestly great for the price. Just the fact that it has a suspension system for the price is astounding!
You can see the core and as you ca see the leather is turned over quite nicely.
The fit at the throat is quite good also.
The suspension, with the belt missing. Unfortunately the belt is too small for me - the belt buckles and needs enough left over to buckle to the scabbard, so I'd say a 36" waist max for this belt - I'll just make a new belt and it'll be good to go.
The chape is magnificent!I REALLY like the chape.
Unfortunately, the scabbard doesn't hold the sword in. It's really well made, just not tight enough IMO. I guess that's a matter for personal preference, maybe I've been making scabbards too tight.
Handling Characteristics
The POB is farther than I like, but it is a very light sword and handles wonderfully. It feels fine with one hand (I injured my wrist a while back, so I can't one-hand the 3 1/2 lb swords like I used to) but the good sized grip means it feels fine with two also. The truest hand and a half sword I've personally handled.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
The sword was not paper cutting sharp when I got it so I didn't bother test cutting. I certainly will after sharpening, though.
Conclusions
This sword is around the H/T price range and offers a very nice alternative. I like the looks much better than the H/T bastard (the closest in terms of size and handling) and I'm very happy to have had this alternative. Honestly, I know they just came out with these swords in december, but I think they should expand the line. This is a really well executed sword for the money, with features and a balance of attributes that many swords in the price range (and a bit above) don't achieve.
For the record I'm not sure if the fittings are mild steel or stainless as I can't find my gun blue right now. They're weakly magnetic, which right now makes me thing stainless.
Pros
-All the machining/forging is well executed - blade slot, pommel facets, guard, fuller all good
-Wood core scabbard with suspension
-Good grip wrap
-Can be disassembled (i consider this a pro, I know not all do)
-Keyed pommel
-Handles very nicely
Cons
-Not based on a specific historical sword (this doesn't bother me, but it may bother some)
-Scabbard fit is somewhat loose
-threaded portion of tang might be welded? I didn't notice this when I took it down but did in the pictures. I'll double check and update as appropriate.
-Sword belt too short - I suppose they can't fit everyone though!
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this in a heartbeat. It is well made, good looking and affordable. What's not to like!?