Kawashima Mizuiro Katana Review

[Iwao]

Hello, I'm a new member and was wondering if anyone had this katana and could tell me a little about how they felt about it. Thank you! ^_^

By the way, here is the katana incase anyone else becomes interested in it.
http://www.swordsofmight.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=622

[Bodhidhala]

Mine is on its way and I'll have it Monday. I'll let you know my impressions if you are still interested then. This will be one of the new ones with the 1095 steel; up until now I believe they have been 1060 (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

[Iwao]

Oh, thank you for the quick reply and I'll be waiting for your views. Thank you very much ^_^

[photopro818]

Looks good has good specs.
let me ask you somthing what are you gona do whit it ?

And welcome to the forum Iwao :duel:

[Iwao]

I was going to use it for light cutting and display. I thought it was a really nice looking one, mostly cuz I really love the blue ito. It's my favorite color XD

And thanks for the welcome.

[Bodhidhala]

Well, I got the Mizuiro today. IMO it's an amazing sword. I think it is the sharpest sword I have (I thought my Valiant Armory 1601 was sharper, but the Kawashima went through the paper test like it was butter).
-Blade is VERY sharp, hamon is dead-sexy.
-Tsuka ito is (obviously) baby blue--the new pic Jason has up may be a little over saturated by comparison. AND it feels great, almost like silk, even though it is cotton. I think this is due to the tightness of the wrap.
-Saya is nice
-Other furniture (tsuba, kashira, habaki,etc.) very attractive; And I'm now pretty convinced the tsuba is a depiction of Yoshitsune and Benkei from the Tale of the Heike.
-Amazing tachi-kaze!
-The only disappointment is the sageo. It seems disproportionately small and thin. Almost like they used up all the good materials on all the other parts, and had nothing left for the sageo. Only wraps 6 times instead of the 7 or 8 loops you see on similar quality swords.

Long story short, if you like the light blue ito, buy this sword, it is a great deal. I only wish Jason had had a few of the Snowfalls left over after the back orders. . . I bet it is gorgeous, too.

[Bodhidhala]

PS Looking now, even these pics make the ito look darker than it is in real life. It's a slightly lighter powder blue.

[Bodhidhala]

ALSO: I forgot to mention the aMAzing tachi kaze ("sword wind" aka swoosh).

[Taygrd]

There is a great story behind this tsuba. I cannot find the post that it was told on. May see if someone can find it, makes the sword all that more special. Great review!!!

[Jason Moore]

ALSO: I forgot to mention the aMAzing tachi kaze ("sword wind" aka swoosh).

they do sing very well. I have noticed this on the new Kawashimas more than many other swords....

[photopro818]

I was going to use it for light cutting and display. I thought it was a really nice looking one, mostly cuz I really love the blue ito. It's my favorite color XD

And thanks for the welcome.
If you like it get its a good Katana, very good specs, but the baby blue ito will get dirty.
I never had a baby blue color but I did have white. And I hade to unwrap the ito wash it and tie it back. Well this is the thing I didn’t use it for cutting but the dust gets on it and if someone puts a finger on it will get dirty.:detective:

[69NINJA]

And I hade to unwrap the ito wash it and tie it back.

How would that work? Traditionaly when you do the final knot, dont you need an excess length of ito and then cut it down after you tighten it, making it too short to rewrap?

[Mako]

Traditionaly when you do the final knot, dont you need an excess length of ito and then cut it down after you tighten it, making it too short to rewrap?
YES!! :ohyeah:
Sweat and oils from the hands during training accumulate on the tsuka, eating away at the tsuka-maki and providing a breeding ground for all sorts of nasty little microscopic creatures. To avoid this situation (and still continue to practice), clean the tsuka periodically with a hot, damp towel. Be sure that the towel is not so hot that it will burn the skin or so wet that it will drip water. Wrap it around the tsuka and squeeze it firmly over the entire surface of the handle. Repeat several times, then allow the tsuka to dry thoroughly in the open air before replacing the katana in its bag or carrying case.
Taken from this article by Kathleen D. Fowler.
http://ejmas.com/tin/tinart_fowler_0402.htm

It also keeps the tsuka-ito clean. ;)

[Dotanuki]

I always just remove the tsuka, and throw in it the washer and dryer on the gentler cycles, cold water wash, don't shrink this way. (Don't forget the fabric softener!) This way I don't have to worry about rewrapping it!:)



I am just joking, sometimes it is hard for me to stay serious! =))

[Torawashi]

I always just remove the tsuka, and throw in it the washer and dryer on the gentler cycles, cold water wash, don't shrink this way. (Don't forget the fabric softener!) This way I don't have to worry about rewrapping it!:)



I am just joking, sometimes it is hard for me to stay serious! =))

Dot; You're lucky...mine are all "Dry Clean Only"=))

[photopro818]

How would that work? Traditionaly when you do the final knot, dont you need an excess length of ito and then cut it down after you tighten it, making it too short to rewrap?

lol sorry i skiped a part you need to tie it back when its wet. But leather dosnt work.My Kawashima ronin katana was white leather and it was short :(. But i am gona order ito to re wrap it.

I dont know about a washing machine but i did a hand was using soap.

[photopro818]

Nice find Mako i will try it. But i dont think its gona work on a light blue color ito. =D>=D>=D>

[Mako]

Nice find Mako i will try it. But i dont think its gona work on a light blue color ito. =D>=D>=D>
Maybe not...it worked on my Bugei Dragonfly but that's got dark brown ito.
Another thing I've read but can't remember where,is to gently steam the ito over boiling water,drying with a towel after each pass.
I've never tried this myself so don't blame me if the ito turns out looking like noodles. :)

[photopro818]

I think steam is the way to go.:detective:


Hmm you know what I was thinking what if I do Katati Make (battle wrap)technique. Do I need a longer Ito?

[Taskmaster99]

These look like extremely nice katanas. i have the hayari coming to me. Nice little review here.

[YoukouYuri]

Mind if I ask whether or not the yokote is cosmetic or geometric? It looks geometric to me, but I can't really tell for the new swords. Either way, they have really nice boshi!
Thanks for the review!

[bobO]

Welcome to the forum. At this price point I don't think so.

[Flashing Steel]

i'm pretty sure that because of how katate maki is done you actually end up needing less than if you did hineri maki the whole tsuka... i don't know if there is a formula for how much you need though

[Mako]

i don't know if there is a formula for how much you need though
This is the rule of thumb when ordering tsuka-ito...

The best way to calculate the required length of ito necessary to wrap your tsuka is to take the length of your tsuka measured in inches and add 3 to it. The resulting number is the number of feet you will need. Example: For a 12 inch tsuka add 12 + 3 = 15. You will need 15 feet of ito to wrap your tsuka.
All credit to Mike Crampton at Shadow of Leaves.

[Kurubushi Kamu]

Thanks Mako, I always add 4 feet just to be safe and make sure I have enough for the finishing knot. Nothing worse than wrapping a tsuka and finding out at the end the ito cant be tied! 12 inch tsuka = 16 feet of ito.(Thanks to Fred Lohmann) KK

[Mako]

What's 1 foot between friends huh? =))