msmalik
December 24th, 2008, 09:52 PM
These Musahi's just keep coming because they are so cheap yet so functional and well built. I bought this particular katana because of the low price of 80 dollars, and because it had a saya that was blue (also available in red and black). I figured a blue saya would add a nice touch to my katana stand with mostly black sayas. The tsuba also attracted me, it was different from my other katana's.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1042.jpg
This Musashi, like all my other musashi's was also ordered from SOM. And of course they had fast shipping, excellent customer service, and very nice packaging as usual. I love the fact that they send you a tracking link the same day you order, and you know right away when the sword will be here. Moving on to the initial impressions.
The sword came packaged very nicely. I really wasn't expecting this for 80 dollars. It has a very nice box lined with silk on the inside. The sword was wrapped in a clear plastic bag, which I removed before taking the pictures. There was also a nice and sturdy sword stand included. Without even taking the sword out of the saya I knew this was a good deal, because I saw similar stands going for 10 dollars, and I think a decorated and silk lined box like that alone would sell for at least 10, but more likely around 20. So that means I paid 50 for this katana? Not bad. Here are some initial pictures of the packaging.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1023.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1024.jpg
Measurements:
Blade: 27"
Handle: 11"
Overall: 39"
Weight: 2.6 Lbs
DESIGN, FIT, & FINISH
The Blade:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1032.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1035.jpg
This blade is THE sharpest blade I own. It actually feels sharp, as in skin cutting sharp just by thumbing the edge. For reference I have katanas from cold steel and cheness, and this blade is definitely sharper than those two. In a paper cutting test, I didn't have to slice, it went through the paper like it wasn't even there by me just pulling the paper up! This kind of sharpness may not be desirable on a katana because it will surely chip fast on harder targets, I have a feeling that this sword just might be TOO sharp.
The hamon is cosmetic of course, but nonetheless it looks great. The kissaski is very sharp and the tip has a very fine point. I would be careful about stabbing hard targets because it surely will bend on hard targets because it is so fine and sharp.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1038.jpg
Tsuka:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1029.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1030.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1039.jpg
The ito seems to be nice and tight, and the cottons isn't fuzzy.
The tsuba:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1027.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1028.jpg
I really like the tsuba. It feels very solid, and the dragon theme on it looks great.
The saya:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1037.jpg
this is one unique thing about the wind dragon, you can get the saya in black, red, or blue. Since I didn't have a blue saya in my collection, I opted for a blue one.
Here are more pictures.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1025.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1036.jpg
As of right now I have done no cutting, but I'm certain this will perform well! The blade is light and very sharp as mentioned, so I will stick to using targets that won't bend or chip the blade.
Update: I cut mugen dachi tatami with this sword. Half mats and full mats. This thing cut like a laser! When I had the proper form, it felt like nothing was even there. The cuts were very clean. I'm more than happy with the cutting ability of this katana. A very good blade to improve your technique with, and you don't have to worry about your expensive katana getting damaged on bad cuts. I would imagine that over the course of more cutting the blade will lose some sharpness and won't cut as well as it did now.
CONCLUSION
I would recommend this sword to anyone. Mostly because of what you get for 80 dollars. I am satisfied with the musashi's I have thus far.
Fit and Finish: 5/5 (no loose pieces, everything was nice and tight, no scratches or dents)
Handling: 5/5 (light katana, in comparison to my other katana's like hanwei XL, cold steel, cheness)
Structural Integrity: 3/5 (blade is too sharp and thus very thin on the sharp edge, tip is very fine prone to bending)
Value for Money: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1042.jpg
This Musashi, like all my other musashi's was also ordered from SOM. And of course they had fast shipping, excellent customer service, and very nice packaging as usual. I love the fact that they send you a tracking link the same day you order, and you know right away when the sword will be here. Moving on to the initial impressions.
The sword came packaged very nicely. I really wasn't expecting this for 80 dollars. It has a very nice box lined with silk on the inside. The sword was wrapped in a clear plastic bag, which I removed before taking the pictures. There was also a nice and sturdy sword stand included. Without even taking the sword out of the saya I knew this was a good deal, because I saw similar stands going for 10 dollars, and I think a decorated and silk lined box like that alone would sell for at least 10, but more likely around 20. So that means I paid 50 for this katana? Not bad. Here are some initial pictures of the packaging.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1023.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1024.jpg
Measurements:
Blade: 27"
Handle: 11"
Overall: 39"
Weight: 2.6 Lbs
DESIGN, FIT, & FINISH
The Blade:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1032.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1035.jpg
This blade is THE sharpest blade I own. It actually feels sharp, as in skin cutting sharp just by thumbing the edge. For reference I have katanas from cold steel and cheness, and this blade is definitely sharper than those two. In a paper cutting test, I didn't have to slice, it went through the paper like it wasn't even there by me just pulling the paper up! This kind of sharpness may not be desirable on a katana because it will surely chip fast on harder targets, I have a feeling that this sword just might be TOO sharp.
The hamon is cosmetic of course, but nonetheless it looks great. The kissaski is very sharp and the tip has a very fine point. I would be careful about stabbing hard targets because it surely will bend on hard targets because it is so fine and sharp.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1038.jpg
Tsuka:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1029.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1030.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1039.jpg
The ito seems to be nice and tight, and the cottons isn't fuzzy.
The tsuba:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1027.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1028.jpg
I really like the tsuba. It feels very solid, and the dragon theme on it looks great.
The saya:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1037.jpg
this is one unique thing about the wind dragon, you can get the saya in black, red, or blue. Since I didn't have a blue saya in my collection, I opted for a blue one.
Here are more pictures.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1025.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo197/msmforever69/IMG_1036.jpg
As of right now I have done no cutting, but I'm certain this will perform well! The blade is light and very sharp as mentioned, so I will stick to using targets that won't bend or chip the blade.
Update: I cut mugen dachi tatami with this sword. Half mats and full mats. This thing cut like a laser! When I had the proper form, it felt like nothing was even there. The cuts were very clean. I'm more than happy with the cutting ability of this katana. A very good blade to improve your technique with, and you don't have to worry about your expensive katana getting damaged on bad cuts. I would imagine that over the course of more cutting the blade will lose some sharpness and won't cut as well as it did now.
CONCLUSION
I would recommend this sword to anyone. Mostly because of what you get for 80 dollars. I am satisfied with the musashi's I have thus far.
Fit and Finish: 5/5 (no loose pieces, everything was nice and tight, no scratches or dents)
Handling: 5/5 (light katana, in comparison to my other katana's like hanwei XL, cold steel, cheness)
Structural Integrity: 3/5 (blade is too sharp and thus very thin on the sharp edge, tip is very fine prone to bending)
Value for Money: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5