Feilong Matsu Katana With Custom Itomaki
Apr 7, 2020 18:37:40 GMT
Post by jayotterstein on Apr 7, 2020 18:37:40 GMT
Introduction
I had been looking for a sword that I could use for both Iai/Batto and do some light cutting with. Originally I was thinking I would have a Motohara made, but I decided to set my budget lower. I spent a good couple of months going back and forth on various production models, I was trying to hit somewhere in the $500-$800 range. I was looking for some important points the Katana had to hit. Nagasa between 28-29”, Bo-hi, properly made and fit tsuka that wasn’t an axe handle, good quality furniture, and a properly fit habaki. I spoke with Josh at Cottontail Customs and ended up taking this matsu off his hands along with a custom wrap.
Historical overview
This Katana in shinogi zukuri represents the most common blade style. The Bo-Hi lightens the sword, making it faster and more agile. Less of a powerhouse cutter, and more of a finesse weapon. It’s somewhat humble, yet solid fittings are representative of a sword that may have come to be during the end of Azuchi-Momoyaya period and beginning of the Edo Period. A time where large scale battles and armored warfare were dying out, but had not yet become a distant memory.
Full Disclosure
There isn’t much to disclose here. I am not affiliated with Cottontail Customs, Feilong swords, or any other forge or distributor in anyway. I am a practitioner, not a collector. I look for swords I can use, not just hang on a wall and look at.
Initial Impressions
The katana arrived in a basic sword sized cardboard box, not unlike most of the boxes other swords come in. There were some holes in the box and I could see some obvious signs of the box getting crushed a bit. I was a little worried about the condition of my sword inside. Opening the box I found it fairly securely secured between fitting pieces of Styrofoam. There was just enough to keep the sword protected, but not quite a total cocoon.
The sword was in a silk style sword bag, a common Chinese style sword bag, but one on the nicer side of the fence – you can typically find them on Ebay for around $12-15. Taking the sword out of the bag I found the tsuka tightly wrapped in a plastic wrap, which came of easily. I quickly checked for damage and found a ding in the saya which matched up with one of the holes in the shipping box. Looks like USPS left their mark… not a huge ding, one you wouldn’t notice unless you were inspecting the saya, but it was still there. USPS may have left another mark, but I’ll go into that later as I didn’t notice until later.
Looking everything over, I was very impressed with the looks. Josh did an awesome job on the wrap. The Ito was seriously tight and perfectly lined up. I have a couple Japanese wraps, and his was easily as good, if not even better. Diamonds were perfectly aligned, no hishigami or samegawa poking through. Just a perfect wrap. The fittings are nice and tight and sturdy. Nothing wiggles, everything is just solid.
The blade had a good layer of oil on it, and looked fantastic. The hamon really stands out. The Habaki looked extremely well fit, and the blade was crisply defined with a good practical polish. Such a lovely blade. But what really hit me was how balanced the sword is. In hand it feels amazingly light, and moves effortlessly, but with enough blade presence to give you a sense of power.
Statistics
Taken from the Cottontails Customs site.
My quick checks show these stats to be pretty spot on.
Steel – T-10
Nagasa – 28 1/4″
Overall length – 40 3/4″
Motohaba – 32 mm
Sakihaba – 22 mm
Motokasane – 6.5 mm
Sakikasane – 4 mm
POB – 5 1/2″
Tsuka length – 10 1/2″
Nakago length – 9″
Sori – koshi/tori, 3/4″ – 15/16″
Kissaki – chu, 1 1/2″
Weight w/saya – 2.83 Lbs.
Weight w/out saya – 2.15 – 2.19 Lbs.
Hamon – special hamon (see below)
Mune – iori
Components
Over all the sword is fantastic, especially considering the price point of around $725-750 (including shipping). It feels worth every penny and then some.
The Blade/Nagasa
Very well defined blade with Koshi tori (majority of the curvature more towards the tsuba). Razor sharp, decent amount of niku, well defined Bo-hi with an excellent termination at the kissaki. The hamon is gorgeous. I’m not sure what you would call it. It’s a sort of hako (rectangular) hamon, but with a quality to it more like a choji style with an exaggerated gunome pattern. It give the blade a very serious look. Not quite sinister, more like a looking at a tiger. Beautiful, exotic, regal, but leaves no doubt in its lethality. You want to get close to it, but you know better….
Unfortunately USPS may have left their mark on the blade. At least in a superficial sense. I noticed the blade veering to the right ever so slightly after handling it for a while. I didn’t notice it at first it was so subtle. I traced the bend back to somewhere around where the tsuba sits. Best guess is the sword caught some lateral pressure I shipping and the blade bent ever so slightly. I managed to bend it back to what looks to be straight, or at least close enough. It certainly isn’t enough to effect the sword or it’s use.
The Handle/Tsuka
Damn comfortable. I don’t know what else to say. It’s just easily one of the most comfortable tsuka I have put in my hand. Fits my hands wonderfully and the wrap is exceptional. I generally go for a slightly longer tsuka at 9 sun (just under 11”), this one clocks in at 8.5 sun (a smidge over 10”). That would be my only gripe. But that’s nothing to do with the tsuka itself, just my preference for a slightly longer one. I seriously cannot find a flaw with the tsuka. That’s not to say everyone would think the fit in their hands is as perfect as I feel it is, we all have different hand sizes and preferences. But I would put this tsuka up against any out there. It’s easily as comfortable as my best Japanese tsuka and wrap.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is on the smaller side, and would qualify as a ko-tsuba. It’s a little thinner and smaller diameter than your standard sized tsuba. But it’s solid iron and the tree motif carved into it is wonderfully done and give the tuba a very classy, yet understated feel and look. It’s smaller size and weight transfers just enough weight back towards the blade to make for an amazingly balanced sword. It move and tracks as easily as my best Iaito, despite being heavier. It has a even patina, and has a hand worked look to it.
Fuchi-Kashira
and Menuki
Solid iron fittings, similar to the tsuba. Strong, simple, but with an understated elegance to them. I can’t find any noticeable cast lines. Like the tsuba they have a tree motif, carved into the iron. Simple, but extremely well done. I had Josh swap out the original menuki for some silver sakura petals I had. All put together the fittings give the sword the look of a weapon I’d expect a true bushi to wield. It’s not some fancy decorated sword of the court. It has the looks and feel of a sword that isn’t afraid to cut down waves after wave of enemies.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is a half samaegawa wrapped saya with a kuroro (shiny black) finish. The samegawa used has a nice darker color to it, which gives it an almost greyish/brown look. It is well done for a production saya. You can feel the transitions between the same and the kuroro lacquer, but they are razor thin and honestly, I’ve felt and seen the same on Japanese saya costing 10 times as much. The koiguchi, kurigata and kojiri are all made of horn, and are well fitted. The koiguchi has been shimmed properly and fits wonderfully around the habaki. There is virtually no saya rattle. You really have to shake the sword to hear anything. The saya isn’t amazing, but it is very good, and certainly one of the better production saya I’ve seen. As stated previously there is a ding that looks to have been caused by USPS. It did not chip off the lacquer, more of a dent than anything. It’s not terrible, you only really notice it when inspecting the saya.
THE DING
Handling Characteristics
It handles like a dream. It’s light and agile enough that you could use it for extended Iai practices, but also has blade presence enough to cut with. It’s not a going to be a heavy cutter, more of a fast blade meant for precise cuts. It also wants to move with you. It’s not a blade with a mind of it’s own. It tracks effortlessly with your arm and vision. It’s not blade heavy, you can stop it on a dime, but it’s also not rooted in the tsuka either, the kissaki doesn’t wobble around. I get the sense of the blade tracking like a jungle cat or dragon, laser focused on its prey, and able to strike in a split second.
HABAKI
Test Cutting (if applicable)
Due to being stuck at home it will be a while before I can test the blade on some tatami mats.
Conclusions
Well worth the money. I got more than I expected out of this sword. It feels custom made for me. I wouldn’t expect everyone to have the same experience with the sword. We all have different body sizes, styles, preferences, etc. But for me, it fits just about perfectly. Josh did an incredible job on the wrap. It is a beautiful sword from end to end. We will see how it cuts down the road, but for now it will get put through some suburi and kata practices.
Pros
1. Perfectly executed itomaki
2. Extremely comfortable tsuka
3. Amazing balance
4. Beautiful hamon
5. Confidence inspiring fittings
6. Razor sharp and well defined blade
7. Perfectly fit habaki
8. Value
Cons
There are no true functional flaws on this sword that I can find. The cons are all cosmetic or personal preference in nature.
1. The Tsuka could be slight longer (although the length of the tsuka for the nagasa is standard length)
2. Nickle finish on the habaki could be done heavier you can see a little of the brass starting to show through.
3. Slight damage during shipping, ding on the saya, and very slight bend on the blade (which I fixed).
4. Yokote could be better defined geometrically. You can feel it ever so slightly, but it is mostly defined due to the cross polish.
5. The blade polish is good, but not outstanding. I wouldn't call it a con per say as it's not a bad polish, it's just don't think it's a selling point of the sword.
The Bottom Line
I would not hesitate to recommend the sword along with the custom wrap. Even without the custom wrap I would wager you would be impressed with the handling characteristics of this sword as well as the over all construction. It is a solid, well-made sword that you can tell the craftsman actually cared about the work they were doing. This is a sword that wants to be used. You can just tell when you hold it. It’s pretty enough to hang on a wall, but that would be a disservice to it.
I had been looking for a sword that I could use for both Iai/Batto and do some light cutting with. Originally I was thinking I would have a Motohara made, but I decided to set my budget lower. I spent a good couple of months going back and forth on various production models, I was trying to hit somewhere in the $500-$800 range. I was looking for some important points the Katana had to hit. Nagasa between 28-29”, Bo-hi, properly made and fit tsuka that wasn’t an axe handle, good quality furniture, and a properly fit habaki. I spoke with Josh at Cottontail Customs and ended up taking this matsu off his hands along with a custom wrap.
Historical overview
This Katana in shinogi zukuri represents the most common blade style. The Bo-Hi lightens the sword, making it faster and more agile. Less of a powerhouse cutter, and more of a finesse weapon. It’s somewhat humble, yet solid fittings are representative of a sword that may have come to be during the end of Azuchi-Momoyaya period and beginning of the Edo Period. A time where large scale battles and armored warfare were dying out, but had not yet become a distant memory.
Full Disclosure
There isn’t much to disclose here. I am not affiliated with Cottontail Customs, Feilong swords, or any other forge or distributor in anyway. I am a practitioner, not a collector. I look for swords I can use, not just hang on a wall and look at.
Initial Impressions
The katana arrived in a basic sword sized cardboard box, not unlike most of the boxes other swords come in. There were some holes in the box and I could see some obvious signs of the box getting crushed a bit. I was a little worried about the condition of my sword inside. Opening the box I found it fairly securely secured between fitting pieces of Styrofoam. There was just enough to keep the sword protected, but not quite a total cocoon.
The sword was in a silk style sword bag, a common Chinese style sword bag, but one on the nicer side of the fence – you can typically find them on Ebay for around $12-15. Taking the sword out of the bag I found the tsuka tightly wrapped in a plastic wrap, which came of easily. I quickly checked for damage and found a ding in the saya which matched up with one of the holes in the shipping box. Looks like USPS left their mark… not a huge ding, one you wouldn’t notice unless you were inspecting the saya, but it was still there. USPS may have left another mark, but I’ll go into that later as I didn’t notice until later.
Looking everything over, I was very impressed with the looks. Josh did an awesome job on the wrap. The Ito was seriously tight and perfectly lined up. I have a couple Japanese wraps, and his was easily as good, if not even better. Diamonds were perfectly aligned, no hishigami or samegawa poking through. Just a perfect wrap. The fittings are nice and tight and sturdy. Nothing wiggles, everything is just solid.
The blade had a good layer of oil on it, and looked fantastic. The hamon really stands out. The Habaki looked extremely well fit, and the blade was crisply defined with a good practical polish. Such a lovely blade. But what really hit me was how balanced the sword is. In hand it feels amazingly light, and moves effortlessly, but with enough blade presence to give you a sense of power.
Statistics
Taken from the Cottontails Customs site.
My quick checks show these stats to be pretty spot on.
Steel – T-10
Nagasa – 28 1/4″
Overall length – 40 3/4″
Motohaba – 32 mm
Sakihaba – 22 mm
Motokasane – 6.5 mm
Sakikasane – 4 mm
POB – 5 1/2″
Tsuka length – 10 1/2″
Nakago length – 9″
Sori – koshi/tori, 3/4″ – 15/16″
Kissaki – chu, 1 1/2″
Weight w/saya – 2.83 Lbs.
Weight w/out saya – 2.15 – 2.19 Lbs.
Hamon – special hamon (see below)
Mune – iori
Components
Over all the sword is fantastic, especially considering the price point of around $725-750 (including shipping). It feels worth every penny and then some.
The Blade/Nagasa
Very well defined blade with Koshi tori (majority of the curvature more towards the tsuba). Razor sharp, decent amount of niku, well defined Bo-hi with an excellent termination at the kissaki. The hamon is gorgeous. I’m not sure what you would call it. It’s a sort of hako (rectangular) hamon, but with a quality to it more like a choji style with an exaggerated gunome pattern. It give the blade a very serious look. Not quite sinister, more like a looking at a tiger. Beautiful, exotic, regal, but leaves no doubt in its lethality. You want to get close to it, but you know better….
Unfortunately USPS may have left their mark on the blade. At least in a superficial sense. I noticed the blade veering to the right ever so slightly after handling it for a while. I didn’t notice it at first it was so subtle. I traced the bend back to somewhere around where the tsuba sits. Best guess is the sword caught some lateral pressure I shipping and the blade bent ever so slightly. I managed to bend it back to what looks to be straight, or at least close enough. It certainly isn’t enough to effect the sword or it’s use.
The Handle/Tsuka
Damn comfortable. I don’t know what else to say. It’s just easily one of the most comfortable tsuka I have put in my hand. Fits my hands wonderfully and the wrap is exceptional. I generally go for a slightly longer tsuka at 9 sun (just under 11”), this one clocks in at 8.5 sun (a smidge over 10”). That would be my only gripe. But that’s nothing to do with the tsuka itself, just my preference for a slightly longer one. I seriously cannot find a flaw with the tsuka. That’s not to say everyone would think the fit in their hands is as perfect as I feel it is, we all have different hand sizes and preferences. But I would put this tsuka up against any out there. It’s easily as comfortable as my best Japanese tsuka and wrap.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is on the smaller side, and would qualify as a ko-tsuba. It’s a little thinner and smaller diameter than your standard sized tsuba. But it’s solid iron and the tree motif carved into it is wonderfully done and give the tuba a very classy, yet understated feel and look. It’s smaller size and weight transfers just enough weight back towards the blade to make for an amazingly balanced sword. It move and tracks as easily as my best Iaito, despite being heavier. It has a even patina, and has a hand worked look to it.
Fuchi-Kashira
and Menuki
Solid iron fittings, similar to the tsuba. Strong, simple, but with an understated elegance to them. I can’t find any noticeable cast lines. Like the tsuba they have a tree motif, carved into the iron. Simple, but extremely well done. I had Josh swap out the original menuki for some silver sakura petals I had. All put together the fittings give the sword the look of a weapon I’d expect a true bushi to wield. It’s not some fancy decorated sword of the court. It has the looks and feel of a sword that isn’t afraid to cut down waves after wave of enemies.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is a half samaegawa wrapped saya with a kuroro (shiny black) finish. The samegawa used has a nice darker color to it, which gives it an almost greyish/brown look. It is well done for a production saya. You can feel the transitions between the same and the kuroro lacquer, but they are razor thin and honestly, I’ve felt and seen the same on Japanese saya costing 10 times as much. The koiguchi, kurigata and kojiri are all made of horn, and are well fitted. The koiguchi has been shimmed properly and fits wonderfully around the habaki. There is virtually no saya rattle. You really have to shake the sword to hear anything. The saya isn’t amazing, but it is very good, and certainly one of the better production saya I’ve seen. As stated previously there is a ding that looks to have been caused by USPS. It did not chip off the lacquer, more of a dent than anything. It’s not terrible, you only really notice it when inspecting the saya.
THE DING
Handling Characteristics
It handles like a dream. It’s light and agile enough that you could use it for extended Iai practices, but also has blade presence enough to cut with. It’s not a going to be a heavy cutter, more of a fast blade meant for precise cuts. It also wants to move with you. It’s not a blade with a mind of it’s own. It tracks effortlessly with your arm and vision. It’s not blade heavy, you can stop it on a dime, but it’s also not rooted in the tsuka either, the kissaki doesn’t wobble around. I get the sense of the blade tracking like a jungle cat or dragon, laser focused on its prey, and able to strike in a split second.
HABAKI
Test Cutting (if applicable)
Due to being stuck at home it will be a while before I can test the blade on some tatami mats.
Conclusions
Well worth the money. I got more than I expected out of this sword. It feels custom made for me. I wouldn’t expect everyone to have the same experience with the sword. We all have different body sizes, styles, preferences, etc. But for me, it fits just about perfectly. Josh did an incredible job on the wrap. It is a beautiful sword from end to end. We will see how it cuts down the road, but for now it will get put through some suburi and kata practices.
Pros
1. Perfectly executed itomaki
2. Extremely comfortable tsuka
3. Amazing balance
4. Beautiful hamon
5. Confidence inspiring fittings
6. Razor sharp and well defined blade
7. Perfectly fit habaki
8. Value
Cons
There are no true functional flaws on this sword that I can find. The cons are all cosmetic or personal preference in nature.
1. The Tsuka could be slight longer (although the length of the tsuka for the nagasa is standard length)
2. Nickle finish on the habaki could be done heavier you can see a little of the brass starting to show through.
3. Slight damage during shipping, ding on the saya, and very slight bend on the blade (which I fixed).
4. Yokote could be better defined geometrically. You can feel it ever so slightly, but it is mostly defined due to the cross polish.
5. The blade polish is good, but not outstanding. I wouldn't call it a con per say as it's not a bad polish, it's just don't think it's a selling point of the sword.
The Bottom Line
I would not hesitate to recommend the sword along with the custom wrap. Even without the custom wrap I would wager you would be impressed with the handling characteristics of this sword as well as the over all construction. It is a solid, well-made sword that you can tell the craftsman actually cared about the work they were doing. This is a sword that wants to be used. You can just tell when you hold it. It’s pretty enough to hang on a wall, but that would be a disservice to it.