3x Huawei 1x Sinosword Katana review
May 12, 2021 22:01:03 GMT
Post by tombeck on May 12, 2021 22:01:03 GMT
Hey guys!
So just wanted to make a review/comparison between these 4 swords as this forum has been the reason I've made the purchases so hopefully this can help someone else making a similar decision.
Just as a disclaimer, I'm not a practitioner, as much as I’d like to be. Unfortunately, there are no Iaido classes near me, despite being in spitting distance from NineCircles which is endlessly annoying because I’d have all the equipment I’d ever need just a 5 minutes’ drive away.
So in regard to the handling of the swords, I can only comment on how they feel from a layman’s POV. I’ve also not done any cutting with them, I don’t feel competent enough to take them to tatami mats without any prior experience.
I really just have a fondness for Japanese swords and culture. I do however have a fairly decent understanding of what makes a good sword, well good, at least in my eyes.
With that out the way here are a few pictures!
Huawei Unokubi Zukuri Katana
Starting with the $199 Unokubi Zukuri then. User RaylonTheDemented did a review on this sword a few years back and all my thoughts on this will probably echo his.
I was trying to figure out what the colour of the ito was, I think maybe teal. Anyway I love the colour, the ito is very tight synthetic silk, with the diamonds being near enough perfect in size and evenness. The samegawa strips are of I would say low to medium quality, but the nodes aren’t flat and muddied like I’ve seen some examples of. The menuki is brass I believe (could possibly be painted but can’t confirm) and you can see enough detail for them to look pleasant. The tsuka does have a bit of shape to it too and feels nice in the hand.
The Fuchi/Kashira are nice enough, I initially was worried they would be of poor alloy construction with this being Huawei’s cheapest option, but actually believe the Kashira at least to be blackened brass, the fuchi may in fact be alloy however. The transition from fuchi/kashira are also very good.
The tsuba is a basic iron cut out, I do like the shape but the cut outs have not been rounded off and are quite sharp to the touch. Unsure if this would be uncomfortable for a practitioner after long use but I don’t find it to be a problem.
The habaki fit is great, with no large gap between the blade. The finish is a brushed look which suits the polish of the blade. Both the habaki and seppa are brass.
The saya has a black lacquer finish and the Koiguchi ,Kurigata and kojiri are all wood, with the Kurigata having brass shitodome glued in place. The sageo is just ito cord in a matching colour. The fit of the saya is almost perfect, the Koiguchi holds the blade well if not slightly too well, also makes a nice audible click when seated which I really like. There is very minimal saya rattle from side to side if really shaken.
The blade is a Unokubi Zukuri geometry with bo-hi, through-hardened with a basic machine polish. I actually never liked this geometry previously, but after handling it I’ve changed my mind completely. Also the edge is near enough razor sharp.
Which brings me on to the handling, it is the lightest ‘liveliest’ sword I’ve ever handled, it can be moved and manoeuvred with ease and is actually a joy to hold. It would be the perfect backyard cutter with the rudimentary polish and the low price tag. This one was a surprise and a last minute addition to my order and am so happy I pulled the trigger on it.
So this was the priciest of the bunch at $599, but the fittings and design are a level above their other offerings.
Again the ito is very tight with great evenness. The ito is black Japanese silk with black samegawa (of I would say the same quality as the Unokubi Zukiri). The menuki is, I believe, copper, which compliments the habaki/seppa and looks really nice with the dark red saya. The tsuka does seem to have less shape to it however, it does taper slightly in the middle so doesn’t just feel like a block of wood, but it is much thicker than the other swords (likely due to the blade geometry, although unsure if really necessary to support it).
The fuchi/Kashira are both iron with a smooth finish. Although basic in design, I actually think they suit the sword as a whole really well and I’m personally not a fan of any over the top gaudy designs. The tsuba is of the same smoothed Iron construction.
The habaki, as with the Unokubi Zakuri (and, spoiler alert, the following Huawei 😉 ) is an excellent fit. It is much thicker than other examples of habaki I have seen previously, but this to me only adds to the look and quality of it. Both habaki and seppa are copper, with a nice polished finish.
I really like the saya on this sword, it was the main selling point for me. It is a nice dark red/burgundy wood finish that gives it an elegant look. The Koiguchi ,Kurigata and kojiri are all black buffalo horn, and all have smooth transitions to the wood of the saya. The sageo is much better quality too, although synthetic, it certainly looks like the real thing.
Now here comes the first issue, the Koiguchi is far too tight. I can only get the habaki half way in before having to use excessive force to return the blade fully. It’s a bit of a shame but it’s something I’m hoping will sort itself once the British summer arrives, as I’m sure this is just a change in weather and humidity. This has also caused some scratching to the habaki finish, as I was hoping with drawing the sword and returning would ease it up a bit but this wasn’t the case. The good news though, there is no saya rattle at all and the blade sits perfectly in the saya apart from this.
Should also mention, I have attempted to remove the tsuka, but after removing the mekugi pin and tapping away at the tsuba with a rubber hammer, I was unable to shift it at all. I put this down to the same issue with the saya and I’m hoping the wood expands a bit in the coming months.
So the blade, it is a Dotanuki construction, which means it is a wider and more beefy than your run of the mill Katana. You certainly feel this in the weight and handling, however it is not unruly and is easy enough to stop, although if you are a smaller person you might find this a bit more clumsy to handle. As above, the edge is very sharp and glides through paper.
Now I was never a fan of choji hamons, but I wanted something different and figured I’d give it a go. At first I was a bit unsure but I’m actually coming around to the way it looks, it has a lot of character. One thing I will say is it does seem to ‘bleed’ around the kissaki on one side. I don’t know if I’m explaining that correctly, but heres a closeup to show you what I mean. Now at first I thought this was a bit of an eye sore, but honestly again I’m going to put this down to character. I’ve seen temper patterns do wild things on nihontos so its not something I necessarily hate, but would be nicer if it matched the opposite side.
Also another ‘flaw’ to point out would be that near the habaki on one side, the hamon is quite blurred and less defined than the opposite side, this to me is minor but I thought it was worth pointing out.
Wrapping up for the Dotanuki then, I really like the fittings and overall design of this one. It was the most expensive, and you can see where that money goes. But it was the one I was least pleased with out of the three (more so because the Unokubi Zakuri was such a surprise!) and was a shame it came with, what I consider at least, to be some aesthetic flaws.
Huawei 1.5” Sori Katana
This one is the last of the Huawei’s, coming in at $429. This one is by far my favourite of the three. Again, this has been reviewed here before, by user Brian Weiss. His review ultimately made me pull the trigger on this sword, so thanks Brian!
Unfortunately, the ito was completely loose on this one. Just kidding super tight as with the last two, cannot fault it at all. This is a synthetic silk ito in dark blue, with black samegawa of the same quality mentioned previously. It has a blackened menuki which gives the tsuka an overall more subdued look (which I like!). It has a nice shape to it and feels great in the hand.
I’m a big fan of the fuchi/kashira. If you are familiar with Huawei katanas you’ve seen them before I would imagine as many of their ‘in stock’ listings sport the same. The iron casting quality is really good though, better I think than fittings I’ve seen on much pricier swords. The kojiri also matches this theme which is equally detailed.
Won’t focus too much on the habaki, it is the same in design and quality as the Dotanuki blade. I really like these habaki and I think it compliments this sword just as well.
I never thought I liked Ishime finishes on saya, that is until I received this, I’m now planning on a custom sword with a similar saya as I love the way it looks, feels and the fact I can pick it up without wiping it down for prints after! Huawei call this a KuroIshime finish, which I wasn’t too familiar with and hadn’t seen any examples of in person, but I’m a fan.
The kurigata is buffalo horn and has brass shitodome glued securely in. It’s the one time I wish the shitodome wasn’t glued as to be honest, it could do without it. There is no other brass on the sword and it looks a bit out of place, a copper shitodome would look amazing however, but I would imagine this would have to be custom made (probably not that much of an expense though, I’ll definitely look into it). The sageo is a slight disappointment as it’s, as with the Unokubi Zakuri, just the ito cord. Not a dealbreaker for me though, just would have been nice for them to upgrade that given the higher price.
Lastly the saya fit is perfect, no rattle whatsoever and the koiguchi fit around the habaki is fantastic, with that nice click when seated all the way.
I was a bit worried with the deep sori, that it would negatively affect the handling. It doesn’t seem to make a huge difference, however. That said, as mentioned I’m not a practitioner, I don’t know if this would make drawing exercises difficult or change the way you cut with it. I like it though; it feels very lightweight and nimble in my hands.
This is by far my favourite of the three, it hits the spot on look, finish and feel, I love it.
Sinosword- Custom
So, for comparisons sake I’ve included the SinoSword I picked up in 2017. When I say picked up, I mean from my local Parcel Force after a 2 month stay courtesy of UK Border Force! Funny story attached to this one, you can see from my previous posts I had a lot of back and forth with customs, in the end they agreed to release it. A month down the line I had police turn up to my workplace asking me to come outside. I then had to listen to 10 minutes of waffle about how I’ve broken the law importing illegal goods into the country, and they have had the weapon seized. They were quite surprised when I informed them that it was released and is currently sat at home, due to the fact that it’s completely legal.
Just a cautionary tale for sword lovers in the UK, get the supplier to declare the contents and the legality on the package, this according to customs would have avoided me all this trouble.
This one cost me $396 plus $50 shipping, therefore I think it’s a good comparison to Huawei as they are in the same price range. I will say though, I didn’t really know what I wanted when I commissioned this, only that I wanted a folded sword with a simple, traditional look. I’ve since realised that a folded sword is not something that interests me, as unless done correctly, will not look like a Nihonto anyway, so what’s the point?
Tsuka- 11”
So the good, the ito is very tight, as tight if not more so than the Huawei’s. The diamonds are even enough, although the shape of them seems blockier, rather than elongated which I think looks more traditional (not sure if that makes any sense). The samegawa is a full wrap, the nodes are around the same size as the Huawei strips but they seem quite flat, the Huawei nodes are more raised and defined. I asked for a brass menuki, they didn’t have any options, but they did say that they could offer any listed in gold. They did that, but the outcome was awful the details are blurred beyond recognition and the paint is dull, not sure what I expected though this was probably my fault.
Now in my opinion this is the biggest oversight of the whole build, both mekugi pegs are inaccessible. They have completely wrapped over one side of each peg. And with the ito being so tight, it means a full rewrap if I ever wanted to remove the tsuka. Also there is little to no shape to the tsuka, it just feels like a straight piece of wood.
I just wanted basic iron fittings for this sword, nothing jazzy, just basic. I got basic but didn’t get iron, this seems like a flimsy metal, assuming alloy. If I press into the fittings with my thumb nail it actually leaves an imprint. Bit disappointing. The tsuba is just a very basic cut out, the edges are sharp, similar to the Unokubi Zukuri tsuba.
The saya is just a basic black lacquer job, I did opt for buffalo horn for the koiguchi, kurigata and kojiri which they did. I will say though the transition from the horn to the wood is not nearly as smooth as the Huawei’s and you can feel the difference. The lacquer is not the best either and has noticeable ripples throughout.
The fit was terrible, I asked for no saya rattle as that was important to me, they did not deliver, the rattle was really bad when it arrived. I put a clump of my gf’s hair down it which did nothing. The koiguchi also did not hold the habaki at all, when I opened it up and turned it upside down it fell straight out. I have since shimmed it and it now holds the blade fine.
*So just by doing this review I came to discover something. I was comparing blade lengths and confirmed this blade is 28” long, however so are the Huawei’s. But when next to each other in their saya the Sino is noticeably longer. That’s because the saya is almost 3 inches longer than the blade!! (the hair solution was never going to work haha)
Blade- 28”
So the blade itself! It’s actually a nice blade, it’s T10 steel that’s folded. The hada is not what you would expect from a Japanese sword but I’ve seen much worse at much higher price points. The hamon I really like, and it is brought out in the ‘hazuya’ polish, the yokote line is not very well defined however. Unfortunately, the edge is pretty dull, it can’t go through paper just either tears or folds it. It also doesn’t handle all that well, there’s a lot of weight to it and I can’t figure out where it comes from, it is about equal in weight to the Dotanuki blade if not slightly heavier.
In conclusion, I’d have to say that Sinosword was a big disappointment. They did offer me a discount on my next sword purchase, but I’ve not and likely won’t take them up on that. Huawei on the other hand delivered above and beyond my expectations, apart from the odd nit-picking issues and the Dotanuki koiguchi being far too tight, which I hope resolves itself.
This took me a day in between work calls to write, and only after reviewing it have I realised how ridiculously long it is, I hope it wasn’t too boring or convoluted. This forum has helped me in making decisions on purchases before and been my first port of call for information, so I hope it ends up being helpful to someone else.
Any questions, or if I missed anything out let me know and I’ll try my best to answer.
Cheers,
Tom
So just wanted to make a review/comparison between these 4 swords as this forum has been the reason I've made the purchases so hopefully this can help someone else making a similar decision.
Just as a disclaimer, I'm not a practitioner, as much as I’d like to be. Unfortunately, there are no Iaido classes near me, despite being in spitting distance from NineCircles which is endlessly annoying because I’d have all the equipment I’d ever need just a 5 minutes’ drive away.
So in regard to the handling of the swords, I can only comment on how they feel from a layman’s POV. I’ve also not done any cutting with them, I don’t feel competent enough to take them to tatami mats without any prior experience.
I really just have a fondness for Japanese swords and culture. I do however have a fairly decent understanding of what makes a good sword, well good, at least in my eyes.
With that out the way here are a few pictures!
Huawei Unokubi Zukuri Katana
Starting with the $199 Unokubi Zukuri then. User RaylonTheDemented did a review on this sword a few years back and all my thoughts on this will probably echo his.
I was trying to figure out what the colour of the ito was, I think maybe teal. Anyway I love the colour, the ito is very tight synthetic silk, with the diamonds being near enough perfect in size and evenness. The samegawa strips are of I would say low to medium quality, but the nodes aren’t flat and muddied like I’ve seen some examples of. The menuki is brass I believe (could possibly be painted but can’t confirm) and you can see enough detail for them to look pleasant. The tsuka does have a bit of shape to it too and feels nice in the hand.
The Fuchi/Kashira are nice enough, I initially was worried they would be of poor alloy construction with this being Huawei’s cheapest option, but actually believe the Kashira at least to be blackened brass, the fuchi may in fact be alloy however. The transition from fuchi/kashira are also very good.
The tsuba is a basic iron cut out, I do like the shape but the cut outs have not been rounded off and are quite sharp to the touch. Unsure if this would be uncomfortable for a practitioner after long use but I don’t find it to be a problem.
The habaki fit is great, with no large gap between the blade. The finish is a brushed look which suits the polish of the blade. Both the habaki and seppa are brass.
The blade is a Unokubi Zukuri geometry with bo-hi, through-hardened with a basic machine polish. I actually never liked this geometry previously, but after handling it I’ve changed my mind completely. Also the edge is near enough razor sharp.
Which brings me on to the handling, it is the lightest ‘liveliest’ sword I’ve ever handled, it can be moved and manoeuvred with ease and is actually a joy to hold. It would be the perfect backyard cutter with the rudimentary polish and the low price tag. This one was a surprise and a last minute addition to my order and am so happy I pulled the trigger on it.
Huawei Dotanuki Katana
So this was the priciest of the bunch at $599, but the fittings and design are a level above their other offerings.
The fuchi/Kashira are both iron with a smooth finish. Although basic in design, I actually think they suit the sword as a whole really well and I’m personally not a fan of any over the top gaudy designs. The tsuba is of the same smoothed Iron construction.
The habaki, as with the Unokubi Zakuri (and, spoiler alert, the following Huawei 😉 ) is an excellent fit. It is much thicker than other examples of habaki I have seen previously, but this to me only adds to the look and quality of it. Both habaki and seppa are copper, with a nice polished finish.
I really like the saya on this sword, it was the main selling point for me. It is a nice dark red/burgundy wood finish that gives it an elegant look. The Koiguchi ,Kurigata and kojiri are all black buffalo horn, and all have smooth transitions to the wood of the saya. The sageo is much better quality too, although synthetic, it certainly looks like the real thing.
Now here comes the first issue, the Koiguchi is far too tight. I can only get the habaki half way in before having to use excessive force to return the blade fully. It’s a bit of a shame but it’s something I’m hoping will sort itself once the British summer arrives, as I’m sure this is just a change in weather and humidity. This has also caused some scratching to the habaki finish, as I was hoping with drawing the sword and returning would ease it up a bit but this wasn’t the case. The good news though, there is no saya rattle at all and the blade sits perfectly in the saya apart from this.
Should also mention, I have attempted to remove the tsuka, but after removing the mekugi pin and tapping away at the tsuba with a rubber hammer, I was unable to shift it at all. I put this down to the same issue with the saya and I’m hoping the wood expands a bit in the coming months.
So the blade, it is a Dotanuki construction, which means it is a wider and more beefy than your run of the mill Katana. You certainly feel this in the weight and handling, however it is not unruly and is easy enough to stop, although if you are a smaller person you might find this a bit more clumsy to handle. As above, the edge is very sharp and glides through paper.
Now I was never a fan of choji hamons, but I wanted something different and figured I’d give it a go. At first I was a bit unsure but I’m actually coming around to the way it looks, it has a lot of character. One thing I will say is it does seem to ‘bleed’ around the kissaki on one side. I don’t know if I’m explaining that correctly, but heres a closeup to show you what I mean. Now at first I thought this was a bit of an eye sore, but honestly again I’m going to put this down to character. I’ve seen temper patterns do wild things on nihontos so its not something I necessarily hate, but would be nicer if it matched the opposite side.
Despite this I’m very pleased with the polish, the yokote especially is very good for a production katana, and probably the best example I have seen in person.
Wrapping up for the Dotanuki then, I really like the fittings and overall design of this one. It was the most expensive, and you can see where that money goes. But it was the one I was least pleased with out of the three (more so because the Unokubi Zakuri was such a surprise!) and was a shame it came with, what I consider at least, to be some aesthetic flaws.
Huawei 1.5” Sori Katana
This one is the last of the Huawei’s, coming in at $429. This one is by far my favourite of the three. Again, this has been reviewed here before, by user Brian Weiss. His review ultimately made me pull the trigger on this sword, so thanks Brian!
Unfortunately, the ito was completely loose on this one. Just kidding super tight as with the last two, cannot fault it at all. This is a synthetic silk ito in dark blue, with black samegawa of the same quality mentioned previously. It has a blackened menuki which gives the tsuka an overall more subdued look (which I like!). It has a nice shape to it and feels great in the hand.
I’m a big fan of the fuchi/kashira. If you are familiar with Huawei katanas you’ve seen them before I would imagine as many of their ‘in stock’ listings sport the same. The iron casting quality is really good though, better I think than fittings I’ve seen on much pricier swords. The kojiri also matches this theme which is equally detailed.
The tsuba is also very well done, I really like the design, although similar to many other examples I’ve seen, so not all that unique, but a very good imitation to handmade Japanese designs. It’s also very smooth with no harsh edges.
I never thought I liked Ishime finishes on saya, that is until I received this, I’m now planning on a custom sword with a similar saya as I love the way it looks, feels and the fact I can pick it up without wiping it down for prints after! Huawei call this a KuroIshime finish, which I wasn’t too familiar with and hadn’t seen any examples of in person, but I’m a fan.
The kurigata is buffalo horn and has brass shitodome glued securely in. It’s the one time I wish the shitodome wasn’t glued as to be honest, it could do without it. There is no other brass on the sword and it looks a bit out of place, a copper shitodome would look amazing however, but I would imagine this would have to be custom made (probably not that much of an expense though, I’ll definitely look into it). The sageo is a slight disappointment as it’s, as with the Unokubi Zakuri, just the ito cord. Not a dealbreaker for me though, just would have been nice for them to upgrade that given the higher price.
Lastly the saya fit is perfect, no rattle whatsoever and the koiguchi fit around the habaki is fantastic, with that nice click when seated all the way.
The blade! Definitely the most imposing part of the sword I would say, just due to the deep sori. I was a bit worried about this much curvature and was really on the fence about it. After seeing it in person though I’m really pleased I went for it. The hamon is more my style, however to nit-pick I would rather it a bit tamer, I’m not sure what Huawei call this hamon but I’m assuming it’s midare. Again the polish is excellent, can’t fault it at all and the yokote is again really well defined. And as the previous two, is very sharp and cuts paper with ease.
This is by far my favourite of the three, it hits the spot on look, finish and feel, I love it.
Sinosword- Custom
So, for comparisons sake I’ve included the SinoSword I picked up in 2017. When I say picked up, I mean from my local Parcel Force after a 2 month stay courtesy of UK Border Force! Funny story attached to this one, you can see from my previous posts I had a lot of back and forth with customs, in the end they agreed to release it. A month down the line I had police turn up to my workplace asking me to come outside. I then had to listen to 10 minutes of waffle about how I’ve broken the law importing illegal goods into the country, and they have had the weapon seized. They were quite surprised when I informed them that it was released and is currently sat at home, due to the fact that it’s completely legal.
Just a cautionary tale for sword lovers in the UK, get the supplier to declare the contents and the legality on the package, this according to customs would have avoided me all this trouble.
This one cost me $396 plus $50 shipping, therefore I think it’s a good comparison to Huawei as they are in the same price range. I will say though, I didn’t really know what I wanted when I commissioned this, only that I wanted a folded sword with a simple, traditional look. I’ve since realised that a folded sword is not something that interests me, as unless done correctly, will not look like a Nihonto anyway, so what’s the point?
So the good, the ito is very tight, as tight if not more so than the Huawei’s. The diamonds are even enough, although the shape of them seems blockier, rather than elongated which I think looks more traditional (not sure if that makes any sense). The samegawa is a full wrap, the nodes are around the same size as the Huawei strips but they seem quite flat, the Huawei nodes are more raised and defined. I asked for a brass menuki, they didn’t have any options, but they did say that they could offer any listed in gold. They did that, but the outcome was awful the details are blurred beyond recognition and the paint is dull, not sure what I expected though this was probably my fault.
Now in my opinion this is the biggest oversight of the whole build, both mekugi pegs are inaccessible. They have completely wrapped over one side of each peg. And with the ito being so tight, it means a full rewrap if I ever wanted to remove the tsuka. Also there is little to no shape to the tsuka, it just feels like a straight piece of wood.
I just wanted basic iron fittings for this sword, nothing jazzy, just basic. I got basic but didn’t get iron, this seems like a flimsy metal, assuming alloy. If I press into the fittings with my thumb nail it actually leaves an imprint. Bit disappointing. The tsuba is just a very basic cut out, the edges are sharp, similar to the Unokubi Zukuri tsuba.
The fit of the habaki is not the best but certainly not the worst. They could of given it a half decent polish, the way you see it here is how it came, apart from the mark you see on the blade side, this was due to wood glue used to shim the saya.
The saya is just a basic black lacquer job, I did opt for buffalo horn for the koiguchi, kurigata and kojiri which they did. I will say though the transition from the horn to the wood is not nearly as smooth as the Huawei’s and you can feel the difference. The lacquer is not the best either and has noticeable ripples throughout.
The fit was terrible, I asked for no saya rattle as that was important to me, they did not deliver, the rattle was really bad when it arrived. I put a clump of my gf’s hair down it which did nothing. The koiguchi also did not hold the habaki at all, when I opened it up and turned it upside down it fell straight out. I have since shimmed it and it now holds the blade fine.
*So just by doing this review I came to discover something. I was comparing blade lengths and confirmed this blade is 28” long, however so are the Huawei’s. But when next to each other in their saya the Sino is noticeably longer. That’s because the saya is almost 3 inches longer than the blade!! (the hair solution was never going to work haha)
So the blade itself! It’s actually a nice blade, it’s T10 steel that’s folded. The hada is not what you would expect from a Japanese sword but I’ve seen much worse at much higher price points. The hamon I really like, and it is brought out in the ‘hazuya’ polish, the yokote line is not very well defined however. Unfortunately, the edge is pretty dull, it can’t go through paper just either tears or folds it. It also doesn’t handle all that well, there’s a lot of weight to it and I can’t figure out where it comes from, it is about equal in weight to the Dotanuki blade if not slightly heavier.
In conclusion, I’d have to say that Sinosword was a big disappointment. They did offer me a discount on my next sword purchase, but I’ve not and likely won’t take them up on that. Huawei on the other hand delivered above and beyond my expectations, apart from the odd nit-picking issues and the Dotanuki koiguchi being far too tight, which I hope resolves itself.
This took me a day in between work calls to write, and only after reviewing it have I realised how ridiculously long it is, I hope it wasn’t too boring or convoluted. This forum has helped me in making decisions on purchases before and been my first port of call for information, so I hope it ends up being helpful to someone else.
Any questions, or if I missed anything out let me know and I’ll try my best to answer.
Cheers,
Tom