Feilong Iwa $500 Katana Review

This is a review of a Feilong Iwa katana. You can find more information about their swords at the links below.
cottontailcust...
feilongswords....
Specs:
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10.5”
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28.25” (without habaki)
Sori: .64”
Moto-haba: 1.23”
Motokasane: .29”
Saki-haba: .47”
Sakikasane: .17”
Weight: 2lb 3.3oz
POB: 5.5” from tsuba
MSRP: $495
Sword Stand by Enso Workshop - www.etsy.com/s...
Music provided by - Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com
Link to the Facebook spot - / matthewjensenswordreview
Link to the Twitch spot - / sword_friend_matt
Link to the Patreon spot - / krunan
Link to the TicTock spot -.tiktok.com/@SwordFriendMatt
Link to the Instagram spot - / matthewjensenswordguy
Link to the KZbin Membership spot - / @matthew_jensen
Link to my eBay sales page - www.ebay.com/us...

[@kevinc3751]

Very nice review. The fact that it impresses you at the $500 range indicates it is very good value for that price. Good to know. Thanks for another excellent review.

[@JoeSteel1]

Credit to Feilong for production on a fine sword in 500 range, impressed with clean Koiguchi and nice tsuka maki...RIP Mr. 🐻

[@AdoreYouInAshXI]

I owned one of these. Ordered it from Cottontail Customs and he did a custom tsuka wrap, and replaced the original same, ito, sageo and menuki as well as doing a custom rainfall pattern on the habaki. I wish I'd also had him replace the fuchi and kashira as well as the tsuba, as they were very plain and seem cast out of aloy instead of iron (my tsuba also became quite loose after simple iaido, no cutting). That tsuba appears to be on the Swordis custom sword builder as well, under the "aloy" options for the Hanbon forge line of swords. The blade on mine also came pretty dull. That being said it was balanced well, and I loved the look of it. Josh did a fantastic job re-wrapping the tsuka, and the shape of it was perfect. The ito I had it re-wrapped in was brown with black same, and it looked killer with the copper seppa and habaki. I kind of regret selling it.

[@Katana-Karl]

Another killer review of an excellent katana from a great company. And i might add that Feilong is very consistent in their next level qualities. Ive had several Iwa and 2 Kotai and they are ALL carbon copies of one another. Not sure why they are left out of the "whats the best beginner katana for $500 and under?" question.

[@SATOhara3173]

Goddamn your voiceover audio's gotten so good and clean.

[@hokiturmix]

I love elegance and simplicity combined. A nice theme-less Tsuba with a little rounded edges. Just recently learned what is the purpose of that little metal thing under the wrap. Same reason why the top of a mouse is rounded in all directions.

[@christopher7398]

Never get tired of the musashi style tsuba. I’ll take a more subdued style like that over the gaudy gold and silver painted tsubas any day. Nice sword, good video Matt.

[@TONEDEAFSOUND]

i really love this sword

[@bluecrawler2867]

Good looking and well made sword for the price. Thanks for another great review.

[@theg0z0n]

Well, I have ordered one... But also, why the stuffed bear? What did he do to deserve it???

[@Hunterjensen7450]

Nice review looks like another sword company with good fit and finish. Also the Shoes in class cracks me up each time.

[@erichusayn]

I love mine. Zero complaints.

[@erichusayn]

Good point about the habaki. Feilong could come up with a mon for their habaki.

[@HughJorgan-01]

So talked with Wife, we moving next to Matt, so can hang out with him.😉😁Kidding.. Matt good man and I agree Satohara, he has grwat voice..His Reviews are Very good. Except sometimes doesnt mention what type Steel On Sword. Is important...Besides that LOVE To listen to Matt's great, very good detailed and Relaxing Reviews.. Matt Fan...😎

[@CaseyBartley]

Just remeber that copper (or impure copper) is the base metal on most habaki. So having a plain, copper habaki should be the base for any katana out there. Brass is only used because Chinese replicas are trying to replicate gold. Traditional gold habaki are gold foiled copper. Brass just wasn't a common metal found on them. So kudos to Feilong for this, no matter how plain.

[@Pablo668]

Good review, you know you don't always have to test them to failure. I was hoping you wouldn't with this one. Nice sword.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Thanks 👍

[@H3LLR4ISR]

loved it

[@Katana-Karl]

It took a set easier than i thought it would. In your honest opinion if say you had to block another sword or staff with the side of the blade would this cause it to bend? Cause i feel at its basic premise a sworld should be able to first cut ofcourse, but it should also be able to block, deflect/parry without the sword bending. So if it cannot do those 2 things...? We can see it definitely cuts fairly well. But defense with it? Makes me wonder

[@theg0z0n]

So as i said in another comment, i got one. I really love the handling, but the hamon hits the edge several times on the kissaki. One of those things that i would not have not picked this sword if i could have seen it in person, and no returns from cottontail so im stuck.

[@NickBrakattack]

Which would you choose between this and the Fei Long Higo?

[@yearight1205]

Sooo...... Any plans of going on another Anathar like adventure in the near future? xD lol

[@theshadowninja4223]

Could you do a review of a murasame t10 steel katana

[@TopLob]

Just curious. Did you know that Shadow Dancer and Z-Sey are the same people? I was surprised to find out, but it makes sense when looking at the URLs of both websites.

[@matthewpester6003]

How tall are you? Knowing your height would help me get an idea of wielding this katana.

[@notanotherswordreviewchann4901]

Maybe I should start offering my wrapping services. Not a professional but better than most of the companies in China and definitely tighter. Don't have any tools and don't know what I would need I use friction fittings and tension wrapping. No glues or paper. I would not charge the prices the pros do as I am not a pro but definitely capable. I'll wrap tsukas for a hundred bucks. Maybe a bit more if I have to get the ito myself....

[@TatTvamAsi2772]

Cool service. Really don't understand why more people don't learn to do their own wraps. As you know, it isn't a difficult skill to master in a short amount of time.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

It is very hard to master.

[@tengu190]

Wish they made a 29" nagasa.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

indeed.

[@raswerdelad]

This is my pain and shame… for being a tad taller. LOL

[@violentinstincts]

noooo, not the bear !

[@Oroshamo]

That smolder before the video begins tho

[@samuraibyrd]

How do I get one? Its not on their website.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Maybe ping Cotton Tail Customs?

[@samuraibyrd]

@@Matthew_Jensen thanks

[@m.kultra4101]

Man. I want to wrap the fender struts on my Harley with rayskin & silk like a katana. I’m from Milwaukee. Is there a craftsman in the comments section that can , and is interested in a commission ?

[@cottontailcustoms]

What do the fender struts look like, are they at all handle shaped?

[@divinesoul23]

10:45 & 11:15 - Toyama Ryu, Ippon mei?

[@Matthew_Jensen]

an attempt at it

[@divinesoul23]

@@Matthew_Jensen nice! They were good attempts! 😄 I'm with the Kenshinkan dojo down in Houston, TX. Which dojo do you train in and are y'all IBF?

[@stevetaylorftw]

The problem with review samples isn’t just that it may bias the reviewer, but that it may be cherry-picked (or completely unrelated to their actual product at all).

[@cottontailcustoms]

I carefully and thoroughly inspect each sword in the shipment and these were all identical. This one looks nearly identical to the one on my website, which was from several batches ago.

[@michaelrs8010]

I've mentioned that to Matt before. But in this case, if you didn't know it, Cottontail Customs, that responded to you before, is the US distributor for Feilong in the US. Despite the inherent bias that something like that could imply, I do not doubt his veracity when he states the general condition of the stock from a random batch as I believe him to be an honest person when it comes to such things.

[@culture-nature-mobility7867]

🐻😮😢

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

Great review Matt, I have mixed feelings about this katana, and do I think it’s a good value: meh Oh right, I had asked you a question on your live stream the other day about whether you had done a video on an Assab88 katana yet? Thats a type of steel, and unfortunately I haven’t seen all of your videos yet, so I just figured I’d ask you right then and there.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

I have not played with that steel type. Also what about this one seems like a value problem?

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

@@Matthew_Jensen have you tried beating on the 9260 Jian yet, or are you having too much fun swinging it around? A few of the issues that you mentioned, but I can’t really call a red flag on aesthetics because they weren’t “that bad,” but I guess my issue is that for around $500 now you can get L6, SKS3, S7…..etc and the DH blade is only T-10. Kind of underwhelming, like the hamon, and polish. I do love Shobu’s though, my first katana being the Hanwei Raptor *years* ago, however I agree with you that there should be more support up to the tip, meaning where the kissaki would be. Hopefully that makes some sort of sense

[@tenshimaru34]

I will never buy another differentially hardened blade ever again. It’s a waste of money.

[@TatTvamAsi2772]

They really are pointless in this day and age. It's basically just a nod to the traditional, but unnecessary.