Katana Collection

gurkha berserka

gurkha berserka

Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
1,602
Hi guys, here are most of my Katana and a Great Sword of War. These are all battle worthy fully functional pieces of steel. They are all razor sharp, some are differently hardened and some are through hardened depending on the steel. I have 1095 dual hard, 1065 dual hard, 1060 through hard, 1045 through hard, 5160 dual hard, 9260 through hard. I probably have a couple other types of steel but that's the majority. The 5160 steel that was used in the great sword is the same steel used in the kukris for HI. Its uber tough stuff, the only tougher steel I know of that I own is the 9260 Bujinkan katana. Its the long handle katana with the short blade. Its steel is 9260 and has silicon introduced into the mix which creates a super steel. I have seen destruction tests where the guy chopped wood with the sword without the slightest damage. He also took a swing at a galvanized steel tube... the galvanized steel got a slice in it but the blade hardly got a scratch. This is probably the toughest sword I own due to the silicone in the steel. Enjoy the pics...

Bujinkan 9260 steel. The tang extends all the way through the grip for striking, retention and blocking techniques. This is the only true historic "ninja" sword design by the head of the Bujinkan society...
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Great Sword of War 5160 steel and over 4 feet long. Very tough sword with perfect balance. Designed by Tinker Pierce...
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Displays in my living room and bedroom...
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Out of the saya...
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Here are a couple of dual hardened blades with gorgeous hamons. The one of the right is a little harder to see but it has a very nice subtle hamon with good borders and lines.
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I have a few others but this is most of them. I also have a ton of guns and knives I will post when I get the chance. Have a great day everyone!
 
Very nice, I notice that you store yours with the koshirae fitted rather than in shirasaya, be careful of over oiling them. If you get too much oil on them it will soak into the saya which can cause some corrosion issues. I also like that your house is at peace :)
 
Friggin' Savage!


Seeing that makes me feel better about my own humble collection. :eek:



Big Mike
 
Beautiful collection and a very nice 401K program I would think. Better than loot in the bank.
 
Shavru said:
Very nice, I notice that you store yours with the koshirae fitted rather than in shirasaya, be careful of over oiling them. If you get too much oil on them it will soak into the saya which can cause some corrosion issues. I also like that your house is at peace :)
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Thank you for the advice and I see you are very well informed on the katana. I never over oil and I make sure I tend to each and every sword at least once a month. I use the ancient technique of a powder ball and rice paper to remove any excess oil and polish the blade. I then use Hoppes #4 gun oil... I know, I know I should use choji oil but I find the Hoppes works better on steel and stays longer without turning "gummy" which I find choji oil can do if left for a long time. I always clean in inspect all my saya, I check the throat for any moisture or oil damage. I am very respectful of these instruments, someone put forth a great effort to make them and I will put forth a great effort to keep them up.
Oh.. yes my house is at peace, the sword stands are only half the story. It is a very tranquil and relaxing place. My wife practices Yoga and I also meditate there often there. The energy is good and pure, my cats bask in nirvana and my plants thrive. I have lived in chaos and contempt before and I will never go back to that life again

Bawanna... I keep telling everyone that its better than money in the bank when they see my collection. Some people think money in the bank is the answer, but its subject to inflation and the trending market. Our collections will always be worth what we paid and then some. Our kukri, firearm, and other collectibles are better than cash cause we can play with them all day long hahahaha.
 
Beautiful collection! I'd love to own a katana that i could fall back on in case of (shoot me, i know) a zombie apocalypse/shtf scenario, so which of yours would you be having on the way or the door (for functionality, not necessarily for value)? I was thinking the through hardened 9260, but I'm just guessing. I've been looking at the Ronin Pro Dojo series or the Cheness through hardened 9260 series. Suggestions?
 
moogoogaidan said:
Beautiful collection! I'd love to own a katana that i could fall back on in case of (shoot me, i know) a zombie apocalypse/shtf scenario, so which of yours would you be having on the way or the door (for functionality, not necessarily for value)? I was thinking the through hardened 9260, but I'm just guessing. I've been looking at the Ronin Pro Dojo series or the Cheness through hardened 9260 series. Suggestions?
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The Cheness Bujinkan is my go to sword. I have a lot of practice with it and I am fairly confident in my abilities with it. Its super tough and made to last, the ito is tight and thick. It is double mekugi, one being bamboo the other being copper. There is no chance of the tsuka failing due to the quality of wood, the shape of the grip, and the double mekugi. The same or sting ray skin is really thick with nice bumps and ripples. It keeps the Ito or wrapping super tight and helps absorb shock. The tsuba is solid brass and has a larger shape for blocking and some pressure point technique work. I love this friggin sword even though it isn't my most expensive or collectable.

Both the Cheness and Ronin are very good choices and values. I have owned a few swords from both brands but I prefer Cheness due to their perfect heat treatment. Not all steels are created equally as I am sure you are aware. Another huge thing that comes into play is heat treatment, more so than the steel being used. Cheness has PERFECTED their heat treatment and Paul Chen the owner is almost as good as Auntie when it comes to customer service. He actually hand picked out my Bujinkan for me after a few emails. I had a few concerns but he laid them to rest and actually went in the warehouse, went through a dozen swords and picked me out the best one. Now that's customer service!!! Auntie is also on par if not better than Paul Chen but not my much lol. Don't confuse Cheness's Paul Chen with Hanwei's Paul Chen... they are two different people.

Anyway... I would go with the Cheness in any model you like. My favorites are the Bujinkan for its design and multiple strike/block/retention techniques, the Nagasa due to its longer blade for men sized men like me lol, and the Tenchi Ko Katana due to its short length which is perfect for CQB or zombies lol. The Ronin's use a mixture of 1060 and 9260 steel, but you wont get the toughness of a through hardened 9260 steel blade. Cheness does offer a couple dual hardened models but they aren't as tough and are more for people looking for a traditional dual hardened katata.

Sooo I guess what I am saying is Cheness all the way brotha! Paul Chen also stopped selling to whole sellers and other retail establishments to avoid raising his prices. He hasn't raised his prices in almost a decade. He actually stopped selling to "re sellers" because he couldn't offer them enough of a discount for them to make money. He is making swords for people who use swords, he isn't out for money. I don't work for him, I don't make any money off him, but I believe in his mission statement and recommend his products fiercely!!!
 
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I do still use choji oil on my swords :D and I also still use the uchiko balls, if you get the true Japanese ones they are made of the last little bits of waterstones that has been powdered. This is fairly abrasive and when you use choji you must use something like this to remove the old "gummy" as you put it choji. If you are not using choji just Hoppe's then you probably do not need to use the Uchiko. Also if you are using a non-Japanese uchiko it is probably talcum powder or corn starch :P You could use any of the Hoppe's cleaners instead and not have an abrasive rub on your blade and it would probably do as well or better. As some of my blades are fairly old I maintain them with as close to traditional as possible and only allow a certified polisher to care for them should any rust actually occur. I have been lucky in that I have not had any rust in quite a number of years. Glad to hear that the energy at home is good and pure I hope you will always be able to say that.
 
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very cool, love antiques and especially love them when they have so much history and respect invested in them-- very impressive collection
 
Bawanna said:
Beautiful collection and a very nice 401K program I would think. Better than loot in the bank.
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Dang straight! I feel dumber than a puffball when it comes to all the knowledge soaked into one of those traditional Katanas. Id love to pick your brain on those Katanas Gurkha but i wouldnt even know where to start. Beautiful collection!
 
Shavru said:
I do still use choji oil on my swords :D and I also still use the uchiko balls, if you get the true Japanese ones they are made of the last little bits of waterstones that has been powdered. This is fairly abrasive and when you use choji you must use something like this to remove the old "gummy" as you put it choji. If you are not using choji just Hoppe's then you probably do not need to use the Uchiko. Also if you are using a non-Japanese uchiko it is probably talcum powder or corn starch :P You could use any of the Hoppe's cleaners instead and not have an abrasive rub on your blade and it would probably do as well or better. As some of my blades are fairly old I maintain them with as close to traditional as possible and only allow a certified polisher to care for them should any rust actually occur. I have been lucky in that I have not had any rust in quite a number of years. Glad to hear that the energy at home is good and pure I hope you will always be able to say that.
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I usually throw the stuff that comes in the "Chinese" sword maintenance kits away. I just keep the box, rice paper, brass hammer, and drying cloth. I immediately throw away that stupid little powder ball that comes with it and what they call choji oil is really just kerosene or some other type of cheap substance. I order my maintenance kits from a sword shop who gets their stuff directly form Japan. The kits are four times the cost of the cheap ones but they are worth it. Please post some pics of your older katana when you have the chance, I don't care if they are koshirae or in shirasaya lol.... I just love seeing old handcrafted katana. Here is a link to a great site with good prices on antique and special katana. They are an honest company and have some of the best prices going on rare and antique swords... http://www.japanese-sword-katana.jp/
 
My japanese is a little rusty. How much is 1,200,000 whatever they use to whatever we use?

I'm thinking lots!
 
That's precisely my plan when that ship comes in loaded with them 1,200,000 whatevers.

I figure my sword user days are used up but there's a ton of other HI bent pointy things I still got a hankering for.

Should be able to get a few I hope.
 
Bawanna said:
That's precisely my plan when that ship comes in loaded with them 1,200,000 whatevers.

I figure my sword user days are used up but there's a ton of other HI bent pointy things I still got a hankering for.

Should be able to get a few I hope.
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lmao... You are the best! There are actually a few on that site that aren't to expensive when you consider the age and skill it takes to make them. There are a few for under 550,000 yen. The tantos are a great buy too.
 
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