Kurin Hybrid KHSK-2.45-009
Mar 6, 2018 18:03:51 GMT
Post by Brian Weiss on Mar 6, 2018 18:03:51 GMT
Introduction
The Kurin Hybrid KHSK-2.45-009 is my 2nd katana from as many manufacturers. I had heard great things about the Kaneie line which is no longer in production, and learned that Kurin sources from the same places as Kaneie. I've got money to burn, so I figured I'd give it shot.
Full Disclosure
I have thus far only had one other sword to compare it to, so my impressions of the overall quality and handling are based on a very small sample size. I purchased this sword at full price from the vendor NineCircles.
Initial Impressions
Took less than a week to receive it from the time it was shipped. Box had some end damage and was a little damp. Inner box was also a little damp on the same edge... oh boy I thought. Thankfully, no issues with the sword or the other items contained in the box. NineCircles performed a thorough inspection of the sword prior to shipment, and made me fully aware and provided pictures of any anomolies they noticed. There were a few things common to production swords, and without prompting they offered to include a free sword stand with my shipment.
Sword bag is a dark blue cotton. The stand is a lightly colored wood which assembles easily, but needs some glue to secure everything. NineCircles also included a spare saya, which was a nice surprise!
First thing I noticed when picking it up was the difference in weight between this and the Ronin Elite. The saya is lighter and had a thinner profile, as does the blade. It is designed for martial arts use and light to medium target cutting, and I can definitely see the difference.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 2.45 shaku
Handle/Tsuka Length: 27.5cm
Weight: 1039g
The Blade/Nagasa
Blade is T10, differentially hardened monosteel. The blade had been cleaned prior to shipment, and had a very light coat of oil. This is not a niku blade, and while it should be capable of handling heavier targets with the right degree of skill, it's optimized for light/medium targets. Edge is VERY sharp, and there is a 3" or so "virgin edge" from where the ha meets the habaki.
The polish is about the equivalent to what I've seen on reference photos of Kaneie Okuden class swords. It's meant for light/medium cutting and iaido, and the polish reflects that focus. The grain is easy to see and looks very good. The hamon is enhanced via a proper kesho hadori polish.
The bohi is taller and shallower than what is typically seen, a feature of their hybrid model. The hi is symmetrical on both sides, and is close to a mirror polish. If you run your finger through it you can feel a couple of waves in the groove, but for the most part its smooth and even. I feel no uneveness on the blade flats or along the hamon.
I can't quite pin down how I feel about the habaki. I definitely like the finish, but I think it's some kind of alloy to give it a different color as opposed to being plated brass. It's a little rough where the mune meets the habaki, but a couple of swipes with a jewelers file should square that away nicely. The fit is solid, and there is no play whatsoever.
Yokote is cosmetic, which I'm fine with. Everything appears symmetrical. There are a few very light scratches on the mune which I knew about in advance, but I really had to look for them.
And yes, the blade was true out of the box.
The Handle/Tsuka
Ito is black cotton, supposedly japanese. The wrap looks, to my eye, very nicely done, and I can't move it with my finger at all. They use hishigami, and it shows. The same has a nice even tone, with no signs of recession. I can't see any wood peeking out, so I'm pretty happy about that. The meguki are nicely finished, and the holes in the same are round and clean. The meguki-ana appear to have been drilled straight across as opposed to at an angle. This will make getting them out for maintenance a bit more difficult, as the tapered end is covered by the ito.
During some dry handling, I didn't notice any creaks or strange noises at all, so I don't feel the need to remove the tsuka at this time. Tsuka core is haichi shaped, and feels pretty comfortable in my little girly hands.
The Guard/Tsuba
So this is where it gets weird. The design isn't really my style, but it was to me the best option out of what was in stock. I planned ahead of time to get something a little less ornate to replace the fittings with once the return window expires. The tsuba has a smaller diameter than what I saw on the Ronin, and is thinner. There are some file marks on the inner surfaces that could've been better smoothed out. There are no sharp edges or anything, so it may have been worked a bit by hand before the final finish was applied. Not sure if it is iron or steel, but the material is ferrous. No lateral or mune/ha play at all.
It's hard to photograph, but the seppa that meets the habaki is larger than the one that meets the fuchi. I've been informed that this is good attention to detail, as the habaki side seppa would need to be bigger to match the koiguchi. You learn something new every day! The edges of the seppa are a little rough, and the one that meets the habaki has a section of edge detailed at a different angle than the rest. It isn't something you'd notice unless you were really looking, and it doesn't really bother me much.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
Again, not my cup of tea from a design aspect, and planned in advance to replace them if I felt it was worth it. They look nice, are well finished, but are made of a non-ferrous alloy. No movement in the fuchi at all.
The Scabbard/Saya
Not sure what the finish is called, but I like it. Its definitely easier to maintain than gloss black, though it isn't nearly as aesthetic. The kurigata, koiguchi and kojiri are made of black horn, and are very well polished. The outer surface of the koiguchi and kojiri are just the slightest bit larger then the saya, so there's an edge you can feel. I expected them to be flush.
Not sure what type of wood it's constructed from. The wood inside the saya is smooth and appears to have been finished with care. Habaki fit is solid, with no saya rattle. Sageo is thick cotton, and a real pain to work with when tying knots. The "practice saya" actually seems to fit the habaki more tightly than the other one, and I'm hard pressed to find any real difference between them beyond that.
Handling Characteristics
No formal training, but I've been practicing simple cutting motions for a few weeks now with a much heavier blade. It's light and fast, and I can manipulate it easily with my off hand. I can probably say now that my other reference sword was a bit on the heavy side.
Conclusions
I really like it, and can't wait to do a side by side with my incoming Kaneie to see just how similar the production quality is (polishing grade aside). There are a few things here and there that bug me, and they may be turn offs for some considering the price point.
It's a very different sword than my only other point of reference, that's for sure. It's a DH mono blade with a martial arts profile vs a laminated heavy cutter. There's nothing that indicates to me that it's anything less than an excellent production sword, and the issues typically associated with production swords are either not present or minimal.
Pros
- excellent customer service from vendor
- fast and well balanced
- well constructed, and nothing to indicate poor fitting work/shortcuts
- quality steel and wood
- excellent ito wrap and high quality same
- comfortable, and should hold up well during cutting and iaido
Cons
- availability, lack of information
- very minor fit and finish issues
- style of fittings does not appeal to me (but hey, at least there are no DRAGONS) *edit: The menuki are friggin' little dragons that look a little like dogs. Why can't I escape these damn dragons?!
- meguki-ana are drilled straight across
The Bottom Line
It's a no nonsense weapon based on proven, tough, and reliable steel. The emphasis is clearly on the quality of the blade and the tsuka. You can do much worse for the price, but at this point I can't tell you if you can do better. I'll be better equipped to give you the Kaneie/Kurin comparison in a few days, but I believe that fans of that brand will find alot to like about Kurin's offerings. I don't feel like I have to dump a bunch of money into the sword out of necessity, but rather because I want to make a great sword even better.
The Kurin Hybrid KHSK-2.45-009 is my 2nd katana from as many manufacturers. I had heard great things about the Kaneie line which is no longer in production, and learned that Kurin sources from the same places as Kaneie. I've got money to burn, so I figured I'd give it shot.
Full Disclosure
I have thus far only had one other sword to compare it to, so my impressions of the overall quality and handling are based on a very small sample size. I purchased this sword at full price from the vendor NineCircles.
Initial Impressions
Took less than a week to receive it from the time it was shipped. Box had some end damage and was a little damp. Inner box was also a little damp on the same edge... oh boy I thought. Thankfully, no issues with the sword or the other items contained in the box. NineCircles performed a thorough inspection of the sword prior to shipment, and made me fully aware and provided pictures of any anomolies they noticed. There were a few things common to production swords, and without prompting they offered to include a free sword stand with my shipment.
Sword bag is a dark blue cotton. The stand is a lightly colored wood which assembles easily, but needs some glue to secure everything. NineCircles also included a spare saya, which was a nice surprise!
First thing I noticed when picking it up was the difference in weight between this and the Ronin Elite. The saya is lighter and had a thinner profile, as does the blade. It is designed for martial arts use and light to medium target cutting, and I can definitely see the difference.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 2.45 shaku
Handle/Tsuka Length: 27.5cm
Weight: 1039g
The Blade/Nagasa
Blade is T10, differentially hardened monosteel. The blade had been cleaned prior to shipment, and had a very light coat of oil. This is not a niku blade, and while it should be capable of handling heavier targets with the right degree of skill, it's optimized for light/medium targets. Edge is VERY sharp, and there is a 3" or so "virgin edge" from where the ha meets the habaki.
The polish is about the equivalent to what I've seen on reference photos of Kaneie Okuden class swords. It's meant for light/medium cutting and iaido, and the polish reflects that focus. The grain is easy to see and looks very good. The hamon is enhanced via a proper kesho hadori polish.
The bohi is taller and shallower than what is typically seen, a feature of their hybrid model. The hi is symmetrical on both sides, and is close to a mirror polish. If you run your finger through it you can feel a couple of waves in the groove, but for the most part its smooth and even. I feel no uneveness on the blade flats or along the hamon.
I can't quite pin down how I feel about the habaki. I definitely like the finish, but I think it's some kind of alloy to give it a different color as opposed to being plated brass. It's a little rough where the mune meets the habaki, but a couple of swipes with a jewelers file should square that away nicely. The fit is solid, and there is no play whatsoever.
Yokote is cosmetic, which I'm fine with. Everything appears symmetrical. There are a few very light scratches on the mune which I knew about in advance, but I really had to look for them.
And yes, the blade was true out of the box.
The Handle/Tsuka
Ito is black cotton, supposedly japanese. The wrap looks, to my eye, very nicely done, and I can't move it with my finger at all. They use hishigami, and it shows. The same has a nice even tone, with no signs of recession. I can't see any wood peeking out, so I'm pretty happy about that. The meguki are nicely finished, and the holes in the same are round and clean. The meguki-ana appear to have been drilled straight across as opposed to at an angle. This will make getting them out for maintenance a bit more difficult, as the tapered end is covered by the ito.
During some dry handling, I didn't notice any creaks or strange noises at all, so I don't feel the need to remove the tsuka at this time. Tsuka core is haichi shaped, and feels pretty comfortable in my little girly hands.
The Guard/Tsuba
So this is where it gets weird. The design isn't really my style, but it was to me the best option out of what was in stock. I planned ahead of time to get something a little less ornate to replace the fittings with once the return window expires. The tsuba has a smaller diameter than what I saw on the Ronin, and is thinner. There are some file marks on the inner surfaces that could've been better smoothed out. There are no sharp edges or anything, so it may have been worked a bit by hand before the final finish was applied. Not sure if it is iron or steel, but the material is ferrous. No lateral or mune/ha play at all.
It's hard to photograph, but the seppa that meets the habaki is larger than the one that meets the fuchi. I've been informed that this is good attention to detail, as the habaki side seppa would need to be bigger to match the koiguchi. You learn something new every day! The edges of the seppa are a little rough, and the one that meets the habaki has a section of edge detailed at a different angle than the rest. It isn't something you'd notice unless you were really looking, and it doesn't really bother me much.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
Again, not my cup of tea from a design aspect, and planned in advance to replace them if I felt it was worth it. They look nice, are well finished, but are made of a non-ferrous alloy. No movement in the fuchi at all.
The Scabbard/Saya
Not sure what the finish is called, but I like it. Its definitely easier to maintain than gloss black, though it isn't nearly as aesthetic. The kurigata, koiguchi and kojiri are made of black horn, and are very well polished. The outer surface of the koiguchi and kojiri are just the slightest bit larger then the saya, so there's an edge you can feel. I expected them to be flush.
Not sure what type of wood it's constructed from. The wood inside the saya is smooth and appears to have been finished with care. Habaki fit is solid, with no saya rattle. Sageo is thick cotton, and a real pain to work with when tying knots. The "practice saya" actually seems to fit the habaki more tightly than the other one, and I'm hard pressed to find any real difference between them beyond that.
Handling Characteristics
No formal training, but I've been practicing simple cutting motions for a few weeks now with a much heavier blade. It's light and fast, and I can manipulate it easily with my off hand. I can probably say now that my other reference sword was a bit on the heavy side.
Conclusions
I really like it, and can't wait to do a side by side with my incoming Kaneie to see just how similar the production quality is (polishing grade aside). There are a few things here and there that bug me, and they may be turn offs for some considering the price point.
It's a very different sword than my only other point of reference, that's for sure. It's a DH mono blade with a martial arts profile vs a laminated heavy cutter. There's nothing that indicates to me that it's anything less than an excellent production sword, and the issues typically associated with production swords are either not present or minimal.
Pros
- excellent customer service from vendor
- fast and well balanced
- well constructed, and nothing to indicate poor fitting work/shortcuts
- quality steel and wood
- excellent ito wrap and high quality same
- comfortable, and should hold up well during cutting and iaido
Cons
- availability, lack of information
- very minor fit and finish issues
- style of fittings does not appeal to me (but hey, at least there are no DRAGONS) *edit: The menuki are friggin' little dragons that look a little like dogs. Why can't I escape these damn dragons?!
- meguki-ana are drilled straight across
The Bottom Line
It's a no nonsense weapon based on proven, tough, and reliable steel. The emphasis is clearly on the quality of the blade and the tsuka. You can do much worse for the price, but at this point I can't tell you if you can do better. I'll be better equipped to give you the Kaneie/Kurin comparison in a few days, but I believe that fans of that brand will find alot to like about Kurin's offerings. I don't feel like I have to dump a bunch of money into the sword out of necessity, but rather because I want to make a great sword even better.