thoughts on Cheness Mokko Ko-Katana

[FlowerOfLife]

acquired a Cheness Mokko Ko-Katana with a 1060 carbon steel blade that is about 10 years old, wondering what you guys think of this blade..the fittings are a little cheap and somewhat loose and the blade has a few spots that need some help, its really a great sword size though, i haven't owned a decent sword of these dimensions before now, i had planned on either purchasing a new ko-katana from either Ronin or Cheness, but this one just kinda fell into my lap..i will take a few pics in better light if anyone's interested

 

[sweet]

My imagination maker is not doing so good... I would love to see photos, post them up!

 

[FlowerOfLife]

i will take a few in the morning i dont think you could see much now, the blade has im gonna call it 4 maybe 5 marks or pits/rolls in the last 5 inches or so of the blade, presumably from the previous owner cutting things, i dont think it would take much to remove them, not too noticeable unless you actually run a fingernail along the edge..the kashira seems to be loosest thing, i can wiggle it a bit..there is a faint hamon on the blade which i didnt realize was supposed to be there on this sword,looks to be chemical etched but im no expert..

 

[FlowerOfLife]

this is the part of the blade with knicks in it...

bad pic but one of the pins deosnt go through the ray skin all the way..

i have always loved a good chisa or ko katana, i find the length to be much more manageable than a 28 inch blade..27 and 24 inch blades are probably my favorite japanese sword lengths..this little Ko-katanaa comes in at about a 21 inch blade
after looking at it more it may be a wire brush hamon personally i dont see the point in adding a fake hamon on a budget sword...

 

[hhmoore]

Years ago, Cheness was a good value... not so much anymore. They've pretty much stuck with the budget plan, while other makers have improved their offerings. Recently, it seems that QC has deteriorated, as well; which is as much a disappointment as their overly forgiving tolerances. If you were looking to buy now, there are better options for your money.
As far as your new acquisition, 10 yrs predates my experiences (which were good, btw). If you plan to use it, I'd recommend disassembly to make sure everything is in order.

 

[FlowerOfLife]

i dont really get down on the whole plastic water bottle cutting mall ninja thing, i own a katana as a last ditch weapon personally, using it on anything but flesh doesn't sit well with me..it was designed as only a weapon and should be treated with the respect it deserves IMO..
as for this sword you are probably right about inspecting it, i haven't actually taken down a katana before though and am not sure if i have the skills, will do a little research on it before actually doing it, im pretty good with that sort of thing though, have built some AR-15s over the years
my biggest complaint at this point is the cheap fittings..they feel cheap, look cheap, and are somewhat loose
comparing it to my ronin dojo pro and its clear who makes a superior product in my eyes, if i do find this sword a new owner i will probably purchase a new ronin ko-katana

it sucks cheness has been havnt problems lately. from everything i have read they seem to be a pretty promising company for budget chitanas. hopefully the company can continue in the right direction

 

[hhmoore]

I didn't specify the type of use; nor do I necessarily agree with your mall ninja characterization. My own formal training is distant; but, as far as I know, tatami mats are still common training targets. I know a lot of JSA students that use plastic bottles and beach mats, in addition to tatami, simply because they're more affordable. Honing one's skills requires practice... if you can practice on human flesh in your neighborhood, I might have to come for a visit.

As far as Cheness "continuing" in the right direction, I think they stayed on the same road and missed the turn off. It would be great to see them make the improvements needed to bring them on par with their competitors; but it seems they are content to accept the status quo and point toward old reviews.
Again, my own experiences with Cheness products have been good; but Cheness simply isn't the value that it used to be.

 

[Mecha]

So if I practice shooting targets so I can actually be good with my rifle, does that make me a "mall commando?"

 

[FlowerOfLife]

i would argue most of the mediums people cut with a katana, are poor representations of organic material..i think cold steel has it right cutting meat personally, though expensive you would eat good and have a realistic medium to cut.
i have cut tatami before but wouldn't spend my money on it, i think its fine if thats what you want to do just not for me..same with water bottles, i have cut them just dont care to..most of my practicing is cutting air mainly focusing on form.
in the interest of political correctness i will say owning a katana for me is a zombie weapon, i know i could reduce a zombie to parts with a katana, and dont have to cut water bottles to reassure myself.

 

[Mecha]

I just think it's fun to chop stuff, whether haphazardly or with good form, though I prefer saplings, undergrowth, car ramps and such. Water bottles just keep soaking my shoes.

 

[FlowerOfLife]

i went all mall ninja..sharpened the blade back up easily enough..kinda like this little blade, it reminds me of my paul chen tactical wak..definitely in a more beater class sword than my ronin..gonna save this one i think..i wouldn't go cut things like that with my ronin though., save that blade as a weapon only

 

[horseclover]

So if I practice shooting targets so I can actually be good with my rifle, does that make me a "mall commando?"

?8^)~

In this day and age, mebbe a better connotation than "crack shot" I truly upset a couple of 9mm pistoleros when I was plinking with an '06. They more or less left the range mumbling and complaining that I was being too loud. Which teaches better trigger control? In my mind, A good rifle shooter would always just be a rifleman.

Plastic bottle or pork shoulder, one still has to hit the nail on the head.

Cheers

GC

 

[horseclover]

One can spend hundreds of dollars upgrading cheaper sword blades or take a closer look at how they are meant to be put together. The devil is in the details and looking closely at assemblies can save a lot of grief.

The Cheness swords are about as assembly line production as one can find. There is little attempt to do good work on ito maki and tsuka fit to the nakago.

Ko katana and wakizashi are a handy size but if I wanted a sword for cc combat or bugging out, Im wouldn't be looking for a sword that needed attention down the road. The nature of many purchasing Japanese style swords is the "cool" factor, whether mall ninja minded or not.

The wrap/ito on the Cheness will continue to loosen. If you are going to take it apart, do yourself a favor and just epoxy it for good, It is quite likely you will find the core cracked, no matter how gently you are in removing the tsuka. This because they are hammered on and the menugi-ana drilled through after. The tsuka and ito-maki for these are a cottage industry with cheap labor doing piece work (bushels of them). There is no real care with virtually any part of production aside from hopefully well batched heat treatment. The overall end product is fairly dismal and Cheness isn't the only culprit. There is less care in fitting and production than one will find in a Marto or Art Gladius stainless steel decorative sword.

Despite my old Hanwei PK having plastic panels and menuki along with shoelace cotton ito, the other fittings are not pot metal and the ito maki still sound after a dozen years with many hands using it to cut over the past dozen years.

Drive on the seppa, not the tsuba. A wood block or proper nakago-nuki and a wood mallet (not rubber) 2x4s work.

Cheers

GC