Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Mar 31, 2009 22:23:58 GMT -5
Oni Forge Ryu
Jan. 24, 2007
Today I will offer up thoughts on another Oni Forge katana...the Ryu.I have no suitable competitor to compare it with , so it is pictured with an older Oni model, the Tonbo.
My backsteps, and homemade kake tell me that they hope to one day me as famous as Aaron Justice's tile foyer floor and throw rug...a lofty goal indeed.
Here are the stats on the Ryu.
Nagasa: 29.5 in.
Tsuka: 11 in.
Weight: 2.75 lbs
Sori: 3/4 in.
Moto-Haba: 1 1/4 in.
Saki-Haba: 1 in.
Moto-Kasane: 1/4 in.
Steel: AISI 1070
Aesthetics
The Ryu is a good looking sword.Sugata is u-no-kubi zukuri.
The fuchigashira are the same stone finished set on the Kiyomaro. The menuki are silver dragons(ryu), and the tsuba is a floral design called hana. The tsuba is very nicely done as far as materials ,finish and dimensions.
The fit and finish of the Ryu is excellent. The polish is nice and the hamon very subtly presented.The maki is very tight, as is the whole sword.Nothing moves,shakes, rattles or budges in any way. There is no rattle in the saya, no movement in the tsuba , or fittings.
The transition from the regular geometry to the high shinogi is nicely done. The shinogi ji are mirror polished ,and the ji are satin.
The kissaki nicely sidesteps the issue with most production kissaki:the counter polished yokote. This being u-no-kubi , there is no yokote. This is not to everyones taste , but I like it.
Handling Characteristics
The Ryu has a nagasa of 29.5, with 11.5 inches of tsuka. The Oni site lists it at 11 inches, but there is 10.5 inches of maki, fuchi+maki is 11 ,add the kashira and you get 11.5.
Combining the koshi hi , with the high shinogi , we get a balance point of 5.5 inches form the tsuba.
The weight of 2.75 pounds feels nice.
The tsuka is slim and tapered and as mentioned the itomaki is rock solid.
Every Oni Forge sword I've owned has handled like a sports car, and the Ryu is no exception.
Cutting
The Tonbo is a nice cutting sword. It is fast and light , and I expected it to outperform the Ryu on the softer targets. Not so. The geometry of the Ryu, combined with it's blade prescence make it an excellent cutter.
The Ryu cuts easier with less force in the giri, making form easier to concentrate on.
This sword is definitely on the top of the list as far as the best cutters I have used, to determine it's actual placement will require much more very fun research.
Conclusion
The Ryu is another excellent sword in Oni's line up.
I now own a Tonbo,Ryu , Ukigumo and Kiyomaro, and an Ashigaru,Shinobi and several more tonbo have passed through my hands.
The Ashigaru is not up to the other Oni katana's standards,being from the economy series,but compares well to it's pricepoint competitors like Cheness.
All the Oni swords I've owned have been excellent cutters,with nice hardware, rock solid maki, and good all around fit and finish. They all handle well, and are definitely nice user friendly swords.
Combining the quality , with the nice pricing, the variety of unusual sugata,and the improvement and innovation in each new generation,makes Oni Forge the most exciting company to watch in my opinion.
Thanks for reading.
Jan. 24, 2007
Today I will offer up thoughts on another Oni Forge katana...the Ryu.I have no suitable competitor to compare it with , so it is pictured with an older Oni model, the Tonbo.
My backsteps, and homemade kake tell me that they hope to one day me as famous as Aaron Justice's tile foyer floor and throw rug...a lofty goal indeed.
Here are the stats on the Ryu.
Nagasa: 29.5 in.
Tsuka: 11 in.
Weight: 2.75 lbs
Sori: 3/4 in.
Moto-Haba: 1 1/4 in.
Saki-Haba: 1 in.
Moto-Kasane: 1/4 in.
Steel: AISI 1070
Aesthetics
The Ryu is a good looking sword.Sugata is u-no-kubi zukuri.
The fuchigashira are the same stone finished set on the Kiyomaro. The menuki are silver dragons(ryu), and the tsuba is a floral design called hana. The tsuba is very nicely done as far as materials ,finish and dimensions.
The fit and finish of the Ryu is excellent. The polish is nice and the hamon very subtly presented.The maki is very tight, as is the whole sword.Nothing moves,shakes, rattles or budges in any way. There is no rattle in the saya, no movement in the tsuba , or fittings.
The transition from the regular geometry to the high shinogi is nicely done. The shinogi ji are mirror polished ,and the ji are satin.
The kissaki nicely sidesteps the issue with most production kissaki:the counter polished yokote. This being u-no-kubi , there is no yokote. This is not to everyones taste , but I like it.
Handling Characteristics
The Ryu has a nagasa of 29.5, with 11.5 inches of tsuka. The Oni site lists it at 11 inches, but there is 10.5 inches of maki, fuchi+maki is 11 ,add the kashira and you get 11.5.
Combining the koshi hi , with the high shinogi , we get a balance point of 5.5 inches form the tsuba.
The weight of 2.75 pounds feels nice.
The tsuka is slim and tapered and as mentioned the itomaki is rock solid.
Every Oni Forge sword I've owned has handled like a sports car, and the Ryu is no exception.
Cutting
The Tonbo is a nice cutting sword. It is fast and light , and I expected it to outperform the Ryu on the softer targets. Not so. The geometry of the Ryu, combined with it's blade prescence make it an excellent cutter.
The Ryu cuts easier with less force in the giri, making form easier to concentrate on.
This sword is definitely on the top of the list as far as the best cutters I have used, to determine it's actual placement will require much more very fun research.
Conclusion
The Ryu is another excellent sword in Oni's line up.
I now own a Tonbo,Ryu , Ukigumo and Kiyomaro, and an Ashigaru,Shinobi and several more tonbo have passed through my hands.
The Ashigaru is not up to the other Oni katana's standards,being from the economy series,but compares well to it's pricepoint competitors like Cheness.
All the Oni swords I've owned have been excellent cutters,with nice hardware, rock solid maki, and good all around fit and finish. They all handle well, and are definitely nice user friendly swords.
Combining the quality , with the nice pricing, the variety of unusual sugata,and the improvement and innovation in each new generation,makes Oni Forge the most exciting company to watch in my opinion.
Thanks for reading.