Zsey MKIII full custom
Jun 14, 2024 15:12:34 GMT
Post by jester on Jun 14, 2024 15:12:34 GMT
This one just arrived, the base is the MKIII with some tweaks.
Specs:
Nagasa:71CM
Motohaba:3.2CM
Motokasane:0.7CM
Sakihaba:2.4CM
Sakikasane:0.4CM
Sori:About 1.5CM
Tsuka Length:26CM
Steel: Smelted Steel, DH, Suguha, Sashikomi polishing
Blade Style:Shinogi Zukuri
Weight with/without Saya :1230g/997g
Blade:
It's sharp and with their usual nice polishing, unfortunately there are oil stains everywhere. Will try some fixing asap.
![dc82f398-d73c-4546-ba56-dae619e044dd.jpeg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/oIVLxCbgsbcNMVqNzKWM.png)
![c2cdc925-d87d-452a-9293-b2f970b5accb.jpeg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/hneijFzZj0ZlrCVlQPHw.png)
![8f411519-43e9-49ff-b620-a07e4cf08890.jpeg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/jLoqVoFPaMMbizuOyCyU.png)
![832b3f4d-8b3c-47d0-85fc-362751891a28.jpeg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/zpIEgGjsIiRnXOYKwOcT.png)
Saya:
A regular black glossy one, with metal koiguchi, kojiri and kurigata in nami theme. It doesn't taper as their usual saya and it's also slightly bigger.
![448384692_10163614318933332_269002525458918....jpg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/gobRctpJBNxqrksDKgUd.png)
![448387300_10163614319273332_533312148866347....jpg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/lBzAwjNEIxLmtPZnMRaP.png)
![448432215_10163614319113332_337218005507981....jpg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/pzQGQZFdgByFqhOAmWrL.png)
Tsuka:
Handmade, good shape and feel. The maki was clearly rushed as it doesn't look as nice as my first zsey and the end knots are quite rough.
Fittings are in nami theme, with the tsuba and menuki coming from Ikedaart JPN. I used my Dremel to remove some of the black patina on the iron tsuba and get silver accents on the waves' crest. Samegawa is very nice with large nodes and a oyatsubo. Ito is silk.
![448432213_10163614319023332_709290449710765....jpg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/bwUnHBrSVbUotNxPVUfc.png)
![448468077_10163614319348332_394785507640509....jpg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/TBEVLODh0RJBkzpipTJV.png)
![8a7a99b1-e481-4fb5-8488-e23e32ce2882.jpeg](//storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/WvFjJgObvCvEKOqgXlPH.png)
General feel:
The sword is nice and pretty but clearly lacks the typical zsey quality; it feels like this time they did a rush job and cut a lot of corners.
The red copper habaki for example, had a 0.8mm gap with the mune and was rattling, causing also the tsuba to rattle and the koiguchi to have a loose retention.
I shimmed it, thus fixing also the rattle and retention, but that didn't last; despite two shims it keeps falling out of position and gives movement to the tsuba again. The maki looks much sloppier than usual. The tsuka was very hard to remove, had to hammer it, which is odd since it's clearly handmade to fit. Nakago is crisp as usual.
Overall a nice and pretty sword but in my opinion not zsey quality this time.
EDIT: I forgot as a year+ is quite long time for a production sword but I remembered an important thing, I paid extra to have tsuka and saya handmade to fit. Considering tsuka needed hammering to remove, tsuba was rattling nonetheless, saya was rattling too, I have to admit I'm not sure they were effectively handmade. Or, if they were, they surely were of the same quality of non-handmade stuff, thus all the extra money was not worth it. THIS is something I'm quite mad about, I hope Zsey rectifies this.
Will update when they reply eventually.
Specs:
Nagasa:71CM
Motohaba:3.2CM
Motokasane:0.7CM
Sakihaba:2.4CM
Sakikasane:0.4CM
Sori:About 1.5CM
Tsuka Length:26CM
Steel: Smelted Steel, DH, Suguha, Sashikomi polishing
Blade Style:Shinogi Zukuri
Weight with/without Saya :1230g/997g
Blade:
It's sharp and with their usual nice polishing, unfortunately there are oil stains everywhere. Will try some fixing asap.
![dc82f398-d73c-4546-ba56-dae619e044dd.jpeg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/oIVLxCbgsbcNMVqNzKWM.png)
![c2cdc925-d87d-452a-9293-b2f970b5accb.jpeg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/hneijFzZj0ZlrCVlQPHw.png)
![8f411519-43e9-49ff-b620-a07e4cf08890.jpeg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/jLoqVoFPaMMbizuOyCyU.png)
![832b3f4d-8b3c-47d0-85fc-362751891a28.jpeg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/zpIEgGjsIiRnXOYKwOcT.png)
Saya:
A regular black glossy one, with metal koiguchi, kojiri and kurigata in nami theme. It doesn't taper as their usual saya and it's also slightly bigger.
![448384692_10163614318933332_269002525458918....jpg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/gobRctpJBNxqrksDKgUd.png)
![448387300_10163614319273332_533312148866347....jpg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/lBzAwjNEIxLmtPZnMRaP.png)
![448432215_10163614319113332_337218005507981....jpg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/pzQGQZFdgByFqhOAmWrL.png)
Tsuka:
Handmade, good shape and feel. The maki was clearly rushed as it doesn't look as nice as my first zsey and the end knots are quite rough.
Fittings are in nami theme, with the tsuba and menuki coming from Ikedaart JPN. I used my Dremel to remove some of the black patina on the iron tsuba and get silver accents on the waves' crest. Samegawa is very nice with large nodes and a oyatsubo. Ito is silk.
![448432213_10163614319023332_709290449710765....jpg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/bwUnHBrSVbUotNxPVUfc.png)
![448468077_10163614319348332_394785507640509....jpg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/TBEVLODh0RJBkzpipTJV.png)
![8a7a99b1-e481-4fb5-8488-e23e32ce2882.jpeg](http://storage.forums.net/1694914/thumbnailer/WvFjJgObvCvEKOqgXlPH.png)
General feel:
The sword is nice and pretty but clearly lacks the typical zsey quality; it feels like this time they did a rush job and cut a lot of corners.
The red copper habaki for example, had a 0.8mm gap with the mune and was rattling, causing also the tsuba to rattle and the koiguchi to have a loose retention.
I shimmed it, thus fixing also the rattle and retention, but that didn't last; despite two shims it keeps falling out of position and gives movement to the tsuba again. The maki looks much sloppier than usual. The tsuka was very hard to remove, had to hammer it, which is odd since it's clearly handmade to fit. Nakago is crisp as usual.
Overall a nice and pretty sword but in my opinion not zsey quality this time.
EDIT: I forgot as a year+ is quite long time for a production sword but I remembered an important thing, I paid extra to have tsuka and saya handmade to fit. Considering tsuka needed hammering to remove, tsuba was rattling nonetheless, saya was rattling too, I have to admit I'm not sure they were effectively handmade. Or, if they were, they surely were of the same quality of non-handmade stuff, thus all the extra money was not worth it. THIS is something I'm quite mad about, I hope Zsey rectifies this.
Will update when they reply eventually.