Thank you for the amazing roundup of katana reviews and for your kind words about us. We've taken your recommendation seriously and discussed it with HanBon Forge. We're now offering the option of choosing different menukis for easier unsheathing. However, even with the standard habaki, the unsheathing process will naturally become smoother with use. Regarding our sword builder, we're currently addressing some technical difficulties and have temporarily taken it offline. We expect to have it back up within a day. We're posting this in case anyone is looking for it and can't find it.
Your sword builder is pretty dope. But have you all ever considered working with people who do bespoke swords? Obviously not in this price range. But since you commented, I felt like asking causing it’s a wicked investment and credibility from external validation from a credible company like yourself would be cool. IJS.
Hey dude awesome work. This is very well put together (like all your videos). The opportunity to do such a close side by side like this really valuable and it’s not easy to do properly so kudos to you and Swordis for getting this put together to help everyone make educated decisions about these different options at a similar level. Keep it up, chief!
This was an awesome video. Took a bunch of great options, gave us the run down, then put them into practice doing what they are supposed to do. Extremely well done. Subbed
My wife and my two boy's bought me a Japanese military sword for my birthday around 18 years ago, and I don't know what they paid for it back then but they hinted at under $300. In my reference book "The Military Swords of Japan 1868-1945" by Richard Fuller and Ron Gregory I found one that's as close a match as you could find. I checked the hilt the decorations, everything that goes into identifying one of these thing's and I cannot fault the identification. It was the first Japanese Military sword captured in WWII and belonged to Lieutenant Kazuo Sakamaki IJN, Commander of a midget Submarine captured at Pearl Harbour in 1941. A made for WWII Kai-Gunto. And it appears that i is what I have, and although it is not as shiny as those swords I am ex military, as was my father and his father and my elder son, so for under $300, I think I got the best deal.
I think it's worth mentioning that there are many styles that do in fact use handles as long or longer than 12". In the Nami Ryū, for example, we use swords that have tsuka long enough to touch our elbow when held in the hand. Which, for me, means about 14".
Huh, this autoplayed after the spyfall episode. I remember being into this as a kid and even bought a few. I'm shocked that $500 doesn't even get you real rayskin or silk anymore. I started with some junk ones for $30, then got my first real one for $300 that was actual silk wrap and rayskin handles and high quality steel. I still have it in a closet now, think they called it a Practical Plus back then, I forget who made it. Then when I was around 20 I bought a very high quality one for 3 grand made of the best steel custom designed scabbard and style. I outgrew swords after that and moved onto guns as I moved into that field as part of my career, but the really nice one still decorates a nice display cabinet in the living room and I'll never sell it.
I have a random request. I’m considering getting into airsoft and I was wondering if you could do an overview of your favorite airsoft loadout? I’d like to hear from someone I feel like I trust because I’ve watched you play airsoft for a long time across many channels.
The ronin dojo-pro is really hard to beat at the price point; I’ve owned quite a few in that line, from tanto to o-katana, and my only complaints with any of them was that the ito wraps could have been tighter. That being said, I had one of their more recent models and the wrap was significantly better than previously
Yea I got my Dojo Pro a couple of months ago from their scratch and dent sale and love it! Only thing I found wrong with it was the katana slid right out of the saya if the handle was at any angle pointed towards the ground. A shim fixed it right up though and seems like new.
would love to see you try a custom Romance of Men sword, they are pretty good quality for the price and you can choose exactly what you want for all your fittings, steel type and blade geometry
I've gotten a few katanas from Moritaka and Phoenix arms from RVA katana. I would try some of those out. I've been blown away by the price to quality after using hanwei and lyue sword for so long. The Moritaka legend stands out in particular.
I have three Katanas i bought years ago off of Amazon all for less than 200 bucks and i thought those were nice. Description said hand made and pretty sure all were 1095 high carbon steel
It's a tough choice between the Takeda shingen and the Shadow dancer. Shadow dancer has the more Japan accurate fit but the Shingen theme is crazy dope. It really is befitting the man who the sword is inspired by.
Surprises me the dragon King having Ito loose as this one, The Hanbon Polish work is impressive, and having a better polish then Shadow Dancer, WoW...the standard Ito wrap should be a lot tighter, than the sample, but have to agree the Hishigami makes a difference for sure, feels so good in the hands. Really like the Hanwei.( i would love to know if the TANG-Nakago is the same length as the Tsuka or does it terminate 3/4 Down and maybe that's why you had some play after cutting) Wonderful Job on this comparison my friend. Your a good cutter so you made all the swords look good...LOL
What is the deal with red-black Damascus-appearing swords? Are they real or just painted on? They have a really odd look, and websites claim that they are manganese steel, but I am suspicious. I have one from eBay a "Shinwa." I have always been suspicious of it being phony.
You've probably gotten this request a couple of times before, but I'd love to know what your thoughts are on the Moritaka Vortex 9260 Spring Steel katana from RVAKatana. For a 225 dollar sword, I find it to be quite a reliable workhorse with snug fittings, great balance, and impressive edge retention.
You have Black swords with Red scabards, i have a red sword with a black scabard XD and never had the chance to try out how good it cuts ASIDE from accidentaly cutting my hand once
I have been handling sharp katana for years and never cut myself. You need to go look up the pictures of serious injury people have gotten and scare yourself into being slow and smooth to start off during training/handling.
I dont really see an issue with the habaki, youre not supposed to just pull it out of the scabbard. Youre supposed to push it out with your offhands thumb first.
Also, I like to think of the Wakizashi, the Katana, and the Odachi, as the Japanese equivalent to the European short sword, long sword, and great sword. Wakizashi = short sword Katana = long sword Odachi = great sword
I know a fair bit about the ancient history of these swords, but much less so for modern materials\methods, so sorry if this is a stupid question. Can you create a true hamon with these hardened steel and spring steel blades? Or are they just acid etched or ground in to make the appearance of one?
@@Cerberusarms thanks! That really helps. I've wanted to get a better katana, but with my love of their history I want something somewhat close. But I'm also realistic and not made of money, so I know a spring steel or other blade is a better choice for me. Great to know I can get at least some of that. Thanks for replying directly!
@@aggonzalezdc The type of steel is not as important as the craftsmanship in sword making. Steel is just a raw material, and without proper blade treatment, the blade will suck. 9260 spring steel, T10 carbon steel, and 1045-1095 carbon steels all belong to the same group. They are affordable because they are easy to work with, but they have different properties. Depending on the application, 9260 steel might be better than 1095 carbon steel. Clay tempering, a marketing term, only works on blades with a high carbon concentration. This is why traditional clay tempering is not seen on spring and tool steels. Etched hamon is not necessarily a cheaper version of clay tempering; it is simply the only alternative that works with spring and tool steels. To illustrate, consider t-shirts. A shirt labeled 100% cotton won't last long if not well-made, which is why there are $100 t-shirts and $5 t-shirts made from the same material. The superior quality comes from the craftsmanship. Similarly, cotton is preferred for breathability and comfort, but for gym use, synthetic fabrics are better because they handle sweat more efficiently. With this in mind, if you want a blade with a real hamon, consider looking for a 1095 carbon steel blade. You can find a decent option in the $200-$300 range.
Could you buy a katana on the Katana-Afilada page? I want to buy one on that website, but there are no reviews about its Or could someone who has bought on that page tell me if the quality of those swords is good?
Brother D always love your videos hope you been well and safe but if you be so kind would you try 3 games in VR (if you do still do VR games) and feel witch one is best gun plays for 1st time gamers or come back VR players Vail VR Contractors Showdown ghost of Tabor thank you if read this agin blessing Mr D ^^
he's not a professional Iaito pratitioner the way he winds from behind he's neck is too dangerous he can cut he's ear accidentally but for real I bought one of these katanas and I had to change the ITO wrap into a silk standard wrapping you can learn doing that by watching youtube but make sure you have proper tools or the wrapping will be loose.
