Dynasty Forge Bushi 1095 29" Gold Dragon with hi Review
Jun 11, 2023 8:44:22 GMT
Post by vegah on Jun 11, 2023 8:44:22 GMT
Introduction
I recently bought a Dynasty Forge Musha, and while it's a nice sword, I wanted something with a hamon. Based on the quality of the Musha, the price points on the DF website, and the amazing customer service, other forges weren't really a consideration. After giving serious thought to a Shobu, I purchased the Dynasty Forge Bushi 1095 29" Gold Dragon katana with hi. I was not disappointed.
Historical overview
Dynasty Forge blades are Fred Chen swords, aka Huanuo Sword Arts. I'm not sure about HSA in general, but there hasn't been new production under the DF label since 2020. After fixing early batches' tsuka issues, Dynasty Forge swords generally have a good rep in online reviews. All of their katanas have a geometric yokote and hishigami in the wrap.
Full Disclosure
This is only my second functional katana, and I have not had the first for long. As they're both from Dynasty Forge, this review of the Bushi 1095 will also be a bit of a comparison with the Musha 1060. Extra full disclosure, I'd been emailing with Derrick at DF, and asked if they had any Bushi 1095's with an irregular hamon. He let me know that the smiths that worked on their mid-level swords didn't get much flexibility, but he'd see what he could do. Extra extra full disclosure, some pictures in this review are basically the same shot with different ISO settings to try and catch the hamon.
Initial Impressions
The sword arrived a week or so after paying via PayPal. Once again, DF packaging is top notch. The sword bag (safely wrapped in small bubble wrap, in a box, wrapped in large bubble wrap, in a box) is a lighter shade of blue than that of the Musha. A glint of light reflecting off the gold dragon on the kashira caught my eye as I opened the bag. The gold dragon face on the tsuba pulled my attention that way. There was hardly any sound when checking for saya rattle. My first thought seeing it out of the saya was that even with shipping gunk, it's a beautiful blade.
Statistics
The weight is from the DF site, my measurements otherwise...
Blade/Nagasa Length (in/cm): 29/73.66
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10.5/26.67
Overall Length in saya (in/cm): 42/106.68
Overall Length out of saya (in/cm): 41.5/105.41
Guard/Tsuba Width: .25/.635
Weight (lbs/kg): 2.25/1.02
Yokote: Geometric
Bo-hi: Yes
The Blade/Nagasa
Dynasty Forge has three tiers of polish techniques: Musha (used on their 1060 blades), Bushi (1095 and forge-folded tri-steel blades), and Daimyo (1095, forge-folded tri-steel, and "Tamahagane" blades (in quotes for obvious reasons)). This differential hardened (clay tempered) 1095 is in the Bushi category. Their site says all Bushi blades get their hybrid polish, which is a machine polishing followed by hand polishing. This gives the blade a mirror finish everywhere other than the hamon, which on DF Bushi's is of gunome style. Derrick at DF is awesome though, and as requested sent me one that while it is gunome, it's a bit irregular, and not as uniform as the hamon on pictures I've seen of other DF Bushi 1095s.
Like my Musha, there is a section on the blade, where in the right light, you can see marks from what look like a tong, or whatever was used to hold the blade at one point. Based on several posts on various forums, this is a somewhat frequent occurrence with production blades in the lower price tiers. On this particular sword, it's not often noticeable, but it is there. I can see a machine polishing pattern at spots in the hi, but otherwise the mirror finish lets me see myself when I look into the blade.
The hamon. I can't stop staring at it, moving the sword around in the light and seeing how it reacts. I read somewhere that a great sword is the perfect mix of form, function, and art. Non-folded and without a hada, DF's Bushi 1095 can only get so far into what that statement is getting at; but this sword does make me think of that.
The Handle/Tsuka
I have limited experience, but the Dynasty Forge tsuka shape may have ruined all other tsuka shapes for me. When I first got the Musha, the shape looked off, but handling it (and the Bushi)... The way it tapers in before flaring out just feels so natural. I asked about the tsuka shape, and the response was...
"Most other companies are using straight handles, which are easier to make and easier to fit. A shaped handle helps with the draw cutting of the sword and feels much more natural. On top of that, some of our handles are waisted slightly. These further improve the retention on the draw cut as it slightly flares out to the pommel."
Comparing the Bushi with the Musha, the Bushi's tsuka has the slight waisting he mentions. I wonder if the number of mekgui is also at play here. The Bushi only has one, where the Musha has two. The ito on both swords is tight, which is expected as all DF swords have hishigami in the wrap. Maybe when those early batches had tsuka issues, they really, really committed to having good ones moving forward...?
The Bushi and the Musha tsukas, side by side...
I believe the menuki on the Bushi is a dragon of some sort, but I can't really tell due to the wrap not budging.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is an alloy that unlike the Musha's iron fittings, did not pass the fridge magnet test. It's pretty solid though, and makes a decent "tingk" when plucking it with a finger nail. The gold dragon face stands out nicely on the charcoal background (it's not quite black). While I prefer the simplicity of the Musha's fittings, I can appreciate the artwork and style in this.
When looking at the sword in Chudan, the tsuba looked off kilter to me. There was no rattle, but closer inspection revealed a tiny gap between the tsuba and the seppa above the fuchi. It's flush on the right (with the mune on the right), but there's a gap on the left and a bit of springy play on the seppa. I found I could twist the tsuba a little to the right, but it's tight, and does not move back on its own. I decided to not move it back, and I don't think it will cause any issues, but I would like to fix it at some point.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The fuchi and kashira are the same dark charcoal color as the tsuba, and also have gold highlights. I can't imagine it's real gold, but it does pop nicely off the dark background, especially in the right lighting.
The Scabbard/Saya
There's the faintest of sounds when I check for saya rattle. I could barely hear it, and wouldn't even call it a shimmy. The saya has no scratches, and the only mark is something IN the outer layer of lacquer (brush hair, I think). The kojiri matches the other fittings, charcoal with gold highlights, but isn't 100% flush with the saya on the ends. There are two sections on the sageo that puff up frayed; likely snagged on something somewhere in the process. The sword does not drop from the saya when tipped upside down, or even shaken a bit upside down. There won't be any accidental drawing of this blade.
Handling Characteristics
Compared to the Musha, this sword somehow feels more solid, but not necessarily heavier. The DF website lists them as the same weight (both with hi), but the Musha has 4 more inches in total length according to their website. My Musha and Bushi though...? The Musha is only 2 inches longer.
Point of Balance questions lead to Derrick explaining that the difference in steel leads to a difference in blade design and thickness, and that the Musha would "feel front heavy and swing with a bit more authority" in comparison. That explains what I'm feeling when comparing the two. The Bushi feels a bit more nimble, but at the same time, a bit more thick, because while it is shorter, it is thicker than the Musha.
Test Cutting
Test cutting was performed on blue accounting printer paper (slightly thicker than loose leaf), same as the Musha. The Bushi was paper-cutting sharp, same as the Musha.
Conclusions
Other than the issue with the tsuba, this sword is great. It's better than great when you consider the price point. The Musha made me think of a giant razor; the Bushi made me think "This is a katana."
Pros
- geometric yokote; good feel/handling
- customer service is aces; typically very quick (a day or two) email responses
- tsuka feels amazing; has a tight ito with hishigami
Cons
- tsuba is off-kilter, not flush, and was able to be twisted to the right a couple centimeters.
- machine polishing marks in the hi, minor tong mark on the blade.
- I might have got the last one direct from DF? I looked at their site the day after I got the "your order has shipped" email, and this sword's availability had changed to "out of stock". As they haven't had new production in some time, it's entirely possible I got the last of their Bushi 1095s. If so, I feel kinda honored; but for everyone else, that's a bit of a Con.
The Bottom Line
As my first functional production katana, the Dynasty Forge Musha 1060 set my personal bar for what a good, low budget, production katana should be. The DF Bushi 1095 saw the bar, cut through it in a Sayuw Kesa Giri pattern, and then set a new bar. Don't get me wrong, the Musha's a nice sword; but when comparing the two, it's obvious why one is in the higher price and polish tier. If you're looking for a good sword, Dynasty Forge is worth a look. If you're looking for a differential hardened (clay tempered) 1095, a DF Bushi might just be what you're looking for. 100% recommend this sword.
I recently bought a Dynasty Forge Musha, and while it's a nice sword, I wanted something with a hamon. Based on the quality of the Musha, the price points on the DF website, and the amazing customer service, other forges weren't really a consideration. After giving serious thought to a Shobu, I purchased the Dynasty Forge Bushi 1095 29" Gold Dragon katana with hi. I was not disappointed.
Historical overview
Dynasty Forge blades are Fred Chen swords, aka Huanuo Sword Arts. I'm not sure about HSA in general, but there hasn't been new production under the DF label since 2020. After fixing early batches' tsuka issues, Dynasty Forge swords generally have a good rep in online reviews. All of their katanas have a geometric yokote and hishigami in the wrap.
Full Disclosure
This is only my second functional katana, and I have not had the first for long. As they're both from Dynasty Forge, this review of the Bushi 1095 will also be a bit of a comparison with the Musha 1060. Extra full disclosure, I'd been emailing with Derrick at DF, and asked if they had any Bushi 1095's with an irregular hamon. He let me know that the smiths that worked on their mid-level swords didn't get much flexibility, but he'd see what he could do. Extra extra full disclosure, some pictures in this review are basically the same shot with different ISO settings to try and catch the hamon.
Initial Impressions
The sword arrived a week or so after paying via PayPal. Once again, DF packaging is top notch. The sword bag (safely wrapped in small bubble wrap, in a box, wrapped in large bubble wrap, in a box) is a lighter shade of blue than that of the Musha. A glint of light reflecting off the gold dragon on the kashira caught my eye as I opened the bag. The gold dragon face on the tsuba pulled my attention that way. There was hardly any sound when checking for saya rattle. My first thought seeing it out of the saya was that even with shipping gunk, it's a beautiful blade.
Statistics
The weight is from the DF site, my measurements otherwise...
Blade/Nagasa Length (in/cm): 29/73.66
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10.5/26.67
Overall Length in saya (in/cm): 42/106.68
Overall Length out of saya (in/cm): 41.5/105.41
Guard/Tsuba Width: .25/.635
Weight (lbs/kg): 2.25/1.02
Yokote: Geometric
Bo-hi: Yes
The Blade/Nagasa
Dynasty Forge has three tiers of polish techniques: Musha (used on their 1060 blades), Bushi (1095 and forge-folded tri-steel blades), and Daimyo (1095, forge-folded tri-steel, and "Tamahagane" blades (in quotes for obvious reasons)). This differential hardened (clay tempered) 1095 is in the Bushi category. Their site says all Bushi blades get their hybrid polish, which is a machine polishing followed by hand polishing. This gives the blade a mirror finish everywhere other than the hamon, which on DF Bushi's is of gunome style. Derrick at DF is awesome though, and as requested sent me one that while it is gunome, it's a bit irregular, and not as uniform as the hamon on pictures I've seen of other DF Bushi 1095s.
Like my Musha, there is a section on the blade, where in the right light, you can see marks from what look like a tong, or whatever was used to hold the blade at one point. Based on several posts on various forums, this is a somewhat frequent occurrence with production blades in the lower price tiers. On this particular sword, it's not often noticeable, but it is there. I can see a machine polishing pattern at spots in the hi, but otherwise the mirror finish lets me see myself when I look into the blade.
The hamon. I can't stop staring at it, moving the sword around in the light and seeing how it reacts. I read somewhere that a great sword is the perfect mix of form, function, and art. Non-folded and without a hada, DF's Bushi 1095 can only get so far into what that statement is getting at; but this sword does make me think of that.
The Handle/Tsuka
I have limited experience, but the Dynasty Forge tsuka shape may have ruined all other tsuka shapes for me. When I first got the Musha, the shape looked off, but handling it (and the Bushi)... The way it tapers in before flaring out just feels so natural. I asked about the tsuka shape, and the response was...
"Most other companies are using straight handles, which are easier to make and easier to fit. A shaped handle helps with the draw cutting of the sword and feels much more natural. On top of that, some of our handles are waisted slightly. These further improve the retention on the draw cut as it slightly flares out to the pommel."
Comparing the Bushi with the Musha, the Bushi's tsuka has the slight waisting he mentions. I wonder if the number of mekgui is also at play here. The Bushi only has one, where the Musha has two. The ito on both swords is tight, which is expected as all DF swords have hishigami in the wrap. Maybe when those early batches had tsuka issues, they really, really committed to having good ones moving forward...?
The Bushi and the Musha tsukas, side by side...
I believe the menuki on the Bushi is a dragon of some sort, but I can't really tell due to the wrap not budging.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba is an alloy that unlike the Musha's iron fittings, did not pass the fridge magnet test. It's pretty solid though, and makes a decent "tingk" when plucking it with a finger nail. The gold dragon face stands out nicely on the charcoal background (it's not quite black). While I prefer the simplicity of the Musha's fittings, I can appreciate the artwork and style in this.
When looking at the sword in Chudan, the tsuba looked off kilter to me. There was no rattle, but closer inspection revealed a tiny gap between the tsuba and the seppa above the fuchi. It's flush on the right (with the mune on the right), but there's a gap on the left and a bit of springy play on the seppa. I found I could twist the tsuba a little to the right, but it's tight, and does not move back on its own. I decided to not move it back, and I don't think it will cause any issues, but I would like to fix it at some point.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
The fuchi and kashira are the same dark charcoal color as the tsuba, and also have gold highlights. I can't imagine it's real gold, but it does pop nicely off the dark background, especially in the right lighting.
The Scabbard/Saya
There's the faintest of sounds when I check for saya rattle. I could barely hear it, and wouldn't even call it a shimmy. The saya has no scratches, and the only mark is something IN the outer layer of lacquer (brush hair, I think). The kojiri matches the other fittings, charcoal with gold highlights, but isn't 100% flush with the saya on the ends. There are two sections on the sageo that puff up frayed; likely snagged on something somewhere in the process. The sword does not drop from the saya when tipped upside down, or even shaken a bit upside down. There won't be any accidental drawing of this blade.
Handling Characteristics
Compared to the Musha, this sword somehow feels more solid, but not necessarily heavier. The DF website lists them as the same weight (both with hi), but the Musha has 4 more inches in total length according to their website. My Musha and Bushi though...? The Musha is only 2 inches longer.
Point of Balance questions lead to Derrick explaining that the difference in steel leads to a difference in blade design and thickness, and that the Musha would "feel front heavy and swing with a bit more authority" in comparison. That explains what I'm feeling when comparing the two. The Bushi feels a bit more nimble, but at the same time, a bit more thick, because while it is shorter, it is thicker than the Musha.
Test Cutting
Test cutting was performed on blue accounting printer paper (slightly thicker than loose leaf), same as the Musha. The Bushi was paper-cutting sharp, same as the Musha.
Conclusions
Other than the issue with the tsuba, this sword is great. It's better than great when you consider the price point. The Musha made me think of a giant razor; the Bushi made me think "This is a katana."
Pros
- geometric yokote; good feel/handling
- customer service is aces; typically very quick (a day or two) email responses
- tsuka feels amazing; has a tight ito with hishigami
Cons
- tsuba is off-kilter, not flush, and was able to be twisted to the right a couple centimeters.
- machine polishing marks in the hi, minor tong mark on the blade.
- I might have got the last one direct from DF? I looked at their site the day after I got the "your order has shipped" email, and this sword's availability had changed to "out of stock". As they haven't had new production in some time, it's entirely possible I got the last of their Bushi 1095s. If so, I feel kinda honored; but for everyone else, that's a bit of a Con.
The Bottom Line
As my first functional production katana, the Dynasty Forge Musha 1060 set my personal bar for what a good, low budget, production katana should be. The DF Bushi 1095 saw the bar, cut through it in a Sayuw Kesa Giri pattern, and then set a new bar. Don't get me wrong, the Musha's a nice sword; but when comparing the two, it's obvious why one is in the higher price and polish tier. If you're looking for a good sword, Dynasty Forge is worth a look. If you're looking for a differential hardened (clay tempered) 1095, a DF Bushi might just be what you're looking for. 100% recommend this sword.