Sword Buyers Digest: MAGAZINE!

Transcription

Issue 7, May 2007
SWORD BUYERS DIGEST:
MAGAZINE
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
From the Desk of Paul Southren (Editor)
Hey guys,
Welcome to the May Edition of the Sword Buyers Digest.
Inside this issue:
SBG Site News
1
Sword Industry
News
2
Interview with Hank
Reinhardt
3-6
Generation 2 Viking
Sword Review
7-8
Which Katana
Length is Right
9
-
Thanks in part to out new look format, the digest just keeps on getting bigger and better with
every issue.
As always, this months issue is bursting at the
seams with the usual eclectic mix of industry
news, exclusive interviews, reviews and everything else that you have come to expect.
So without any further preamble, considering
how much stuff there is to read in this edition,
let‘s get into it!
Cheers,
Musashi Swords
Katana Review
10-16
Anime Portraits
17
DIY Workshop
18
Best Forum Posts
19
- Paul Southren
SBG Site News
April didn‘t quite see as many updates or new
additions as I was originally planning for—and
the reason why will become apparent VERY
soon…
However, that said, there were a few significant
updates earlier in the month.
PLUS:
 Last Chance on a
Classic Windlass
Medieval Sword
The first was my destructive testing of the Cheness Oniyuri Shinobigatana (Ninja Sword)
where once again the 9260 Spring Steel surpassed all expectations, chopping through solid
woodblocks, and even lengths of steel tubing
with only a few scratches and dings (definitely
NOT something I would like to try with any
other Japanese style sword!).
 And much, much
more!
But secondly, I also did some testing with the
very impressive Gim Sword by Cold Steel.
 Video of the Month
 Special Offer on
Gen2 Viking Sword
While Cold Steel swords can sometimes be a
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
bit of a ‘hit and miss‘ affair, the Chinese Gim
(Jian) was most definitely a Hit!
I just loved the way this sword looks, handles
and cuts—and overall it is easily one of the
most impressive swords I have handled that got
nearly full marks in every department (it only
got a 4 out of 5 in handling due to its weight,
but as you‘ll know if you read the review, it
was more than made up for by its balance and
overall handling performance).
Next month might be a little slow too, and the
reason will be explained in the forums and in
the SBG news blog. So if you haven‘t subscribed to the RSS feed yet, now is definitely a
good time! ;-)
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE
LATEST SBG SITE NEWS HERE
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 2
Sword Industry News
VALIANT ARMOURY
After the previous owner of Valiant Armoury
passed away late last year, the future was
uncertain for Valiant Armoury.
However, the company has been resurrected
from obscurity and is now poised to release a
new line of medieval styled swords.
And I must say, they are looking a whole lot
better than their previous models.
Their latest DVD after a 3 year hiatus, called
appropriately enough GRAPHIC PROOF is
definitely not for the faint of heart.
Indeed, the DVD reveals a bit of slightly disturbing a fetish for chopping pig carcasses in
half (not to mention, some rather graphic
scenes involving a pigs head!).
And as such, it‘s certainly not the kind of
DVD to watch casually while having your
dinner! (especially if you are having pork)
To get your free copy, click here:
http://www.coldsteel.com/moreproof.html
(Canadian customers unfortunately need to pay $5, while
customers outside of North Amercia need to pay $15).
Cutting a bad guy in half
from the New Cold Steel
“graphic Proof” DVD.
RELIKS.COM
Naturally details at this stage are a little
sketchy and the first shipment of this new
line is not scheduled to arrive until mid May.
Always at the forefront of outstanding customer service and value for money, Reliks
have recently introduced a special Rewards
Program for serious sword addicts...
“Indeed, the DVD
reveals a bit of a
slightly disturbing fetish
for chopping pig
Most seem to be priced around the low $200
mark, no naturally SBG will be watching
them carefully to see how they hold up. If the
previous line were any indication, they tend
to be a bit on the ‗durable—sharpened crowbar‘ side of the fence—but let‘s suspend all
judgement at this point until we have more
info. Watch this space—I‘ll be keeping you
posted!
carcasses in half…”
COLD STEEL
Lynn and those crazy boys have been at it
again...! Recently, Cold Steel customers have
been receiving a copy of this hardcore sword
porn DVD, and it seems that they just keep
on upping the ante with their cutting tests...
Now, for every $1 you spend at Reliks, you‘ll
automatically get yourself up to10 reward
points.
When you add this to special coupon codes,
gift vouchers and FREE SHIPPING options
(all of which can be used in the same order)
the end result can be some pretty serious savings—combined with some of the most professional customer service in the industry.
Check them out here:
www.reliks.com
Another of the new designs
from the latest batch by
resurrected sword company, Valiant Armoury.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 3
Q&A With Sword Historian Hank Reinhardt
While there have been numerous interviews conducted with MRL & the HACA founder, Hank
Reinhardt in the past, most of this interviews are
5 or 6 years old. So, without covering the same
old hackneyed questions (you will find links to
some of his other more in-depth interviews at the
end of this article) - I decided to try and cover
questions that had not been asked before.
I hope you enjoy this Q&A with the man who
was essentially the father of the modern day
sword industry and one of the last living true
sword scholars.
SBG: Welcome to SBG Hank, it is a real
honour to be conducting this interview with
you. Naturally, you have already done quite
a few interviews that have been published on
the internet, so I am going to TRY and avoid
rehashing anything that has already been
covered there.
So with this in mind, let’s get started...
Every sword enthusiast has their own personal reasons for sword collecting. What are
yours?
In other words, what is it about swords that
holds such a powerful attraction for you personally?
HANK: Actually this is a rather hard question to answer. I was fascinated early on by
King Arthur and by the time I was in the second grade had already read all that I could get
my hands on. But became quite interested in
all forms of hand to hand combat, and played
with most of them.
Then I discovered that there were a few real
swords out there, although quite beyond my
price range, that became my primary area of
interest.
The interest quickly spread to all other weapons, axes, clubs, pole arms, spears land of all
times and ages. About the only ones I did not
get interested in was the Javanese Kris.
(Obviously hand guns and shooting was included, but not to the degree of edged weapons.)
I think the main fascination is that it is so
very personal. As I have grown older and
have learned more about weapons and warfare I've realized this is not quite true, but the
fascination still holds. At 73 I don't do very
well when I go out and spar with some of my
friends, and I guess I'll have to give it up in a
couple of years. But we'll see.
Hank Flex
Sword
Testing
a
“I was fascinated with
King Arthur and by the
time I was in second
SBG: Has there been a particular sword in
your collection that you would designate as
your favourite?
grade had already read
all that I could get my
hands on!”
HANK: It appears that all of these questions
are going to be hard to answer.
I have to break down the swords into what
they are intended for before choosing a favorite. I have a Raven blade that I designed that
is vaguely like a Cossack sword, that I dearly
love. It cuts and stabs beautifully, making
strong cuts, yet is rather light.
There are two katanas that I got from Last
Legend that I delight in, there are two Viking
style blades that I feel are perfect for use with
a shield, while I also have two rapiers that are
quite deadly. Light, fast, and easy to handle.
But I also have a hewing spear that I would
take over all of them if the battle ground was
open enough.
You need to remember the one thing about
most swords is that they can travel with you
all the time, whereas axes, spears and pole
arms can quite easily get in the way.
On of Hanks instructional videos, „Viking
Sword‟
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 4
(continued)
SBG: A hypothetical: in this modern era,
there is little doubt that the gun is the best
weapon of self defence.
But in the absence of a gun, which sword
would you say would be the most practical
and versatile (i.e. indoor/outdoor) choice in a
modern day setting – against an unarmoured
opponent armed with a contemporary hand
weapon such as a baton, baseball bat or
crowbar? And what would be the best way to
use it?
HANK: Since you have taken away my
AK47,CAR 15 and ,45 and left me with only
a sword, I would have to take a medium sized
weapon about 20-21 inch blade, slightly
curved, with more of a point than a machete,
and most assuredly heavier.
Then you have to assess the weapon you're
going up against.. Remember that mass
weapons are effective only at certain ranges.
You can close and smother the blow or withdraw and make it miss. This weapon is also a
very effective tool.
As to the most effective way to use it, that
would depend on the circumstances and location of the encounter.
However one of the most effective tactics in
warfare where large bodies of men or engaged or even two people is deception.
SBG: One thing that bugs me about many
modern day ‘sword fighting systems’ is with
too much padding or armour, the techniques
they use fail to take into consideration the
fear and adrenaline experienced in a real life
and death sword fight.
What do you think is the best ‘middle ground’
to get as close as possible to appreciating
actual sword combat – without being cut to
pieces or permanently injured? And what
modern developments (such as padded weapons, etc) have made it easier to get the most
authentic sword fighting experience?
HANK: The most important flaw in all of the
current systems of combat is that in essence
they are play, and no one has their own life at
stake.
This changes things more than you can imagine unless you have been in a serious fight
with a serious weapon. But there is nothing
that can be done about this.
Cops get real uptight about dead bodies that
have been brutally slashed or dismembered,
and generally they refuse to except the explanation that he failed to duck or to parry. So
we do the best we can.
I find fighting in full plate armor a little silly,
since swords are ineffective, and the best way
to win is to bash the guy really hard, and that
leads to injuries. Now it does look nice on the
field, but it really doesn't give you the feeling
of real combat..
Hank Testing a Sword Versus a Plate Helmet
“Cops get real uptight
about dead bodies that
have been brutally
slashed or dismembered,
and generally they refuse
to accept the explanation
that he failed to duck or
Eddie Floyd and myself have been working
for several years on full contact fighting
swords that feel and act like swords, but do
not hurt with a small amount of padding.
parry... ”
Right now both are set up as katanas, but we
are working on a straight sword as well. We
also have in the works some pole arms and
axes and spears. The patents have been applied for and just about excepted, and we
expect to have them on the market at least by
the end of the year.
In addition I have spent a lot of time with
some trauma surgeons, and the rules that will
go along with them will reflect actual damage
suffered in a real fight.
These swords are not perfect, but are incredibly better than what is out there now. They
can even be weighted to the range of a real
sword without adding any additional force to
the blow.
Sword Designer Eddie
Floyd, who Hank has
been working with to
produce some practical
sparring swords.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 5
(continued)
SBG: In the last 5-10 years, the internet has
seen an explosion of online sword sellers and
manufacturers which has, it would appear,
reached a near saturation point.
With this in mind, what do you think the future of the industry holds? And on a related
note, what direction would you like to see it
take?
HANK: It is very hard to predict the way the
market is going to go. One of the biggest
drawbacks is the actual lack of knowledge
regarding real swords.
Fantasy novels and movies give a very unrealistic picture of swords, and regretfully a lot
of new buyers actually believe this nonsense
and can be turned off. China, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Pakistan have all entered the market, and while some produce
very good swords, some produce junk. Modern custom makers simply are too expensive
for the basic market, and this cuts down on
the blades that are actually produced here.
Del Tin, who at one time produced a very
good sword, seems to have abandoned the
US in favor of the re-enactment market in
Europe. I'm sure the economy was the reason, as the re-enactment blades are heavier
with thicker edges for safeties sake, and thus
require less work..
I expect new producers to pop up while I
believe that some of the older one will simply
fold up and go away. But if I could predict
the future accurately, I would sure be right
now. Hank
SOME CLASSIC HANK INTERVIEWS
One of the best...
http://www.thearma.org/spotlight/
hrinterview.htm
Hank Reinhardt
“China,
India,
the
Philippines, Taiwan and
Pakistan have all entered
the market, and while
some produce very good
swords, some produce
junk”
A very interesting Biography
http://www.paladin-press.com/
authormo_1001.aspx
Help Fund SBG and get yourself a piece of sword history by Hank in the process...
Created from a sketch by the legendary Ewart Oakeshott of a
historical sword dredged from the river Dordogne, and given to
the ‗father of modern reproduction swords‘, Hank Reinhardt,
the Dordogne sword is most definitely a piece of modern reproduction sword history...
With only 20 numbered and hand certified by Hank Reinhardt
now available, these beautiful and eminently functional swords
are normally US$319 each, which is really an absolute bargain
for a sword with this much attention to detail, quality and serious modern day sword history behind it.
But to help out SBG, Clyde has kindly offered to lower the price
of these limited edition swords to just $239 (that‘s a saving of
$60!), plus he will kindly donate $10 from each sale to help
fund SBG...
Click here to see the sword at Imperial Weapons.com
To get this special price, simply enter the special coupon code
‘SBG Donation Special’ in the comments section of the checkout when you order and when Clyde charges your card, he will
take $60 off the price and personally donate $10 to SBG...
Obviously, with only 20 pieces available serious collectors
are going to snap these swords up fast. So don‘t miss out,
stocks are naturally limited, and once they are gone—they
will be gone for good...
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 6
Generation 2 Viking Sword Review
Young master Grayson C (aka Rammstein on the SBG Sword Forum) has been on the
SBG Sword Forum since day one. Being the first person to make it to the exhalted forum title of Swordmaster (500 posts) and then the first one to break the 1,000 post barrier—a core group of forumites got together and decided that such an achievement deserved a some kind of recognition—and a nice juicy reward to boot.
His prize? ANY sub US$300 sword from either Arms of Valor or the SBG Sword Store!
After some deliberation (you can read the thread here) he finally decided on the sub
US$300 sword he wanted the most...
...And this is his review of that sword, the Generation 2 River Witham Viking.
The original Witham Viking Sword this Gen2 replica is based on..
“The look of this is basic
and stoic—a look that I
like a lot”
Generation 2
Viking Sword
Review by Grayson C, Florida, USA
My first impression upon taking the sword
out of the box, de-mummifying it, and taking
the preserving oil off was the width of the
sword. It's a good 2.5 inches. This isn't a bad
thing, it's just striking .
couple of days pass to become familiar with
it before I started the review. I took it outside
with one of my self-made shields (yes, I
know it's all beat up, I actually fought with
it) for further tests.
Fit and Finish: The look of this sword is
basic and stoic - a look that I like a lot.
I'm not really a fan of heavily elaborate
swords, so this weapon appeals to me
greatly. I did find a few little flaws, but
thankfully, not a single pit.
The copper diamonds' (which stand out phenomenally!) edges are not straight and perfect and there are places where they overlap
The River Witham, where
the original was dredged up
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 7
very slight unpleasant aesthetic problems. These imperfections are very small and cannot even be noticed in these
pictures below.
Handling As stated above, I brought out one of my shields
to do some shield work with it. The Witham is a type X on
the Oakeshott typologies and therefore, it is meant mainly
for infantry combat in tandem with a shield. The sword is a
little heavy at slightly over 3lb, but certainly not unmanageable. You do feel the weight, but it is quite a lively sword
and it is a joy to swing.
When I tried it without the shield, I felt more "free," but
that really doesn't have much to do with the sword. Recovery is easy due to the hand-friendly suede grip that, while
not historically accurate, is great on your hand and gives
you a good secure grip that I might not have on more slippery leather.
Structural Integrity This is my first gen2 so I can't speak
for other swords that they make, but from what I've read,
they seem to have no equal in rock solid build.
When you pick the sword up, one of the first things you
notice is how tight and secure it feels; like it was made
from one piece of steel. It is securely peened over the Viking style pommel so I can't examine the tang, but I'm almost positive it is a monster.
There is no rattle whatsoever in the hilt components. The
blade is pretty sharp, but certainly not paper sharp. A always I flex the sword, but this particular sword proved
quite a problem.
Another important thing to point out is that the fuller wavers slightly in areas and isn't completely executed. This
really isn't an issue though as it wanders by millimetres. It is
just enough to notice if you look hard in this picture:
Pardon the obscure shot, I was groaning with the effort of
trying to bend the blade and taking the picture correctly
wasn't on the top of my mind right then! Needless to say,
this sword is rigid. There is no whippiness whatsoever and
not even a sag when held horizontally. The tip is well made
with no lopsidedness and should thrust well in a battlefield
situation
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 8
So we've established this is a good sword, yes? We've established it's pretty and it handles well, so now what? Am I
just going to leave you there only taking my word that it's a
good sword? Of course not! I spotted a tree stump in my
yard and decided...why not ?
I risked damaging the blade for this, so I better not be accused for conflicted interests because the sword was payed
for by others!
Swinging full force, I wanted to see just how deeply this
sword would penetrate a "partially" dead gumbo limbo
tree....it's still living, but not that part...blame hurricanes. I
raise the sword high and strike! And guess what? I'll let the
picture do the talking:
Historical Accuracy - 4/5
Fit and Finish - 4/5
Handling - 5/5
Structural Integrity - 6/5 .. just because of the tree
Value for Money - 5/5
Overall - 5/5 - Buy this sword now!!!
here's another view of the same cut, it's hard to see the damage it did in one camera shot because there is a tree limb in
my way. So I figured that two shots should do it. That is the
tip side, by the way.
Some last words: If someone were to have handed me this
sword without me having any prior knowledge of it, I
would have said it was from Albion at first glance. Then I
would have noticed small things like the grip being suede
(Albion has different grips obviously), the slightly irregular
fuller, and the imperfect diamonds, and I would be really
stumped! Here is a sword that is shaped and handles like an
albion...but why is it's fit and finish a hair off... ? None of
those listed before are condemning and horrible things, but
we, as humans, like to carp on about the negatives. I'm
making a big deal about them, but it really isn't as bad as I
make it seem .
If this sword cost 200 or even 300 dollars more, I would
still heartily recommend it. Gen2 has raised the standard
bar on sub $300 swords. And that is commendable beyond
doubt. Take my complaints with a grain of salt, this sword
IS worth your money!
Before I terminate this review with my ratings, I leave you
with one last picture of this truly awesome sword by gen2.
AVAILABILITY (Ed): As always, the best deal on Generation 2 Swords can be found here at Arms of Valor,
where you can get a 10% discount on the Witham
(normally $299—but $269.10 with the SBG discount). As
always, simply put ‗SBG‘ in brackets next to your name
when you order or mention SBG when you call and they
will manually deduct 10% off the price when they process
your card.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 9
What Length Katana is Right For You?
By Bill Barrett
Blades are usually measured in an old Japanese system of
Measuring length?
length similar to our Imperial system, but a little 'off' what we
are use to.
This depends pretty much on your height and length of arms.
Feudal swords were made for people rarely over 5' tall, and are
A SHAKU is a little less than 1 foot (11.93")
too short for an average modern European.
A SUN is a little more than 1" (1.19") 1/10 of a SHAKU.
A good rule of thumb is to hold the Tsuka [handle] with the
A BU is a little less than 1/8 inch (0.119 inches) 1/10 SUN right hand right up against the Tsuba [guard] and then place the
kissaki [point] on the floor in front of your right foot with your
OK, what size Katana Blade should you use Hmmm , good hand along side your leg.
question, some schools / ryu are known for longer Katana,
some for shorter [The majority ] Unfortunately *many* pro- If the angle the blade makes is less than 15 degrees of vertical,
duction Katana blades are made on the long side, this is par- it's too short. If the angle is 20 degrees or more, it is too long.
ticularly evident when it comes to the Tsuka [handle], it is also
Or, another easier way to measure the correct length is to grasp
very tempting for the first time buyer to go for the *biggest*
katana they can buy for there money, which I guess is OK if it's an iaito/Shinken loosely in the right hand with a correct grip,
to be kept on a katanakake [katana stand], and never to be used drop the arm down naturally to the right side, and see if the tip
of the blade clears the floor by an inch or so just around your
for Tameshigiri [cutting] or Iai.
right little toe.
The problems come when these monster handled katana are
brought out to cut water bottles and such the like, it is then that Or you can use the VERY rough guesstimates given in the tathe owner finds biggest is not necessarily best!!!
ble above. The designated length of the blade [Nagasa] disregards the tang [Nakago] The length is taken as a straight line
There is also the fact that swords get heavier as they get from the munemachi [the notch on the back where the habaki
longer, and a blade may be right for length but wrong for fits the blade] to the kissaki, the tip.
weight. Although there isn't any authoritative way of measuring your appropriate sword length other than ask your Sensei, I hope the above is of some use, but please remember it's only
below are some good general guidelines, that *should* help.
a guide.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 10
Musashi $69 and $199 Katana Review
By SBG Contributor Mike Mahaffey
The Musashi brand of katana is a relative newcomer in a
market that seems to be swelling with options for the collector of entry-level (i.e., sub $300USD) functional katana.
The competition for sword collectors‘ dollars is fierce – not
only are newer brands such as Cheness and Masahiro vying
for their share of the market, but in the past year the grandfather of production katana, Paul Chen of Hanwei, updated the
Practical line, showing that Hanwei swords are still a force to
be reckoned with. In a market such as this, a line of swords
needs to strike a delicate balance between aesthetics, durability, and ―bang for your buck‖ cutting performance in order to
attract both casual collectors as well as seasoned practitioners
of the sword arts. All this begs the question: How well do
Musashi swords measure up?
In order to answer this question, I recently had the opportunity to handle and cut with two different Musashi swords on
different ends of the price spectrum: the Shizoku (Warrior)
katana (retailing for $69.99USD) and the Bamboo katana
(retailing for $199.99USD). What follows is my honest (yet
still somewhat novice) assessment of these blades. For each
category, I assign each sword a score between 1 and 5, with 5
being the best score possible. This is not a comparative review, per se, as these swords are not meant to be on par with
each other, but I thought that reviewing the two side by side
might provide a glimpse of what a consumer could expect
from both the budget and the more performance-oriented
Musashi products.
The reader should also note that I am a casual collector and
backyard cutter, not a sword arts practitioner. I have 21 years
of martial arts experience, including kobudo and kali training
– but no training in a Japanese sword art. The emphasis of
my own sword collection has been on functionality rather
than traditionally constructed katana. My tastes have grown,
and there are some swords that I have purchased in the past
that I would not do so again, but I am no nihonto collector.
Given this, my review is meant to inform casual collectors
looking to purchase inexpensive yet functional blades.
With that said, on to the reviews!
First Impressions
The swords arrived on my doorstep via UPS, packaged together in a nondescript brown box. Once I opened the outer
box, it was obvious which of the two packages inside contained the Shizoku katana and which contained the Bamboo.
The Shizoku came in a thin cardboard box with Chinese
characters printed on the lid. Inside, the sword was placed
inside a rough, black cotton sword bag, and cradled by two
Styrofoam cutouts and crumpled paper on either end. This
was functional enough to prevent damage during shipping, if
not exactly aesthetically pleasing.
The Bamboo katana, however, was inside an extra-wide cloth
-covered royal blue box emblazoned with a dragon motif.
The inside of the box was lined with silky golden cloth, and
there was room for the sword and complementary cleaning
kit to lie side by side. The sword bag was also made of silk,
and was a deep blue on the outside lined with golden cloth on
the inside. Finally, the box contained an envelope housing a
certificate of authenticity listing the basic stats of the sword
and the method of construction of the blade. The effect was
an elegant presentation that I hoped would be worthy of the
sword inside the box.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 11
Fit and Finish: Fittings
Shizoku katana – 2
Although not entirely unattractive when viewed from afar, it
becomes obvious upon close inspection that the fittings on
the Shizoku belong on a budget katana.
The ito (handle wrap material) is black cotton, and is very
―fuzzy‖ – stray fibers and occasional pills can be seen coming off the ito when examined up close. Despite the poor
choice of material, the wrap itself is quite well done. The
diamonds created are small and even, and the entire wrap is
quite tight.
Underneath the ito, in panels along the wooden tsuka
(handle) core, is imitation same (rayskin). The material appears to be rubber, and is the same material used to approximate rayskin on one of my old $20.00 ―wallhanger‖ (nonfunctional) katana. I am not a fan of fake same, although I
understand a sheet of quality same can cost more than the
entire Shizoku katana, so I can see why a sword at this price
point does not sport the real thing.
The menuki (tsuka ornaments) appear to be dragons, and are
of unknown construction. They are a dull gray, and do not
really add an aesthetic value to the tsuka as a whole.
The kashira (pommel cap) is also a dull gray, and shows a
relief of another dragon with some gold highlights along the
dragon‘s ―beard‖.
The fuchi (collar along the top of the tsuka) is decorated with
a silver crane. I find the dragon juxtaposed with the crane to
be an interesting choice, albeit I must confess I do not know
enough about the symbolism associated with these animals to
know if their pairing on the furniture of this sword has any
special meaning.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 12
The tsuba (hand guard) is also dull gray in color, and on the
tsuka side showcases a relief of two Chinese warriors, one of
whom is wielding a tai-chi sword. Although the scene on the
tsuba is fairly attractive, the choice of Chinese decoration on
a Japanese-styled sword is an interesting one.
The seppa (spacers between the fuchi/tsuba and the tsuba/
habaki) are brass, and have fairly prominent ―teeth‖ along the
edges reminiscent of tiny gears.
Despite the inexpensiveness of the fittings, the entire sword
seems to be put together quite well. The tsuka sports a solid
friction-fit to the nakago (tang), and is held in place further
by two mekugi (bamboo pegs). Everything is tight, without
unwarranted gaps or any rattling when the sword is swung.
The habaki fits snugly in the mouth of the saya (scabbard),
and the sword stays put when held upside down. There is a
pronounced rattle of the blade in the saya, however, which
speaks to the saya not being custom made to this particular
blade – not an uncommon occurrence with swords at this
price point.
Bamboo katana – 4
The Musashi Bamboo katana is quite a handsome sword,
especially at its $199.99 price tag.
The opposite side of the tsuba is decorated with a carving of
what appears to be a pagoda. The habaki (blade collar) at first
appears to be unadorned brass. But upon closer inspection the
double-ringed Musashi logo can be found stamped into the
metal. This logo is not engraved very deeply, and is not easy
to spot at first.
I have seen other Musashi swords with this logo stamped on
the blade itself, and I was glad that the logo on the Shizoku
was not as prominent. However, I would prefer not to have
any logo stamped on the sword at all – this is sword, after all,
not a pair of designer jeans.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 13
Like it‘s inexpensive brother, the Bamboo has black cotton
ito. The quality of the ito, however, is leaps and bounds
above that of the Shizoku. The ito is smooth and fuzz-free,
and has somewhat of a ―glossy‖ sheen. It feels good in the
hand, especially over the elegantly wasted tsuka. The diamonds are even, and the wrap is tight enough to be nearly
immovable.
The tsuba also appears to be iron, and is decorated with an
intricate bamboo shoot and leaf pattern. The open spaces in
the tsuba lend a delicate demeanor to what is a relatively
beefy sword.
The menuki are golden-colored bamboo shoots, consistent
with the overall bamboo theme. They add a nice bit of color
when contrasted with the dark black ito.
The Bamboo has real rayskin in panels along each side of the
tsuka. The quality of the rayskin is merely fair, as it is obvious when looking closely that the rayskin is thicker in some
parts and thins out in others. This is not surprising, however,
as the Bamboo still is only a $200 sword.
The habaki is brass, and here is found a much more prominent ―Musashi‖ logo than on the Shizoku. This is the largest
aesthetic flaw, in my opinion, and is quite an eyesore on an
otherwise attractive sword. Musashi would be better off either omitting their logo from their swords, or at least making
the engraving much less obvious as in the Shizoku.
The fuchi and kashira appear to be cast iron, and are each
decorated with a relief of more bamboo shoots.
The seppa are also brass, but have much tinier ―teeth‖ than
those on the Shizoku. I would prefer to have seppa that do
not look like gears, but these are at least more subtle than on
many other production swords at this price point.
As with the Shizoku, the Bamboo is nicely constructed overall. The Bamboo only sports one mekugi, but this is no problem, as the tsuka has a firm friction-fit with the nakago.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 14
There are no gaps anywhere on this sword, and nothing is
loose. The fit of the blade in the saya is near perfect – not a
rattle no matter how I shake the sword. The fit of the habaki
in the mouth of the saya, however, is too tight – it takes far
too much force to draw the blade, making draw cuts too dangerous to practice unless the mouth of the saya is sanded
down.
Fit and Finish: Blade
The blade of the Shizoku katana is polished to a satin finish,
and had a few minor scratches along the blade right out of the
box. The blade is of unknown steel type, although the Musashi Swords website advertises the blade as thoroughly rather
than differentially hardened. This means that the hamon
(frosty pattern along the edge of the blade that is a result of
differential hardening) is fake – in this case, a wire-brushed
version of a notare (wave/swell) hamon.
expected the blade to have a secondary bevel along the edge,
akin to those found on many knives. Some other inexpensive
Musashi swords appear to have this bevel, and this type of
geometry is not conducive to good cutting. The Shizoku has
no such bevel, and is razor sharp. The blade is beefy, despite
its bo-hi (groove meant to reduce blade weight): 27 inches
long with only 1/16 of an inch taper along the mune (spine) –
from 5/16 of an inch at the habaki to ¼ of an inch at the yokote. It even appears to have a bit of niku (apple seed shape),
which might make it an excellent candidate for cutting tatami
and other heavier targets. I started to wonder at this point if
this fairly unattractive and inexpensive sword could be a
workhorse in its own right.
Bamboo katana – 4
The blade of the Bamboo katana has a near mirror polish, and
came out of the package relatively scratch-free. The blade is
advertised as thoroughly hardened 1060 steel, and was created at the forge of famous Chinese sword smith Chris Zhou
– a smith well known for excellent custom work. As a thoroughly hardened blade, the hamon on this blade must be fake
– most likely a chemical etch. However, despite my dislike of
imitation hamon, this is undoubtedly the most attractive
etched hamon I have ever seen. None of my photos are able
to do it justice. The hamon is not visible when viewing the
flat of the blade straight on. Only when angled does the
hamon jump out at you – a milky midare (irregular) style
hamon with some very interesting swirls of activity. I find
myself unsheathing the sword almost every time I walk by it,
just to angle the blade just right so I can get another look at
the hamon.
I am not a fan of fake hamon either, although some are done
better than others. The Shizoku hamon is not very well executed. The pattern is too symmetrical to be believable, even if
the wire brush marks were not so bold and easily noticed for
what they are. The kissaki (tip) of the blade has the
―pregnant‖ look common on so many production swords.
The yokote (the line of demarcation where the body of the
blade transitions into the tip) is simulated by counterpolishing rather than an actual geometry change – however,
not many production blades have real yokote, so I did not
expect one on this sword.
Despite these cosmetic flaws, I was actually quite surprised
with the blade on the Shizoku for several reasons. I half-
The rest of the Bamboo‘s blade is attractive, but nothing extraordinary. It, too, sports a cosmetic yokote, and a bo-hi.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 15
Cutting Ability
I had the opportunity to cut three different types of light to
medium targets with these swords: empty plastic milk jugs,
pool noodles, and single rolls of tatami omote. Being untrained in JSA, I personally do not prefer to cut targets much
more difficult than these. I also do not engage in ―destructive
testing‖ – others may do so, but it would break my heart to
destroy perfectly good swords! Thus, my cutting tests are
meant to shed some light on how well these swords perform
under moderate cutting conditions.
It is longer than the Shizoku (29 ½ inches), with the same
measurements and taper along the mune. The Bamboo is razor sharp, almost scary sharp, but the edge geometry seems a
bit flat and lacking in niku. This may cause some problems
with edge deformation when cutting heavy targets, especially
in some swords with inferior construction and heat treatment.
But I had my reasons for expecting this sword to cut just fine,
and as you will read later, I was very pleased with its performance.
Handling
With a nagasa (blade length) of 27 inches, an 11-inch tsuka,
and a point of balance (POB) at 5 inches from the tsuba, the
Shizoku handles just fine. Changing directions for multiple
cuts is fairly easy, and the bo-hi produces a nice tachi-kaze
(―sword wind‖) sound when swung. Usually I prefer a 12inch tsuka, but with the shorter blade on this sword I do not
feel like I need the extra leverage.
Bamboo katana – 3
The Bamboo katana has a nagasa of 29 ½ inches, an 11-inch
tsuka, and a POB at 6 ¼ inches from the tsuba. The longer
blade combined with a POB farther out from the tsuba make
the Bamboo feel just a bit tip heavier than I like. Direction
changes during cutting still aren‘t a problem, but on this
sword I would like an extra inch or so on the tsuka to ease in
handling. All in all, however, the Bamboo handles fairly
well.
Cutting is where the Shizoku redeems itself and pulls ahead
of other swords in its ―budget‖ price range.
The Shizoku performed quite well cutting pool noodles.
―Pickle-chipping‖ the noodle was fairly easy, and only once
or twice was the angle of my stroke off, resulting in either an
incomplete cut or a battered vs. sliced target. The short, fairly
well balanced blade made accelerating through the cuts quite
easy.
Next I balanced an empty plastic milk jug atop my cutting
stand and took a swing at it with the Shizoku. Often people
will cut milk jugs filled with water in order to give them
some weight and stabilize them prior to the cut. My reasoning behind cutting an empty milk jug was to test the sharpness of the blade and its edge geometry – a dull blade with
poor geometry, I reasoned, would merely bat such a light
target off the stand rather than cut it. I was pleasantly surprised. The jug went sailing off my stand and across my yard
in two pieces. The cut was smooth and clean, showing me
that this was a very sharp blade indeed.
Finally, the Shizoku was pitted against a traditional target:
single rolls of tatami omote. The Shizoku did fairly well. It
cut the tatami with ease, and was only unforgiving of my bad
technique a handful of times. This was a pleasant surprise - I
honestly did not expect to find that this budget katana could
cut tatami so well. Some friends who were cutting with me
(some of whom have actually studied swordsmanship) had
even greater success with the Shizoku, and praised it for its
ease of handling and razor sharp blade.
Bamboo katana – 4
Overall, the Bamboo katana was a pleasure to cut with.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 16
Value for Money – Would I recommend this sword?
take on harder targets with the Shizoku just to see what else it
could do.
Despite serious misgivings regarding the fit and finish of this
inexpensive sword, I walked away from cutting tests with the
Shizoku with a much more positive opinion than I anticipated. This sword is not attractive, but cuts far better than
many other swords at its price point. This sword could be a
sleeper hit – reminiscent of the infamous Masahiro
―Bamboo‖ katana in terms of its raw functionality. What the
Shizoku has going for it over Masahiro swords, however, is
the backing of a company already becoming known for decent customer service and fair quality control – Masahiro
remains a ―faceless‖ brand that is still a gamble for the consumer.
Serious collectors will most likely overlook the Shizoku for
its rubber ―same‖, fuzzy ito, and wire-brushed hamon. However, I would definitely recommend the Shizoku as a first
cutter for a collector on a budget. This sword is a ―beater‖ in
every sense of the word – and I mean that with a bit of admiration and affection. The cheap fittings and wire-brushed
hamon are not anything I would worry about marring during
cutting, and given the opportunity it would be interesting to
Bamboo katana – 4
The Bamboo katana meets and exceeds my expectations of a
$200 sword in nearly every way. It is a handsome sword –
the fittings are attractive, the ito is of good quality and tightly
wrapped, and the hamon, although chemically etched, is so
attractive I do a double-take every time I look at it. Aesthetically, the only recommendation I have is to remove the
Musashi logo from the habaki.
As far as performance, the Musashi Bamboo is one of the
best sub-$300 cutters I have used. The blade is sharp and
durable, and it has cut everything I have thrown at it with a
minimum of effort. Granted, I do not typically get to cut with
high-end katana, but as far as a great cutter that also looks
good on the mantle, the Bamboo is top-notch.
Thanks for reading, and happy sword shopping!
Mike Mahaffey
EXCLSUIVE SBG DISCOUNT
ON MUSASHI SWORDS!
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MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 17
Ever Wondered What You‟d Look Like if you
were an anime character…?
Well, wonder no more!! ;-)
And as you can see from the caricature of
yours truly on the opposite side of the page,
it‘s now possible to know what an idealised
Anime version of yourself looks like—
without (in my case) the couple of spare tyres
I have tended to be carrying around the mid
section of late (hey, I blame all you sword
buyers digest subscribers for that one! Too
much time chained to the computer desk and
not enough playing with my swords! Lol)
Artists rendition of—
herself: Anime-Me‟s
Lisa Vega
“It‟s now possible to
know what an idealized
Anime version of
yourself looks like—
Individually tailored and hand drawn by
skilled artist Lisa Vega, these portraits are a
lot of fun and very reasonably priced (around
$20 to $30). Check out Lisa‘s site here:
http://www.anime-me-portraits.com
without (in my case) the
couple of spare tyres I
have tended to be
carrying around the mid
section of late...”
Amazing Deals
on a Huge Range
of Functional
and Decorative
Anime Replica
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Click here to see
what is on offer!
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 18
DIY Workshop
Make Your own „Albion‟ Style Medieval Sword Handle
Hello,
My name is Chris, I wanted to post
some info on simple upgrade anyone
can do on the handle of their sword.
This is inspired by that Albion finish
on some of their swords, not all of us
can afford an Albion sword, so here is
a easy upgrade to give your weapon
that Albion look.
First, we start
with a handle,
u can use an
existing one
or carve out a
new piece. I
went with this
new handle i
carved out for
my Hanwei
rapier.
Now, we create a pattern for our handle, i chose a 4 riser look, simply take
some round cord and glue it to the
handle in the shape you wish to
achieve. I used 2mm round cord for
the risers.
While our risers are drying up, we
move on to the handle cover. You
want to use thin leather for this. You
can find it at any upholstery shop or
auto trim shop, but i went to my local
Walmart and purchased a leather
Chamois (car cleaning cloth) from the
auto department. We cut a piece that
will be big enough to cover our han-
will be big enough to cover our handle, than we dye the leather to our desired color. I chose Oxblood color
leather dye, purchased of Ebay for $5
per bottle.
We let our dye dry out overnight and
in the meantime we securely wrap our
handle (in between the risers) with a
thin twine (i used a -1mm butchers
twine, any similar twine/cord will
work), this will help us to achieve our
finished texture/look later.
Now that our handle is wrapped and
our dyed leather cover is dried, we
proceed to glue the cover around the
handle. Use a quick drying glue on the
beginning edge of the wrap and a
longer drying glue on the rest of the
handle. I used a contact cement applied with a brush. Work the leather in
around the contours of the handle until
you get a pretty good fit. You will
need a pretty sharp detail knife to finish the seam cleanly.
It takes a bit of practice to get good at
this so don't be discouraged if your
first attempts don't come out perfect.
With your handle cover in place (and
the glue on the handle still fresh),
make a temporary tight wrap with the
twine between the risers, this will help
us achieve that final cord relief look.
With the twine secured in place with
some tape, we let the entire assembly
dry over night. The next day, we unwrap the temporary top cord wrap to
reveal our handle. You can see the
general shape that we were going after
with the clear cord relief showing
through.
Now we move on to our finish coat. I
used a simple medium brown shoe
polish ($5 at Walmart) , with a rag
work the shoe polish into the handle,
go with the shape of the cord relief
working in the polish all the way
around. Let it dry, and apply another
coat if u wish to darken the overall
look. The shoe polish does a nice job
of covering any bad spots and the
seam.
And here we are, VI - OLA !! our finished Albion look alike handle. Ok, it's
not perfect and it's not exactly Albion,
but a nice look anyway. A simple do it
yourself project anyone can try.
MAGAZINE!
Issue 7, May 2007
Page 19
Best Forum Posts (from the SBG Sword Forum)
Lancelot Chan’s Review of 5 Budget Medieval styled Swords
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=1176394269
Are low quality swords still swords?
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=forumcafe&action=display&thread=11761639919
SBG Forumites Sword Maintenance and Cleaning Tips and Techniques
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1177051996
$300 to Spend, what sword do the SBG forumites recommend?
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=japaneseswords&action=display&thread=1177115186
Viking Sword Fighting—more than just going berserk…!
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=wma&action=display&thread=1176850995
The ‘Hi I’m new thread’ - join in the fun and say hi to the sword-a-holics not so anonymous club…! ;-)
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=newmembers&action=display&thread=1175770505
VIDEO of the MONTH
Now
strictly
speaking, these
slow
motion
‗Tameshigiri‘
videos have little
to do with actual
‗Tameshigi‘ (i.e.
A set pattern in
Japanese swordsmanship
that
includes a cut
against a target).
CUTTING IN SLO-MO...
You may have seen some of these cool
‗Matrix Style‘ cutting videos before...
But for all of you who haven‘t, these vids are
definitely worth having a look at and seem to
be getting quite a few interested visitors.
But they are certainly fun to
watch and see
EXACTLY what
happens when a
sword
passes
through various
objects—from
plastic bottles, to tomatoes, eggs, water
balloons and much more!
CLICK HERE TO
WATCH
“Certainly fun to watch
and see EXACTLY what
happens when a sword
passes through various
objects...”
Some egg chopping for good
measure…! Quite a few other
slo mo cutting vids have been
done by this Japan based Youtuber!
SWORD BUYERS DIGEST:
MAGAZINE
“That‟s All Folks!”
Back Issues:
I hope you enjoyed this issue of the Sword buyers Di- October 2006 (pdf)
gest Magazine as much as I enjoyed putting it together
for you!
November 2006 (pdf)
See you all next month. Until then, stay safe and have (pdf)
fun with swords!
December 2006 (pdf)
Paul Southren
ADVERTISING
Have a product that you think would be of interest to my subscribers? Send your enquiries to:
[email protected]
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscribing to the Sword Buyers
Digest is absolutely FREE, to sign up
visit my subscriptions page here
February 2007 (pdf)
March 2007 (acroflip)
April 2007 (acroflip)
DISCONTINUED WINDLASS CLASSIC AND AN SBG COLLECTIBLE
GENERTAION 2 EXCLUSIVE SWORD OFFER...
A Generation 2 replica based on
a particularly wicked looking
Falchion from the Maciejowski
Bible, this strictly limited SBG
exclusive offer is for EIGHT (8)
only models of this sword...
GOING, GOING—(NEARLY) GONE INTO
SWORD COLLECTORS HISTORY...
After the prototypical production run, Clyde Hollis from
Generation 2 found that these
swords would cost more to
make than what he was comfortable selling them for (to get
some perspective, there is so
much steel and work that goes
into these blades that they
needed to sell for as much as the
Generation 2 Claymores at
$299).
It saddens me to see another of Windlass Steelcrafts coolest medieval swords fade into modern replica sword history...
But that is exactly what is happening again to one of their finest
hand and a half swords. Sure, if you have read my review of this
sword over on SBG you‘ll know that I had my share of issues with
it—namely a slightly too flexible blade and a bit of looseness in the
hilt (which was easy to fix and transform it into a much better piece
overall).
Anyway, Clyde‘s miscalculation
is your opportunity to own a
very rare Generation 2 collectors item. As they are not listed
on the Imperial weapons website—to get one of these beauties you will need to phone
your order through to Clyde toll free at:
888-407-0296
However, for the money (US$224.99) this is still a very fine sword,
fast, lightweight and a very nice cutter when sharpened.
The price for these massive 3lb 11oz, 38‖ (overall) long
swords is a ridiculously low $199.99...
Anyway, now that it has been officially retired—the last few are
available to buy at Reliks.com—plus if you enter the SBG discount
code ―RELIKS-SBG‖ in the checkout, you can take 10% off the
price. Don‘t miss out. The last ones are available here at Reliks...
Plus, Clyde has generously decided to donate $10 from
every sale directly to SBG to help me keep this website
and online magazine going. With only 8 available, these
collectors items are sure to sell out fast.

Sword Buyers Digest: MAGAZINE!

Transcription

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