Ronin Katana

Tmack said:
Iv been practicing kenjistsu for 4 years and martial arts for 21 years.

While the quality of metal does play a big part in combat, the shape and balance of the sword are key.
I have a Ronin Hagakure and it's my most used katana in the dojo.
I also got a cold steel warrior because I heard great things about its cutting ability. While it does cut well, the Ronin is world's more agile because of its superior balance. Just a much better designed blade following traditional shape. It makes the cold steel feel like a bat

Guys that bring in katanas that are traditionally made, soon switch to a monotempered dojo katana to handle the abuse. No wall hangers in class.
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Bolded part is very true.

I had one of the first series of Cold Steel Chitana, and it was weighted allright, but was heavy. It did cut well, but would not hold an edge worth a damn....would go from shaving hair to dead ass dull, sitting in the saya overnight.

Tamahagane swords will cut JUST fine and take the stresses without being overly bendy, if the heat treat is on in my experience.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
Which model of sword, by what manufacturer?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Hanwei Tiger. The elite blade is slightly smaller in height and width according to the specs. Less than 1mm in each dimension.
 
Willie71 said:
Hanwei Tiger. The elite blade is slightly smaller in height and width according to the specs. Less than 1mm in each dimension.
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Different fittings, nice looking sword, it has bohi which will be educational itself. Please let us know what you think of it when you have had a chance to play around with it. I imagine it will be quite sharp.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
Different fittings, nice looking sword, it has bohi which will be educational itself. Please let us know what you think of it when you have had a chance to play around with it. I imagine it will be quite sharp.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Will do. I know this is only loosely related, but prior to all of this knife/sword addiction, I spent a lot of time cutting firewood to heat the cabin. Looking at the guides to cut efficiently with a sword, the same principles apply to swinging an axe efficiently. It isn't brute power, but acceleration, efficiency, and accuracy. I am looking forward to learning about this new tool (sword) in my journey. I don't plan on cutting logs with it. I primarily want to learn about design, profile, cross section, balance, and need a reference point.
 
not2sharp said:
Construction and materials aside, where do skills fit into all of this? I would suspect that a skilled practitioner could pick up a cheap barely sharpened sword and make a clean single cut right through a 2x4; while a novice equipped with the best sword that money can buy will just as likely break the sword while barely notching the wood. There is a lot more to sword use than metallurgy, it is probably the least important factor.

n2s
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I think you missed the point. Point wasn't that steel is the be-all and end-all. Quite the reverse, really. I was making a few points, notably that depending on what you want to do with the sword, you should be making sure that the heat treat and steel type support the intended use. For examples, please reread the post you responded to.

What skill has to do with it is that someone who knows something about swords, and using swords, may be looking for very different things than the average sword buyer, who, again as stated before, tends to place a very high emphasis on things like ability to cut down a tree, or bash apart a metal pipe, or endure "edge-on-edge impacts." We've seen this sort of attitude crop up all too often in here. The kind of steel and heat treat I'm going to request from Brad for a sword that I know is going to get used in this fashion, or is going to a novice user, is likely to be rather different than what I'd use for a sword for my own personal use, or that's intended primarily for cutting. Ditto if I know it's going to be a stage sword, etc. Skill and knowledge will lead a buyer to have more specific needs from the sword than just toughness, and ability to cut pool noodles.

The corollary to the above is that most reviews online are written by the average sword buyer, who, contrary to their vague professions of knowledge of various martial arts for x amount of years, actually have very little knowledge about swords, using them, or making them. For most sword buyers, L6 vs "high carbon steel" is a meaningless distinction, and even then, they don't often know really what the difference is. Thus, I also made the point that reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.
 
I find any review in having some useful information. Especially pictures other than those from the sellers. Even quite knowledgeable reviewers can often be quite subjective due to their own preferences. All in all, any info aside from ad copy is often more useful than none at all. I see a lot of novices having a lot more energy in taking the time to post them up with a lot of raw and unbiased detail.

A great many collectors don't bother with the history, build and aesthetic of the Japanese katana and as long as it looks good from a distance, and meets their need in use, spending time looking at even handling real antiques or better modern made swords is something beyond their interest. It is not just the katana that seems appealing to sword newcomers but it really seems only a fraction of buyers really learn much before buying. There really are the thousands buying that never look at any forums or feedback aside from the source.

My early interest in katana was more or less life long back to the 1950s. It wasn't until the later 1990s that I looked to avoid the Marto and Art Gladius swords. Instead studying the antiques and modern makers such as Michael Bell and Howard Clark. A fitted and complete katana for less than two grand looked like a great deal and I should have jumped then. Instead, a brief journey of buying modern medieval western stuff before settling firmly into 18th and 19th century antiques.

I did buy a Chinese chokuto a couple years ago and like my old PK, spends most of its life hanging in its bag. Asian rosewood that needs to be replaced with real mounts some day. It is a very nice T10 blade.

Cheers

GC
 
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horseclover said:
I find any review in having some useful information. Especially pictures other than those from the sellers. Even quite knowledgeable reviewers can often be quite subjective due to their own preferences. All in all, any info aside from ad copy is often more useful than none at all. I see a lot of novices having a lot more energy in taking the time to post them up with a lot of raw and unbiased detail.
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Unbiased is good, I'm not sure that raw is. In 1999 and 2000, I was an active participant on SwordForums. The never ending dumbass questions, gleeful ignorance and pitiful hero worship(Angelsword, Randall Graham......)drove me away, and I have never really gone back, except to sell a crap sword once, which went in less than 24 hours. We all have our preferences.

horseclover said:
A great many collectors don't bother with the history, build and aesthetic of the Japanese katana and as long as it looks good from a distance, and meets their need in use, spending time looking at even handling real antiques or better modern made swords is something beyond their interest. It is not just the katana that seems appealing to sword newcomers but it really seems only a fraction of buyers really learn much before buying. There really are the thousands buying that never look at any forums or feedback aside from the source.
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That reads like you are justifying ignorance.

horseclover said:
My early interest in katana was more or less life long back to the 1950s. It wasn't until the later 1990s that I looked to avoid the Marto and Art Gladius swords. Instead studying the antiques and modern makers such as Michael Bell and Howard Clark. A fitted and complete katana for less than two grand looked like a great deal and I should have jumped then. Instead, a brief journey of buying modern medieval western stuff before settling firmly into 18th and 19th century antiques.

I did buy a Chinese chokuto a couple years ago and like my old PK, spends most of its life hanging in its bag. Asian rosewood that needs to be replaced with real mounts some day. It is a very nice T10 blade.
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So you didn't leap when you could have, and found that you preferred western style blades....and this adds to a discussion of the Ronin katana or any katana how?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
Unbiased is good, I'm not sure that raw is. In 1999 and 2000, I was an active participant on SwordForums. The never ending dumbass questions, gleeful ignorance and pitiful hero worship(Angelsword, Randall Graham......)drove me away, and I have never really gone back, except to sell a crap sword once, which went in less than 24 hours. We all have our preferences.
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Not much left at SFI except one of the better spots to discuss western antique and military swords. However, within the bowels of SFI, there is a lot to read about the evolution of the Chitana market. Due to that, a few actually did learn how traditional katana were put together. It was always (and still true anywhere) been a matter of turning up the squelch to cut out the white noise to hear/read worthwhile information. The same is true for reading reviews. Raw data is good. Basic dimensions, build, pictures from many angles all useful.


That reads like you are justifying ignorance.
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Hardly so. Accepting that it exists and sometimes helping those with interest learn, while knowing there are thousands buying on impulse that have and never will visit a forum (or even watch videos on youtube).


So you didn't leap when you could have, and found that you preferred western style blades....and this adds to a discussion of the Ronin katana or any katana how?
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Specifically going back to buying a quality sword after learning a bit. Instead of impulse buying a dragon headed leather handled Art Gladius, spending a year looking further into both antiques, sites such as Stein's and even the forums before SFI.

Looking before one leaps is what this thread has been discussing.

Really, so much more could be said by the experts of the modern market. I don't really qualify to point out all the details yet stuff like the quality and form of builds (from materials to assembly) can show differences between different offerings. For instance, you reminding readers that Cheness has not evolved much with better overall options available. Or am I imagining you pointed that out(again)?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Cheers

Glen A Cleeton aka Glen C. aka horseclover
 
Oh, to add one particular picture view to look for with katana is looking from the top (or bottom) of a tsuka for both width and how lumpy the ito maki looks. Not many sellers bother with sharing that. I may be overestimating it but I feel the entire mount of a traditional Japanese style sword is as important as a decent blade.

Cheers

GC
 
Cheness HAS evolved, but the basic tsuka core construction and materials for tsuba, fuchi kashira and menuki have not really.

There are sharp edges on the tsubas of many models, and the tsuka still look like cord wrapped broom handles.

They are affordable.

Nice point about the tsuka maki. I would answer your observation with a "maybe". Depends upon what it cost, what the blade is constructed/finished like and if the tsuka is comfortable and controllable with your hands. After that, as long as the blade itself doesn't come flying out of the handle, it is probably all good for the average sword buyer.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Glen A Cleeton aka Glen C. aka GC aka horseclover,
Is the Hanwei Practical the only katana that you own? If not, what other katana do you own/use? What are your thoughts on Ronin Katana?
 
Scotty2Hotty said:
Glen A Cleeton aka Glen C. aka GC aka horseclover,
Is the Hanwei Practical the only katana that you own? If not, what other katana do you own/use? What are your thoughts on Ronin Katana?
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I did buy a Chinese chokuto a couple years ago and like my old PK, spends most of its life hanging in its bag. Asian rosewood that needs to be replaced with real mounts some day. It is a very nice T10 blade.
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I own just those two Japanese style swords while having viewed and handled several others, including antiques. I have mentioned that I like the looks of the Ronin and Dynasty Forge swords. I have considered others that have come and gone from Kris Cutlery. I have also mentioned a few times that I am no authority on the current market and have no issue in letting others more familiar in touting their own expertise of the market. What I have been most vehement about is that any really interested in Japanese style swords would actually benefit in actually learning about them.

Cheers

GC
 
horseclover said:
I own just those two Japanese style swords while having viewed and handled several others, including antiques. I have mentioned that I like the looks of the Ronin and Dynasty Forge swords. I have considered others that have come and gone from Kris Cutlery. I have also mentioned a few times that I am no authority on the current market and have no issue in letting others more familiar in touting their own expertise of the market. What I have been most vehement about is that any really interested in Japanese style swords would actually benefit in actually learning about them.

Cheers

GC
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Of course. Doing much research. I was just interested in YOUR opinion is all. Thanks a lot, man.
 
horseclover said:
Oh, to add one particular picture view to look for with katana is looking from the top (or bottom) of a tsuka for both width and how lumpy the ito maki looks. Not many sellers bother with sharing that. I may be overestimating it but I feel the entire mount of a traditional Japanese style sword is as important as a decent blade.

Cheers

GC
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Good point Clover. A well made blade in poor mounts is as unbalanced overall as a perfectly mounted stainless steel wall hanger, neither is very useful. I recently reviewed a katana that had a bloated tsuka and I felt the strain in my fingers within minutes of my cutting session.
The biggest issue I have with most Hanwei models are the terribly shaped tsuka. Too round, too thick, too straight, and too long(this is subjective of course) imho. Great blades with poor tsuka shape makes for a sword I can't use for long.
Of course this is not limited to just Hnawei, I have been inside and out of more production katana than I can count and the most common problem in this market is unbalanced construction.
I believe smaller sellers like Huawei Sword have the advantage of constant customer communication and feedback and you can see how much they've evolved in only a few short years. I'm not saying they make these changes because they care about tradition or even making the best product but more likely because they want to sell more swords. They are producing what the customers are asking for such as using hishigami, alternating tsukamaki, properly shaped tsuka, better blade geometry and polishing, and overall balance, and they are selling more of them because of it.

We still have a long way to go in the affordable katana market but there are more choices these days and it seems like there is at least some growth by some manufacturers ;)

-Josh
 
@ Cottontail Customs - You are the frank the bunny guy, right? If so, do you fabricate the tsuba + fuchi-kashira, or just fit them? Just curious is all.
 
I received my sword yesterday. There are three cosmetic blemishes (I expected them to be worse) but overall it looks and feels good. The fit and finish isn't as good as my knives, but definitely better than a lot of other production items I have seen. I am heading to the cabin for three days for my anniversary and birthday, and will post more thoughts when I get back.
 
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