#11233 - 06/27/09 09:41 AM
Re: *Hint Drop*
[Re: Stefanie]
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UPSF Lieutenant
Registered: 04/19/08
Posts: 459
Loc: Overland Park, KS
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Wow. So I've killed the last two evenings doing sword research. I briefly settled on SBG's custom swords which are appealing in that their traditional differential hardening technique produces a genuine hamon while at the same time using modern alloys to do it. The idea of a truly unique sword is also highly appealing.
Then I read the reviews for the Cheness blades. True, a spring-steel blade is hardly traditional, but my wee bit of research indicates that sticking too closely to authentic materials and production tends to push a given sword more towards showpiece status and away from being functional (for example, using differential hardening to create the bend that epitomizes the katana, by its very nature also produces a difference in hardness which reduces a sword's ability to endure wear and tear, particularly shocks).
If it was a minor tradeoff I'd still seriously consider the more traditional option but the absolutely insane resilience of the Chenese blades pretty much has me sold. The Tenchi model looks like an excellent choice and SBG's enthusiastic review of their O-Katana made it also appealing. Their documentation suggests that it best compliments a height of 6'3" or more so I don't quite qualify. Yes, the reviewer was decidedly much shorter but I don't want it to be awkward to draw.
As silly as it sounds, I even went so far as to do "practice draws" with a tape measure, "drawing" to the length of the 33" blade. Depending on where the saya would actually hang, this might be quite doable.
Then on SBG's store I noticed a sword that I didn't see on the Cheness site. It doesn't appear to have a name like the others and is simply titled >>30" Nagasa<<. It's a sharp-looking sword and meshes well the rest of the Cheness spring-steel lineup save for the blue. It's description implies that it's basically a "gaijin-scale" design so perhaps they're also attempting to appeal to what they think gaijin tastes are. Anyway, the blue bit is a little less than optimal but I presume "fixable" and the "long legged crane" tsuba is one of the neatest I've seen which makes up for it a bit.
I would of course welcome any input that the Blade Princess might offer to my random musings.
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#11298 - 06/29/09 10:34 AM
Re: *Hint Drop*
[Re: Tsunami3k]
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UPSF Captain
Registered: 06/17/08
Posts: 1452
Loc: Nashville, TN USA
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Then on SBG's store I noticed a sword that I didn't see on the Cheness site. It doesn't appear to have a name like the others and is simply titled >>30" Nagasa<<.
I would of course welcome any input that the Blade Princess might offer to my random musings.
Regarding Cheness, if you want the toughest, most durable cutter, most suggest going with the through tempered 9260 Tenchi. If you want the sharpest, most laser-like cutter, the differentially tempered Kaze seems to be the highest regarded. It has a true hamon, but supposedly 9260 steel doesn't show it off as well (though I haven't seen the Kaze myself, other than the photos).
As I've said, I'm not a professional, nor even formally trained, but I would think those two blades would be you best choices from the Cheness line, and for a beginner who's just going to cut mats or plastic bottles in the back yard, I think the Tenchi would be the wiser selection of those two. The fittings are always a subjective thing, and they can be changed, but that could be expensive, depending on what you want. I wouldn't recommend getting an okatana as a first nihonto. I have a functional okatana with a 46" blade and a 16" tsuka (measurements which usually are only seen in odachi), and while it looks menacing, that's about all it's good for. lol A 30" blade is much more practical, of course; but still, I'd rather have a regular length katana as a first choice.
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#11312 - 06/29/09 04:37 PM
Re: *Hint Drop*
[Re: Hobby Ninja]
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UPSF Captain
Registered: 06/17/08
Posts: 1452
Loc: Nashville, TN USA
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Ah, the Govt. Model 1911. 
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#11403 - 06/30/09 10:00 PM
Re: *Hint Drop*
[Re: Stefanie]
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UPSF Lieutenant
Registered: 04/19/08
Posts: 459
Loc: Overland Park, KS
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Now you've got me thinking about Lady Snowblood and Princess Blade. lol Note entirely by accident. :-P Regarding Cheness, if you want the toughest, most durable cutter, most suggest going with the through tempered 9260 Tenchi. If you want the sharpest, most laser-like cutter, the differentially tempered Kaze seems to be the highest regarded. It has a true hamon, but supposedly 9260 steel doesn't show it off as well (though I haven't seen the Kaze myself, other than the photos). I came across the Kaze just after making my previous post. According to SBG it would have cost double to polish it enough to bring out the hamon. It seems to be a really nice union of tradition and modern metallurgy which is highly appealing. Perhaps, though, in the interest of keeping my ears, I should first practice the kata from the kendo book I bought a year ago.
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#11660 - 07/09/09 03:08 PM
Re: *Hint Drop*
[Re: Hobby Ninja]
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UPSF Captain
Registered: 06/17/08
Posts: 1452
Loc: Nashville, TN USA
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I didn't get the tachi, but I did go to DSW for a little shoe splurging. 
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