Ryansword Nodachi Review
Jun 12, 2022 19:36:03 GMT
Post by dinvaas on Jun 12, 2022 19:36:03 GMT
Introduction
It's very difficult to find Nodachi style swords on the market, and options are very slim to non-existant. Most reputable and respected vendors tend to not make swords of this size range for varying reasons that fall into equally varying intepretations of them not being as easy to forge and ship as other swords. But that hasn't stopped my pursuit of trying to find one that can be called a "real" sword.
There are a lot of "build-a-katana" websites out there that don't have as much trusted customer followings as companies like Ronin Katana, Hanwei, or even Ryujin who have been proven by both the backyard enthusiast and martial arts practitioners to be acceptable and even quality swords, and while most of these websites have next to no real testimonies to their quality, Ryansword is probably the only one that has any sort of accountings of their quality from the community - both Good and Bad... MOSTLY Bad.
But as I've been insistent for some time now in pursuit of, at bare minimum, an acceptable quality Nodachi, I decided to bite the bullet and give Ryansword a try. I could have gone to Swords of Northshire, but seeing as how they're mostly an outsourcing vendor for most other companies with Ryansword included and will charge a premium of 2-3 times the price the makers will ask, I chose instead to go right to the source; I'm not paying an extra $300 just for someone else's service when they're not the ones making the sword. I know SoN is a popular brand but that kind of price rise for quality control in the exact same product seems more like extortion to me. So I contacted Ryansword, wary of their reputation, and took the plunge.
Customer Service
My overall experience with Ryansword was a pleasantly surprising one. Given their history and reputation, I was expecting frustration and disappointment but not long after I placed my order, they reached out to me to help me find a sword that would suit my needs and asked questions on what kind of edge I wanted and my intent was to test Ryansword's products to determine how much of their reputation still held merit and how much they took the criticism and feedback to heart to improve on their services. So full disclosure, the intent for my purchasing of this sword WAS in fact to get a work horse of a sword I could abuse to determine how much the company still deserved the disdain they get. But between frequent updates on the process of making the sword and inquiring as to what kind of blade I want and its intended purpose, I appreciate the attempts to work with customers. So that was an endearing surprise that tells me RS is at least aware of their past failings and looking to correct it. And given that the man, the myth, the legend Matthew Jensen himself has reviewed two different Ryansword blades now and he also acknowledged the company's dirty laundry and stated they didn't ask him to retract his statements, Ryansword is, if nothing else, at the least taking the criticism on the chin.
After speaking with a representative and they gave their recommendations on an edge for heavy cutting, a Niku style thick edge was set to be produced. Advised that it wouldn't be as sharp as other swords due to the edge definition, I agreed that that was fine because I wasn't interested in fine cutting. They also informed me that they recently had bought new steel with a different carbon content as to what is shown on display so the hamon pattern style I would get would be different from what was advertised on the website. Which is fine, my intent wasn't to get a pretty sword so how it looked to me didn't matter due to my intent to determine the quality of their swords overall. I wanted a through hardened nodachi-like sword that I could do something dumb with to see if the company was worth a repeat purchase. If I liked it, I could get a prettier sword later on. If not, then it was a learning experience I would take valuable information from. From there, they informed me that my sword was set to begin production and they gave me an estimated arrival date.
So I began waiting and, again to my surprise, they informed me they finished my sword earlier than expected and after sending pictures to determine my approval, shipped the blade out once said approval had been given. The sword arrived late March, and I've been testing it on and off since then so I've had it for just shy of 4 months now, which feels long enough to get an idea of what it's capable of and what I can expect from it. I may do a year-in update at some point to see how well it held up compared to where it is now and see if my opinion changes or not.
Initial Impressions
Upon arrival, there was a lot to love about the sword but it wasn't without flaws. For one, even despite not initially wanting a hamon, what I recieved was attractive and aesthetically pleasing. I found myself enjoying the hamon more than I anticipated. I can't tell if it's a real hamon or fake but in all honesty, it doesn't matter if it is or not considering my intent. The blade is stiffer than I anticipated and since this is the first time I had ever owned a sword made from 1095 steel, I was initially concerned about how stiff it is. I can get some flex out of it if I apply my weight to the weapon, but I also did a little bit of digging to determine if this is normal or not and a few conversations both here and on reddit reminded me that swords with no-hi are normally much stiffer than swords with bo-hi regardless. So that put my mind at ease a lot on the matter. One thing I will say though is that despite the website stating the Nodachi is 55 inches in total length, it did not feel to me as though it was. After some measuring and reviewing the certificate of ownership sent with the sword, the total length is 53 inches, which is admittedly a nit-picky thing to gripe over. So while it is a wee bit annoying, it's not the end of the world. Would I prefer the product in my hand to match what I asked for? Yes. But it's also not enough of a difference in length for me to decide that it's not a larger blade like I wanted. It's longer than a normal katana. And as a taller than average practitioner at 5'11", that's what I wanted. I could ramble on about a bunch of differing accounts on what counts as a Nodachi versus a normal Katana but it's right at the cusp of being in the appropriate blade length of what makes a Nodachi count as such so while not what I would consider to be a true Japanese greatsword, I'm willing to concede to the notion that this a small nodachi. Nodachi were considered to be the Japanese equivalent to a Montante / Zweihander and this does not match that expectation. But it does meet the bare minimum of what most people recognize as a Nodachi, so I have to begrudingly accept it as such and leave it at that.
The sword is also much lighter than I expected. I could easily use the weapon one-handed if I were so inclined and I feel very in control over the direction and it feels like a sword I could move very quickly with. I don't feel any resistance in the cut in dry handling and despite its long reach, it doesn't weigh a whole lot. Given its length as being what I would personally consider to be bare minimum in the range of what you could classify as a Nodachi/Odachi and its weight, I'd put this in the same category as some longswords and feders in terms of proportions and how manueverable it is and how comfortable it is to control.
Speaking of comfortable, the tsuka is slimmer than I expected it to be. I've never owned a sword with a katate-maki battle wrapped tsuka and I've always thought they were attractive and interesting but I didn't realize that this style would also result in showing how slender a tsuka hilt actually is. And while I was out-of-the-box not a fan, it's actually grown on me a little bit.
Statistics
Overall Length: 53 inches
Blade Length: 35 inches
Hilt Length: 15
Blade: 1095 steel (also claims to be folded on the certificate but I'm not a metallurgist so I have no way to verify)
Weight: 3.8 lbs
Fit and Finish
The blade is attractive with a nice curvature that lends itself well to cutting. The hamon and pattern weld, while initially not something I was interested in to beghin with, are attractive and the blade is gorgeous. But while the representative I spoke to assured me that I would be given a niku-styled thick edge, I can't see a noticeable difference in edge geometry than something on any other Katana style sword. Admittedly, I may just not know what to actually look for and I don't have a scientific way of really determining edge geometry beyond just eyeballing it, but the edge doesn't seem much more substantial than a typical Japanese sword with a fine, sharp and thin edge. But I'm by no means a practiced martial artist and this possibly something far more experienced than myself would be able to discern so take what I say with a grain of salt. Because of this, I was apprehensive to take this sword toward the harder targets that I was assured the sword could handle. But the purpose of this was to test the limits of the sword, so I proceeded regardless of my concerns.
The ito wrap is tight enough to where my fingers can just get a little wiggle out of the diamons if I push and I can't tell if the samegawa is real or not, but it is paneled and not a full wrap. Which is not uncommon for entry level $200 to $300 katanas. But the tsuka overall fits very tightly on the sword as well. Even after removing the mekugi pegs, I had to hammer the tsuba to get the sword loose so I could take a look at the tang. Now that I've removed it once, it slides on and off with greater ease, but it still requires a bit of effort and the mekugi pegs aren't the sole support system keeping the hilt together.
Also not uncommon to katanas of this price range are less than perfectly tight fittings. The fuchi fits snug but there's enough of a gap where I can push it back and forth and the kashira can wiggle if I play with it. After disassembling the sword and removing all the parts to inspect the tang, reassembling the sword has somehow tightened up the fuchi in a way I'm not entirely sure how. Maybe hammeing the tsuba off and then hammering it all back together compressed something tighter? But out of the box, the fuchi and kashira did have enough of a little play to be noticeable but not problematic. I won't give Ryansword a whole lot of flack for that because that's not an experience unique to them in this price range and if you're just a casual backyard cutter, some superglue could fix that issue up right away. if this were a higher priced sword, I would consider even that little bit of play to be a detraction and knock marks off, but given that this is definitely a budget sword for entry level collectors and practitioners, I'm not gonna give it too much sh*t for that.
The tsuba, fuchi, and kashira all seem to be painted black as opposed to being blackened in more traditional ways, which is something I don't see very often, even in budget katanas and katana-adjacent swords like this. I suspect this is due to my selected choice of fittings and it's possible that other options aren't painted black and are more in keeping with a traditional blackened iron or patina finish. There was some very light chipping from where I hammered the tsuba to loosen the tsuka at the edges, and its not extremely noticeable unless you're staring at it longer than a few seconds. And while it's not a personal detraction for me, some people might not like it so be aware of that when you choose your fittings. The center of the tsuba is a little rough visually but sits on the tang tight and I have to hammer it back on after removing it, and the seppa hide this rough and crude-looking appearance to leave no real noticeable trace of it. So I'm pretty pleased about that.
The full tang alleviates concerns of Ryansword's history of rat-tail tangs. It runs all the way through the tsuka with only an inch difference toward the pommel, plenty of space for the two mekugi pins. It's also of a solid thickness and completely in keeping with what should be expected of a full tang katana.
The habaki is tight but has some gaps and the brassing done on the metal fades to plain steel surprisingly easy with a bit of time. Which is something I don't see very often in even budget level katanas. But even with those small gaps, the habaki sits tight and I couldn't actually get it off no matter how hard I tried. So while its not a perfect looking fit, it doesn't seem like it's going anywhere.
The saya has absolutely no rattle and the sword is very tight inside. At first, it was actually a little too tight and it took some effort but I've since then broken it in and while the sword doesn't fall out of the scabbard if you hold it upside down, it still slides out now with comfortable ease and the push of a thumb. The sageo feels genuine and is of a good thickness, and nothing feels shoe-lacey about any of the product.
The shinogi lines are well defined and even from several feet away, they're visually distinct. I don't know if my untrained backyard cutter eyes have the experience to call the shinogi lines crisp but I would definitely consider the blade's defining lines to be well made. There is a distil taper from habaki to kissaki that I believe helps the weight and maneuverability of the sword, so an experienced and well practiced swordsman could easily control the weapon.
For the price of $230 USD, I'm willing to give the overall fit and finish a 4 out of 5 considering the intent and its target price range.
Testing
1095 steel isn't something I've got a lot of experience with, but it doesn't take more than a quick google search to find out that it's an excellent choice for a katana but it's also a steel that requires a skilled blacksmith or a lot can go wrong. At first, I was apprehensive given how stiff the blade is but I can get some flex out of it if I really put my weight into it. And when I say put my weight into it, I mean put my weight into it. The blade flexes and returns to true but it requires me to do some not so safe pressure with my knee to get an actual bend. So I have mixed feelings because it feels to me that it would take more force than a person could easily generate to get a bend out of this before it flexes. And that seems to be the proven history of 1095 steel, so while I have no way of testing it or not, the heat treatment seems well done as far as I can tell. Is this good? Is this bad? I have no real scientific way of knowing without breaking the sword. But from my novice perspective? Everything seems fine and the sword feels robust, sturdy, and tough. I have no complaints and I'm happy with it.
I did some testing on tatami mats. And while I'm still relatively new to tameshigiri after graduating from water bottles, I'm very surprised at how well the blade made it through the mats with such ease. Because its a larger sword, my first cut soared through so quick I didn't realize how much power I put until the blade hit the concrete ground - hard. But even with that user error, the blade shows no sign of damage that I can discern. With plenty left of the mat from a nice and high cut, I kept going until the tatami mat was split into several chunks and it just absolutely flies through with no real effort. Despite the representative I spoke to saying the sword wouldn't cut as well due to the edge geometry, I still can't see a difference between it and other katana style edges so as far as I can tell, it's just a normal katana-sized up to nodachi lengths. Again, take what I say with a grain of salt since I'm not a practiced martial artist and someone with a more keen eye and longer experience with Japanese swords would possibly see things I can't see.
Cutting into an aluminum can did some minor edge biting that could easily be reprofiled and while not super detrimental to the sword as an easy fix and an easy miss, it is something to watch for.
Moving on to some harder testing as was my original intent to put this sword to work, I tried hacking my way through a few 2x4, striking against the wood grain rather than into it. I know some people debate how abusive 2x4s really are, but they're relatively affordable and replacable and sturdy enough to offer some decent resistance as long as you don't cut into the grain. And after chopping with it more like it was an axe, I got through with no noticeable damage and nothing has come loose or looser than it already was in the case of the kashira and fuchi. It still feels solid and the ito is exactly as it came out of the box. I can't discern any serious damage to the blade that might have accrued from stress to the sword. After hacking into the 2x4s with... I won't call it heavy aggressive strikes but I was putting some weight into them with the closest thing to proper form I could attempt, I eventually just caused the 2x4s to sort of splinter and and shatter, which is to be expected and I still haven't discerned any serious damage to the sword.
After finding no discernable edge damage, a cut on a single tatami mat showed me the sword is still sharp even despite the less than ideal target of 2x4s.
Here's an image of the aftermath of hacking into the 2x4s to give an idea of how the blade performed. Considering I went against the grain of the wood and this was the result with no real discernable damage to the blade that I can see, I'm pretty confident in the performance of the sword. I thought about taking it up a notch and splitting some small firewood but decided not to mostly because it was hot that day and the heat was starting to make me cranky. Maybe I'll revisit that idea someday and see how well the sword holds up when the California heat is less unpleasant.
Conclusions
I'm surprisingly happy with this sword. It feels good to use and is much more competent in construction than I anticipated based on the years of poor reviews and criticism ryansword has had. I think that there have been some definite attempts to improve their quality, but they are still a mass-production company so there will still be some hit-or-miss issues that aren't uncommon to a lot of Lonquan forges that offer custom katanas with whole-sale interchangable fittings - You'll either hit gold or get something disappointing and you have no way of knowing until it's in your hands. But for some entry-level practitioners, you could do a lot worse. I'd still recommend something from another vendor if you want something in the more traditional sizings of a katana genre, but if you're like me and insistent on finding a decent nodachi, then you could do a lot worse with Ryansword, as long as you keep your expectations to a minimum and focus on the intended context based on price. I've handled a few other swords in the $200-$250 ballpark and this one might be the most comfortable and fun to use I've owned. Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 in the context of backyard cutting. Given my limited expertise, I don't think I could recommend it for more experienced martial arts and fencing; I'd say look elsewhere but I also feel that for the price, you could do a lot worse. Just keep in mind that you may potentially have to work with them a bit to get what you want.
I'm deeply considering getting a second one to see how consistent the quality is now that there seems to be intent to improve their products. How lucky was I with this one, I wonder? Is this a case of surprising quality from an otherwise undesirable and shoddy vendor? Will I be lucky to get one as good and is this the norm now, or is this simply the lone jewel in a pile of junk? There's only one way to find out, right?
PROS
•Very affordable option for a different style of Japanese sword
•Visually attractive
•Solid, well-made blade
•Very light and easy to control despite its' size
•Customer service was better than I anticipated
CONS
•Fittings on the tsuka are hit or miss
•The risk of a potentially less than acceptable product is still inherent in all mass-production Chinese Katana-knockoff companies.
Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. I still think that there are much better options out there and if you want a solid guarantee then look elsewhere. Keeping in mind that this is still a company that mass-produces katanas and slaps the parts together, you're bound to have a few less than perfect conditions once the item is in your hand. But if you're looking for something entry-level or just want something a little different, I think that Ryansword has made some actual effort to prove they're not the same company they were ten years ago.
Hope you guys enjoyed the read! Thanks for the time.
It's very difficult to find Nodachi style swords on the market, and options are very slim to non-existant. Most reputable and respected vendors tend to not make swords of this size range for varying reasons that fall into equally varying intepretations of them not being as easy to forge and ship as other swords. But that hasn't stopped my pursuit of trying to find one that can be called a "real" sword.
There are a lot of "build-a-katana" websites out there that don't have as much trusted customer followings as companies like Ronin Katana, Hanwei, or even Ryujin who have been proven by both the backyard enthusiast and martial arts practitioners to be acceptable and even quality swords, and while most of these websites have next to no real testimonies to their quality, Ryansword is probably the only one that has any sort of accountings of their quality from the community - both Good and Bad... MOSTLY Bad.
But as I've been insistent for some time now in pursuit of, at bare minimum, an acceptable quality Nodachi, I decided to bite the bullet and give Ryansword a try. I could have gone to Swords of Northshire, but seeing as how they're mostly an outsourcing vendor for most other companies with Ryansword included and will charge a premium of 2-3 times the price the makers will ask, I chose instead to go right to the source; I'm not paying an extra $300 just for someone else's service when they're not the ones making the sword. I know SoN is a popular brand but that kind of price rise for quality control in the exact same product seems more like extortion to me. So I contacted Ryansword, wary of their reputation, and took the plunge.
Customer Service
My overall experience with Ryansword was a pleasantly surprising one. Given their history and reputation, I was expecting frustration and disappointment but not long after I placed my order, they reached out to me to help me find a sword that would suit my needs and asked questions on what kind of edge I wanted and my intent was to test Ryansword's products to determine how much of their reputation still held merit and how much they took the criticism and feedback to heart to improve on their services. So full disclosure, the intent for my purchasing of this sword WAS in fact to get a work horse of a sword I could abuse to determine how much the company still deserved the disdain they get. But between frequent updates on the process of making the sword and inquiring as to what kind of blade I want and its intended purpose, I appreciate the attempts to work with customers. So that was an endearing surprise that tells me RS is at least aware of their past failings and looking to correct it. And given that the man, the myth, the legend Matthew Jensen himself has reviewed two different Ryansword blades now and he also acknowledged the company's dirty laundry and stated they didn't ask him to retract his statements, Ryansword is, if nothing else, at the least taking the criticism on the chin.
After speaking with a representative and they gave their recommendations on an edge for heavy cutting, a Niku style thick edge was set to be produced. Advised that it wouldn't be as sharp as other swords due to the edge definition, I agreed that that was fine because I wasn't interested in fine cutting. They also informed me that they recently had bought new steel with a different carbon content as to what is shown on display so the hamon pattern style I would get would be different from what was advertised on the website. Which is fine, my intent wasn't to get a pretty sword so how it looked to me didn't matter due to my intent to determine the quality of their swords overall. I wanted a through hardened nodachi-like sword that I could do something dumb with to see if the company was worth a repeat purchase. If I liked it, I could get a prettier sword later on. If not, then it was a learning experience I would take valuable information from. From there, they informed me that my sword was set to begin production and they gave me an estimated arrival date.
So I began waiting and, again to my surprise, they informed me they finished my sword earlier than expected and after sending pictures to determine my approval, shipped the blade out once said approval had been given. The sword arrived late March, and I've been testing it on and off since then so I've had it for just shy of 4 months now, which feels long enough to get an idea of what it's capable of and what I can expect from it. I may do a year-in update at some point to see how well it held up compared to where it is now and see if my opinion changes or not.
Initial Impressions
Upon arrival, there was a lot to love about the sword but it wasn't without flaws. For one, even despite not initially wanting a hamon, what I recieved was attractive and aesthetically pleasing. I found myself enjoying the hamon more than I anticipated. I can't tell if it's a real hamon or fake but in all honesty, it doesn't matter if it is or not considering my intent. The blade is stiffer than I anticipated and since this is the first time I had ever owned a sword made from 1095 steel, I was initially concerned about how stiff it is. I can get some flex out of it if I apply my weight to the weapon, but I also did a little bit of digging to determine if this is normal or not and a few conversations both here and on reddit reminded me that swords with no-hi are normally much stiffer than swords with bo-hi regardless. So that put my mind at ease a lot on the matter. One thing I will say though is that despite the website stating the Nodachi is 55 inches in total length, it did not feel to me as though it was. After some measuring and reviewing the certificate of ownership sent with the sword, the total length is 53 inches, which is admittedly a nit-picky thing to gripe over. So while it is a wee bit annoying, it's not the end of the world. Would I prefer the product in my hand to match what I asked for? Yes. But it's also not enough of a difference in length for me to decide that it's not a larger blade like I wanted. It's longer than a normal katana. And as a taller than average practitioner at 5'11", that's what I wanted. I could ramble on about a bunch of differing accounts on what counts as a Nodachi versus a normal Katana but it's right at the cusp of being in the appropriate blade length of what makes a Nodachi count as such so while not what I would consider to be a true Japanese greatsword, I'm willing to concede to the notion that this a small nodachi. Nodachi were considered to be the Japanese equivalent to a Montante / Zweihander and this does not match that expectation. But it does meet the bare minimum of what most people recognize as a Nodachi, so I have to begrudingly accept it as such and leave it at that.
The sword is also much lighter than I expected. I could easily use the weapon one-handed if I were so inclined and I feel very in control over the direction and it feels like a sword I could move very quickly with. I don't feel any resistance in the cut in dry handling and despite its long reach, it doesn't weigh a whole lot. Given its length as being what I would personally consider to be bare minimum in the range of what you could classify as a Nodachi/Odachi and its weight, I'd put this in the same category as some longswords and feders in terms of proportions and how manueverable it is and how comfortable it is to control.
Speaking of comfortable, the tsuka is slimmer than I expected it to be. I've never owned a sword with a katate-maki battle wrapped tsuka and I've always thought they were attractive and interesting but I didn't realize that this style would also result in showing how slender a tsuka hilt actually is. And while I was out-of-the-box not a fan, it's actually grown on me a little bit.
Statistics
Overall Length: 53 inches
Blade Length: 35 inches
Hilt Length: 15
Blade: 1095 steel (also claims to be folded on the certificate but I'm not a metallurgist so I have no way to verify)
Weight: 3.8 lbs
Fit and Finish
The blade is attractive with a nice curvature that lends itself well to cutting. The hamon and pattern weld, while initially not something I was interested in to beghin with, are attractive and the blade is gorgeous. But while the representative I spoke to assured me that I would be given a niku-styled thick edge, I can't see a noticeable difference in edge geometry than something on any other Katana style sword. Admittedly, I may just not know what to actually look for and I don't have a scientific way of really determining edge geometry beyond just eyeballing it, but the edge doesn't seem much more substantial than a typical Japanese sword with a fine, sharp and thin edge. But I'm by no means a practiced martial artist and this possibly something far more experienced than myself would be able to discern so take what I say with a grain of salt. Because of this, I was apprehensive to take this sword toward the harder targets that I was assured the sword could handle. But the purpose of this was to test the limits of the sword, so I proceeded regardless of my concerns.
The ito wrap is tight enough to where my fingers can just get a little wiggle out of the diamons if I push and I can't tell if the samegawa is real or not, but it is paneled and not a full wrap. Which is not uncommon for entry level $200 to $300 katanas. But the tsuka overall fits very tightly on the sword as well. Even after removing the mekugi pegs, I had to hammer the tsuba to get the sword loose so I could take a look at the tang. Now that I've removed it once, it slides on and off with greater ease, but it still requires a bit of effort and the mekugi pegs aren't the sole support system keeping the hilt together.
Also not uncommon to katanas of this price range are less than perfectly tight fittings. The fuchi fits snug but there's enough of a gap where I can push it back and forth and the kashira can wiggle if I play with it. After disassembling the sword and removing all the parts to inspect the tang, reassembling the sword has somehow tightened up the fuchi in a way I'm not entirely sure how. Maybe hammeing the tsuba off and then hammering it all back together compressed something tighter? But out of the box, the fuchi and kashira did have enough of a little play to be noticeable but not problematic. I won't give Ryansword a whole lot of flack for that because that's not an experience unique to them in this price range and if you're just a casual backyard cutter, some superglue could fix that issue up right away. if this were a higher priced sword, I would consider even that little bit of play to be a detraction and knock marks off, but given that this is definitely a budget sword for entry level collectors and practitioners, I'm not gonna give it too much sh*t for that.
The tsuba, fuchi, and kashira all seem to be painted black as opposed to being blackened in more traditional ways, which is something I don't see very often, even in budget katanas and katana-adjacent swords like this. I suspect this is due to my selected choice of fittings and it's possible that other options aren't painted black and are more in keeping with a traditional blackened iron or patina finish. There was some very light chipping from where I hammered the tsuba to loosen the tsuka at the edges, and its not extremely noticeable unless you're staring at it longer than a few seconds. And while it's not a personal detraction for me, some people might not like it so be aware of that when you choose your fittings. The center of the tsuba is a little rough visually but sits on the tang tight and I have to hammer it back on after removing it, and the seppa hide this rough and crude-looking appearance to leave no real noticeable trace of it. So I'm pretty pleased about that.
The full tang alleviates concerns of Ryansword's history of rat-tail tangs. It runs all the way through the tsuka with only an inch difference toward the pommel, plenty of space for the two mekugi pins. It's also of a solid thickness and completely in keeping with what should be expected of a full tang katana.
The habaki is tight but has some gaps and the brassing done on the metal fades to plain steel surprisingly easy with a bit of time. Which is something I don't see very often in even budget level katanas. But even with those small gaps, the habaki sits tight and I couldn't actually get it off no matter how hard I tried. So while its not a perfect looking fit, it doesn't seem like it's going anywhere.
The saya has absolutely no rattle and the sword is very tight inside. At first, it was actually a little too tight and it took some effort but I've since then broken it in and while the sword doesn't fall out of the scabbard if you hold it upside down, it still slides out now with comfortable ease and the push of a thumb. The sageo feels genuine and is of a good thickness, and nothing feels shoe-lacey about any of the product.
The shinogi lines are well defined and even from several feet away, they're visually distinct. I don't know if my untrained backyard cutter eyes have the experience to call the shinogi lines crisp but I would definitely consider the blade's defining lines to be well made. There is a distil taper from habaki to kissaki that I believe helps the weight and maneuverability of the sword, so an experienced and well practiced swordsman could easily control the weapon.
For the price of $230 USD, I'm willing to give the overall fit and finish a 4 out of 5 considering the intent and its target price range.
Testing
1095 steel isn't something I've got a lot of experience with, but it doesn't take more than a quick google search to find out that it's an excellent choice for a katana but it's also a steel that requires a skilled blacksmith or a lot can go wrong. At first, I was apprehensive given how stiff the blade is but I can get some flex out of it if I really put my weight into it. And when I say put my weight into it, I mean put my weight into it. The blade flexes and returns to true but it requires me to do some not so safe pressure with my knee to get an actual bend. So I have mixed feelings because it feels to me that it would take more force than a person could easily generate to get a bend out of this before it flexes. And that seems to be the proven history of 1095 steel, so while I have no way of testing it or not, the heat treatment seems well done as far as I can tell. Is this good? Is this bad? I have no real scientific way of knowing without breaking the sword. But from my novice perspective? Everything seems fine and the sword feels robust, sturdy, and tough. I have no complaints and I'm happy with it.
I did some testing on tatami mats. And while I'm still relatively new to tameshigiri after graduating from water bottles, I'm very surprised at how well the blade made it through the mats with such ease. Because its a larger sword, my first cut soared through so quick I didn't realize how much power I put until the blade hit the concrete ground - hard. But even with that user error, the blade shows no sign of damage that I can discern. With plenty left of the mat from a nice and high cut, I kept going until the tatami mat was split into several chunks and it just absolutely flies through with no real effort. Despite the representative I spoke to saying the sword wouldn't cut as well due to the edge geometry, I still can't see a difference between it and other katana style edges so as far as I can tell, it's just a normal katana-sized up to nodachi lengths. Again, take what I say with a grain of salt since I'm not a practiced martial artist and someone with a more keen eye and longer experience with Japanese swords would possibly see things I can't see.
Cutting into an aluminum can did some minor edge biting that could easily be reprofiled and while not super detrimental to the sword as an easy fix and an easy miss, it is something to watch for.
Moving on to some harder testing as was my original intent to put this sword to work, I tried hacking my way through a few 2x4, striking against the wood grain rather than into it. I know some people debate how abusive 2x4s really are, but they're relatively affordable and replacable and sturdy enough to offer some decent resistance as long as you don't cut into the grain. And after chopping with it more like it was an axe, I got through with no noticeable damage and nothing has come loose or looser than it already was in the case of the kashira and fuchi. It still feels solid and the ito is exactly as it came out of the box. I can't discern any serious damage to the blade that might have accrued from stress to the sword. After hacking into the 2x4s with... I won't call it heavy aggressive strikes but I was putting some weight into them with the closest thing to proper form I could attempt, I eventually just caused the 2x4s to sort of splinter and and shatter, which is to be expected and I still haven't discerned any serious damage to the sword.
After finding no discernable edge damage, a cut on a single tatami mat showed me the sword is still sharp even despite the less than ideal target of 2x4s.
Here's an image of the aftermath of hacking into the 2x4s to give an idea of how the blade performed. Considering I went against the grain of the wood and this was the result with no real discernable damage to the blade that I can see, I'm pretty confident in the performance of the sword. I thought about taking it up a notch and splitting some small firewood but decided not to mostly because it was hot that day and the heat was starting to make me cranky. Maybe I'll revisit that idea someday and see how well the sword holds up when the California heat is less unpleasant.
Conclusions
I'm surprisingly happy with this sword. It feels good to use and is much more competent in construction than I anticipated based on the years of poor reviews and criticism ryansword has had. I think that there have been some definite attempts to improve their quality, but they are still a mass-production company so there will still be some hit-or-miss issues that aren't uncommon to a lot of Lonquan forges that offer custom katanas with whole-sale interchangable fittings - You'll either hit gold or get something disappointing and you have no way of knowing until it's in your hands. But for some entry-level practitioners, you could do a lot worse. I'd still recommend something from another vendor if you want something in the more traditional sizings of a katana genre, but if you're like me and insistent on finding a decent nodachi, then you could do a lot worse with Ryansword, as long as you keep your expectations to a minimum and focus on the intended context based on price. I've handled a few other swords in the $200-$250 ballpark and this one might be the most comfortable and fun to use I've owned. Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 in the context of backyard cutting. Given my limited expertise, I don't think I could recommend it for more experienced martial arts and fencing; I'd say look elsewhere but I also feel that for the price, you could do a lot worse. Just keep in mind that you may potentially have to work with them a bit to get what you want.
I'm deeply considering getting a second one to see how consistent the quality is now that there seems to be intent to improve their products. How lucky was I with this one, I wonder? Is this a case of surprising quality from an otherwise undesirable and shoddy vendor? Will I be lucky to get one as good and is this the norm now, or is this simply the lone jewel in a pile of junk? There's only one way to find out, right?
PROS
•Very affordable option for a different style of Japanese sword
•Visually attractive
•Solid, well-made blade
•Very light and easy to control despite its' size
•Customer service was better than I anticipated
CONS
•Fittings on the tsuka are hit or miss
•The risk of a potentially less than acceptable product is still inherent in all mass-production Chinese Katana-knockoff companies.
Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. I still think that there are much better options out there and if you want a solid guarantee then look elsewhere. Keeping in mind that this is still a company that mass-produces katanas and slaps the parts together, you're bound to have a few less than perfect conditions once the item is in your hand. But if you're looking for something entry-level or just want something a little different, I think that Ryansword has made some actual effort to prove they're not the same company they were ten years ago.
Hope you guys enjoyed the read! Thanks for the time.