I like the circling back on previous reviews. Enjoyed the commentary on the dynamics. I have done a little experimenting with the calculator. I seem to repeatedly find that if you remove the lever reference and the cell is filled with N/A (thus calculating it as a one handed weapon even though it isn't) it can give a little more consistent results with what you might "feel" as you move the sword around. A 14" tsuka seems to throw a wrench in it as the calculator shows a very manageable tip rotational inertia and you seem to not agree at all. I removed the lever reference on a katana you seemed to like moving around (that skyjiro hawk limited edition) and it seems to support that opinion better than with the lever in there (or a two handed use calculation). The hawk was almost half the effort/force to control the tip according to the calculator vs. only about 70% when using a lever reference. I can't ever seem to get it to make perfect sense as there are so many factors just as you've said. But this may/could help when trying to support your opinions on the dynamics.
So from a purely cutting perspective the practical elite plus is better? I have a custom built dragon themed Nosyudo Iaito which is my daily practice blade. I just need a blade for tameshigiri. I started going up the range for aesthetics but if I'm losing cutting ability there is no point.
That is some bullshit bro. Ive had the kashira fall off of a dojo pro after only 5 jugs, but you would think the kashira would stay on a $1300ish hanwei for longer than 3 hours. Tough break. Great info as always. I will not be purcasing one of those in the future.
Years have gone by and i swear the only thing you ever hear or read is about how cool the Oni looks but that's really it you never see tons of videos or hear testimonials about its solid construction or how well it cuts under real pressure or its l6 tool steel holds a solid edge after lengthy wear and tear and i think there is an obvious reason why such a popular sword gets so much hype its because people need to justify to themselves spending so much money on it. The Oni is a true case of glits and glam but has no real substance for god's sake even the hamon falls flat and that's the soul of any sword. If you got the cash and buy one congratulations, you have purchased a very nice letter opener.
Hi Matthew, How do you think a customized hanwei hanwei Oni katana would feel with a shorter, more slender tsuka? I'm currently customizing a secondhand Oni I got for cheap with a new tsuka (keeping the same fuchi kashira and black colour scheme) as well as manually smoothing out the blade's surface with whetstones. I was wondering if you might be at all interested in testing out the finished sword eventually and seeing how it handles, if only for fun/out of curiosity.
I think the Oni Katana would be fun to revisit but only if it were a new one I could do some hard cutting with. Unless I can show it has improved or still has quality issues, there is little I can add to the conversation. I appreciate the offer though.
@@Matthew_Jensen No worries! I guess I was just thinking of things from a "here's how one might feel with some custom work put into it" sort of perspective since you mentioned it had both handling and tsuka issues, like how you love your customized Bamboo Mat katana, especially since I know that at least aesthetically the Oni is one of your favorite production katana. I have since also confirmed from the original owner (who sold it to the person I bought it from) that my Oni was a factory second as well, so on the offchance that something might be wrong with the blade itself then I wouldn't want to give anyone false impressions. I'll still likely get the tsuka redone on my own though since I only bought it for $400, which feels cheap enough to justify me putting a couple hundred more into it. I'm also only redoing the blade profile on whetstones since the previous owner used a buffing machine to smooth out the rough flats of the edge, but in doing so softened the ridge line rather noticeably. It was definitely a project piece from day one that I got it.
Great review Matt...I dont know maybe im wrong but these 1k and up swords are no different than a good 400 to 500 sword that you can customize to your liking. The steel is generally all the same in the T10, L6, 1095 type, I buy 1095 clay tempered blades mirror finish with quality coverings that look wonderful and cut very well...the market for 1k and up is all BS...they are all made in the same area ...somebody prove me wrong, I wouldn't spend more than 500 on a Katana as long as its good steel and polished
All BS is a pretty wide brush.. What you value and are willing to pay for in a sword will be different than someone else. You can get a $500 that does a good job at being a sword.. Take for example the $500 musashi XL from hanwei, a great mat cutter.. It cuts about as good as the Motohara blades for $3000. What makes one better? Lots of stuff, is it worth your money? That will depend on what you value. The analogy is not perfect, but it is a bit like saying any camera over $500 is BS, prove me wrong. ( I see you are a photographer, so perhaps it will make some sense. To a beginner or average user, a $500 camera is probably pretty good. Many are not in a position to take advantage of the features or nuances of a more expensive camera. Some folks see the difference in quality out of the gate but don't think it is worth the money. People always say it is not the sword, its the swordsmen.. They say its not the camera its the photographer too. Just like cameras, some people like to play with old ones, some people like new, some people like expensive, some people just like the photos. The point I am driving at is that saying you don't see the value in a sword over $500 is fine. Don't spend your money on it if you don't want to but also recognize that many of the things that drive cost are things that you are not willing to spend money on.. That does not mean someone else might not have a different opinion or be willing to fork out money to have a sword that does what they want it to do.
@@Matthew_Jensen Thanks Matt for the detailed reply, from the first video I saw of yours I became a subscriber and have watched most of your videos...I have learned much from your knowledge and impeccable observations...I appreciate your reply and respect it...a proline camera is a necessity if you are professionally hired...but collecting swords is a hobby for enjoyment, the analogy is valid but not entirely the same...If a custom $500 sword can match a $1500-2000 sword then i find no reason to invest more than i have to...I will test my thoughts on this as I await my custom sword from northshire that was about 500.00 to see how it holds up to a more expensive model...thanks to your wealth of knowledge, I can better spot what is done with quality and what is not...I would like to get back to you when I recieve it...it looks like a beauty...thanks again Matt...great channel and great job!!!
Thanks for reviewing again this sword, what are your thoughts on the praying mantis from hanwei? i know its tip heavy, but other than that, what do you think about it? its her L6 good enough in your your experience? would you recomend that sword? Sure the koshirae looks awesome, and the shobu zukuri shape too.
I don't have much faith in Hanwei's version of L6. I like Hanwei and I think they set the standard for the reproduction market in most things, that said, their L6 has not proven to be trustworthy in my opinion.
@@Matthew_Jensen thanks for the reply! I've bought the praying mantis at the end, i just like it too much.. and dreamed about for too much time. now im waiting to receive the sword. I don't think i will use it too much tho, just on light targets and rarely. Honestly i don't want to test the metal.
thanks for being so thorough. I was actually thinking of buying this - and I can't comfortably afford it - simply because I can't find a Raptor Shinogi Zukuri anymore in the UK (maybe it was discontinued?)
Really enjoy your reviews! Looking to buy my first decent katana soon, would love to get some insight from you! The oni being an option, maybe tori, or shinto katana?
Depends on what you want to do with the sword... If you are getting one just cuz swords are cool as hell then hopefully the reviews help you pick. The Oni is not great IMO, looks cool but that is not enough. The Tori is often sold in the XL format. It looks nice but the blade is more suited to cutting tatami. The shinto is a light nimble blade that is fun to move. Also a good looking blade.
@@Matthew_Jensen thanks for the quick reply! Also checking out your lion dog review right now. What about wind and thunder? Im actually looking for a good cutting sword. Home defense more or less. Really liked the oni look but looking for a mixture of performance and look. Also more expensive than most the others. Any other recommendations? Was definitely considering a Hanwei product. Also, is swords of the east a reputable website to order from? Or should i go kult of athena? Thanks again for all the info!
I would go with a through hardened waki from Ronin, hanwei, or something like that for home defense. I would also recommend buying two of them. . One to train with and push. So you are used to the sword. Personally I would not use a katana or even a waki for home defense., though a waki would be my choice if I were sticking with Japanese style weapons for that task. I don't know the layout of your home but I am guessing you have the potential for confined spaces and that you are not going to train with the weapon daily or perhaps even weekly. If those assumptions are accurate than a shorter weapon works better in the confines of a bedroom or hall way. (IMO). Also, something through hardened will be more forgiving of bad cuts. I would encourage you to think about where and how you will use it. Fine a weapon that feels comfortable to you. I would imagine that comfort or familiarity will be important in the moment.
@@Matthew_Jensen Great guess on confined spaces in my place. Good to know now that a katana wouldnt do a whole lot in certain spots in my house. Will consider a waki. Any recommendations on lower end hanwei katanas for practice? Really considering the shinto, so im assuming something that resembles the same specs?
Same theories apply. The shinto wak is fine. I would just suggest you get something you are willing to practice with and that you are not afraid to damage.
Can you do a review and destruction test on the Cheness cutlery 9260 spring steel line or the SGC series ? I have heard they are strong, would love to see you put one to the test.
do you think this would be a better option for me to have custom mounted? im thinking the tori elite (not xl or xl light anymore) or the ronin. kinda like a wider blade
Not all of them have it but many do. It is unique that part is appealing to some. Perhaps it is due to the difficulty in polishing L6? I have heard that it can be difficult to get the polish right. Though that is speculation on my part. I don't really understand the logic behind some of the decisions made on the Oni.
I have so, so many Hanwei katana and have never encountered that. I would imagine that the texture would eventually wear out the inside of the saya and therefore exacerbate the saya rattle. Seems like an impractical choice on Hanwei's part.
I think it is known for resilience rather than hardness. It is not known for edge retention anyway but that kind of damage is not part of the common complaints with L6
You got this sword. But that means your rich. If you cut yourself, so would you bleed out. I have no idea how polished this "Katana" and how wide or thick the handel part is. Straight Hamon though, that's ninja!
Yes, that could be why but does that affect the outcome? I have hit that stand many times.. and that was the only blade to become so damaged.. I have tested many thin blades as well and no other blade had the issue. It may not be a heat treatment issue and it could have been ground too thin... Still a fundamental issue, at least in my opinion.
Oh my! Yeah your right its such a cool sword theme! I was thinkimg about buying one but I didnt like the long 14" handle either. Even with that I was watching your review of it to see if it was still worth it. I saw you mention on kult of athena the durablity sucked so thanks for saving me some headaches. It suprises me that a L6 sword rolled like that from just a bad swing. I thought the bainte swords were suppose to like cut thru cars and building and even its own tsuba if you were not careful how you sheathed it. Lol jk!
@@Matthew_Jensen thanks ill look at them would you recommend this at the price point given the issue you had with the blade and post collision I like the longer handle and the ornate Oni craftsmanship but does that warrant the price i was also looking at the Shikoto black kogane dynasty damascus katana have you had one or handled one
Your self control is strong cuz that would fuck me right off,worse you got bite twice,I deal with one company, and if their quality dropped,I would not spend any money , that would be it!
that sucks to see such an expensive katana thats over 1000 dollars get chipped on a whack to the stand when the ronin dojo pro thats only 300 dollars can handle that abuse . thats why I prefer ronin dojo pro katanas over all other companies . I understand that no company is perfect but ronin has been the most reliable that I came across . I have a hanwei raptor shobu zukuri and its ok but hanwei couldve done a better job at putting it together . but my dojo pro # 13 and my hsts tsunami are my favorites in my collection . both companies kick ass in my opinion and if you get a katana from either company then you'll get a good and solid built katana .
Your sword obviously has a bad heat treat, and from the looks of it I'd say the finish polish job was never done. You should first off pick a katana that fits you better, it would be much easier to learn proper form.
It's a $150 sword that retails for $1,300. This isn't one of those cases of "It's bad, for an expensive sword, but it's generally not bad." It's a case of "It's just bad, period."
I don't understand the animosity. The videos are pretty clear about my skill level. No promise of mastery or expertise is stated anywhere. I would understand being irked if I were suggesting that I am someone of authority in any martial context but I don't. Just seems like unnecessary dickishness.
