Cold Steel Warrior Katana
Mar 28, 2017 18:26:12 GMT
Post by 28shadow on Mar 28, 2017 18:26:12 GMT
Warrior Katana
INTRODUCTION
The Cold Steel Warrior Katana. I'm sure the majority of users here have either heard of or seen this blade in action. Millions on Youtube have watched the employees of Cold Steel bang and clash around this sword in their commercials, and as such this blade is known for being a rough and tough almost indestructible monster of a blade.
I've owned this sword for well over a year, and in that time I've done something almost sacrilegious when it comes to a Cold Steel product. I haven't cut with it that much. This sword is almost designed as an all purpose backyard cutter, isn't it? So why haven't I done much cutting with it? Well there's a few reasons why I haven't cut with my particular model.
FULL DISCLOSURE
I am in no way shape or form affiliated with Cold Steel, and received this sword second hand. I have not been compensated for this review.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I received this sword second hand from ebay, and it had some wear to show. The ito at the end of the handle, where the wrapping is tied into a knot, came slightly frayed. I later remedied that. The kissaki came with some slight damage. The very tip had apparently been broken off, and the previous owner attempted to repair it. Lastly, the sword came much less sharp than I expected. The edge is certainly sharp enough to cut a person, but it can't even properly slice paper. Far more ripping, and I suspect that's because of the edge geometry and weight.
SPECIFICATIONS
COMPONENTS
THE BLADE:
The sword's blade is made from 1055 carbon steel, and is quite thick. From what my limited knowledge tells me, the yokote is geometric. Or at least different from the rest of the blade. The edge came to me less than stellar, but I did buy this second hand, where the previous owner had obviously cut with the sword.
Say what you will about Cold Steel, but the lines and polish on the sword are top notch. Personally I really like the aesthetics of the sword. The wideness of the blade is very appealing to me.
Now, I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable when it comes to correct blade geometry on these Japanese blades. I've seen numerous posts about "niku" or meat on blades. I'm not so sure this blade has that. The cutting planes leading to the edge are very flat, almost like a perfect V. I have no idea how that affects cutting or handling perfomance, as the only other Katanas I've handled were a Hanwei raptor and various Musashi budget swords. Not exactly cream of the crop.
Here are my attempts at getting pictures of the geometry of this blade:
HANDLE:
One thing I can comment on is the tsuka. The handle is very well shaped and comfortable to hold. The ito is super tight, I can't even physically move the individual nodes. The handle is long enough to help counterbalance the blade, and provides a good secure grip. When this blade starts moving, you need it.
THE GUARD:
The tsuba is possibly my favorite part of this sword. I'm a sucker for these square shaped tsubas, even more so for this one. The arrow designs look nice, crisp and clean. The tsuba is made of iron and is probably what keeps this blade from being a ridiculously unbalanced bar of steel.
FITTINGS:
The fuchi and kashira follow the same arrow theme rest of the sword has. The menuki as well. My model also has a loose habaki. But I believe this can be corrected by shimming.
SCABBARD:
The saya is the standard glossy lacquered wood. I've noted that on Kult of Athena, they state that CS ships a lot of these with dings and chips in the saya. Mine does have some dents, but they were already present in the wood prior to being lacquered.
Of all the budget katana's I've owned, this one has the thinnest walls on the saya. I'm almost scarred to draw it because it feels like I'll cut through the wall of the saya. My Hanwei Raptor I previously owned had a saya that was easily twice as thick as this one. Even my budget Musashi swords have thicker sayas. Is this a normal thing?
HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS:
This sword is hefty. A katana is usually blade heavy for it's relative size, but this one even more so. Mine is balanced at around 6 1/2" from the tsuba. The sword is 1/4" thick for almost the entirety of the blade. This sword is powerful. When dry handling this thing wants to cut through anything and everything, and I believe it probably could.
Make no mistake, the sword isn't badly balanced. It's a one cut sword. Reversing direction isn't the easiest. Fancy trick cuts like Inazuma Giri are going to be very difficult to perform.
TEST CUTTING:
The bread and butter of Cold Steel swords. Cutting things, either in a dojo or backyard. I unfortunately have no footage of me attempting to cut with this sword. The sword is not sharp enough to cut through simple bottles, and I don't have any mats to attempt cutting either. Several months back I did have the opportunity to cut some bamboo like substances, and this sword handled them like a hot knife through butter. Even when cutting deep into a node, the sword remained straight and had absolutely no damage.
I may be able to add pictures of the target I cut at some point, if I can find them.
CONCLUSIONS
This is what the sword is meant for. Being forgiving with a beginner when cutting through tougher materials. Unfortunately, I don't have enough of that material to cut. I personally would prefer to have this sword for cutting lighter targets like big bottles and mats. I really like the way this sword looks more than anything. The lines, the aesthetics, colors and design are all very pleasing to me. Unfortunately, there's really not much I can currently cut with this sword.
Pros
-Fittings are very nice
-Well shapped blade
-Tight ito
-Well shaped tsuka
-If sharpened, would be an excellent cutting sword
-Tsuba shape
Cons
-Did not come very sharp
-Thin saya
-Poor saya condition
-Habaki is loose
Overall, it's a nice sword. Is it worth Cold Steel's asking price? No. Nothing is worth the price they ask on their website, save their machetes. If you can find this one for under $300 it's alright. I might look into having some work done to it to improve it's cutting performance.
This sword is meant for cutting heavy targets, and I have a feeling the majority of beginning cutters don't cut much in the way of heavy targets. There are other swords that perform better on lighter targets.
**UPDATE**
I've honed the sword's edge and hope to perform some test cutting later this week. Cheers.
INTRODUCTION
The Cold Steel Warrior Katana. I'm sure the majority of users here have either heard of or seen this blade in action. Millions on Youtube have watched the employees of Cold Steel bang and clash around this sword in their commercials, and as such this blade is known for being a rough and tough almost indestructible monster of a blade.
I've owned this sword for well over a year, and in that time I've done something almost sacrilegious when it comes to a Cold Steel product. I haven't cut with it that much. This sword is almost designed as an all purpose backyard cutter, isn't it? So why haven't I done much cutting with it? Well there's a few reasons why I haven't cut with my particular model.
FULL DISCLOSURE
I am in no way shape or form affiliated with Cold Steel, and received this sword second hand. I have not been compensated for this review.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I received this sword second hand from ebay, and it had some wear to show. The ito at the end of the handle, where the wrapping is tied into a knot, came slightly frayed. I later remedied that. The kissaki came with some slight damage. The very tip had apparently been broken off, and the previous owner attempted to repair it. Lastly, the sword came much less sharp than I expected. The edge is certainly sharp enough to cut a person, but it can't even properly slice paper. Far more ripping, and I suspect that's because of the edge geometry and weight.
SPECIFICATIONS
Blade Length | 28" |
Overall Length | 40 3/4" |
Handle Length | 11" |
Overall Weight | 2lb 13oz |
POB | 6 1/2" |
Thickness | 6.9mm - 6mm |
COMPONENTS
THE BLADE:
The sword's blade is made from 1055 carbon steel, and is quite thick. From what my limited knowledge tells me, the yokote is geometric. Or at least different from the rest of the blade. The edge came to me less than stellar, but I did buy this second hand, where the previous owner had obviously cut with the sword.
Say what you will about Cold Steel, but the lines and polish on the sword are top notch. Personally I really like the aesthetics of the sword. The wideness of the blade is very appealing to me.
Now, I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable when it comes to correct blade geometry on these Japanese blades. I've seen numerous posts about "niku" or meat on blades. I'm not so sure this blade has that. The cutting planes leading to the edge are very flat, almost like a perfect V. I have no idea how that affects cutting or handling perfomance, as the only other Katanas I've handled were a Hanwei raptor and various Musashi budget swords. Not exactly cream of the crop.
Here are my attempts at getting pictures of the geometry of this blade:
HANDLE:
One thing I can comment on is the tsuka. The handle is very well shaped and comfortable to hold. The ito is super tight, I can't even physically move the individual nodes. The handle is long enough to help counterbalance the blade, and provides a good secure grip. When this blade starts moving, you need it.
THE GUARD:
The tsuba is possibly my favorite part of this sword. I'm a sucker for these square shaped tsubas, even more so for this one. The arrow designs look nice, crisp and clean. The tsuba is made of iron and is probably what keeps this blade from being a ridiculously unbalanced bar of steel.
FITTINGS:
The fuchi and kashira follow the same arrow theme rest of the sword has. The menuki as well. My model also has a loose habaki. But I believe this can be corrected by shimming.
SCABBARD:
The saya is the standard glossy lacquered wood. I've noted that on Kult of Athena, they state that CS ships a lot of these with dings and chips in the saya. Mine does have some dents, but they were already present in the wood prior to being lacquered.
Of all the budget katana's I've owned, this one has the thinnest walls on the saya. I'm almost scarred to draw it because it feels like I'll cut through the wall of the saya. My Hanwei Raptor I previously owned had a saya that was easily twice as thick as this one. Even my budget Musashi swords have thicker sayas. Is this a normal thing?
HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS:
This sword is hefty. A katana is usually blade heavy for it's relative size, but this one even more so. Mine is balanced at around 6 1/2" from the tsuba. The sword is 1/4" thick for almost the entirety of the blade. This sword is powerful. When dry handling this thing wants to cut through anything and everything, and I believe it probably could.
Make no mistake, the sword isn't badly balanced. It's a one cut sword. Reversing direction isn't the easiest. Fancy trick cuts like Inazuma Giri are going to be very difficult to perform.
TEST CUTTING:
The bread and butter of Cold Steel swords. Cutting things, either in a dojo or backyard. I unfortunately have no footage of me attempting to cut with this sword. The sword is not sharp enough to cut through simple bottles, and I don't have any mats to attempt cutting either. Several months back I did have the opportunity to cut some bamboo like substances, and this sword handled them like a hot knife through butter. Even when cutting deep into a node, the sword remained straight and had absolutely no damage.
I may be able to add pictures of the target I cut at some point, if I can find them.
CONCLUSIONS
This is what the sword is meant for. Being forgiving with a beginner when cutting through tougher materials. Unfortunately, I don't have enough of that material to cut. I personally would prefer to have this sword for cutting lighter targets like big bottles and mats. I really like the way this sword looks more than anything. The lines, the aesthetics, colors and design are all very pleasing to me. Unfortunately, there's really not much I can currently cut with this sword.
Pros
-Fittings are very nice
-Well shapped blade
-Tight ito
-Well shaped tsuka
-If sharpened, would be an excellent cutting sword
-Tsuba shape
Cons
-Did not come very sharp
-Thin saya
-Poor saya condition
-Habaki is loose
Overall, it's a nice sword. Is it worth Cold Steel's asking price? No. Nothing is worth the price they ask on their website, save their machetes. If you can find this one for under $300 it's alright. I might look into having some work done to it to improve it's cutting performance.
This sword is meant for cutting heavy targets, and I have a feeling the majority of beginning cutters don't cut much in the way of heavy targets. There are other swords that perform better on lighter targets.
**UPDATE**
I've honed the sword's edge and hope to perform some test cutting later this week. Cheers.