Beginner Katana: First Impressions: Musashi 47 Ronin Katana
Aug 28, 2016 3:43:29 GMT
Post by masterofossus on Aug 28, 2016 3:43:29 GMT
Preface
First off, thanks to everyone who helped me in this thread, and especially to nddave. Everyone's advice and comments were intensely helpful, and you'll see the fruits of it, below.
Introduction
This is my first sword review in any forum and my first katana, so please contextualize my comments understanding I have no training and experience relevant to the subject. In the thread from the preface I asked for help in "sizing" a katana for myself and everyone recommended that I get a 28" katana for someone of my height. I had also been thinking about a couple of options, but since I was interested in fit-and-finish nddave (and the rest of the forum-goers) recommended a Musashi model as a budget offering, which saved me a lot of money over what I had been looking at.
I have not cut with it.
imgur.com/UioyV1p
I have not cut with it.
imgur.com/UioyV1p
Musashi 47 Ronin Katana
This is about a $100 "budget" katana from Musashi. I picked it over some of their other models because I love the theme of the sword. For anyone who is not aware, the story of the 47 Ronin is one of the most cherished and famous historical tales in Japan. Think of the story of the 300 Spartans in European culture, but probably it's even more influential and revered in Japan. It is worth googling if you don't know about them. Additionally, 47 is the special number of my alma mater! Obviously, this is a budget offering and so I wasn't expecting high-end furnishings (nor did I especially want them). I wanted something that was usable, well put-together, and which would look right and feel right. I didn't need frills, and I didn't get many, but I am VERY impressed for the price. That said, of course there are trade-offs so let me try and break this down for people a little better so you can see if this is right or not for you.
imgur.com/VWShaF1
imgur.com/VWShaF1
Saya (Wood Lacquer Sheath)
The saya is piano black and beautifully glossy. It does not appear that the Kojiri, Koguchi, or Kurigata are made of horn, but there is a very nice looking shito-dome. The sageo is nice and tight, and I found the whole thing very beautiful. Especially cool is that the tsuba has an image of a large group of warriors, and the saya reflects the image of them so there's an effect where it looks like there's the reflection of a small army coming out of the saya itself. The fit is tight at the throat of the saya, so you have to use your thumb to press against the tsuba to free the sword, but it does rattle when the saya is shaken.
imgur.com/CCD6WzU
imgur.com/CCD6WzU
Tsuka (Handle)
The tsuka appears very nice and VERY tightly fitted. From the tsuba to the end of the kashira it is almost exactly 11.25". The tsuka-ito (wrapping) is tight and the tsukamaki (diamonds formed by the wrapping) - though not always even - cannot be displaced by hand. The same (ray skin) appears to be genuine, but is of low quality with only very small nodules. I assume that this uses the "panel" design as opposed to a full-wrap, but I cannot tell without unwrapping it. Overall, though, it feels excellent in the hand - there is no play and it gives excellent, excellent "feel" at all times. The sword uses two mekugi (bamboo pins), which both protrude slightly on one side but do not extend beyond the tsuka-ito (wrappings) and so are not an issue when handling the sword. The menuki look nice, but it's hard to see the complete design through the tsuka-ito. The end that I can make out the best on both menuki seems like it's the end of a Buddhist vajra (thunderbolt symbol), but I can't tell without unwrapping the whole thing, which I am loathe to do. The surprise, here, was the seppa - I didn't think I'd like them from the photos online, but they're nice. They have the "gears" design, but it doesn't look cheap or gaudy - it actually looks very precisely done and detailed. Still not convinced they completely fit with the rest of the sword, but definitely not bad. The fuchi (piece on the tsuba-end of the tsuka) is tight to the blade and does not move. Neither the kashira (end-cap) nor the fuchi have any decorations at all - they're smooth black. I'm personally not sure I like that, since I think some good decoration would be appreciated... but they also add to the austere feeling of the piece and I'd definitely rather have that than something which feels tacky or poorly-done.
The entire tsuka is very tight and gives a lot of confidence - nothing moves, even while swinging and maneuvering the sword (more on that, later).
imgur.com/Qh6CdgR - whole tsuka
imgur.com/fx1fDrX - Showing the Menuki, same, and tsukamaki.
The entire tsuka is very tight and gives a lot of confidence - nothing moves, even while swinging and maneuvering the sword (more on that, later).
imgur.com/Qh6CdgR - whole tsuka
imgur.com/fx1fDrX - Showing the Menuki, same, and tsukamaki.
Tsuba (Guard)
The tsuba (guard) is the reason I loved this model so much. I was pleased to see that the details of the design came through to the finished piece. There's an effect that it creates where you can see the group of warriors from the blade-side reflecting in the glossy saya, so it looks like there's a ghostly army rising out of the saya. Very cool, and not really expected when I got the piece. I was also surprised (being new to katana) at how "relieved" the tsuba is - there's more height to the design than I had expected. I tested it with a magnet, and it is made of iron or some kind of ferrous metal. Very nice.
imgur.com/Grkj8FP
imgur.com/aXjAat3
imgur.com/EOdFXQx
The blade is a very mixed bag, but for me it's what I was after. That said, I have to start with the bad:it is not sharp it is not paper-cutting sharp (see the update, below, for more). It fails the paper-cutting test miserably, and I can see from visually looking at it that it is not sharp. I wouldn't put my skin against it and push my bodyweight into it, but... definitely needs sharpening to be anything like a historical nihonto. I will have to do that, later. The hamon is real, but the boshi (hamon near the point) becomes very faint. I think this might be an artifact of the polishing, but when I first looked at it I was very worried that there wasn't even hardened steel running through the entire point. I'm still a little concerned, since even on close inspection I can't see the hamon continue through the point on one side, and even from the other side it's VERY faint, though I think I can see it and I only lose it completely within the last millimeter or two of the tip itself. The yokote is not geometric, but looks good.
imgur.com/tI5MuTD
The hamon through the rest of the ha is far better than I was expecting for $100. It's not incredibly distinct, but in looking at the sword it's visually apparent and there's some blade activity. I really like the gunome (irregular zigzag) pattern, but this one's a little bit too regular for me - almost like someone was trying to get a regular notare (sin-wave) pattern but wasn't good enough to pull it off, but hard to criticize it for $100. Because this is a monosteel sword, there is no hada (grain in the steel) - the streaks you see in the pictures are all from the fact that I didn't take pictures of it until after I had stripped the oil from it and wiped on some Ren-wax that I didn't wait to buff off before photographing. The niku (convex part of the grind) are VERY slight, but present. I almost wish that there was none because it would make it (slightly) easier to sharpen, but it's nothing I can't deal with - just makes it a little harder.
imgur.com/NkRc0tD
imgur.com/pq3WjGZ
There is a bo-hi (fuller) that runs through almost the entire length of the sword to very near the tip. I like the way it terminates a lot - they did a good job with it and it's even on both sides.
imgur.com/sPl5szO (Ignore the streaks in this image - it's an artifact of the Renwax I was putting on the blade during)
The sori (curvature) is very shallow - not more than 1" along the entire 28" blade.
The Habaki is very tight to the mi, throughout the entire piece except where it meets the bo-hi (of course) - I am especially impressed at how it meets the ha-machi (edge notch). Very good. There might even be a slight pattern on the back of the habaki.
imgur.com/GkrFVwV
imgur.com/Grkj8FP
imgur.com/aXjAat3
imgur.com/EOdFXQx
Mi (Blade)
The blade is a very mixed bag, but for me it's what I was after. That said, I have to start with the bad:
imgur.com/tI5MuTD
The hamon through the rest of the ha is far better than I was expecting for $100. It's not incredibly distinct, but in looking at the sword it's visually apparent and there's some blade activity. I really like the gunome (irregular zigzag) pattern, but this one's a little bit too regular for me - almost like someone was trying to get a regular notare (sin-wave) pattern but wasn't good enough to pull it off, but hard to criticize it for $100. Because this is a monosteel sword, there is no hada (grain in the steel) - the streaks you see in the pictures are all from the fact that I didn't take pictures of it until after I had stripped the oil from it and wiped on some Ren-wax that I didn't wait to buff off before photographing. The niku (convex part of the grind) are VERY slight, but present. I almost wish that there was none because it would make it (slightly) easier to sharpen, but it's nothing I can't deal with - just makes it a little harder.
imgur.com/NkRc0tD
imgur.com/pq3WjGZ
There is a bo-hi (fuller) that runs through almost the entire length of the sword to very near the tip. I like the way it terminates a lot - they did a good job with it and it's even on both sides.
imgur.com/sPl5szO (Ignore the streaks in this image - it's an artifact of the Renwax I was putting on the blade during)
The sori (curvature) is very shallow - not more than 1" along the entire 28" blade.
The Habaki is very tight to the mi, throughout the entire piece except where it meets the bo-hi (of course) - I am especially impressed at how it meets the ha-machi (edge notch). Very good. There might even be a slight pattern on the back of the habaki.
imgur.com/GkrFVwV
Handling
Awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome.
I should qualify this by saying that I have no training or experience handling katana, but I've been to some European longsword classes... but having swung this thing around? No. It's just awesome.
The sword feels incredibly light and nimble in hand. It is easy to swing precisely, and stopping it or changing direction is near-effortless.
Mine weighed in at just less than 2 pounds 3 ounces (and remember that it's... realistically unsharpened), so it is very light compared to European two-handed swords I've handled. The point-of-balance is almost five inches ahead of the tsuba, which sounds like it would make it blade-heavy, but it feels GREAT.
imgur.com/9zBwT3H
Point of Balance is about where I started the tape measure - again, ignore all the wax streaks.
In fact, in dry-swinging it a few times, I found that my forward (right) hand consistently dropped on the tsuka so that my right index finger rested about two inches BELOW the tsuba. There's a tsukamaki just below the forward mekugi where the first menuki ends - that's right where my finger wanted to be and it made for a great reference point. Extremely comfortable.
imgur.com/Qh6CdgR - Note the top of the menuki - in the second full "diamond" down - that's where I like to put my index finger.
The tachi-kaze (sound made by the sword displacing air as it is swung) is incredibly loud and distinct and almost unbelievably rewarding. Maybe it's the bo-hi and maybe it's just because of how light and nimble the sword is, but it is ridiculously easy (and fun) to make it "sing," requiring no substantial effort. The noise itself gives excellent feedback on edge alignment - if you're off, you still hear it but you know you're off. If your edge alignment is right then it lets you know. Absolutely fantastic. 10/10. 11/10. Whatever. It's great.
I should qualify this by saying that I have no training or experience handling katana, but I've been to some European longsword classes... but having swung this thing around? No. It's just awesome.
The sword feels incredibly light and nimble in hand. It is easy to swing precisely, and stopping it or changing direction is near-effortless.
Mine weighed in at just less than 2 pounds 3 ounces (and remember that it's... realistically unsharpened), so it is very light compared to European two-handed swords I've handled. The point-of-balance is almost five inches ahead of the tsuba, which sounds like it would make it blade-heavy, but it feels GREAT.
imgur.com/9zBwT3H
Point of Balance is about where I started the tape measure - again, ignore all the wax streaks.
In fact, in dry-swinging it a few times, I found that my forward (right) hand consistently dropped on the tsuka so that my right index finger rested about two inches BELOW the tsuba. There's a tsukamaki just below the forward mekugi where the first menuki ends - that's right where my finger wanted to be and it made for a great reference point. Extremely comfortable.
imgur.com/Qh6CdgR - Note the top of the menuki - in the second full "diamond" down - that's where I like to put my index finger.
The tachi-kaze (sound made by the sword displacing air as it is swung) is incredibly loud and distinct and almost unbelievably rewarding. Maybe it's the bo-hi and maybe it's just because of how light and nimble the sword is, but it is ridiculously easy (and fun) to make it "sing," requiring no substantial effort. The noise itself gives excellent feedback on edge alignment - if you're off, you still hear it but you know you're off. If your edge alignment is right then it lets you know. Absolutely fantastic. 10/10. 11/10. Whatever. It's great.
tl;dr
Pros:
- Amazing Handling
- Incredible value (~$100? Seriously?)
- Differentially hardened (real hamon) in a pretty cool pattern
- Really well put-together: very solid - I have complete confidence holding this thing
- IT COSTS $100 AND IT FEELS FANTASTIC
Cons:
-Blade isn't sharp. At all. Doesn't pass the paper test, but see the results of the further testing, below the conclusion.
- Very indistinct boshi
- Yokote is not geometric
- Some of the toso (furnishings) seem MIA - no horn, for example, and completely plain kashira and fuchi
- Amazing Handling
- Incredible value (~$100? Seriously?)
- Differentially hardened (real hamon) in a pretty cool pattern
- Really well put-together: very solid - I have complete confidence holding this thing
- IT COSTS $100 AND IT FEELS FANTASTIC
Cons:
-
- Very indistinct boshi
- Yokote is not geometric
- Some of the toso (furnishings) seem MIA - no horn, for example, and completely plain kashira and fuchi
Conclusion
This was absolutely, unequivocally the right katana for me to start with. It has to make a lot of compromises to keep the price down, but the price is DOWN. And none of what they compromised on affected how it handles, at all. It's like a budget car that drives great. GREAT. I cannot emphasize enough how awesome this thing feels in-hand.
Having handled this thing, looked it over, swung it around and waxed it and reflected on it, I can definitely see why people pay $1,000, $3,000, $10,000 (up) for a katana because there's so much that goes into making a great one: you can put in a great hamon, gorgeous hada, better steel, nice fittings, sharpening, expert polishing... the list goes on.
But none of those things will make the sword handle much better than this one. And for $100, it's hard to ask for better.
I almost wish that the thing was more expensive so it could also be a great cutter with a great blade out-of-box, but you can definitely put an edge on it and have something that will be the bane of water bottles and pool noodles everywhere, and in the meantime I can take it out and swing it around and have a great time.
Overall, I am even more impressed than I was initially since I now think that this sword is a competent cutter out-of-box, though I will still sharpen it when I have another opportunity since I would prefer that it have a more refined edge to it.
Having handled this thing, looked it over, swung it around and waxed it and reflected on it, I can definitely see why people pay $1,000, $3,000, $10,000 (up) for a katana because there's so much that goes into making a great one: you can put in a great hamon, gorgeous hada, better steel, nice fittings, sharpening, expert polishing... the list goes on.
But none of those things will make the sword handle much better than this one. And for $100, it's hard to ask for better.
I almost wish that the thing was more expensive so it could also be a great cutter with a great blade out-of-box, but you can definitely put an edge on it and have something that will be the bane of water bottles and pool noodles everywhere, and in the meantime I can take it out and swing it around and have a great time.
Update on the Blade Sharpness
The handling is still outstanding - the sword feels very light and I had no trouble controlling it even on cuts and thrusts calling for some dexterity.I took the thing out for some light cutting tests. I like it too much to really risk it (and myself) against hard targets, but I found a couple of ways for a light-cutter to show off that (for me) is more impressive than some water-filled bottles.
imgur.com/MKmhljK
imgur.com/12nTFIv
imgur.com/Klalmr2
These boxes were cut free-standing with nothing to weight them down or otherwise anchor them against a stand. The only thing that prevented the sword from cutting through the tougher shipping box was the fact that one of the internal panels wasn't butted up against the box sides, so when I cut at the thing it pushed that flap rather than cutting it. These actually strike me as difficult cuts for a light cutter, even if the sword isn't paper-cutting sharp. I'd still much rather the thing be sharper, from the factory edge, but it's not as bad as it seemed to me at first.
It cannot do this to a free-standing plastic milk jug or water bottle, but it did defeat these same targets when filled with water to weigh them down.
imgur.com/MKmhljK
imgur.com/12nTFIv
imgur.com/Klalmr2
These boxes were cut free-standing with nothing to weight them down or otherwise anchor them against a stand. The only thing that prevented the sword from cutting through the tougher shipping box was the fact that one of the internal panels wasn't butted up against the box sides, so when I cut at the thing it pushed that flap rather than cutting it. These actually strike me as difficult cuts for a light cutter, even if the sword isn't paper-cutting sharp. I'd still much rather the thing be sharper, from the factory edge, but it's not as bad as it seemed to me at first.
It cannot do this to a free-standing plastic milk jug or water bottle, but it did defeat these same targets when filled with water to weigh them down.
Overall, I am even more impressed than I was initially since I now think that this sword is a competent cutter out-of-box, though I will still sharpen it when I have another opportunity since I would prefer that it have a more refined edge to it.