Review $225.00( FUNCTIONAL KATANA 9260 SPRING STEEL)
Nov 14, 2018 18:13:40 GMT
Post by csills2313 on Nov 14, 2018 18:13:40 GMT
Introduction
Historical overview
This particular sword along with the others I have purchased are not modern reproductions of any historical swords that I am aware of other than the fact that the vendor claims that the swords are made are hand made and forged by using traditional Japanese sword making techniques.
Full Disclosure
I am in no way affiliated with Lyueswords and have no relationship with them other than I have found their swords to be attractive and functional.
I do not receive any favors from them and simply bid on their products until we agree upon a price.
Initial Impressions
Upon receiving the item I noticed that the sword was well packaged in Styrofoam blocks and that the shipper had used plenty of packaging tape to secure the product for shipping. Opening the package was quite a chore to be honest as I had to cut through all that tape and the Styrofoam tends to make mess. After opening I inspected the sword and did not notice any flaws with the finish of the saya. The finish was well done. The blade was covered with a plastic sleeve that contained oil. The engraving was beautifully done. The 9620 steel blade really stands out and is very shiny.
Statistics
Give some hard data on the sword's specifications:
These sections are pretty straightforward; just describe as best as possible (with lots of pictures) the different parts of the sword. Point out any areas that were especially good or bad, or just not as advertised.
The Blade/Nagasa
The Guard/Tsuba
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The Scabbard/Saya
Handling Characteristics
They sword handles really well and seems very lightweight compared to some of my cheaper swords. You can really change angle of attack very quickly. The Unokubi Zukuri blade makes a very loud swishing sound when blade alignment is correct. Sword is a pleasure to use.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
If your sword has a sharp edge/point and you can do so safely, do some cutting with your new sword. Take videos with possible, and discuss how well your sword did and how the handling may have helped/hindered its performance. Some common targets include:
Conclusions
Overall I am pleased with this sword purchase. Shipping was a bit slow but that was due to the holidays otherwise the item would have been delivered on time. I really like katanas that have embellishments that make the sword stand out and this one fit the bill for me. After thorough inspection, I can say the sword is of good quality for this price level.
Next, to sum up you can list the:
Pros
Give a brief list of the aspects of the sword that you believed were the most positive, for example:
-The handle is well done and the ito wrap is wrapped very tightly.
- The weight seems correct for this blade type. May be a little to light for some people's taste.
Cons
Give a brief list of the aspects of the sword that you believed were the most negative, for example:
- The blade rattles in the saya toward the tip of the blade. It is a minor nuisance but not necessarily a deal breaker at this price level.
The Bottom Line
Would you recommend this sword? That is the basic question of every review. In The Bottom Line section, tell the reader if you would recommend this sword or not, and why. For example:
I would recommend this to a friend. The sword is very good quality for a sub $300.00 sword.
I would recommend this to anyone who would like an inexpensive katana that has a unusual and attractive design.
Over the last year I have been purchasing Katana swords from various vendors online. I had been eyeing this particular sword for some time and finally decided to purchase the sword for $225.00 on Ebay from the Vendor Lyueswords. I have purchased three katanas from them over the last 4 months and thus far have been pleased with the swords I have received.
I had some engraving added to this particular sword to increase the aesthetic value of the sword.
Historical overview
This particular sword along with the others I have purchased are not modern reproductions of any historical swords that I am aware of other than the fact that the vendor claims that the swords are made are hand made and forged by using traditional Japanese sword making techniques.
Full Disclosure
I am in no way affiliated with Lyueswords and have no relationship with them other than I have found their swords to be attractive and functional.
I do not receive any favors from them and simply bid on their products until we agree upon a price.
Initial Impressions
Upon receiving the item I noticed that the sword was well packaged in Styrofoam blocks and that the shipper had used plenty of packaging tape to secure the product for shipping. Opening the package was quite a chore to be honest as I had to cut through all that tape and the Styrofoam tends to make mess. After opening I inspected the sword and did not notice any flaws with the finish of the saya. The finish was well done. The blade was covered with a plastic sleeve that contained oil. The engraving was beautifully done. The 9620 steel blade really stands out and is very shiny.
Statistics
Give some hard data on the sword's specifications:
Overall Length: 40.5 inch/104 cm
Blade Material: 9260 Spring steel
Nagasa Length: 27.8 inch/70.5 cm
Saya Material: Hard wooden + OX horn + Seashell
Handle Length:10.6 inch/27 cm
Handle Material: Ray skin + Hard wood
Kissaki Shape: O-Kissaki
Tsuba Material: High Quality Brass
Blade Shape: Unokubi Zukuri
Sori(curve): 1.8cm
Blade Width(near Habaki): 1.26 inch/3.2cm
Package weight : 2.0kg
Blade Width(near Kissaki): 0.91 inch/2.3 cm
Balance Point - Point of balance is about 3 inches from Tsuba/Handle
These sections are pretty straightforward; just describe as best as possible (with lots of pictures) the different parts of the sword. Point out any areas that were especially good or bad, or just not as advertised.
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is of the Unokubi Zukuri type and Nagasa is 27.8 inches long. Blade is straight and true with no blemishes. Does not have Hamon as this is a TH hardened blade. Blade has bo-hi and I really like the bo-hi termination was done
The Handle/Tsuka
The handle/Tsuka is well made black rayskin and dark brown synthetic silk ito. Fittings are made of brass. The ito wrap is very tight and did not find any loose wrap on the handle. The kashira like the tsuka has frog motif on it.
The Guard/Tsuba
Describe the guard as well as possible...
The Tsuba is made of brass and is in the shape of a Lily Pad leaf with a frog motif on it as well. Tsuba was not loose and is very tight. Seems very sturdy as well.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
Describe the other fittings as well as possible...
The fuchi and Kashira both made of brass and are fitted correctly with no looseness
The Scabbard/Saya
Describe the scabbard as well as possible...
The scabbard is made of some type of hardwood although not sure what type. Saya does have ox-horn fittings on the end and mouth. Also it has sea-shell inlays on each side that really make the saya stand out. The blade fits the mouth of the saya correctly as it is not too easy or too hard to draw. One thing I did notice that there was a slight blade rattle at the end of the saya which can be somewhat annoying. There were no dings or blemishes that I could see on the saya for this particular sword.
Handling Characteristics
They sword handles really well and seems very lightweight compared to some of my cheaper swords. You can really change angle of attack very quickly. The Unokubi Zukuri blade makes a very loud swishing sound when blade alignment is correct. Sword is a pleasure to use.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
If your sword has a sharp edge/point and you can do so safely, do some cutting with your new sword. Take videos with possible, and discuss how well your sword did and how the handling may have helped/hindered its performance. Some common targets include:
I have not had a chance to do any serious test cutting due to all the rain we are having but will revisit this later and post the cutting videos here. Sword did pass the paper cutting test out of the box and also cut cardboard easily.
Conclusions
Overall I am pleased with this sword purchase. Shipping was a bit slow but that was due to the holidays otherwise the item would have been delivered on time. I really like katanas that have embellishments that make the sword stand out and this one fit the bill for me. After thorough inspection, I can say the sword is of good quality for this price level.
Next, to sum up you can list the:
Pros
Give a brief list of the aspects of the sword that you believed were the most positive, for example:
-The handle is well done and the ito wrap is wrapped very tightly.
- The weight seems correct for this blade type. May be a little to light for some people's taste.
- Sword has a beautiful blade with very nice bo-hi
- Sword seems to be well balanced and handles nicely.
Give a brief list of the aspects of the sword that you believed were the most negative, for example:
- The blade rattles in the saya toward the tip of the blade. It is a minor nuisance but not necessarily a deal breaker at this price level.
The Bottom Line
Would you recommend this sword? That is the basic question of every review. In The Bottom Line section, tell the reader if you would recommend this sword or not, and why. For example:
I would recommend this to a friend. The sword is very good quality for a sub $300.00 sword.
I would recommend this to anyone who would like an inexpensive katana that has a unusual and attractive design.