New Guy Buys a Sword Part 2
Dec 4, 2008 19:00:55 GMT
Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2008 19:00:55 GMT
Well my sword arrived yesterday. Shouldn't open it. It's supposed to be a Christmas present for my son. But I need to examine it for problems right? 10 seconds of restraint and I'm opening the box. So what did I get for $60?
As a reminder, I ordered the True Swords Musashi Santa Special (use TS-FTMUSK40 to view it on the True Swords site). Yes Santa Special is the "name" and they are sold out.
First, kudos to True Swords. Ordering was easy, shipment was prompt, and it's obvious their good reputation is well-earned. Count me as a very happy customer.
Next the sword itself. I believe the description on the True Sword site is accurate. As far as how it looked when I first saw it - I'm really happy. The saya has a nice gloss black finish. The tsuka looks nice with black ito and white same. The tsuba and kashira are very plain blackened steel. Not a reindeer or Santa in sight. The word that leaps to mind is utilitarian. I mean that in a good way, this looks like exactly what it is - a lean, mean cutting machine. I LIKE it!
Now to reveal the blade. The habaki is a nice firm fit. The ito feels tight and there are no rattles. How does it handle? I don't know since I have no idea yet how to handle it, but it sure feels cool holding it! The blade was nicely coated with oil, has no obvious blemishes, and has a clearly visible hamon. The blade shape looks nice. I clean some of the oil off and look at the hamon with a loupe. Looks authentic as far as I can tell. The only scratch pattern visible runs along the blade so I don't think the hamon is wire-brushed. The edge easily cuts a sheet of paper. Any more cutting tests will have to wait until after Christmas. So far, my $60 has definitely been well spent.
Are there any problems? Well, given that this is the first real katana I have ever actually touched or looked at, I'm probably not a great person to spot problems. The only things I noticed are: the sword bag and sageao cord are serviceable but not particularly high quality, the black finish on the kashira was scratched from rubbing on the packaging so I don't expect great wear resistance on the tsuba finish, and probably closest to an actual problem is the closeness of the hamon to the edge in a few spots. I'm not sure if the proximity of the hamon to the edge is a major concern, but I suspect it means this is not a blade for the ages. Overall, even if this blade never cuts anything tougher than a milk jug I am extremely happy with its quality, especially at this price.
Bottom line, was it worth it? YEAH BABY!! In fact, I'm not sure this katana will make it under the Christmas tree (sorry son!).
Here are some pics:
As a reminder, I ordered the True Swords Musashi Santa Special (use TS-FTMUSK40 to view it on the True Swords site). Yes Santa Special is the "name" and they are sold out.
First, kudos to True Swords. Ordering was easy, shipment was prompt, and it's obvious their good reputation is well-earned. Count me as a very happy customer.
Next the sword itself. I believe the description on the True Sword site is accurate. As far as how it looked when I first saw it - I'm really happy. The saya has a nice gloss black finish. The tsuka looks nice with black ito and white same. The tsuba and kashira are very plain blackened steel. Not a reindeer or Santa in sight. The word that leaps to mind is utilitarian. I mean that in a good way, this looks like exactly what it is - a lean, mean cutting machine. I LIKE it!
Now to reveal the blade. The habaki is a nice firm fit. The ito feels tight and there are no rattles. How does it handle? I don't know since I have no idea yet how to handle it, but it sure feels cool holding it! The blade was nicely coated with oil, has no obvious blemishes, and has a clearly visible hamon. The blade shape looks nice. I clean some of the oil off and look at the hamon with a loupe. Looks authentic as far as I can tell. The only scratch pattern visible runs along the blade so I don't think the hamon is wire-brushed. The edge easily cuts a sheet of paper. Any more cutting tests will have to wait until after Christmas. So far, my $60 has definitely been well spent.
Are there any problems? Well, given that this is the first real katana I have ever actually touched or looked at, I'm probably not a great person to spot problems. The only things I noticed are: the sword bag and sageao cord are serviceable but not particularly high quality, the black finish on the kashira was scratched from rubbing on the packaging so I don't expect great wear resistance on the tsuba finish, and probably closest to an actual problem is the closeness of the hamon to the edge in a few spots. I'm not sure if the proximity of the hamon to the edge is a major concern, but I suspect it means this is not a blade for the ages. Overall, even if this blade never cuts anything tougher than a milk jug I am extremely happy with its quality, especially at this price.
Bottom line, was it worth it? YEAH BABY!! In fact, I'm not sure this katana will make it under the Christmas tree (sorry son!).
Here are some pics: