My First Custom Katana - Is It Worth It? (Swords of Northshire)

[@Cerberusarms]

Correction: The rayskin on this sword is actually real, it's just very low quality cheap rayskin that has been coated with a black lacquer which gives it a plasticy look, hence why I thought it was fake.

[@mohammadlee6079]

as a vegan katana enjoyer, i was actually happy to hear it was fake XD how tragic

[@monkeyl-]

Does that mean it gets a 4 body pillow rating out of 5 instead of 3

[@consumer1073]

i got an ebay katana with a superb blade but bad tsuka so i'm just going to get someone to make me a custom one these chinese blades can be really nice, or at least feel nice if they're proportioned properly or have good tapering but the tsukas are bad in one way or another. would be nice if i could find someone who could make me a hikka tsuka with handachi fittings

[@androanthony5853]

@@monkeyl- Chinese blade? I think you mean japanese blade. Lol

[@monkeyl-]

@@androanthony5853 I think you've replied to the wrong person

[@tofu0040]

Historians in the future: "Every katana is different but the most strange one we found was of a katana with a weird leaf on it and the words "420 blaze it" engraved on it. The world may never know it's meaning."

[@GJS.178]

Lol 😂

[@mjatriumxironreign8969]

And a 790$ sword with 69 slang engraved on it

[@phengooogaming]

One day one day memes are gonna die out but thats some day from now.

[@charon_lix]

You don't think the future will have the internet so someone can't just search up what those words mean like they can today?

[@GJS.178]

@@charon_lix but who knows maybe he never wanted peple to know it's meaning

[@justiceforall6412]

I would like to share my Swords of Northshire experience. I actually ordered a completely customized shikmizue. Truly custom made. I requested a 36" overall length, Ebony wood for the saya, a 24" 1095 carbon steel blade, shiny sharp, and brass end pieces for the top and bottom. It costs me just over $600 and what a great blade! The entire piece looks like an everyday walking stick, but inside a deadly straight katana. Almost no rattle when sheathed, good fit yet a quick draw, and the blade is perfect. Kudos to Swords of Northshire for a great job. You can't go wrong with Swords of Northshire.

[@hoongfu]

That "Crimson Tide" whisper echo in the background made me spit my coffee out. 10/10 video.

[@AvangionQ]

My guess, never checked Urban Dictionary for what that phrase means. 🩸

[@jgraham5271]

swords of northshire is really good for their prices, have yet to save up enough for the premium but can say even the custom made budget priced ones are really really well made

[@dusting1851]

its a goal of mine to get a katana or even maybe ninjato made with tamahagane instead of folded 1095 like D did

[@jgraham5271]

@@dusting1851 i sound like im advertising them but swords of northsire is the best quality for their prices, i wouldnt say 5/5 but they are close. they have tamahagane, takes about 2-3 weeks for delivery i think(not sure for tama) but its the best quality your going to get for the price. and you can request alot of custom stuff if you just ask them. go on their website play around with the custom tool. but i recomend you go on etsy and message the guy from the shop there, the guy that does the sales there is helpful. gl in your search

[@leonrussell9607]

@@dusting1851 tamahagane steel is worse though

[@dusting1851]

@@leonrussell9607 okay? It's cooler

[@leonrussell9607]

@@dusting1851 just making sure you know that before spending thousands on it

[@-thepatriot-9719]

I love how the katana cuts beautifully through the mats like it was butter, good quality of a blade.

[@mysalsa7963]

I don't wanna be the annoying guy but i just gotta say that katanas were built with actually pretty shitty materials and they could break pretty easily

[@mysalsa7963]

Yes, im annoying

[@antoniogomezmartinez4468]

@@mysalsa7963 well they were made to kill not to cut random things and well pretty much everything can be used to kill like a pencil for example

[@mysalsa7963]

@@antoniogomezmartinez4468 yeah but what i mean is that they didnt used katana in fights, they prefered long range weapon like spears

[@antoniogomezmartinez4468]

@@mysalsa7963 i dont know about those things but, yeah i see it realistic but yet they did use katanas as a last resort of if they didnt had anything else with them they would use them for sure, the katanas but you have a point there.

[@hwhit88]

D, honestly I’ve never seen you this comfortable with a sword. I can’t believe the quality in this blade!

[@mjatriumxironreign8969]

Imagine him making a wakisashi tge same to it would br art

[@flummyboy1866]

This is barely a training sword

[@notsans9995]

So for anyone wondering, the geometry this sword is designed with is called called unokubi zukuri, which is notable for its thinner spine thats creates a very light blade. Typical katana geometry is called shinogi zukuri. My personal favorite is Moroha zurkuri, which is like unokubi, but instead of the spine becoming thinner toward the kissaki(point), it is actually sharpened, for a dual edge blade, similar to what you might see on a european sword like a falchion or saber with a clipped point.

[@JamisonLong]

Where do I buy this

[@liamg1809]

@@JamisonLong swords of northshire, then look around and you should be able to customize your own.

[@bruhed1117]

Yeah, because European swords are better 9 times out of 10

[@ArividerchiMagmuasue]

@@bruhed1117 bruh

[@bruhed1117]

@@ArividerchiMagmuasue actually that’s not really true, katanas are exellent at cutting light armour or no armour but struggle against things like plate armour greatly, European swords are more well rounded in that they are suited for more situations but in the modern day you don’t see people walking around wearing full plate armour

[@deathwish_bigboss]

I'm a carpenter and general craftsman, they did a great job on that scabbard it's pretty unique and very Anime aesthetic lmao but seriously I like it- looks straight out of Ghost of Tsushima.

[@AgouraSteve]

I’m pretty sure they use real ray skin. You could put a drop of super glue under the kashira knot to prevent it from getting worse. I love Unokubi Zukuri geometry. I have several. They are great for light to medium tricky cuts.

[@freefighter92]

I can’t wait for more sword reviews from this dude. Came up in my recommendations, and this is hilarious and great.

[@angrybearironworks3233]

As a bladesmith myself, I can be honest here, the issues you identified are common for Mid to low range Priceline’s because materials to make the high end prices are EXPENSIVE for example, the high end ray skin rawhide costs about 200 usd alone. Also to make the koshirae to fit the handle and style, particularly to make them well, costs at least as much as the sword blade itself. For a good custom katana with nothing to complain about, particularly a pattern welded one (there is no point to folding any modern steel unless you layer it with other steels to get a pattern) you should expect to pay around 2000 usd.

[@Wizardbeard91]

I bought a sword from this company about 2 years ago and im still happy about the purchase would have loved a video of this quality when reasearching swords of northshire thanks for the great content

[@rennie44]

Hanbon is also a good pick for customs. The guy running it (Yao, I think his name is?) is great, he communicates a lot with you (his English is actually pretty decent), sends you pictures, and gives you a good amount of detail before shipping you the sword. I had a great experience with him, got a kobuse steel katana with all the specs I wanted, and it handles like a dream. Their kobuse is actually quite nice as well, on another note, but again, with these customs it's always a buyer-beware situation. Make sure you spend wisely.

[@MrJacobrezac]

He actually supplies most of the Japanese blades for Swords of Northsire. If you order a custom blade from SON the guy who runs hanbon is the person who makes it.

[@fransthefox9682]

I have a custom Hanbon Katana, and it's an enormous disappointment.

[@blacksnapper7684]

@@fransthefox9682 what happened??

[@jeremi96221]

@@fransthefox9682 oh no.. what happenned ?

[@fransthefox9682]

@@jeremi96221 Loose saya, loose tsuba, loose ito, loose kashira, poorly sharpened blade, edge near tip is completely dull, poor lacquer, cracked tsuka, and they lied about the tsuba being brass (it's zinc-aluminium alloy).

[@Key-43]

I forgot I subbed to this channel almost a year ago, I’m glad I found this again. This guys energy is calming as hell and the sword play is satisfying

[@Danielson1818]

I was going to ask about the silver habaki. It was actually the first thing I noticed. You can take it off and polish under a buffing wheel, and should look great.

[@notsans9995]

Would be interesting if you get your hands a on motohara sword. They're not cheap, but their blades are execellent, designed for competition cutting and training and their Koshirae(fitting) are a huge leap above anything you can find on the production market.

[@Cerberusarms]

I’d love to get my hands on one. If these vids keep getting views I’ll pick one up.

[@trevorsmith4054]

Junk compared to a motohara....or anything decent. The build quality looks iffy as hell. I have a friend who owns one of these, it fell apart, fittings loose and saya split. I put it back together as a wall hanger and they upgraded for class as I advised. Junk... don't use these, the Iaito are just the same, which can be dangerous when used by beginners who don't know anybetter, led by teachers who don't know sword maintenance.... like literally at least half in my experience. Only buy swords that you are actually going to use from a reliable and reputable Budo orientated supplier, who has done all the research and testing for you.... flashy and crappy swords direct from China are just that flashy ( as long as you know nothing about sword construction or craftsmanship) and crappy. Don't do it 🙏

[@notsans9995]

@@trevorsmith4054 unfortunately the average person doesn't know how to spot a bad sword. Like 6 years ago I would of jumped all over these, it's easy to fall for the fancy colors and plated koshirae vs the more functional but blander options like hanwei when your a newbie. Nowadays I wouldn't bother touching anything that doesn't have a properly polished kissaki lol

[@ventingmango0]

This makes me happy to see I found your channel after I got told about swords of northshire. This video kinda sold me over their swords.

[@Faisal343]

my friend welcome back 🗡 🛡

[@buiItnotbought]

I think you and Brynne should make more anime intros they look fun!

[@salmandekkari5523]

brynne who ? I wanna see

[@kobet7341]

I actually have a custom wakizashi from swords of northshire and it's great. However i have the same problem with the fittings being on the wrong side of the handle.

[@mjatriumxironreign8969]

This guy could have made the same wakizashi

[@-Bile-]

I have ordered one of SoN's ~$300 swords, and found it to be mostly solid. The blade on mine has a very wavy edge, and even the replacement they sent me had the same problem. Neither sword had well-fitting scabbards, and both were heavier than what's listed on the website. The points of balance for both were way further up the blade than what was specified on the website.

[@LoganLawrence]

This sword is beautiful. You made some great choices and I’m looking forward to another awesome video.

[@Blank0284]

8:35-8:43 you can see straight excitement to pure focus by the time he spun around

[@mr.excalibur1455]

Over the last two years I've bought two swords from Swords of Northshire ... and I've sold them both off on my eBay page. I find the "design it yourself" brands to be pretty much all alike. There are slight variations as far as overall quality and customer service ... but seems especially in that category they tend to be all rather lightly built and are mostly for looks rather then being any kind of work hoarse for any kind of practice. I just got one from the company Lyuesword ... same impression ... although its a lovely piece. I love your videos and the anime-aesthetic a really cool!!

[@ChandoraBox]

Any suggestions for top quality blades?

[@dooomswear303]

Just commenting here if the op tells when to buy them

[@reer3192]

@@ChandoraBox swords of northshire has very good blades, it’s custom and made to order, however the fittings aren’t the best, it is possible to contact swords of northshire and ask them for custom fittings for barely a price increase

[@MP_PapHew]

@@dooomswear303 If you want some of the most functional blades you can get, Motohara/EvolutionBlades and Howard Clark are some of the best, Clark especially since his L6 Banite blades are practically indestructible. Adam Coleman who operates Yama Kuni-山國 makes great blades, and swords too. Dynasty Forge have very nice blades and are probably the more accessible option than Motohara or Clark. Hanwei have very decent stuff too and their higher end pieces can be quite decent too.

[@TheEzio1991]

If you want a very good custom practice katana, I recommend Tozando and Nosyudo. If you want a well made and affordable shinken (real sharp sword), evolution blades is great.

[@mattiaslacroix7815]

As a professional weeb, and a die hard sword enthusiast, I can honestly say that I got shivers watching that sword cut. It's fabulous. Are there any suggestions you can give me to help me find a more well-wrapped katana?

[@Cerberusarms]

You get what you pay for when it comes to swords. If you want quality wrapping it’ll cost you

[@belu-cousin9824]

You should try finding a discord or Reddit serber to help u or some

[@michaelrs8010]

SBG Sword Forums or r/katanas on Reddit are good resources.

[@Bruh-gc7rd]

@@Cerberusarms I know you prob wont respond but I’ve always wanted a sword like this but on the swords of north shire website those options aren’t there

[@andrem.6684]

You should probably try going outside and asking someone else

[@exaltx9406]

goddamnit with the intro! badass as usual!

[@juicebox9529]

Bruh he went all out on the intro and the crimson tide.great job and I hope you have a great day

[@Madarauchiha-pt3od]

Finaly a new katana video! I love youre videos! Please please please keep it up. Stay curious these days!

[@darientyne826]

Glad to see the return of the intro

[@riuphane]

Still can't get over the intro! So good

[@geraldshearn]

The into was fire !!! Straight out of the anime gods play book !!

[@greatarmadillon5645]

I am trying to design a katana but I don't know to choose a custom scabbard like yours

[@shinx-hr6uq]

Just got into this guy's videos as a big sword nerd for years... How did I miss his channel all this time? The anime opening goes so hard

[@Cerberusarms]

Welcome!

[@TheSinisterSwordsman]

Wonderful video! I have a couple of thoughts regarding your review. First regarding the minuki. What you describe in this video as the minuki being "on the wrong side" is actually what is known as the Battle Wrap. This is how Japanese swords (at least later ones during the Sengoku Jidai) were wrapped in preparation for campaigns. The wrap you're used to is the "everyday carry" style of wrap. Second regarding the diamond cross-section after the fullers. This isn't a critique of your design, but rather an observation. Most traditionally made Japanese swords retain mass their to assist in rigidity and subsequently help the blade resist bending (since Japanese swords have a tendency to bend rather than break due to their differential hardening). This makes me curious to how this model of blade will hold up long term. Love to hear your thoughts/see an update video regarding this at a later date! Have a good one!

[@rinkisaragi]

Just wanted to point out that this is not the “battle wrap” (katatemaki), and that the menuki are in fact on the wrong side. In the “battle wrap”, the menuki would be at the same level on both sides, and in the middle of the tsuka.

[@Intrepid_Explorer]

The menuki placements being reversed is what's known as gyaku menuki, which are commonly desired by both left-handed practitioners or by right-handed practitioners that prefer the menuki to fit in one's palms. It is essentially a less flashy presentation that lends itself to feeling more comfortable in the hand.

[@Product_Of_Culture]

After buying my first Northshire sword I quickly realized how good they are. The Chinese cutlery market in Long Quan has focused on what Americans expect in a blade since we are their largest consumer. They actually pulled it off and create an amazing blade for self-defense. Watching this demonstration is further proof that I was right. I will keep buying them if they keep making them

[@memelord2136]

6:30 For some reason I was expecting the mat to slice in half and fall off after a few seconds

[@Zedonus0]

This man has his own anime intro AND outro? Legend! Too legendary for the 420 Bladezit, even.

[@thelegendarysix]

“YOU’VE NEVER SEEN CRIMSON TIDE?!” Lol.

[@chasekinnally8519]

You have no idea how happy i am seeing you post

[@badrequest5596]

the problem with silver is that is scratches easily. i have a long sword with a silver coated crossguard and pommel, got a bit careless putting it back on the hanger and i made a light scratch on the crossguard. very annoying. silver looks good on swords that are meant to be displayed, but terrible choice for one that's suppose to be used. it will get all scratched up

[@Emmanuel-ti6ym]

Very professional and nicely done video. Entertaining as well. I wish the Swords of Northshire would create a video of every weapon that they have. Especially the ones that are work 10K and above

[@Skikopl]

And I was like: "when is ma katana boy gonna upload again?". Well, TODAY!! :D

[@bhughes-ht9rm]

Let's go!! More katana videos for my study block

[@renaldotorcque4417]

I have been noticing that by following the basic guidelines of placing the menuki starting after the third diamond on the omote(which sometimes feels quite far) and the third diamond up from the kashira, this puts the menuki under the third and pinky finger of my right (forward) hand and the pointer and middle finger of my left (rear) hand. in a reversed placement I find the menuki aren't in the "palm" at all but rather right about where the fingers connect to the hand. I believe the wrists are supposed to be aligned on top of the mune side of the tsuka and this is where the menuki wind up in this grip. I also place my pointer finger of my right hand just under the fuchi and about 3/4-1" from the tsuba. I've read somewhere that the menuki placement was more about where your hand shouldn't be. Please correct me when i am wrong

[@justinkashtock333]

historically during the Sengokujidai period (warring states period) the menuki were placed to fit in your palms to increase grip - that changed during the peaceful Edo period when they swapped the menuki so it was more easily visible while wearing the sword at the side since at that point it was used as more of a status symbol than a weapon. The "modern" placement of the menuki under your fingertips is just god awful for actual usage and serves no purpose aside from ornamentation.

[@dannyjingu]

I had one custom made from Swords of Northshire a couple of years back and I am absolutely happy with the katana they crafted. It's STILL sharp after a couple of years! How did you pay $580 for that!?!? The blade alone was going for over $1k when I was having mine crafted. I paid a little over $700 for mine, had them use spring steel.

[@krono5el]

600 bucks for a dope Katana seems really good.

[@bandapanda5799]

“I was surprised by the amount of customisation, the blade length, the steel, the fittings, even custom engravings” Has this man heard of Tozando?

[@Cerberusarms]

I own a Tozando, but they only make Iaito. These are sharpened blades, they’re used for two completely different purposes.

[@LeeQuesada-CoTGaming]

I honestly wouldn't trust a folded steel blade from just anybody. I would want to make sure that smithy knew exactly what he/she is doing, too many chances of having a blade being shattered due to too many impurities. But I do have to say I LOVE the folded Damascus blades and the way they look. I recently built a custom sword through Samurai swords store but seen you had built one from this site and thought i would check it out. My build will cost me roughly 400 using T10 Clay tempered steel, as I plan to use this for the times of insurrection after all bullets are gone and the enemy still attacks, or in the possibility of a zombie-like infection caused by COVID vaccinations (more possible than you think, trust me)

[@akollerp_9153]

That is so sharp! I like how happy he is about his sharp sword!

[@namazuryusshugyo5214]

The reactions each time you say how nice and light...maybe I should get a light sword next 😁 thanks for the video. Great cutting skills btw 👏👏👏 I'm a fan 🙏

[@dawizze1]

"You've never seen Crimson Tide!.... Me neither" that shit got me rolling lol

[@z_e_r_o1216]

Even with the little minor issues with that sword it still looks bad ass

[@manaintolerantmage]

It's not even really a minor issue in regards to the pommel. He's holding it incorrectly.

[@blacksnapper7684]

@@manaintolerantmage intrestinnnng

[@tkdhammer]

Great review brother! I always wanted to try gyakyu setup for menuki. Love the shot of the water dripping from the tatami!

[@sammyprestwood3182]

The sword you really need is one that was probably captured from a Japanese soldier during the world war II era I'm sure if you look enough online you may be able to find one of those who knows how much it would cost tho thank you for the video

[@justinkashtock333]

Unless a katana is historically significant or made by a famous maker, you can get historical katana relatively cheap - and by relative I mean a 1600's-1800's basic katana in "okay to decent" condition for $1200-3000. Now if it's from a famous maker or historically significant? The sky is the limit and they range from $5000-4 million, with a well known (though not famous) maker sword that's not historically significant in very good condition averaging around $15,000.

[@consumer1073]

honestly the best option seems to be to buy one of these for the blades, they're often quite good, but then get a completely custom tsuka made by an artisan and mounted to the blade

[@raahimkamaal5363]

“Lower to middle range price” that’s another hobby off the list

[@chosenone8616]

Breh, this man's intro is just.. it's ju.. so damn majestic 🥲

[@Zedotto187]

Amazing work from Swords of Northshire 2 years on this is still a great review!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@xethnyrrow]

2:26 You know your audience, LOL. Try to get sponsorships from Mountain Dew, Doritos and a fedora maker to add the trifecta of neck beardism to your videos.

[@lyrad24]

It's similar to a repurposed Naginata blade, naoshi wakizashis with the taper at the back to reeuce weight. Great review!

[@PurpleBaroon]

That's baller af. Can't wait for the 420 blaze it engraving on the next video

[@franzjones179]

⭐ I had a blacksmith that I met online make me a katana... I designed the tsuba and picked out the colors and materials for all of the accessories... It is my first katana and it is super cool... It has four leaf clover tsuba design with green and brass accessories...🍀 I call it Kōun'nōmamori which is Japanese for 'Lucky Charm'... I spent about the same amount of money as you did... I haven't done any cutting with my katana, because I'm not trained, but it's really just a show piece to discuss the overall craftsmanship that goes into making a katana... 1000 years of innovation, make them pretty fascinating weapons...

[@faeday1095]

7:14 what’s the song

[@harrypearman02]

anatsuri osoku

[@blooey-YT]

I think it would be cool if you could choose a Blade color, I would love to have a Black Blade on it with the Hamon Pattern being Blue

[@erichusayn]

Good video. They have a naginata style unokubi zukuri katana I've been interested in. This review definitely eased my mind about picking one up eventually... just one nitpick though. That's a "customized" katana, not a "custom" katana. Lol.

[@erichusayn]

I'm also a "light" katana kind of guy. Nice cuts dude. Very clean, good angle.

[@michaelrs8010]

Hanbon Forge. Same deal. same quality. 40% less

[@erichusayn]

@Michael RS I always forget about them. Thanks. Know anyone that's gotten anything from them recently? Know lots of places are having issues with delivering on time.

[@michaelrs8010]

@@erichusayn"Know anyone that's gotten anything from them recently?"... you're talking to him 😄 ( in case that sounded snarky, it's not meant to be) If you'll go to their Facebook page and look at the top post, "For friend Michael", you'll see my latest sword. The description is a little different than some of the others because I order through the sales email and a lot of the particulars are discussed outside of the usual outline format. Anyway, this will be sword number 6 for me. For some reason KZbin is not allowing me to link my Imgur pictures, but they are over on the r/katanas Reddit. I've been dealing with them since March of 21 and I've had absolutely no problem with orders and shipping and receiving them in a timely manner. This last one was my most simple order ( I usually personalized the swords by requesting a special length Bo-Hi and theme etchings which takes them a week or two longer) and it was done within a week of ordering and shipped out. According to the tracking it's now on a flight to the states. 👍

[@erichusayn]

@Michael RS good to know. Thanks dude. Definitely going to have to look into them.

[@random-unbreaded-commentor]

I've been wanting to get a sword from them and have been waiting. Good to know it's a "get it and upgrade" kinda deal

[@michaelrs8010]

Double check prices against Hanbon Forge fir any 1:1 comparisons of specifications. It might be able to get the same thing for 40% less

[@Big-Timbo]

i wouldnt use that against another blade, might crack in two with that tapered tip

[@PeytonnotyeP]

When will he ever have to use it against another blade

[@Big-Timbo]

@@PeytonnotyeP someone raids his village, Someone disrespects his honour, he gets ambushed by thieves, his daimyo summons him to battle, someone challenges his to a duel. Many reasons

[@GoldSage0806]

The funny thing is that I have already visited the Swords of Northshire website and already created a custom katana on their website, but I haven't ordered it yet, so I'm glad this came up on my home page. I may still order a katana from there, but it's good to know about some of the potential issues I may face if I buy one.

[@michaelrs8010]

Depending on the specifications of your sword check out Hanbon Forge and ask them for a quote matching specification for specification. I did that with my very first Katana and I got it from Hanbon for 280 while swords of Northshore wanted 430.

[@BrilliantSunsGaming]

I love how you used Vergil's Yamato as a gift idea! I'd love like 3!

[@MrNbkelly]

Dude, that print of the wing zero EW in the background is amazing. I love your content and am pumped to see you are a Gundam fan as well! "See for yourself just how powerless you are" "Roger that."

[@arpadungvari7160]

OWWW... That intro... Like an anime opening, perfect :D :D :D

[@karambajabie7515]

It's one of the best intro video that I have wachted on KZbin. 👍

[@donaldrowe6047]

They knew this blade was going to be reviewed on youtube. You got a $800 blade...not a $600 blade.

[@billyjoejackson5477]

The menuki is on the correct side..that ornamentation is supposed to fill the palm (right side) area..only on western shinken is it on the left (finger side) with mune on top..Ha on the bottom..

[@elenabechthold6541]

How did he make the Saja so i can only make black red dark red Gold and Natrual wood

[@BU_IDo]

Crimson Tide? hmmm. I like that movie too. Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman did a great acting job in that one plus submarines are cool.

[@callmebill4054]

Bro the fact that you got an anime intro u got a like and a new subscriber

[@vofes_2518]

After this im putting this as top priority on my wish/bucket list

[@n00bstackz]

Now thats a nice Wing poster!

[@joshuacollins1006]

Dude your intro is so dope that alone made me sub.

[@Estalarki]

Yay you looked at swords of northshire

[@joshuamarlan1277]

the sugata is unokubi-zukuri with what's referred to as naginata-hi. it's perhaps the second or third most common sugata in the production katana market. the menuki, which were accidentally placed upside down, are in whats known as gyaku position, or reversed position. the position possibly stems back to tachi, which were worn blade edge down so the omote and ura sides were opposite of the katana, which is worn edge up. there is debate to what purpose menuki actually served, many believe it was placed over mekugi to keep them secure. on many nihonto, there are up to 3(sometimes more, sometimes less) open diamonds before the menuki is placed so it is thought the menuki act as a landmark to feel where your hand rests without looking. the smaller hands of the Japanese samurai could well have fit on the tsuka before and after the two menuki instead of them being directly under the fingers or palms. menuki aren't even necessary for grip, katate-maki often utilizing central menuki placement is an example. the samegawa looks real but I obviously can't inspect it more closely to know for sure.

[@ambitionary2048]

Even has an anime intro, this is great

[@casinobaby4347]

Such a beautiful blade I don't see nothing wrong with it?it just needs somebody to love it and upgrade it like a butterfly

[@shandagibbs2192]

Love the intro, it was like watching an anime show ❤ love it

[@kenmyke5000]

I am starting to get new swords in the coming months thank you for letting me no about this place to order swords thanks ken from canada

[@VergilArcanis]

The one i got from them is a purple ito and black rayskin on the Tsuka. The blade material is folded and clay tempered 1095. I gave it the name Arcanis. Unfortunately this was before i figured that leaving the blade alone was best for the sword. It took a chunk of my flesh as payment for that treatment. I want to get one more sword from them.

[@fongxiong8773]

I'm looking to buy from them as well with the same blade but with Shin Gunto fittings. All I need now is a custom silver pin for the kashira. Great review video.

[@danthaman8216]

this intro is amazing!!! cracked me up!

[@goukenraizo28915]

Excellent review!very concise and direct to the point

[@briangates7633]

I'm looking at your choices made on that custom katana and all I can say is "Great minds think a like." Like for real, the choice of being able to do that with the back of the blade like that with those partial fullers is a Gold! I've never found place, besides Custom Smiths for thousands of dollars, that would give you that option. Awesome!

[@michaelrs8010]

Typical unokubi-z blade.

[@TigroGumi]

I ordered one of these and I had it sent to my ex because I was to visit her and my daughter in America… she had done my paperwork intentionally wrong a few years before, so wasn’t allowed in… and it’s been in storage ever since and never got to see it… so this is a good way to see how good it would have been 😅

[@TigroGumi]

Mine had a white leather wrapped handle which would have been nice to check out… oh well, it’s in the possession of a Karen now

[@shogun4365]

You actually got the minukis on the right side. They put it on the other side for display

[@ASCENDER]

THE KING RETURNS

[@The_Argent_Inferno]

The fucking "crimson tide" whisper, amazing

[@brisirina]

Cool thing is, there is literature on how to re-wrap the tsuka so if you do find some nice custom koshire, you can take the tsuka apart and add the new koshire then re-wrap it. Look up tsuka-maki and you should find some PDFs that have directions on how to re-wrap the tsuka

[@Cerberusarms]

Any tsuka that needs its ito replaced right away isn’t worth salvaging. That would be like buying a crappy car and putting nice wheels on it. It’s still a piece of crap.

[@brisirina]

@@Cerberusarms the tsuka and koshire can be crap but if the blade is good like he said it was...I would think it would be worth it since it isn't that hard to disassemble a katana or putting one back together...just takes patience.

[@Ozcanium]

that's such a beautiful blade, can you a review of katanas for sale, I personally bought a katana from them and it came out very very good, the wrap was really tight and the blade was polished beautifully.

[@olderthandirt5769]

52 seconds in and i had to pause n comment. You sir, are a Legend. Literally made me nostalgic for Tenshu: Wrath of Heaven. Well played, Sir.