Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Jul 16, 2009 19:12:31 GMT -5
Kensei Fudo
Handachi
Review by Marc Kaden Ridgeway , Atlanta GA USA ------16 July 2009
This is my second review of the new Kensei models. Last time I looked at the Chisaigatana, a small katana that I thought was a real winner. This time I went the exacy opposite direction am reviewing the monster Fudo Handachi.
Handachi is a style of sword mount that is intermediary between tachi and uchigatana. The Fudo likewise is intermediary between a nodachi and a katana.
It is based largely on the Jidai no-Dachi by Kensei, but with 6 inches or so lopped off the nagasa.
The Fudo was delivered within 4 days securely packaged and double boxed.
First sight and hefting of this sword impress the size, even though this is the Jidai's little brother , it is still a massive sword. I took some comparison pictures with an Angus Trim Longsword and a regular old katana...
So lets get some specs and see how the Fudo measures up...
Specifications
Nagasa-------- 33 in
Tsuka-----------15 in with fittings
Motohaba-------1.7 in
Sakihaba--------1.0 in.
Motokasane-----7.7mm
Sakikasane------6 mm
POB----------------5.5 in from tsuba
Sori-----------------1.3 in
Steel----------------1070 water quenched
Weight ----------@ 4 lbs
Aesthetics
Sugata is shinogi zukuri with a 2 inch kissaki , that I consider an extended chu-kissaki. The yokote is cosmetic, but the kissaki a bit better done than the Jidai's.
The shinogi-ji are burnished to a mirror - sheen and the ji are in a working polish. The hamon is an unenhanced suguha and the boshi is ko-maru.
The saya is a flattened elliptical shape, and orage-peel textured with brass accents.
The tsuka is panelled in white same and wrapped with brown silk ito. The unadorned tsuba is blackened steel, and teh habaki and seppa are nickle-silver.
The fuchigashira are polished brass with brass sh!todome and the menuki are gold colored dragons.
The overall package , to my eye , flows quite well.
Construction; Fit & Finish
The Fudo is a rock-solid, nicely built sword.
The habaki is a nice fit, the fittings all secure and symmetrical. The tsuka-ito is tight and rock solid and there is no slop of the nakago within the tsuka. The tsuba is immovable as well.
The saya is nicely fit, not too tight or too loose, but does rattle a bit when shaken.
The polish is even with no wavy surfaces and the lines are crisp.
Handling Characteristics
Well , the Fudo is definitely not going to be mistaken for a light or fast sword... but nontheless it handles rather well.
Lorens grasp of design and dynamics alway comes through, whether on a short sword like the Oni no Tsume or a monster like the Jidai.
Though the blade is wide and heavy, it sports both profile and distal taper that really help the dynamics. The blade is 1.7 inches at the habaki, but tapers down to a very reasonable 1 inch at the yokote.
The 33 inch nagasa is counterbalanced by the 15 inch tsuka, and although the sword weighs 4 lbs, it is balanced like a much smaller sword with the POB being 5.5 inches from the tsuba.
So while the Fudo is neither small nor light neither is it awkward or unweildy.
Cutting
Well , lets face it... cutting is really what this swords all about, unless you are just a collector wanting a unique piece. While i do appreciate the uniqueness, cutting is what floats my boat.
So I tried the Fudo against an array of targets, from realy light to pretty heavy. I didnt have a problem anywhere along the way.
The Fudo is a CUTTER.
I started out with some empty 12 oz bottles , and while they definitely absorbed some energy from this big blade, they were cut easily... sometimes a hard task...
Then I cut some water filled bottles, and was amazed how smooth this sword cuts through the target. i was able to leave a bottle standing undisturbed on kiriage... quite a feat for such a massive blade, i thought.
Finally, because plastic bottles just arent what a sword like this is about , i braved the Georgia sun, mosquitos and temperatures in the 90s to harvest some bamboo...
I didnt find any really big stalks but did have some with a diameter between 4 and 5 inches... and had no trouble cutting them...
Check it out... if youtube hasnt disabled my audio.
The Good , The Bad & The Ugly
This is my critical section and again here I am at a loss to be critical. This is a d**n fine sword. So the obvious targets for criticism will have to do. That'd be the cosmetic yokote and the working polish on the ji. To be fair, cosmetic yokote are almost standard , and the working plish is just fine with me , as i don't buy blades for display... but hey, i got to say SOMETHING here.
Pros
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Cons
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Conclusion
One thing Loren Graves has always done is bring fresh, well concieved designs to market, and teh Fudo Handachi is no disappointment there.
The sword is well made, attractive , and a great cutter, and quite simply put... theres just nothing else like it out there.
It retains the exotic feel of the Jidai Nodachi, but in a more practical size.
Because of its uniqueness , and its abilities as an awesome cutter , i feel that the Fudo should be a welcome addition to any collectors arsenal.
Thanks for reading , again.
Handachi
Review by Marc Kaden Ridgeway , Atlanta GA USA ------16 July 2009
This is my second review of the new Kensei models. Last time I looked at the Chisaigatana, a small katana that I thought was a real winner. This time I went the exacy opposite direction am reviewing the monster Fudo Handachi.
Handachi is a style of sword mount that is intermediary between tachi and uchigatana. The Fudo likewise is intermediary between a nodachi and a katana.
It is based largely on the Jidai no-Dachi by Kensei, but with 6 inches or so lopped off the nagasa.
The Fudo was delivered within 4 days securely packaged and double boxed.
First sight and hefting of this sword impress the size, even though this is the Jidai's little brother , it is still a massive sword. I took some comparison pictures with an Angus Trim Longsword and a regular old katana...
So lets get some specs and see how the Fudo measures up...
Specifications
Nagasa-------- 33 in
Tsuka-----------15 in with fittings
Motohaba-------1.7 in
Sakihaba--------1.0 in.
Motokasane-----7.7mm
Sakikasane------6 mm
POB----------------5.5 in from tsuba
Sori-----------------1.3 in
Steel----------------1070 water quenched
Weight ----------@ 4 lbs
Aesthetics
Sugata is shinogi zukuri with a 2 inch kissaki , that I consider an extended chu-kissaki. The yokote is cosmetic, but the kissaki a bit better done than the Jidai's.
The shinogi-ji are burnished to a mirror - sheen and the ji are in a working polish. The hamon is an unenhanced suguha and the boshi is ko-maru.
The saya is a flattened elliptical shape, and orage-peel textured with brass accents.
The tsuka is panelled in white same and wrapped with brown silk ito. The unadorned tsuba is blackened steel, and teh habaki and seppa are nickle-silver.
The fuchigashira are polished brass with brass sh!todome and the menuki are gold colored dragons.
The overall package , to my eye , flows quite well.
Construction; Fit & Finish
The Fudo is a rock-solid, nicely built sword.
The habaki is a nice fit, the fittings all secure and symmetrical. The tsuka-ito is tight and rock solid and there is no slop of the nakago within the tsuka. The tsuba is immovable as well.
The saya is nicely fit, not too tight or too loose, but does rattle a bit when shaken.
The polish is even with no wavy surfaces and the lines are crisp.
Handling Characteristics
Well , the Fudo is definitely not going to be mistaken for a light or fast sword... but nontheless it handles rather well.
Lorens grasp of design and dynamics alway comes through, whether on a short sword like the Oni no Tsume or a monster like the Jidai.
Though the blade is wide and heavy, it sports both profile and distal taper that really help the dynamics. The blade is 1.7 inches at the habaki, but tapers down to a very reasonable 1 inch at the yokote.
The 33 inch nagasa is counterbalanced by the 15 inch tsuka, and although the sword weighs 4 lbs, it is balanced like a much smaller sword with the POB being 5.5 inches from the tsuba.
So while the Fudo is neither small nor light neither is it awkward or unweildy.
Cutting
Well , lets face it... cutting is really what this swords all about, unless you are just a collector wanting a unique piece. While i do appreciate the uniqueness, cutting is what floats my boat.
So I tried the Fudo against an array of targets, from realy light to pretty heavy. I didnt have a problem anywhere along the way.
The Fudo is a CUTTER.
I started out with some empty 12 oz bottles , and while they definitely absorbed some energy from this big blade, they were cut easily... sometimes a hard task...
Then I cut some water filled bottles, and was amazed how smooth this sword cuts through the target. i was able to leave a bottle standing undisturbed on kiriage... quite a feat for such a massive blade, i thought.
Finally, because plastic bottles just arent what a sword like this is about , i braved the Georgia sun, mosquitos and temperatures in the 90s to harvest some bamboo...
I didnt find any really big stalks but did have some with a diameter between 4 and 5 inches... and had no trouble cutting them...
Check it out... if youtube hasnt disabled my audio.
The Good , The Bad & The Ugly
This is my critical section and again here I am at a loss to be critical. This is a d**n fine sword. So the obvious targets for criticism will have to do. That'd be the cosmetic yokote and the working polish on the ji. To be fair, cosmetic yokote are almost standard , and the working plish is just fine with me , as i don't buy blades for display... but hey, i got to say SOMETHING here.
Pros
- Very tough
- Well Built
- Great Cutter
- Nice Sori
- Nice geometry
- Unique
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Cons
- cosmetic yokote
- Understated hamon (which I really kind of like, but some may not.)
- a tad heavy for some users
[/li][/ul]
Conclusion
One thing Loren Graves has always done is bring fresh, well concieved designs to market, and teh Fudo Handachi is no disappointment there.
The sword is well made, attractive , and a great cutter, and quite simply put... theres just nothing else like it out there.
It retains the exotic feel of the Jidai Nodachi, but in a more practical size.
Because of its uniqueness , and its abilities as an awesome cutter , i feel that the Fudo should be a welcome addition to any collectors arsenal.
Thanks for reading , again.
