![]() ![]() ![]() The actual wrap and diamond shapes however were slightly uneven, with a little bit of wood peeking in on one or two of the diamonds. ![]() There are two mekugi on the handle, which is a standard for non-Nihonto katana. Aside from that, the fittings are nice, the kashira and fuchi are both brass, along with the menuki. Though some people may not like to do DIY work on their pieces, so keep that in mind. The only issue I have is that the tsukamaki(wrap) did not have any Hishigami, but again, this isn’t that big of an issue for me because I plan to shorten the tsuka to 10” and redo the wrap anyways, so I’ll add the Hishigami myself. The tsuka fit perfectly and was not rammed onto the Nakago (tang) resulting in any cracks. The shape was definitely very nice, as I enjoy what people tend to call a hourglass figure in the shape. The Handle/Tsuka: Listed as 11”, but technically coming in at 11.5” because of the kashira, the tsuka was not bad. The hamon is genuine and very nicely done, it is not what I would call a Midare Gunome hamon as specified in the Certificate, but more like Notare Gunome. I wanted a sword that I could 100% be proud of that has no imperfections, so simple is better less chance for problems. I ordered the sword without Bohi, the reason for this choice is because when it comes to production katana, it's not uncommon for Bohi to be slightly uneven or have imperfections. I’ve had Katana with a geometric Yokote but with no effort into the counter polish (which should be there anyways, cosmetic or not), and this Cosmetic counter polish on the Ryujin katana looks better. It makes no difference in functionality, and visually, the counter polish looks good. The Kissaki is nicely shaped, and the Yokote is cosmetic/counter polished, as opposed to geometric however, I don’t feel as though this is an issue at all. It’s straight with no warps or bends, the shinogi line is crisp (not as crisp as some Nihonto that I’ve seen, but remember: Nihonto start at around $3000-$4000, while this sword sells for $239!). The Blade/Nagasa: The blade is overall very nice and well made. Handle/Tsuka Length: 11(.5)” ((The kashira in the end added some length to the tsuka)) However, I recommend oiling the blade properly afterwards. The blade itself came wrapped in a thin layer of plastic and, under the plastic, was covered in a type of thick oil/grease this is to keep the blade from rusting while being stored in the warehouse (I assume). The sword came in a long cardboard box with styrofoam slots in it to keep the sword safe, which it did! The sword itself came in a black cotton sword bag with RYUJIN embroidered onto it, very nice. There are other members on this forum that may hold such a title, and I am not one of them. However, I do not consider myself to be an expert on the topic. Also, I have studied numerous books and sources on the subject. I’ve had the pleasure of being able to handle and closely examine numerous Japanese Nihonto during my stay in Japan this past winter. I do consider myself to be experienced on the topic of Japanese sword history and appreciation. Currently, and most often, I’ve found that this sword retails for about $239 on the SBG website store. I purchased this sword on sale for $179 in the beginning of 2018 sale. There’s no historic relevance to this sword, it is a production katana. I wanted a sword that would be mine that I could use for iai and tameshigiri, not one that I would sell in a year or two. Regarding the tsuka, I wasn’t picky about length and color, as I planned to modify it and re-wrap it to my own preference anyways. Has a differentially hardened blade / genuine hamon ***Note: Here is a link to my YouTube video review of the sword:Īs an iaido practitioner and Japanese sword enthusiast, I wanted to buy a katana that met the following criteria:
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