looking foward to your review ecovolo, cheers.
. . . so, here is my low-grade review of The Afro Samurai katana-- and I say "low-grade", because I have photos, but no video
Per the template, here we go:
I'm ecovolo, and I'm giving a low-budget review of the Afro Samurai katana, from sunny California, USA.
I'm a minor fan of the "Afro Samurai" franchise, so when I found the sword, I wanted to see a real-life impression of the fantasy katana used in this series.
The box arrived in a reasonable amount of time from thesworddepot.net. The sword came in a black cotton bag, which was kept in place by two styrofoam mounts so it didn't jiggle around in the cardboard box. Upon unwrapping the katana and unsheathing it, I could see that the blade was greased. Not a problem; there was no rust to be seen as a result. Good. I was in contact with Sword Depot during shipment, and I have to say that their customer service was good-- I'd do business with them again.
Measurements:
Blade length: per the website, 27"
Tsuka length: 13 3/4"
Overall: per the website, 41"
Tsuba: 3" by 3"
POB (point of balance): 5" up from the tsuba
COP (center of percussion - 'the sweet spot'): Haven't the slightest idea, but per training, we usually hit the tatami about 15" to 18" up the blade from the tsuba.
Weight: per the website, 2.6 lbs.
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH:
The Blade:
There was an argument on this forum about the blade as to whether or not it had a huge curve to it (sori). Well, speaking from experience: it *does*. Measuring the sori from the tsuba to the tip shows a curve depth of almost *two* inches, and from the end of the tsuka to the end of the blade, a curve depth of almost *four* inches. As my girlfriend remarked, if you hold up the blade opposite the saya, you look like you're framed in a parentheses
. Per the website, the blade is 1065 steel. The hamon appears to be wire-brushed, as is the kissaki. The dividing lines are clear, though-- nothing runs into the other. The blade has no 'polish' per se; just a regular matte grey finish usually found in mass-produced swords.
(Apologies for the white glare coming off of the blade and the saya. The camera is a little wonky on it's *good* days.)
The Grip:
The tsuka is a false black rayskin wrapped in leather ito (Note that the website says it is leather; I *think* it is imitation leather). From a distance, it looks cool. Close up, though, shows where the flaws are. In my particular copy, one of the mekugi was put in after the leather wrap was put on partially over the mekugi-ana, causing minor damage to the leather wrap tsuka-ito at that point. The other mekugi looks like it was broken off after it was put in.
Surprisingly, though, the grip stayed firm even after tameshigiri exercises. This surprised me, given what was used in its creation.
The fuchi matches the kashira: Solid black, no decoration. The substance appears to be iron or blackened metal. Hard to tell
.
The Pommel:
The kashira is solid black metal. Near the end of the tsuka, close to the kashira, is a metal loop, per the anime, with a red cord. On the cord is a plastic gem designed to look like a ruby, also per the anime. When practicing cuts, I had to wrap this cord around the tsuka so it, and the gem, would not get in my way
.
The Guard:
The tsuba is a piece of black metal, possibly iron. It is square, measuring approximately three inches by three inches. There a numerous machine-made nicks and indents to make it match the 'worn' look of the blade in the anime.
The Scabard
The saya appears to be made of real wood. The collar up at the opening of the saya is black plastic, and there is no sageo.
TESTING
Cutting:
We used it to cut tatami mats (as tatami mats were the only targets we had, I'll focus on those). Surprisingly enough, it *cut through* tatami mats with ease.
Unfortunately, there are no pictures or video, just SBG member Kortoso's and my word on it, and a third martial artist who was present and attempted a cut (we were cutting in Kortoso's backyard).
One member of our test-cutting group attempted to cut tatami with the blade, and due to his poor grip the weapon spun in his hand-- I believe this is partially due to the huge curve in the blade, making the weight a *little* off and slightly unwieldy compared to 'normal' katana. However, three people cut tatami with this weapon *and it worked*.
Thrusting: Due to the shear curvature of this blade, we wouldn't even attempt that. At all
.
CONCLUSION and SBG Ratings:
Historical Accuracy: N/A-- This is an anime replica, not a historical piece. However, its appearance is a good physical representation of the sword used in the anime series.
Fit and Finish: 2/5. The saya is nice, the blade held up to use, but I think they could have used better materials for the tsuka.
Handling: 4/5. Due to the severe sori, it requires more control on the part of the wielder than ordinary katana.
Structural Integrity: 4/5. Strangely enough, it held together quite well.
Value for Money: 4/5.
OVERALL: 3.5/5. In my opinion, with a little more effort they could have made this weapon with better materials. It *did* handle well during cutting attempts. If you're a fan of the "Afro Samurai" franchise, this blade is for you.
--Edward
(Edit, 4/1/09): A more updated review of the Afro Samurai katana is in the "Reviews" section of the forum.
