Ronin Katana

[DRobertson]

Hi yall, new to the forum. Ive heard some positive things about Ronin Katana, and I wanted to ask on your thoughts of this brand. Im a sword collector.

 

[BePrepared]

In my amateur opinion, it really depends on what you want in a Katana, but there are quite a few out there that are a good deal cheaper, Cheness for instance, which are also made out of much tougher steel. You lose the option for customized furniture, but you save 50% of the cost.

9260 through hardened steel is going to be MUCH tougher than 1095 (assuming quality heat treats on both blades) . That's just simple metallurgy

On the other hand, if you want something with specific attributes, you should list them, because I can't guess what you are really looking for, or what you want to do with it, so I can't begin to guess if a Cheness blade will work for you

 

[Noctis3880]

In my amateur opinion, it really depends on what you want in a Katana, but there are quite a few out there that are a good deal cheaper, Cheness for instance, which are also made out of much tougher steel. You lose the option for customized furniture, but you save 50% of the cost.

9260 through hardened steel is going to be MUCH tougher than 1095 (assuming quality heat treats on both blades) . That's just simple metallurgy

On the other hand, if you want something with specific attributes, you should list them, because I can't guess what you are really looking for, or what you want to do with it, so I can't begin to guess if a Cheness blade will work for you

9260 and 1095 is sort of apples and oranges, though Ronin actually uses 1060 for their Pro line, 1095 for the hammer forged, and a multi-steel laminate of 1095, 1060, and 1045 for their elite line. The toughness of 9260 is unquestionable, given that one SBG reviewer tried to break a Cheness katana by doing everything short of taking a sledgehammer to it(including slicing up a 55 gallon steel drum), and wasn't able to.

OP did mention he was a sword collector, so I assume the ability to play whack-a-tree isn't too important.

There are reviews here:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...Ronin-Dojo-Pro-Ko-Katana-Bring-on-the-Zombies!!

Same reviewer on the Sword Buyer's Guide site, who seems to rate them highly(though of course they sell them as well, so it may be worth taking the news with a grain of salt).

My personal impression is that there are slight imperfections, 2 slight scuffs on the stingray wraps, uneven "bumps" underneath the paint of the saya butt. Minor stuff, but it might bug you if you're anal over the details. I personally thought the satin finished blade was beautiful and absolutely flawless. The buffalo horn is somewhat random, some parts look like cheap black plastic, while other parts have a beautiful pattern like Desert Ironwood.

The Elite line might have better fit and finish and attention to detail, but I wouldn't know for certain.

But as a collector, I would think a differentially hardened blade with a hamon line would be more desirable.

I personally decided to go for the SBG(Sword Buyer's Guide) custom ko-katana. It offers you a bit more flexibility as far as fittings designs, as well as color. I decided to go with a white saya, wrap, and stingray grips. Also uses T-10 differentially hardened tool steel, and offers a few choice "premium" upgrades like folded T-10 for a damascus appearance, leather ito wrap, and stingray wrap on the saya. I'm expecting mine sometime in June:thumbup:.

 

[DRobertson]

Even though i collect swords, I still use the heck out of them. Does the 9260 spring steel chip or roll easy? thanks.

p.s. which steel is best for heavy cutting?

 

[BePrepared]

It does neither easily... it will do both under the right impact... 9260 is the best commonly available katana steel I know... some folks say s7 and a few other high end steels are better, but I have no experience with them

 

[horseclover]

It does neither easily... it will do both under the right impact... 9260 is the best commonly available katana steel I know... some folks say s7 and a few other high end steels are better, but I have no experience with them

Not to be simply argumentative but what source/maker/brand of swords do you know of aside from Cheness that actually uses 9260?

IIRC, he (Paul Chen of Cheness) selected 9260 because his forge of choice could not (or would not) source 5160. The conversations of 2005 long gone from Sword Forum International but believe me when I say I was there to read his introduction of budget swords with junk alloy fittings. He wanted to use a tough blade steel and better quality build overall was still some time to come back then. Hence the negative history of the brand while his business was under development.

So, please do list other brands using 9260. I am truly curious what you can relate on its use by other than the Cheness swords.
Cheers

GC

Here you go, the thread and profile for P Y Chen regarding the selection of 9260
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?59550-Identifying-steel-based-on-content&highlight=

 

[Willie71]

9260 has a very high silicon content, 2% iirc. That is what gives it the toughness. This steel has become very popular for high performance springs, such as motocross bikes and off-road trucks. It won't have the edge holding of higher carbon steels though. Other steels that are great for toughness/flexibility are 5160, L6, 80CRV2 (starting to replace 5160 as it has better edge holding, and is part of the L2 spec) and one of my personal favourites, 15N20, which until recently was only available in very thin stock. 15N20 has high nickel, which is responsible for its toughness and flexibility. CPM3V is considered one of the toughest steels out there.

 

[horseclover]

9260 has a very high silicon content, 2% iirc. That is what gives it the toughness. This steel has become very popular for high performance springs, such as motocross bikes and off-road trucks. It won't have the edge holding of higher carbon steels though. Other steels that are great for toughness/flexibility are 5160, L6, 80CRV2 (starting to replace 5160 as it has better edge holding, and is part of the L2 spec) and one of my personal favourites, 15N20, which until recently was only available in very thin stock. 15N20 has high nickel, which is responsible for its toughness and flexibility. CPM3V is considered one of the toughest steels out there.

Terrific. Do you know of anyone aside from Cheness using 9260 for katana blades?

Cheers

GC

 

[Willie71]

I know very little about swords. The only reason I looked up the 9260, is my father has boxes of new chisel plow shovels made from the stuff and didn't need them when he retired from farming. I wondered how it would work for large knives. That's when I found it was used in some swords. I don't see any reason to differential harden it, as it is so springy anyway, and the manganese level is too high to show a distinct hamon. If you are looking for durable and abusable over edge holding, it's a great choice. Getting someone to stack weld some 15n20 Into a sword size billet would be my choice for a durable/edge holding combo. Think 1075 with 2% nickel added for toughness (more than L6). It has less chromium, so fewer carbides, but finer grain. I use it on most of my thin blades like chefs knives, unless someone is looking for edge holding above all else.

 

[Noctis3880]

Not to be simply argumentative but what source/maker/brand of swords do you know of aside from Cheness that actually uses 9260?

IIRC, he (Paul Chen of Cheness) selected 9260 because his forge of choice could not (or would not) source 5160. The conversations of 2005 long gone from Sword Forum International but believe me when I say I was there to read his introduction of budget swords with junk alloy fittings. He wanted to use a tough blade steel and better quality build overall was still some time to come back then. Hence the negative history of the brand while his business was under development.

So, please do list other brands using 9260. I am truly curious what you can relate on its use by other than the Cheness swords.
Cheers

GC

Here you go, the thread and profile for P Y Chen regarding the selection of 9260
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?59550-Identifying-steel-based-on-content&highlight=

Not sure where you're going with this. Is 9260 supposed to be inferior to 5160 or 1060?

Because the thing seems pretty damned tough:
http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/authentic-ninja-sword.html

I also realize the same site is selling the swords, but unless it's a silver-colored rubber prop in his hands, I think the guy just played whack-a-steel-tube with his katana, with the katana coming out on top.

That's honestly more toughness than I would ever need, but for what you pay, it's almost the same price as a quality carbon steel meat cleaver. I myself opted for the SBG custom with T-10 tool steel, which has a lot of controversy surrounding it given some forge's tendency to name some simple carbon steels with zero tungsten content the same name.

 

[horseclover]

Hey, you know? All I asked was a simple question. Let me try again. Does anyone aside from Cheness use 9260 for katana blades?

Cheers

GC

 

[Triton]

Hi yall, new to the forum. Ive heard some positive things about Ronin Katana, and I wanted to ask on your thoughts of this brand. Im a sword collector.

So I guess I would ask what's the point of your collecting activities? Is the goal to have a bunch of swords? A bunch of inexpensive swords? A sword from each culture? High end art pieces? Bargain basement katanaesque objects? What are we attempting to do?

 

[Willie71]

Hey, you know? All I asked was a simple question. Let me try again. Does anyone aside from Cheness use 9260 for katana blades?

Cheers

GC

Not to be a dick, but have you tried google?

 

[horseclover]

Not to be a dick, but have you tried google?

So, you don't know. That's cool. My original post was directed to someone mentioning "9260 is the best commonly available katana steel I know". I then posted information I am familiar with. Apparently, no one reading here has an answer to what was a bit of a rhetorical question. If you or someone else can show the steel being used for sword production, aside from Cheness, I'd be delighted.

Cheers

GC

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

So, you don't know. That's cool. My original post was directed to someone mentioning "9260 is the best commonly available katana steel I know". I then posted information I am familiar with. Apparently, no one reading here has an answer to what was a bit of a rhetorical question. If you or someone else can show the steel being used for sword production, aside from Cheness, I'd be delighted.

Cheers

GC

He does not know what he's talking about, so you are left to your own devices.

 

[horseclover]

Of further note, I have mentioned in this forum that Ronin swords would appeal to me if I were in the market at the sliding market price vs "goodness" if I were not hung up with traditional aesthetic. The Dynasty Forge stuff, similarly appealing with fewer options.

I am not an authority on the current katana market (nor shopping for a katana) but have read endless Cheness threads without being as attracted to them as other offerings. I have seen both sides of the fence and some still like them. That's cool. It is a buyers market after all. Performance videos for blades of any sort generally promotional to one end or another. The term fan boy could be used for any wowed by feats attainable by many steels and sword sources. It gets old, really old.

Interested in swords? Learn about them. Buy the best sword that appeals to you after a lot of window shopping and understanding. Or, buy whatever it is that tugs your purse strings at the moment without knowing what you are looking at.

Cheers

GC

 

[horseclover]

He does not know what he's talking about, so you are left to your own devices.

Being left to my own devices generally means ignoring the ignorant and pursuing my own knowledge and interests. I get sucked in to hopefully correct bad statements. My own fault

Cheers

GC

 

[Noctis3880]

I am not an authority on the current katana market (nor shopping for a katana) but have read endless Cheness threads without being as attracted to them as other offerings. I have seen both sides of the fence and some still like them. That's cool. It is a buyers market after all. Performance videos for blades of any sort generally promotional to one end or another. The term fan boy could be used for any wowed by feats attainable by many steels and sword sources. It gets old, really old.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure most swords would be pretty badly damaged if you slam it into a steel pipe, mostly on account of the fact that swords are not designed for such use. I think a fire axe might be better suited for that role.

Still, I'm not sure what precisely you expect when you consider what people would buy a sword for these days. Guns have effectively replaced them for any combat use for the past couple of centuries, and a knife is perfectly good for indoor use. Any clearing of shrubbery is done better with specialized tools like machetes and the aforementioned axe. A stainless blade is just as good to serve as a wallhanger or decoration.

For something with little practical purpose, I wouldn't expect a market with a practical reason to buy it.

Interested in swords? Learn about them. Buy the best sword that appeals to you after a lot of window shopping and understanding. Or, buy whatever it is that tugs your purse strings at the moment without knowing what you are looking at.

If life was so simple, why we would never need another knife simply because the first one would satisfy all our needs. Alas, we buy for want and not solely for need.

Boys with toys:thumbup:.


So far as that last bit, customs are always an option:thumbup:.

 

[horseclover]

Still, I'm not sure what precisely you expect when you consider what people would buy a sword for these days.

Any number of reasons, it is entirely subjective.

The SBG video mimics a review of the first 9260 Cheness offerings. All I can offer is a bit more cyber yawning. The soft metal (iron? mild steel?) post trick means nothing but showmanship. Get a grip (hey, that rhymes ). Perhaps such videos mean the world of difference for some.

Cheers

GC

in post script

colored usernames and post counts don't always mean I am the one that needs schooling

 

[horseclover]

Ok. There is twenty minutes I'll never get back. Yes, there are other rebranders marketing 9260 bladed katana. I guess it is all the rage.

Credit where credit is due and I am a doubter at fault.

GC