Katana Review

Originally posted by Bill Martino
I'll send the pix to the kamis.
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That sounds like a great Idea Bill.:D

Maybe a new model coming soon.:)
 
Bill,

You might want to know this model goes for $800~1300+ depending on were you get it.
 
The kamis would use the pix for fire starting purposes in their forges, swearing at me all the while.
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino
The kamis would use the pix for fire starting purposes in their forges, swearing at me all the while.
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You may be right, swearing at you and me both. :D
 
Uncle Bill wrote: "The kamis would use the pix for fire starting purposes in their forges, swearing at me all the while."

I have an HI Katana, a Criswell Katana, and a Hanwei forged/folded Orchid katana (very similar to the Hanwei Tiger katana in Ankerson's pictures). My HI katana has a 10" handle and 26" blade. My only suggestion would be a bit more curve in the blade. (The characteristic curve in a traditionally made Japanese style katana, which aids greatly in making cuts with the sword, forms naturally as the blade is quenched in water with parts of the blade masked by clay.)

Please let the kamis know that the groove (the "hi") along the blade of the Tiger is not a necessary, or even very desirable feature of Japanese style katanas. These hi always slightly weaken the blade. They are there to either correct a flaw in the steel of an unfinished blade or to lighten an already finished blade. Other than these reasons, the only other advantage to having a blade with hi is that a distinctive noise is created (air moving past the groove) when the blade is swung with perfect form. (One could listen for this noise in order to gauge the trueness of one's swing.)

Some people think a groove is cool, but if a decoration weakens the blade, I can't see the point of adding it.

Regards,
Bill
 
I have an HI Katana, a Criswell Katana, and a Hanwei forged/folded Orchid katana (very similar to the Hanwei Tiger katana in Ankerson's pictures).
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Yes the Orchid is a nice Katana.


Please let the kamis know that the groove (the "hi") along the blade of the Tiger is not a necessary, or even very desirable feature of Japanese style katanas. These hi always slightly weaken the blade. They are there to either correct a flaw in the steel of an unfinished blade or to lighten an already finished blade.
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There has been alot of discussions on the BO-HI, some like it and some don't. Most Japanese Katanas don't have it. My Paul Chen Bushido Katana doesn't have it. It is really personal preference. Most of the time the BO-HI was added to lighten the blade to balance the Katana if the blade was too heavy.
 
As you can see from this photo the Tiger Katana (Left) has a much heavier blade than the Bushido Katana (Right). The HI was added to lighten the blade on the Tiger. The Tiger Blade is also longer 30.5" to 29" on the Bushido.



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Originally posted by AOE4
These hi always slightly weaken the blade. They are there to either correct a flaw in the steel of an unfinished blade or to lighten an already finished blade.

Some people think a groove is cool, but if a decoration weakens the blade, I can't see the point of adding it.

Regards,
Bill
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There are alot of ongoing discussions about the BO-HI and if it weakens the blade or not. There are 2 sides to every coin as they say. Some believe that the HI strenghtens the blade, makes it more rigid.

I don't really believe this is the place to discuss this and we aren't going to solve this age old debate here.

If you really want to discuss it or find out more info there is alot of data on it at Sword Forums International.

Here is the link:

http://forums.swordforum.com/index.php?s=




Here is a quote by Howard Clark taken from SFI:


http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14765&highlight=BOHI

Originally posted by Howard Clark
Two bars of the same material of the same section will always have the same stiffness IF they also have the same microstructure.

Usually, blades with bo-hi have a thicker mune and shinogi-ji, which plays into what you were saying about changing the section geometry.

I can make tachikaze with nearly any sword, as can most of the guys I know who cut well. It IS louder and slightly different in blades with bo-hi, because the turbulence sets up a different resonance than a "normal" blade without the bo-hi.

The bottom like here is, if you like them, fine, if you don't like them, that's fine too. The fact that a blade has or has not bo-hi indicates nothing else, it wither has or has not bo-hi. There COULD BE something more, like camoflaging ware, or not.

I don't like cutting them, and charge a lot for doing it because I don't like it, and I am not happy unless I do a good job, which takes a great deal of time. So mostly I don't. Most of the serious cutters I know do not use swords with bo-hi, because they tend to bend easier than thos without. (because all other things are not equal)
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The kamis tend to go for strength and function ahead of beauty.

HI had to overcome the "if it works well and won't break who cares what it looks like?" philosophy of the kamis to get the magic stone mirror finish and fit that we wanted. When I explained to the kamis in person that Americans were our customers, the folks who untimately paid the kamis and sarkis, and that Americans wanted knives to be beautiful in addition to being strong and functional they understood.

"You take care of those who take care of you" they agreed and the cosmetics of the HI khukuri increased dramatically.

But I still think we make the ugliest katana on the market albeit probably the toughest.
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino

But I still think we make the ugliest katana on the market albeit probably the toughest.
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I have heard good things about the HI Katana being very tough and a great cutting sword.

If they would just make the freaking handle 1 1/2" longer I could use one.;)

A 10" handle is too short for me.:grumpy:
 
a review of the aforementioned kats vs. the HI Kat!

Ank--1.5 inches makes that much diff for you? There are other grips besides the right ahnde to tsuba, left hand to kashira (butt) end. For hand and a half swords and two -handers, there is a euro style grip which places the hands very close together under the quillon block. It is a very serpentine style for a euro style, and you use the grip loosely until striking. The grip feels different for a while, but eventually you can feel the blade weight inn cinjunction with yer grip, then you've got it. May not work as well with swords under 3 lbs, tho. In Aikibudo Kobudo, my kensei used many grips...some I woulda thought improper or impractical, but I was proven wrong every time.

Keith
 
Originally posted by Ferrous Wheel
a review of the aforementioned kats vs. the HI Kat!

Ank--1.5 inches makes that much diff for you? There are other grips besides the right ahnde to tsuba, left hand to kashira (butt) end. For hand and a half swords and two -handers, there is a euro style grip which places the hands very close together under the quillon block. It is a very serpentine style for a euro style, and you use the grip loosely until striking. The grip feels different for a while, but eventually you can feel the blade weight inn cinjunction with yer grip, then you've got it. May not work as well with swords under 3 lbs, tho. In Aikibudo Kobudo, my kensei used many grips...some I woulda thought improper or impractical, but I was proven wrong every time.

Keith
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I don't like my hands to be that close together, it doesn't feel right to me. It's like my hands and forearms are binding durning the swing, it's not a very comfortable feeling I can tell you.;)
 
The quote by Howard Clark: "Most of the serious cutters I know do not use swords with bo-hi, because they tend to bend easier than thos without." Thanks for the link! That's the best thread on Hi that I've seen. Since Howard Clark is arguably one of the three finest Japanese style blade smiths in the US, I'd tend to accept his opinion.

If I were to buy another Hanwei katana, it would be a Tiger. Since my Orchid is supposed to be lighter than most other Hanwei katanas, a Tiger would complement it. (And having Bo-Hi on one katana would be nice. I just wouldn't want it on my only katana.) By the way, Hanwei's prices just went up.

You (Ankerson) might like the handle on the Criswell katana. Mine has a 15" handle (29" blade). Of course, other than being a katana, it's not very "Japanese style".

Even though I can accept a 9" handle (like on my HI katana), I agree that another few inches in the handle would be nice. So I'd like to see an Everest Katana with a bit more curve in the blade and maybe a 12" handle. And as Uncle Bill mentioned, no decorations on the blade!

My point in mentioning Hi was that I figured that the Kamis might copy the Bo-Hi in the pictures of the Tiger, thinking that all of us would want it.

Regards,
Bill
 
AOE4,


I am thinking of ordering a custom Bugi L-6 Katana (Howard Clark makes the L6 Blades) with a 30" blade and 15" Tsuka. Of couse it takes about 18 months to get one made, but I think it will be worth it. ;)
 
Ankerson wrote: "I am thinking of ordering a custom Bugi L-6 Katana (Howard Clark makes the L6 Blades) with a 30" blade and 15" Tsuba. Of couse it takes about 18 months to get one made, but I think it will be worth it."

Right now I'm trying to find a way to pay for both a Clark L6 Katana and one of his folded (San Mai) katanas from Burgei. Sigh...18 months. For anyone not familiar with the Clark/Burgei Bainite (L6) Katana, it's reputed to be the toughest katana (for it's weight) ever made.

Uncle Bill wrote: "The kamis are working on this special 45 inch katana -- 2/3 blade, 1/3 handle..."

I'd definitely buy one of these. But I'd suggest a 28" blade...to cut down on weight and improve balance. But that's just my opinion. (Being 5'10" and 160 lbs, I'm probably not as big physically as some of the other forumites.) The HI katana blades seem to me to be both thick and wide (based on the one I have) and a heavy 30" blade might make them difficult to properly wield. Again, just my opinion.

Regards,
Bill
 
Originally posted by AOE4

Right now I'm trying to find a way to pay for both a Clark L6 Katana and one of his folded (San Mai) katanas from Burgei. Sigh...18 months. For anyone not familiar with the Clark/Burgei Bainite (L6) Katana, it's reputed to be the toughest katana (for it's weight) ever made.

Regards,
Bill
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Well we would have to pay 1/3 of the money up front and 1/3 when the blade is ready for polishing and the last 1/3 when the finished Katana is ready to be shipped. This is in a 18 month period. Not too bad really.
 
Ankerson wrote: "Well we would have to pay 1/3 of the money up front and 1/3 when the blade is ready for polishing and the last 1/3 when the finished Katana is ready to be shipped. This is in a 18 month period. Not too bad really."

You're right. Burgei's payment method makes such a large purchase possible. So I have no doubt that sooner or later I will order one or both of the Clark katanas that I mentioned. It's just that there are so many other items to buy. $2000 would, for example, go a long way towards completing my HI khukuri collection.

It'll be interesting to see which of us gets a Bainite Katana first. Would you post a review here if you get yours first?

Getting back on topic, I hope Bill will get the Kamis to make a whole bunch of the new katanas (the ones with handles making up 1/3 the total length). Just one or two (or even a half dozen) probably wouldn't keep us all happy.

Regards,
Bill
 
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