Just received my first katana (Hanbon) with first impression
Dec 1, 2017 20:44:44 GMT
Post by aperdue on Dec 1, 2017 20:44:44 GMT
USPS just stopped by to drop off my first real (well, China copy) katana. I bought one from Hanbon Forge on ebay (swordsmith668). It is a full length katana with 9260 blade. Here is the original image:
The original price was $158.10. He had the make an offer option so I offered $140, which Mr. Yao accepted. I made a couple requests for changes. First was that the wrap be changed to katatemaki and for the fittings to be changed out because I just didnt like how the original ones had most of the brass color showing through, making for a significant color contrast. I wanted to stay cheap on this sword so I opted for a fairly standard set of alloy dragon theme fittings that had more of the blackened antiqued look to them to tone down that contrast. I am moving very soon and asked Yao if he could please expedite my order so that it would hopefully arrive before I moved out of my house so the sword would not end up in post office limbo, which he told me he would have it shipped by the end of the day. The next morning, I had an EMS tracking number and the day after, that tracking number actually showed acceptance with EMS. So far, very happy with the communication and customer service of Yao.
I placed my order on Nov. 19, and it showed up today, making exactly 2 weeks from the date of purchase to the day it showed up on my doorstep.
What I received was a square piece of styrofoam wrapped in tape:
Sorry, wrong image. Once opened I found the sword in what I feel is a pretty nice sword bag:
After I pulled the katana out, I found that it had the standard shrink wrap on the tsuka and plastic on the blade than most other ebay katanas had on it. Didn't feel the need to take a picture of that, but here are a few more pictures:
As for the katana itself, I am very happy with it. It is very well put together. Very solid and no gaps between any fittings. It is very sharp. The saya on the other hand, I am not thrilled with. First off, it does not retain the katana at all. If I hold it by the saya horizontally, and barely tilt the tsuka toward the ground, it slides right out of the saya. Secondly, as with many cheaper katana, the shitodome are completely loose:
The shitodome was expected, so I am not too upset about it, but the looseness of the saya does bother me. I have contacted Yao about it and am awaiting his response. I know I can shim it, but I shouldn't have to, and I have never done it before so am a little nervous about it.
Anyway, here is a quick video of my first ever attempts at bottle cutting with a katana. Forgive me looking like crap, I actually just woke up when the mailman rang my doorbell. Ugly cutting form, but they all cut cleanly through:
The original price was $158.10. He had the make an offer option so I offered $140, which Mr. Yao accepted. I made a couple requests for changes. First was that the wrap be changed to katatemaki and for the fittings to be changed out because I just didnt like how the original ones had most of the brass color showing through, making for a significant color contrast. I wanted to stay cheap on this sword so I opted for a fairly standard set of alloy dragon theme fittings that had more of the blackened antiqued look to them to tone down that contrast. I am moving very soon and asked Yao if he could please expedite my order so that it would hopefully arrive before I moved out of my house so the sword would not end up in post office limbo, which he told me he would have it shipped by the end of the day. The next morning, I had an EMS tracking number and the day after, that tracking number actually showed acceptance with EMS. So far, very happy with the communication and customer service of Yao.
I placed my order on Nov. 19, and it showed up today, making exactly 2 weeks from the date of purchase to the day it showed up on my doorstep.
What I received was a square piece of styrofoam wrapped in tape:
Sorry, wrong image. Once opened I found the sword in what I feel is a pretty nice sword bag:
After I pulled the katana out, I found that it had the standard shrink wrap on the tsuka and plastic on the blade than most other ebay katanas had on it. Didn't feel the need to take a picture of that, but here are a few more pictures:
As for the katana itself, I am very happy with it. It is very well put together. Very solid and no gaps between any fittings. It is very sharp. The saya on the other hand, I am not thrilled with. First off, it does not retain the katana at all. If I hold it by the saya horizontally, and barely tilt the tsuka toward the ground, it slides right out of the saya. Secondly, as with many cheaper katana, the shitodome are completely loose:
The shitodome was expected, so I am not too upset about it, but the looseness of the saya does bother me. I have contacted Yao about it and am awaiting his response. I know I can shim it, but I shouldn't have to, and I have never done it before so am a little nervous about it.
Anyway, here is a quick video of my first ever attempts at bottle cutting with a katana. Forgive me looking like crap, I actually just woke up when the mailman rang my doorbell. Ugly cutting form, but they all cut cleanly through: