Dragon King Autumn Leaf Katana
Jan 16, 2016 2:21:23 GMT
Post by disappearingone on Jan 16, 2016 2:21:23 GMT
Before I get too far in I want to say up front that I haven't cut with this sword yet, so this is going to be a "here's how it looks and feels" post for now. My goofy ass forgot to grab any water bottles or anything to test it out with. It was a gorgeous day out today so it would've been the perfect day to try it out. From now till May we'll probably get blasted with winter knowing my luck. Oh well. When I do get the chance to cut with it I'll update the thread.
Picked this up from Swords of Might. Shipping took a little longer than expected presumably because I ordered right after New Years. Shipping was free though so I can't really complain too much about that.
I chose this one over the other three because I like the colors and fittings better. Each of the others had something I like, but also something I disliked.
The manufacture's packaging was adequate but nothing special. It was just a plain brown box with a label on the end denoting which model it was with some styrofoam inserts holding the sword in place. A navy blue sword bag was included.
Quick copied and pasted stats (after eyeballing everything I think these measurements are pretty accurate):
Overall length: 43 1/4"
Blade Length: 29 1/4"
Handle Length: 12 1/4"
Weight: 2 lbs 8 oz
Blade is through-hardened 5160 carbon steel
Cotton ito
Real rayskin same
steel fittings
Really nice fit at the mouth of the saya. I can actually turn the sword upside down and shake it and it doesn't fall out. The blade does clack about inside though, as seems to be the case with most production katana's. I really like the brown with the textured finish.
Notice the two pegs? It's supposed to have one, which is the more traditional way to construct a katana from what I've read. Not a huge deal to me, but I figure it's worth mentioning since it's something that's not as advertised.
Ito wrap feels nice and tight with no unwanted movement. The cotton used feels good and sturdy. I really like the color.
Blade is fairly sharp. It's not sharp, but it's sharp. It did a pretty good job on the paper test.
The sword feels overall solid and well constructed. I swung it around a bit and nothing moved or rattled. Feels good and lively. Point of balance is about 5 inches. But of course, until I've actually cut with it it's hard to say exactly how it'll perform. I'm very much looking forward to the test drive.
I think the main thing Dragon King has going for them right now is that even though they're not reinventing the wheel, they're doing things just different enough to be interesting. Things like a silver habaki might not seem like a huge deal, but hey, it's the only katana I own that has one. I also appreciate having a katana with fittings that don't appear on a bazillion other katana's that are already out there. These are definitely going to appeal to someone who's looking for something a little different than what they already have.
What I think might work against them, however, is the price. These seem pretty squarely aimed at the backyard cutter, and with proven quality beater katana's already out there such as Hanwei's Raptors and Ronin's Dojo Pros which can be had for about $100 less, I can't help but wonder if they've maybe priced themselves out of their own market.
Picked this up from Swords of Might. Shipping took a little longer than expected presumably because I ordered right after New Years. Shipping was free though so I can't really complain too much about that.
I chose this one over the other three because I like the colors and fittings better. Each of the others had something I like, but also something I disliked.
The manufacture's packaging was adequate but nothing special. It was just a plain brown box with a label on the end denoting which model it was with some styrofoam inserts holding the sword in place. A navy blue sword bag was included.
Quick copied and pasted stats (after eyeballing everything I think these measurements are pretty accurate):
Overall length: 43 1/4"
Blade Length: 29 1/4"
Handle Length: 12 1/4"
Weight: 2 lbs 8 oz
Blade is through-hardened 5160 carbon steel
Cotton ito
Real rayskin same
steel fittings
Really nice fit at the mouth of the saya. I can actually turn the sword upside down and shake it and it doesn't fall out. The blade does clack about inside though, as seems to be the case with most production katana's. I really like the brown with the textured finish.
Notice the two pegs? It's supposed to have one, which is the more traditional way to construct a katana from what I've read. Not a huge deal to me, but I figure it's worth mentioning since it's something that's not as advertised.
Ito wrap feels nice and tight with no unwanted movement. The cotton used feels good and sturdy. I really like the color.
Blade is fairly sharp. It's not sharp, but it's sharp. It did a pretty good job on the paper test.
The sword feels overall solid and well constructed. I swung it around a bit and nothing moved or rattled. Feels good and lively. Point of balance is about 5 inches. But of course, until I've actually cut with it it's hard to say exactly how it'll perform. I'm very much looking forward to the test drive.
I think the main thing Dragon King has going for them right now is that even though they're not reinventing the wheel, they're doing things just different enough to be interesting. Things like a silver habaki might not seem like a huge deal, but hey, it's the only katana I own that has one. I also appreciate having a katana with fittings that don't appear on a bazillion other katana's that are already out there. These are definitely going to appeal to someone who's looking for something a little different than what they already have.
What I think might work against them, however, is the price. These seem pretty squarely aimed at the backyard cutter, and with proven quality beater katana's already out there such as Hanwei's Raptors and Ronin's Dojo Pros which can be had for about $100 less, I can't help but wonder if they've maybe priced themselves out of their own market.