Mini-Review of MINI Sword (Hanwei Mini-Katana)
Jan 10, 2017 4:32:42 GMT
Post by masterofossus on Jan 10, 2017 4:32:42 GMT
Introduction:
I didn't actually buy this "sword." In fact, I was lucky enough to win it in the 2016 Holiday Giveaway. Obviously that means I can be fairly unbiased, although I suppose I'd be discouraged about saying bad things about it given that it's a gift which was very generously sent to me.
After I won (!) Adrian shipped the thing lickety-split and I was very pleased to see that it arrived shortly.
It was well-packaged in multiple layers of bubble wrap.
Initial Impressions:
On opening the box, my first impression was just how small it is. The thing is tiny. The sword you're seeing is my beloved Musashi 47 Ronin Katana, which I reviewed here.
A closer look revealed that the sword's box is actually very well put-together, and the thing comes complete with a pre-assembled "sword stand."
Dry-handling the sword was... not entirely enlightening. It feels very light in the three-finger grip I was able to get around it, but not really "fast." There is no noticeable blade-presence.
Statistics:
Overall Length: Exactly 10" long (shorter than the advertised 11.75" length claimed by Paul Chen's site for a similar model.)
Blade Length: Exactly 6.75" to the Habaki.
POB: ~1.125" from the tsuba
Components:
Closer examination revealed that the sword is absolutely stunningly well put-together. It's really amazing how much detail they crammed into this tiny little package.
Blade (Nagasa):
The blade is really fun - it appears to have a hamon line, but I imagine that this is etched and not representative of actual differential hardening. I'm afraid I have no way of testing to verify, but the effect is very good overall. The tip appears to be an O-kisaki (see image), but the yokote is non-geometric. I believe that this sword is offered only in a "no-hi" style, which is my preference for such thin blades so as to avoid overly-compromising the strength of the blade. I couldn't detect any noticeable hada, but it's still a very good looking blade.
It's surprisingly "poky," and the edge is sharp enough to open an envelope. I wouldn't really want to open a "shipping envelope" with it, though, because it may just be too light for that and I wouldn't really want to risk twisting or torqueing the blade - especially given how awesome the fit on the saya is (more on that later).
Tsuka:
The tsuka seems a bit long given the length of the blade. It runs fully 3.25" of the total 10" sword - and I guess that's (probably) within the historical range compared to the bog-standard ~11" tsuka for a ~40" total length katana, but somehow it feels too big for the blade. To me it just looks slightly funny. In the fingers it provides solid purchase. I was not able to displace the tsuka-ito with gentle pressure, but I did not want to test it very carefully. I have NOT disassembled the tsuka to ensure that it is properly fitted, but the fact that I can't find the mekugi pins at all indicates that it is almost certainly glued on and so I couldn't examine the nakago for signature or quality. -1 However, I will give it the point back because it feels very solid with no "play" or creakiness in any of the components.
The same actually appears to be authentic, and the small nodules can be forgiven since if they were scaled up to full-size they would be entirely giant emperor nodes.
The sword comes with a complete fuchi-kashira set. The fuchi is in fact one of my favorite aspects of the sword, since it reveals a stunningly well-executed peach design. Keep in mind how frickin' tiny this thing is. The peach is not even a millimeter across, and yet you can easily tell that it's a peach with some leaves on it. That thing is GORGEOUS - I would be proud to own a full-sized sword with a fuchi showing that level of detail.
The kashira is a bit less impressive than the fuchi, but it shows a very interesting and unique "peaked" style, rather than the standard rounded/flat cap.
I absolutely will not unwrap the thing to see the full design of the menuki, but they seem to fit with the "peach" theme for the sword. Peaches are very culturally significant in Japan, being associated with femininity but also with the legendary Momotaro - a boy who was born from a peach to a childless couple and who went on to become a great warrior and hero (think of a Sir Bedivere or some other good Arthurian knight, or maybe Hercules/Heracles from Greco-Roman mythology).
The seppa are also well-done with a "toothed" design that looks nice.
If I have any criticism of the tsuka, it's that the tsuba itself is a bit underwhelming compared to the detail on the rest of it, but it still has a lot of hollows and gaps in the "leafy" design which can't have been easy to replicate on this tiny little scale.
Saya:
The Saya (sorry for the reused image) is preposterously - PREPOSTEROUSLY - well done. Hilariously, it retains the sword with no rattling whatsoever. The saya, combined with the habaki, retains the sword effectively and requires some minor effort to break the tension and draw the blade.
The saya is also in a very interesting "pointy" style, which I have only previously seen in Hanwei's own Orchid Katana. My saya is blue (actually my favorite color - I got really, REALLY lucky in this whole thing), but it's been made in other colors as well.
Conclusions:
I am shocked by how well-built this thing is: the level of detail is really stunning. Look at those pictures and tell me that they don't look like a full-sized katana. Unfortunately, it also fits in a very strange "niche." It's not really a useable sword, obviously. In fact, it's arguably not even useful as a letter-opener because it's hugely too expensive due to how well-made it is. On a practical level, the hilariously perfect fit of the habaki, blade, and saya would also make it annoying to have to break the tension, carefully draw the sword, dispatch of the junk mail envelopes I just received and then return the blade to the saya in its only possible everyday use.
As a display piece, it's very nice, but you have to have someone who knows swords (and preferably katana) pretty well before you'll come across someone who can properly appreciate the level of quality and effort that's gone into this thing. Unlike having a full-sized katana, like the Musashi 47 Ronin sword that I compared this against, most people will not casually saunter into a room and take interest in a ten-inch tchotchke. That's actually especially true if you have full-sized swords hanging around your room on display (like many of us do).
So in some ways, the level of quality that goes into this thing is its own worst enemy: it's really, REALLY well-made and put-together. The craftsmanship and thought that must go into this thing is incredible. But you also can't help but compare to having a full-sized katana as a showpiece. Even my own budget 47 Ronin one will absolutely grab a passerby's attention as they walk into an apartment - as would virtually any SLO (even if, objectively, the competition isn't as well-executed to someone who really knows swords). Even if you know swords... I have trouble imagining someone sitting down and staring at this thing and testing out the fit of the saya well enough to enjoy it.
So where is this thing's niche? I think it would be a perfect present for someone who's into Japanese swords and will receive it and appreciate it for what it is. It's not really a "showpiece," but for the person who has everything and loves swords - or even someone who loves swords but isn't comfortable or interested in an actual katana (but has preferably handled one, before) this would be an absolutely fantastic gift.
Also, for someone to win it in an SBG forums giveaway - it's basically the perfect prize.
Pros:
Incredible level of detail
Stunning saya - excellent fit with the habaki and very unique design
Amazing fuchi
Very, very good quality, fit-and-finish, and attention to detail in the rest of the furniture
Quality blade, for what it is - feels solid - O-kisaki is a very interesting choice for this - and well-executed (but probably fake) hamon
Comes with its own display-stand
Put a giant grin on my face
Cons:
No geometric yokote
Limited practical applications - probably not a good home-defense letter-opener. Doesn't seem like an optimal backyard cutter, either.
Bottom Line:
This thing is great. I really hope reading this review has put a smile on some other faces.
This is an amazing gift and a great way to start 2017. Thanks SO MUCH to Paul Southern for donating it, as well as the other donors to the giveaway, and of course to Adrian Jordan.
I didn't actually buy this "sword." In fact, I was lucky enough to win it in the 2016 Holiday Giveaway. Obviously that means I can be fairly unbiased, although I suppose I'd be discouraged about saying bad things about it given that it's a gift which was very generously sent to me.
After I won (!) Adrian shipped the thing lickety-split and I was very pleased to see that it arrived shortly.
It was well-packaged in multiple layers of bubble wrap.
Initial Impressions:
On opening the box, my first impression was just how small it is. The thing is tiny. The sword you're seeing is my beloved Musashi 47 Ronin Katana, which I reviewed here.
A closer look revealed that the sword's box is actually very well put-together, and the thing comes complete with a pre-assembled "sword stand."
Dry-handling the sword was... not entirely enlightening. It feels very light in the three-finger grip I was able to get around it, but not really "fast." There is no noticeable blade-presence.
Statistics:
Overall Length: Exactly 10" long (shorter than the advertised 11.75" length claimed by Paul Chen's site for a similar model.)
Blade Length: Exactly 6.75" to the Habaki.
POB: ~1.125" from the tsuba
Components:
Closer examination revealed that the sword is absolutely stunningly well put-together. It's really amazing how much detail they crammed into this tiny little package.
Blade (Nagasa):
The blade is really fun - it appears to have a hamon line, but I imagine that this is etched and not representative of actual differential hardening. I'm afraid I have no way of testing to verify, but the effect is very good overall. The tip appears to be an O-kisaki (see image), but the yokote is non-geometric. I believe that this sword is offered only in a "no-hi" style, which is my preference for such thin blades so as to avoid overly-compromising the strength of the blade. I couldn't detect any noticeable hada, but it's still a very good looking blade.
It's surprisingly "poky," and the edge is sharp enough to open an envelope. I wouldn't really want to open a "shipping envelope" with it, though, because it may just be too light for that and I wouldn't really want to risk twisting or torqueing the blade - especially given how awesome the fit on the saya is (more on that later).
Tsuka:
The tsuka seems a bit long given the length of the blade. It runs fully 3.25" of the total 10" sword - and I guess that's (probably) within the historical range compared to the bog-standard ~11" tsuka for a ~40" total length katana, but somehow it feels too big for the blade. To me it just looks slightly funny. In the fingers it provides solid purchase. I was not able to displace the tsuka-ito with gentle pressure, but I did not want to test it very carefully. I have NOT disassembled the tsuka to ensure that it is properly fitted, but the fact that I can't find the mekugi pins at all indicates that it is almost certainly glued on and so I couldn't examine the nakago for signature or quality. -1 However, I will give it the point back because it feels very solid with no "play" or creakiness in any of the components.
The same actually appears to be authentic, and the small nodules can be forgiven since if they were scaled up to full-size they would be entirely giant emperor nodes.
The sword comes with a complete fuchi-kashira set. The fuchi is in fact one of my favorite aspects of the sword, since it reveals a stunningly well-executed peach design. Keep in mind how frickin' tiny this thing is. The peach is not even a millimeter across, and yet you can easily tell that it's a peach with some leaves on it. That thing is GORGEOUS - I would be proud to own a full-sized sword with a fuchi showing that level of detail.
The kashira is a bit less impressive than the fuchi, but it shows a very interesting and unique "peaked" style, rather than the standard rounded/flat cap.
I absolutely will not unwrap the thing to see the full design of the menuki, but they seem to fit with the "peach" theme for the sword. Peaches are very culturally significant in Japan, being associated with femininity but also with the legendary Momotaro - a boy who was born from a peach to a childless couple and who went on to become a great warrior and hero (think of a Sir Bedivere or some other good Arthurian knight, or maybe Hercules/Heracles from Greco-Roman mythology).
The seppa are also well-done with a "toothed" design that looks nice.
If I have any criticism of the tsuka, it's that the tsuba itself is a bit underwhelming compared to the detail on the rest of it, but it still has a lot of hollows and gaps in the "leafy" design which can't have been easy to replicate on this tiny little scale.
Saya:
The Saya (sorry for the reused image) is preposterously - PREPOSTEROUSLY - well done. Hilariously, it retains the sword with no rattling whatsoever. The saya, combined with the habaki, retains the sword effectively and requires some minor effort to break the tension and draw the blade.
The saya is also in a very interesting "pointy" style, which I have only previously seen in Hanwei's own Orchid Katana. My saya is blue (actually my favorite color - I got really, REALLY lucky in this whole thing), but it's been made in other colors as well.
Conclusions:
I am shocked by how well-built this thing is: the level of detail is really stunning. Look at those pictures and tell me that they don't look like a full-sized katana. Unfortunately, it also fits in a very strange "niche." It's not really a useable sword, obviously. In fact, it's arguably not even useful as a letter-opener because it's hugely too expensive due to how well-made it is. On a practical level, the hilariously perfect fit of the habaki, blade, and saya would also make it annoying to have to break the tension, carefully draw the sword, dispatch of the junk mail envelopes I just received and then return the blade to the saya in its only possible everyday use.
As a display piece, it's very nice, but you have to have someone who knows swords (and preferably katana) pretty well before you'll come across someone who can properly appreciate the level of quality and effort that's gone into this thing. Unlike having a full-sized katana, like the Musashi 47 Ronin sword that I compared this against, most people will not casually saunter into a room and take interest in a ten-inch tchotchke. That's actually especially true if you have full-sized swords hanging around your room on display (like many of us do).
So in some ways, the level of quality that goes into this thing is its own worst enemy: it's really, REALLY well-made and put-together. The craftsmanship and thought that must go into this thing is incredible. But you also can't help but compare to having a full-sized katana as a showpiece. Even my own budget 47 Ronin one will absolutely grab a passerby's attention as they walk into an apartment - as would virtually any SLO (even if, objectively, the competition isn't as well-executed to someone who really knows swords). Even if you know swords... I have trouble imagining someone sitting down and staring at this thing and testing out the fit of the saya well enough to enjoy it.
So where is this thing's niche? I think it would be a perfect present for someone who's into Japanese swords and will receive it and appreciate it for what it is. It's not really a "showpiece," but for the person who has everything and loves swords - or even someone who loves swords but isn't comfortable or interested in an actual katana (but has preferably handled one, before) this would be an absolutely fantastic gift.
Also, for someone to win it in an SBG forums giveaway - it's basically the perfect prize.
Pros:
Incredible level of detail
Stunning saya - excellent fit with the habaki and very unique design
Amazing fuchi
Very, very good quality, fit-and-finish, and attention to detail in the rest of the furniture
Quality blade, for what it is - feels solid - O-kisaki is a very interesting choice for this - and well-executed (but probably fake) hamon
Comes with its own display-stand
Put a giant grin on my face
Cons:
No geometric yokote
Limited practical applications - probably not a good home-defense letter-opener. Doesn't seem like an optimal backyard cutter, either.
Bottom Line:
This thing is great. I really hope reading this review has put a smile on some other faces.
This is an amazing gift and a great way to start 2017. Thanks SO MUCH to Paul Southern for donating it, as well as the other donors to the giveaway, and of course to Adrian Jordan.