Huawei Unokubi Zukuri T10 "Practical" katana w/ saya upgrade
Apr 29, 2020 18:59:04 GMT
Post by jayotterstein on Apr 29, 2020 18:59:04 GMT
Introduction: FYI - This is a POSITIVE review of a Huawei sword.
I recently started training in Toyama-ryu. Having been practicing Muso Shinden-ryu for some time, I was certainly not new JSA, however cutting had not been part of our curriculum so this was a bit of a new territory for me. As such, I was looking for a sword specifically for cutting, ideally something geared towards tatami. However, I didn’t want to spend a small fortune on something that was likely to see some abuse as I work out the kinks in my technique. I looked at a lot of different production katana, mulled over different blade geometries and spoke to a handful of folks (practitioners and craftsman who customize swords) whom I valued for their knowledge and opinions.
Specifically the sword needed to hit some key marks. Proper blade construction and heat treatment, habaki that fits, well made tsuka core and a good wrap to start from, functional fittings and decent fitting saya.
Ultimately I decided on Huawei and an Unokubi zukuri sugata in T10 steel. Specifically the “Practical” version. I did ask for a saya upgrade to one with buffalo horn in a “wine” color which was an additional $35 charge. The saya that comes standard is in an inden style, without horn, and was known to have a snug fit at the koiguchi, but quite a bit of saya rattle. My hope was that an upgraded saya would result in a better overall fit.
I also ordered another sword from Huawei at the same time (intended for someone else) and got to see and inspect that sword, as well as seeing it put through some cuttings and I will use those observations to help inform on the quality of Huawei in general.
Historical overview
To my understanding, the Unokubi Zukuri sugata was mainly found on naginata blades and occasionally found on Wakizashi or Tanto, often as repurposed naginata blades. The base of the blade starts in a standard Shinogi Zukuri sugata with bo-hi for about 1/3 to ½ of the blade. Then the bo-hi terminates in an angled fashion as the blade takes on a diamond shape tapering back to the mune, similarly to the ha. Finally the kissaki reforms back resembling the more standard shinogi zukuri geometry and may or may not have a yokote. The blade tends to have less niku and due to the geometry produces very little drag when cutting through a target. It’s light and agile, and a fantastic cutter at the expense of some lateral blade strength.
Full Disclosure
I am not affiliated with Huawei or any forge or reseller in any way. I’m not a “collector” per se. I am a practitioner. While I do love Japanese blades, I purchase and own them for use, not to just hang on a wall and look pretty.
Initial Impressions
With the current Covid-19 issues, shipping took some gymnastics to get it to me. Huawei at the time of this writing is only able to ship to the Eastern US, and living in the western part of the country Jacky informed me that my address was not one they could ship to. Thankfully I have good friends on the east coast who didn’t mind accepting the shipment and then sending back off to me. Shipping ended up taking longer due to that circumstance and is not necessarily representative of what you would normally expect.
Once I did get the package I was happy to see the sword came in a Styrofoam cocoon. Apparently many of the Chinese sellers ship this way now and I have to say I do prefer this to a normal box. Much less chance of the sword getting dinged up or damaged. Cutting up the tape, I found the sword wrapped in a fairly thick canvas styled sword bag (of decent quality I might add) which was also wrapped in some plastic. No damage to anything. So far so good.
I got everything unwrapped and was at first a little disappointed in the saya. It wasn’t exactly as deep of a color as I had hoped for. It was technically a wine colored saya, and one they use on some of the higher priced models. Inspecting the saya closer, I could see that the lacquer job was not that great. There were some overruns onto the kurigata and a small smudge on the outside of the koiguchi. Cosmetically it was “meh”. The sageo was of lower quality, a synthetic material I believe, as thin as Ito. It reminded me of some of the cheaper sageo I had received on Ryujin swords in the past.
The tsuka looked to be very well done. The wrap was very tight, with even diamonds and a terrific shape over all. So far actually better than I expected. The Fittings were about what I expected. The tsuba a plain steel mokko style, and the fuchi/kashira of powder coated brass. The fuchi has some noticeable cast lines, while the kashira seems to be a much better cast, although just slightly oversized.
The thing I noticed most however, was the total lack of any saya rattle. After removing the blade and getting the plastic off, and a little clean up on the grease, I found the saya fit to be extremely good. To the point where I have to wonder if the saya was carved for this particular blade.
All in all, I thought we were off to a good start.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28”
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 ¼”
Overall Length: roughly 41”
Guard/Tsuba Width: ~5mm
POB (Point of Balance): Updated: about 4.25" from tsuba
Weight: Listed at 1050 Grams (2.3 lbs) without saya, but it feels lighter.
Components
The Blade/Nagasa
Unokubi Zukuri Sugata – no yokote. 28” Nagasa with sanbonsugi hamon in T10 steel
The blade is very nice. Well executed geometry, the bo-hi terminations are crisp, there are no noticeable hammer marks or blemishes. The polish is good, and the hamon stands out very well. I’d say the hamon is definitely a selling point of the blade, very well done and combined with a sugata makes for a wicked looking blade.
A small amount of niku is present, and the blade is very sharp. Typical of a katana, the first few inches of the blade above the habaki are not razor sharp. Habaki fit is excellent. It is tight and aligned perfectly.
In a nutshell the blade is pointy where it should be, sharp where it should be, and generally crisp and well made.
The Handle/Tsuka
Very comfortable tsuka with a tight wrap. Nothing is loose, the fuchi matches the depth of the ito with no lips or areas that would rub against the fore finger. The Itomaki is in hinerimaki style with hishigami. There are no signs of the hishigami poking out beneath the ito, nor any of the samegawa visible between the individual cords. The Samegawa is real rayskin in a black lacquer. The nodes are on the smaller side but are well defined. Overall the tsuka is very well executed. The wrap isn’t perfect, but it’s well above average if not exceptional given the price range. The artificial silk feels very nice. I actually thought it was a high grade cotton wrap at first since it felt similar to a Japanese wrap I had that was done in cotton. They did get the knots correct as well, which I’ve heard they aren’t always consistent with getting on the correct side of the tsuka. The Menuki is in brass and appears to be some floral pattern possibly with a bird or two, hard to discern the details since they are partially hidden under the ito.
The Guard/Tsuba
Nothing exceptional about the tsuba. It’s a basic steel mokko design. Purely functional, not meant to be fancy in any way. I got exactly what I expected.
Fuchi-Kashira
Similar to the tsuba these weren’t meant to be anything fancy. Purely functional and “good enough”. They are made of brass with a black powder coat. The fuchi is a little muddy in the casting with some noticeable cast lines. The kashira is pretty good cast, slightly oversized for the depth of the ito, although not horribly so. Being solid brass they are sturdy and for the purposes of a practical sword to cut with, they do the job. They aren’t trying to be more than they are.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is both a slight disappointment and a wonderful surprise. I had ordered a saya upgrade with the sword, one with buffalo horn since the default saya for this model was known to not have a good blade fit and did not have any horn. I’m a stickler for horn (or a decent alternative like delrin) on the koiguchi to strengthen it for any saya meant for a shinken. What I got was a saya with an excellent fit, to the point that I have to consider the saya was carved specifically for the blade; but one where the lacquer job is subpar. Knowing that at a $300 price point, I’m not going to get perfect, I’ll take function over form every day of the week when it comes to compromises that are made to maintain that price point. I’ve seen and owned saya that looked great, but functionally were extremely poor fits and not made well.
In this case they nailed the function and phoned in the form.
Handling Characteristics
A light and agile blade. Very comfortable in hand with a very nicely shaped tsuka. Easy to handle, the blade tracks very well. It still has enough heft to keep the kissaki from wandering around as happens on extremely light Iaito. Although not enough weight into the blade to inspire confidence in cutting through a heavy target. For a mat cutter, the sword hits a nice sweet spot of not being too light, but light enough to allow for some fast cuts and recovery.
Test Cutting
The blade sailed through single rolled tatami mats. Very little to virtually no drag on the blade going through the targets.
Hot knife through butter.
Conclusions
How does this sword stack up in the $300 price point? Extremely well I’d say. Most of the swords I’ve handled or owned in the same price point tend to have flaws on them that I don’t find on this sword. The Habaki fit is excellent, the blade is extremely well made, the fittings are tight, the tsuka is well shaped, the Ito is wrapped tightly and the saya actually fits the blade and habaki. Where some of the other swords push for aesthetics at this price point or rest on a single feature, Huawei seems to get the important things right, rather than going for a court sword look with flashy fittings.
Pros
Nicely made blade with a vibrant hamon
Habaki fits
Extremely well fit saya with horn
Nice tight wrap on Ito
Very comfortable tsuka shape
Nothing is loose, fittings are tight
Cons
Saya Lacquer is subpar
Fittings are very basic
Kashira is slightly oversized
Sageo is of poor quality
The Bottom Line
If you are looking for a really flashy decorated sword for $300, keep moving. There is nothing flashy about this sword. It is all about function, and in that regard it is a superb value. Everything you need the sword to do, it does. It cuts very well, and has great bones. I can see investing some money into the sword down the road with nicer fittings and redoing the saya with a better lacquer job. But for what I set out to get the sword for, it hit all the marks.
If you want a good, well-made functional sword you can cut with and feel confident about its construction, I would highly recommend it. As I said in the introduction, I ordered a second sword for another student; and got to look it over, handle it, and see it put through cutting. Two swords is not the largest of sample sizes, but I observed the same level of quality in both swords. A well-made blade with a properly fit habaki, nicely shaped tsuka with a tight ito that was well aligned, solid over all construction, nothing out of alignment, hell even an actual geometric yokote. You get a sword that does what it’s supposed and not the BS aesthetics of other “ebay” sellers or shoddy work of some of the well known brands in the same price point.
I recently started training in Toyama-ryu. Having been practicing Muso Shinden-ryu for some time, I was certainly not new JSA, however cutting had not been part of our curriculum so this was a bit of a new territory for me. As such, I was looking for a sword specifically for cutting, ideally something geared towards tatami. However, I didn’t want to spend a small fortune on something that was likely to see some abuse as I work out the kinks in my technique. I looked at a lot of different production katana, mulled over different blade geometries and spoke to a handful of folks (practitioners and craftsman who customize swords) whom I valued for their knowledge and opinions.
Specifically the sword needed to hit some key marks. Proper blade construction and heat treatment, habaki that fits, well made tsuka core and a good wrap to start from, functional fittings and decent fitting saya.
Ultimately I decided on Huawei and an Unokubi zukuri sugata in T10 steel. Specifically the “Practical” version. I did ask for a saya upgrade to one with buffalo horn in a “wine” color which was an additional $35 charge. The saya that comes standard is in an inden style, without horn, and was known to have a snug fit at the koiguchi, but quite a bit of saya rattle. My hope was that an upgraded saya would result in a better overall fit.
I also ordered another sword from Huawei at the same time (intended for someone else) and got to see and inspect that sword, as well as seeing it put through some cuttings and I will use those observations to help inform on the quality of Huawei in general.
Historical overview
To my understanding, the Unokubi Zukuri sugata was mainly found on naginata blades and occasionally found on Wakizashi or Tanto, often as repurposed naginata blades. The base of the blade starts in a standard Shinogi Zukuri sugata with bo-hi for about 1/3 to ½ of the blade. Then the bo-hi terminates in an angled fashion as the blade takes on a diamond shape tapering back to the mune, similarly to the ha. Finally the kissaki reforms back resembling the more standard shinogi zukuri geometry and may or may not have a yokote. The blade tends to have less niku and due to the geometry produces very little drag when cutting through a target. It’s light and agile, and a fantastic cutter at the expense of some lateral blade strength.
Full Disclosure
I am not affiliated with Huawei or any forge or reseller in any way. I’m not a “collector” per se. I am a practitioner. While I do love Japanese blades, I purchase and own them for use, not to just hang on a wall and look pretty.
Initial Impressions
With the current Covid-19 issues, shipping took some gymnastics to get it to me. Huawei at the time of this writing is only able to ship to the Eastern US, and living in the western part of the country Jacky informed me that my address was not one they could ship to. Thankfully I have good friends on the east coast who didn’t mind accepting the shipment and then sending back off to me. Shipping ended up taking longer due to that circumstance and is not necessarily representative of what you would normally expect.
Once I did get the package I was happy to see the sword came in a Styrofoam cocoon. Apparently many of the Chinese sellers ship this way now and I have to say I do prefer this to a normal box. Much less chance of the sword getting dinged up or damaged. Cutting up the tape, I found the sword wrapped in a fairly thick canvas styled sword bag (of decent quality I might add) which was also wrapped in some plastic. No damage to anything. So far so good.
I got everything unwrapped and was at first a little disappointed in the saya. It wasn’t exactly as deep of a color as I had hoped for. It was technically a wine colored saya, and one they use on some of the higher priced models. Inspecting the saya closer, I could see that the lacquer job was not that great. There were some overruns onto the kurigata and a small smudge on the outside of the koiguchi. Cosmetically it was “meh”. The sageo was of lower quality, a synthetic material I believe, as thin as Ito. It reminded me of some of the cheaper sageo I had received on Ryujin swords in the past.
The tsuka looked to be very well done. The wrap was very tight, with even diamonds and a terrific shape over all. So far actually better than I expected. The Fittings were about what I expected. The tsuba a plain steel mokko style, and the fuchi/kashira of powder coated brass. The fuchi has some noticeable cast lines, while the kashira seems to be a much better cast, although just slightly oversized.
The thing I noticed most however, was the total lack of any saya rattle. After removing the blade and getting the plastic off, and a little clean up on the grease, I found the saya fit to be extremely good. To the point where I have to wonder if the saya was carved for this particular blade.
All in all, I thought we were off to a good start.
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28”
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10 ¼”
Overall Length: roughly 41”
Guard/Tsuba Width: ~5mm
POB (Point of Balance): Updated: about 4.25" from tsuba
Weight: Listed at 1050 Grams (2.3 lbs) without saya, but it feels lighter.
Components
The Blade/Nagasa
Unokubi Zukuri Sugata – no yokote. 28” Nagasa with sanbonsugi hamon in T10 steel
The blade is very nice. Well executed geometry, the bo-hi terminations are crisp, there are no noticeable hammer marks or blemishes. The polish is good, and the hamon stands out very well. I’d say the hamon is definitely a selling point of the blade, very well done and combined with a sugata makes for a wicked looking blade.
A small amount of niku is present, and the blade is very sharp. Typical of a katana, the first few inches of the blade above the habaki are not razor sharp. Habaki fit is excellent. It is tight and aligned perfectly.
In a nutshell the blade is pointy where it should be, sharp where it should be, and generally crisp and well made.
The Handle/Tsuka
Very comfortable tsuka with a tight wrap. Nothing is loose, the fuchi matches the depth of the ito with no lips or areas that would rub against the fore finger. The Itomaki is in hinerimaki style with hishigami. There are no signs of the hishigami poking out beneath the ito, nor any of the samegawa visible between the individual cords. The Samegawa is real rayskin in a black lacquer. The nodes are on the smaller side but are well defined. Overall the tsuka is very well executed. The wrap isn’t perfect, but it’s well above average if not exceptional given the price range. The artificial silk feels very nice. I actually thought it was a high grade cotton wrap at first since it felt similar to a Japanese wrap I had that was done in cotton. They did get the knots correct as well, which I’ve heard they aren’t always consistent with getting on the correct side of the tsuka. The Menuki is in brass and appears to be some floral pattern possibly with a bird or two, hard to discern the details since they are partially hidden under the ito.
The Guard/Tsuba
Nothing exceptional about the tsuba. It’s a basic steel mokko design. Purely functional, not meant to be fancy in any way. I got exactly what I expected.
Fuchi-Kashira
Similar to the tsuba these weren’t meant to be anything fancy. Purely functional and “good enough”. They are made of brass with a black powder coat. The fuchi is a little muddy in the casting with some noticeable cast lines. The kashira is pretty good cast, slightly oversized for the depth of the ito, although not horribly so. Being solid brass they are sturdy and for the purposes of a practical sword to cut with, they do the job. They aren’t trying to be more than they are.
The Scabbard/Saya
The saya is both a slight disappointment and a wonderful surprise. I had ordered a saya upgrade with the sword, one with buffalo horn since the default saya for this model was known to not have a good blade fit and did not have any horn. I’m a stickler for horn (or a decent alternative like delrin) on the koiguchi to strengthen it for any saya meant for a shinken. What I got was a saya with an excellent fit, to the point that I have to consider the saya was carved specifically for the blade; but one where the lacquer job is subpar. Knowing that at a $300 price point, I’m not going to get perfect, I’ll take function over form every day of the week when it comes to compromises that are made to maintain that price point. I’ve seen and owned saya that looked great, but functionally were extremely poor fits and not made well.
In this case they nailed the function and phoned in the form.
Handling Characteristics
A light and agile blade. Very comfortable in hand with a very nicely shaped tsuka. Easy to handle, the blade tracks very well. It still has enough heft to keep the kissaki from wandering around as happens on extremely light Iaito. Although not enough weight into the blade to inspire confidence in cutting through a heavy target. For a mat cutter, the sword hits a nice sweet spot of not being too light, but light enough to allow for some fast cuts and recovery.
Test Cutting
The blade sailed through single rolled tatami mats. Very little to virtually no drag on the blade going through the targets.
Hot knife through butter.
Conclusions
How does this sword stack up in the $300 price point? Extremely well I’d say. Most of the swords I’ve handled or owned in the same price point tend to have flaws on them that I don’t find on this sword. The Habaki fit is excellent, the blade is extremely well made, the fittings are tight, the tsuka is well shaped, the Ito is wrapped tightly and the saya actually fits the blade and habaki. Where some of the other swords push for aesthetics at this price point or rest on a single feature, Huawei seems to get the important things right, rather than going for a court sword look with flashy fittings.
Pros
Nicely made blade with a vibrant hamon
Habaki fits
Extremely well fit saya with horn
Nice tight wrap on Ito
Very comfortable tsuka shape
Nothing is loose, fittings are tight
Cons
Saya Lacquer is subpar
Fittings are very basic
Kashira is slightly oversized
Sageo is of poor quality
The Bottom Line
If you are looking for a really flashy decorated sword for $300, keep moving. There is nothing flashy about this sword. It is all about function, and in that regard it is a superb value. Everything you need the sword to do, it does. It cuts very well, and has great bones. I can see investing some money into the sword down the road with nicer fittings and redoing the saya with a better lacquer job. But for what I set out to get the sword for, it hit all the marks.
If you want a good, well-made functional sword you can cut with and feel confident about its construction, I would highly recommend it. As I said in the introduction, I ordered a second sword for another student; and got to look it over, handle it, and see it put through cutting. Two swords is not the largest of sample sizes, but I observed the same level of quality in both swords. A well-made blade with a properly fit habaki, nicely shaped tsuka with a tight ito that was well aligned, solid over all construction, nothing out of alignment, hell even an actual geometric yokote. You get a sword that does what it’s supposed and not the BS aesthetics of other “ebay” sellers or shoddy work of some of the well known brands in the same price point.