sword buyers digest: magazine! · 2007. 4. 30. · -musashi swords paul southren - from the desk of...

Hey guys,

Welcome to the May Edition of the Sword Buy-

ers Digest.

Thanks in part to out new look format, the di-

gest 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 every-

thing 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,

- Paul Southren

-

From the Desk of Paul Southren (Editor)

Sword Buyers Digest: MAGAZINE!

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.

The first was my destructive testing of the Che-

ness Oniyuri Shinobigatana (Ninja Sword)

where once again the 9260 Spring Steel sur-

passed 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!).

But secondly, I also did some testing with the

very impressive Gim Sword by Cold Steel.

While Cold Steel swords can sometimes be a

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 sub-

scribed to the RSS feed yet, now is definitely a

good time! ;-)

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE

LATEST SBG SITE NEWS HERE

S W O R D B U Y E R S D I G E S T : M A G A Z I N E

Issue 7, May 2007

PLUS:

Video of the Month

Special Offer on

Gen2 Viking Sword

Last Chance on a

Classic Windlass

Medieval Sword

And much, much

more!

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

Musashi Swords Katana Review

10-16

Anime Portraits 17

DIY Workshop 18

Best Forum Posts 19

Inside this issue:

© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007

http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/authentic-ninja-sword.html

http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/gim-sword.html

http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/swords-blog.html

Cutting a bad guy in half from the New Cold Steel “graphic Proof” DVD.

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.

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.

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 crow-

bar‘ 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!

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...

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 dis-

turbing 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).

RELIKS.COM

Always at the forefront of outstanding cus-

tomer service and value for money, Reliks

have recently introduced a special Rewards

Program for serious sword addicts...

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 sav-

ings—combined with some of the most pro-

fessional customer service in the industry.

Check them out here:

www.reliks.com

Sword Industry News


Issue 7, May 2007

Another of the new designs from the latest batch by resurrected sword com-pany, Valiant Armoury.


“Indeed, the DVD

reveals a bit of a

slightly disturbing fetish

for chopping pig

carcasses in half…”

http://www.coldsteel.com/moreproof.html

http://www.reliks.com/?refered=1&referer=2820

Hank Flex Testing a Sword

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 per-

sonal reasons for sword collecting. What are

yours?

In other words, what is it about swords that

holds such a powerful attraction for you per-

sonally?

HANK: Actually this is a rather hard ques-

tion to answer. I was fascinated early on by

King Arthur and by the time I was in the sec-

ond 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 weap-

ons, 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 in-

cluded, but not to the degree of edged weap-

ons.)

I think the main fascination is that it is so

very personal. As I have grown older and

have learned more about weapons and war-

fare 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.

SBG: Has there been a particular sword in

your collection that you would designate as

your favourite?

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 favor-

ite. 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.

Q&A With Sword Historian Hank Reinhardt


Issue 7, May 2007

On of Hanks instruc-tional videos, „Viking Sword‟


“I was fascinated with

King Arthur and by the

time I was in second

grade had already read

all that I could get my

hands on!”

While there have been numerous interviews con-ducted 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.

Hank Testing a Sword Ver-sus a Plate Helmet

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 with-

draw 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 loca-

tion of the encounter.

However one of the most effective tactics in

warfare where large bodies of men or en-

gaged 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 weap-

ons, 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 imag-

ine 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 expla-

nation 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..

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.

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 ap-

plied 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 incredi-

bly 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.

Q&A With Sword Historian Hank Reinhardt (continued)


Issue 7, May 2007

Sword Designer Eddie Floyd, who Hank has been working with to produce some practical sparring swords.


“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

parry... ”

Hank Reinhardt

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 fu-

ture 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 unre-

alistic picture of swords, and regretfully a lot

of new buyers actually believe this nonsense

and can be turned off. China, India, the Phil-

ippines, Taiwan, and Pakistan have all en-

tered the market, and while some produce

very good swords, some produce junk. Mod-

ern 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 rea-

son, 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

Q&A With Sword Historian Hank Reinhardt (continued)


Issue 7, May 2007


“China, India, the

Philippines, Taiwan and

Pakistan have all entered

the market, and while

some produce very good

swords, some produce

junk”

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 repro-

duction 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 seri-

ous 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...

To get this special price, simply enter the special coupon code

‘SBG Donation Special’ in the comments section of the check-

out when you order and when Clyde charges your card, he will

take $60 off the price and personally donate $10 to SBG...

Click here to see the sword at Imperial Weapons.com

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...

SOME CLASSIC HANK INTERVIEWS One of the best... http://www.thearma.org/spotlight/hrinterview.htm A very interesting Biography http://www.paladin-press.com/authormo_1001.aspx

http://www.thearma.org/spotlight/hrinterview.htm

http://www.paladin-press.com/authormo_1001.aspx

http://imperialweapons.com/swords/Reinhardt/IP-701.html



Issue 7, May 2007


The original Witham Vi-king Sword this Gen2 rep-lica is based on..

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 .

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 fo-

rum title of Swordmaster (500 posts) and then the first one to break the 1,000 post bar-

rier—a core group of forumites got together and decided that such an achievement de-

served 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.

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 phe-

nomenally!) edges are not straight and per-

fect and there are places where they overlap

The River Witham, where the original was dredged up

“The look of this is basic

and stoic—a look that I

like a lot”



Issue 7, May 2007


very slight unpleasant aesthetic problems. These imperfec-

tions are very small and cannot even be noticed in these

pictures below.

Another important thing to point out is that the fuller wa-

vers 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:

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 unmanage-

able. 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. Recov-

ery 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 slip-

pery 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 Vi-

king style pommel so I can't examine the tang, but I'm al-

most 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 al-

ways I flex the sword, but this particular sword proved

quite a problem.

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



Issue 7, May 2007


So we've established this is a good sword, yes? We've es-

tablished 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 ac-

cused 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:

here's another view of the same cut, it's hard to see the dam-

age 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.

Before I terminate this review with my ratings, I leave you

with one last picture of this truly awesome sword by gen2.

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!!!

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!

AVAILABILITY (Ed): As always, the best deal on Gen-

eration 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.

http://www.armsofvalour.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AOVL&Product_Code=IP-702-2&Category_Code=ICIB

Blades are usually measured in an old Japanese system of

length similar to our Imperial system, but a little 'off' what we

are use to.

A SHAKU is a little less than 1 foot (11.93")

A SUN is a little more than 1" (1.19") 1/10 of a SHAKU.

A BU is a little less than 1/8 inch (0.119 inches) 1/10 SUN

OK, what size Katana Blade should you use Hmmm , good

question, some schools / ryu are known for longer Katana,

some for shorter [The majority ] Unfortunately *many* pro-

duction Katana blades are made on the long side, this is par-

ticularly evident when it comes to the Tsuka [handle], it is also

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

to be kept on a katanakake [katana stand], and never to be used

for Tameshigiri [cutting] or Iai.

The problems come when these monster handled katana are

brought out to cut water bottles and such the like, it is then that

the owner finds biggest is not necessarily best!!!

There is also the fact that swords get heavier as they get

longer, and a blade may be right for length but wrong for

weight. Although there isn't any authoritative way of measur-

ing your appropriate sword length other than ask your Sensei,

below are some good general guidelines, that *should* help.

Measuring length?

This depends pretty much on your height and length of arms.

Feudal swords were made for people rarely over 5' tall, and are

too short for an average modern European.

A good rule of thumb is to hold the Tsuka [handle] with the

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

hand along side your leg.

If the angle the blade makes is less than 15 degrees of vertical,

it's too short. If the angle is 20 degrees or more, it is too long.

Or, another easier way to measure the correct length is to grasp

an iaito/Shinken loosely in the right hand with a correct grip,

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

right little toe.

Or you can use the VERY rough guesstimates given in the ta-

ble above. The designated length of the blade [Nagasa] disre-

gards the tang [Nakago] The length is taken as a straight line

from the munemachi [the notch on the back where the habaki

fits the blade] to the kissaki, the tip.

I hope the above is of some use, but please remember it's only

a guide.

What Length Katana is Right For You? By Bill Barrett


Issue 7, May 2007


The Musashi brand of katana is a relative newcomer in a

market that seems to be swelling with options for the collec-

tor 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 grandfa-

ther 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, durabil-

ity, 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 opportu-

nity 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 re-

view, 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 to-

gether in a nondescript brown box. Once I opened the outer

box, it was obvious which of the two packages inside con-

tained 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.

Musashi $69 and $199 Katana Review By SBG Contributor Mike Mahaffey


Issue 7, May 2007


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 com-

ing 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 ap-

pears to be rubber, and is the same material used to approxi-

mate rayskin on one of my old $20.00 ―wallhanger‖ (non-

functional) 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.



Issue 7, May 2007


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 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.

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.



Issue 7, May 2007


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 dia-

monds are even, and the wrap is tight enough to be nearly

immovable.

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 obvi-

ous 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 fuchi and kashira appear to be cast iron, and are each

decorated with a relief of more bamboo shoots.

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 habaki is brass, and here is found a much more promi-

nent ―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 ei-

ther omitting their logo from their swords, or at least making

the engraving much less obvious as in the Shizoku.

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 over-

all. The Bamboo only sports one mekugi, but this is no prob-

lem, as the tsuka has a firm friction-fit with the nakago.



Issue 7, May 2007


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 dan-

gerous 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 Musa-

shi 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.

I am not a fan of fake hamon either, although some are done

better than others. The Shizoku hamon is not very well exe-

cuted. 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 counter-

polishing 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-

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 yo-

kote. 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 cre-

ated at the forge of famous Chinese sword smith Chris Zhou

– a smith well known for excellent custom work. As a thor-

oughly 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.

The rest of the Bamboo‘s blade is attractive, but nothing ex-

traordinary. It, too, sports a cosmetic yokote, and a bo-hi.



Issue 7, May 2007


It is longer than the Shizoku (29 ½ inches), with the same

measurements and taper along the mune. The Bamboo is ra-

zor 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 per-

formance.

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 12-

inch 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 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 un-

trained 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.


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 reason-

ing behind cutting an empty milk jug was to test the sharp-

ness 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 sur-

prised. 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.



Issue 7, May 2007


Value for Money – Would I recommend this sword?


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 antici-

pated. 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 de-

cent customer service and fair quality control – Masahiro

remains a ―faceless‖ brand that is still a gamble for the con-

sumer.

Serious collectors will most likely overlook the Shizoku for

its rubber ―same‖, fuzzy ito, and wire-brushed hamon. How-

ever, 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 admi-

ration 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

take on harder targets with the Shizoku just to see what else it

could do.

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. Aestheti-

cally, 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



Issue 7, May 2007


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Artists rendition of—herself: Anime-Me‟s Lisa Vega

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)

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

Ever Wondered What You‟d Look Like if you were an anime character…?


Issue 7, May 2007


“It‟s now possible to

know what an idealized

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...”

Amazing Deals

on a Huge Range

of Functional

and Decorative

Anime Replica

Swords…

Click here to see

what is on offer!

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http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=45570&U=186633&M=8957

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 han-

dle, 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-

DIY Workshop Make Your own „Albion‟ Style Medieval Sword Handle


Issue 7, May 2007


will be big enough to cover our han-

dle, than we dye the leather to our de-

sired 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 ap-

plied 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 fin-

ish 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 un-

wrap 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 fin-

ished 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.

Now strictly

speaking, these

slow motion

‗ Ta m e s h i g i r i ‘

videos have little

to do with actual

‗Tameshigi‘ (i.e.

A set pattern in

Japanese swords-

manship that

includes a cut

against a target).

But they are cer-

tainly fun to

watch and see

EXACTLY what

happens when a

sword passes

through various

o b j ec t s — f ro m

plastic bottles, to tomatoes, eggs, water

balloons and much more!

CLICK HERE TO

WATCH

VIDEO of the MONTH


Issue 7, May 2007

“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 You-tuber!


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

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.

http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=1176394269

http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=forumcafe&action=display&thread=1176163991

http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1177051996

http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=japaneseswords&action=display&thread=1177115186

http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=wma&action=display&thread=1176850995

http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=newmembers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4TiiNhehzA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4TiiNhehzA

I hope you enjoyed this issue of the Sword buyers Di-

gest Magazine as much as I enjoyed putting it together

for you!

See you all next month. Until then, stay safe and have

fun with swords!

Paul Southren

S W O R D B U Y E R S D I G E S T : M A G A Z I N E


“That‟s All Folks!”

October 2006 (pdf)

November 2006 (pdf)

(pdf)

December 2006 (pdf)

February 2007 (pdf)

March 2007 (acroflip)

April 2007 (acroflip)

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http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/support-files/newsletter-december2006dc1874393a.pdf

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sword buyers digest: magazine! · 2007. 4. 30. · -musashi swords paul southren - from the desk of...

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