The Most Expensive Sword I've Ever Reviewed!

[@Skallagrim]

Someone pointed out what looks like a delamination near the tip (visible at 6:21). I noticed it and was wondering if that's what it was, but I didn't want to criticize something I wasn't absolutely sure about. Depending on the light it's hard to see and identify, but if this is indeed a delamination that would be unacceptable for this price. Again, I don't know for sure, but perhaps other bladesmiths who have worked with pattern welded steel can give us some input? By the way, some of you have asked about the microphone that valiantly fought the coastal storm and won... :) Easily the best mic I've ever had. This is it: amzn.to/3Ofrn8K

[@ilovemetal1100]

Hey Skall long time viewer here. This might be of interest to you. The KZbin Channel Adam Savage's Tested put up a video from visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor. In the Video Adam is shown some real Medieval Swords. Name of the Video: Adam Savage Meets Real Ancient Swords! link to the vid: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXvcoXukqKqhbtE Might be good for a reaction video. Greetings from Germany.

[@W4iteFlame]

The microphone is definitely good

[@Native_love]

I have much experience and... Yes! You are CORRECT! That is indeed a great mic!

[@PaletoB]

Reviews a sword, unintentionally also makes a microphone review.

[@mayhem1988]

It's possibly a delamination but it's hard to say without getting hands-on. Generally the area around a delam etches much brighter than the steel elsewhere due to decarburization and I'm not sure that's the case here. It could also just be a layer of steel with different alloying elements and/or higher carbon content. See how it is one of a series of similar lines all equally spaced. These could either be weld boundaries from restacking the steel during the production process or a layer of different material in the bar that's been repeated as the steel has been cut and folded. TL:DR - It might be. 🤷‍♂

[@Paul_Sergeyev]

The little microphone lived up to the faith put in it so well!

[@inventiveowl395]

Colour me impressed, I didn't expect it to do *that* well. SeemsGood

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

It most certainly did!

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Three huzzahs for the microphone!

[@majikthise110]

Sword review making me want to buy a microphone wasn't expected

[@jrockoclock7088]

@@majikthise110 Yeah can we get a link to the mic, I'd buy one of those for sure. My ass does not have 3k for a sword but I'd grab that mic in a heartbeat.

[@epiphanygunworks9893]

Sir; I've practiced Kenjutsu for almost twenty years. My teacher was Masayuki Shimabukuru. I have never seen tatami cuts that were so effortless. I dont know if it was the blade, the slow-mo camera or that you are just really skilled at cutting tatami (or using a katana in general) but I would like to applaud you for giving me twenty minutes worth of watching cuts and going back to watch them again. Very well done.

[@Skallagrim]

It was decent, but I've cut better. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmicpJV_Z911hZY

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

when I see video of people being tested in Japan, there are always a few people who make the cleanest, smoothest cuts as compared to the rest of the people...

[@lechatdeluna8472]

Hey I am Gordon Vinuya. I was a student of Masayuki Shimabukuru before he passed. I lost contact with everyone.

[@epiphanygunworks9893]

Hey! I never really had contact with anyone to begin with. I was with him about a decade before he passed. @@lechatdeluna8472

[@m0-m0597]

@@Skallagrim That was CHEATING :'D

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

10:40 What many don’t know about the katana is that the typical design that most are familiar with did not come out of natural evolution. During the early Edo period, the shogunate passed laws that limited the legal lengths of swords. This is why katana have gained this perception of being very homogenous in look and having a “standard” design. Evidence of this mass shortening can be seen on the tangs as many have an unshapened [ends] as well as secondary mekugi holes. Prior to these laws, katana were much longer and would’ve been more palatable to modern western swordsmen as they would’ve commonly been longsword length.

[@eds1942]

One reason why some have shortened Tangs is that those swords were once Tachi. Japaneses sword smiths or smithing schools engrave their signature or mark on the left face of the Tang. So while wearing the sword, the signature should be facing outward, away from the swordsman. However, Tachi are worn like most one sided swords, with the blade edge facing down, while Katana are worn uniquely with the blade edge up. What this means is that if you had a Tachi and wanted to use it as a Katana, you can’t just change the fittings and call it the day since the smiths mark would still be facing you while you’re are wearing it rather than facing away like it should. So, in order to change your Tachi into a Katana, you would have to shorten the Tang to get rid of the original Smith’s mark, and then get a mark on the proper side for a Katana. That’s all I remember about it. I think I got the side right. I’ve never been brave enough to disassemble mine to verify that or even if they marked it like I asked. For all I know, they stamped “this decoration is for that stupid American who can’t even pronounce Katana.”

[@Knightstruth]

Any idea why they made sword length laws?

[@Edge-wx7hv]

@@Knightstruth Weapon control laws essentially. sword length is a bit akin to bullet caliber and rounds-per-second count for firearms (which japan may have had more of than the pre-US colonies did, FYI. They loved guns.) so legally limiting the length of the sword available to most folks meant the police and military got the better weapons, and thus could presume an advantage vs most normal sword-owners while not denying self-defense weapons to the peasantry and status symbols to the non-military and non-police nobles. You see Blade Length laws in Europe as well, for the same reasons.

[@kidthorazine]

@@Edge-wx7hv It should be pointed out that the people who would have had katana technically were the military. Police generally didn't bladed weapons at all unless they where also part of the samurai class.

[@Red-jl7jj]

@@eds1942 uchigatana and tachi can both be worn edge face up or edge face down. uchigatana in the 16th century were not considered the same sword as the tachi, but practically they were, in terms of length, among other things.

[@maxjenkinson9870]

Your microphone is INCREDIBLE... the audio from inside what looked like a hurricane sounded just as good as audio from a a still day in your garden... amazing

[@Skallagrim]

Yeah, the Rode Wireless Go II is easily the best mic I've ever had. It helps that I was mostly blocking the wind with my back, but either way this thing performed way better than anything else I've worked with.

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

8:38 As a rule of thumb, the shinier the piece of steel is out of the bloom, the higher the carbon content. Japanese smiths test this buy flattening out the pieces and then quenching them. Once hardened they break the flat pieces and analyze the cleanness of the break: Clean break = higher carbon Rough break = lower carbon These flat, broken pieces are then stacked to make the billet

[@bman296]

Yeah and then it's folded repeatedly in order to get rid of impurities. I think it'd what ten folds traditionally? However science figured out its basically done after like 2

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

@@bman296 I thought that only needing 2-3 folds only applied to gaseous impurities while solid impurities require more work.

[@valandil7454]

The number if folds varied all the way up the blade, folding wasn't just a Japanese thing and doesn't just remove the impurities it pushes out the carbon so there was no set number of folds it depended on how much you wanted where, iron sand has a huge amount of carbon in it so folding it was the best way to do it

[@bman296]

@@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699 that I'm not 100% on. I'm getting my information on this from Dr.Stone and while referencing an anime/manga is bad the author actually consults real scientists and/or other professionals and cites them

[@giodavid991]

​​@@bman296s already said, folding also helps to get rid of the excess carbon and homogenize the quantity along the whole billet. I think the most suitable quantity is around 0.6 - 0.7%

[@TheSteam02]

What's scary is that even in Japan, $3500 is considered to be part of the "low end" of swords. Buying a genuine shinken from Japan pretty much requires a mortgage.

[@gavindooly2375]

Fuck that, just use an axe.

[@rakshal132]

This is less because of the quality of the smith work and more of a consequence of how regulated sword smithing is in Japan. Hence why in America, Canada, etc. we get really high quality swords for a (relatively) cheaper price.

[@notanotherswordreviewchann4901]

This is a luanquan forge. Not japanese tamahagane.

[@thomasrispo8587]

Around ten grand or so.

[@victoriazero8869]

The reason for this is literal sword regulation. A smith can only produce a few blades a month at most, most maybe makes two or three. Tamahagane is an artificially restricted resources monopolized by one company under government watch. Looking at this situation, the price hike has nothing to do with blade quality (although each swordsmith put their *best* anyway, and all of their work is purely hand-powered) but also economic bottleneck.

[@marcinwilk2044]

@Skallagrim, few things from Nihonto collector. First, I agree, a Chinese Hanwei Katana for 1k$ (or less) will cut as good as Nihonto. Having a Nihonto is always about the origin. You can have also a peace of art made outside of Japan, including Koshirae (fittings). However, as you mentioned, it won't be genuine Nihonto as per Japanese standards. Second, about Tsuka-maki. You said "is it as it suppose to be" when reviewing this specific type of wrappings. Please note that there are different ways and Tsuka-maki (wrapping) types. It was pretty common in Tachi to have no Tsuka-ito (cotton/silk/leather) on handle at all. Third, I agree about Tamahagane or clay-hardening not giving much of advantage vs mono-steel blades if it comes to cutting. I personally use mono-steel (no Hamon or clay hardening, modern spring steel) Katana for Temeshigiri. It simply forgives more (cutting mistakes or rust). Again, its all about the 'art' to have hamon/hada on the blade. Fourth, I wonder if Kissaki (tip) was properly done. You mentioned about rolling/bend on it. It should have same hardness as the rest of cutting edge = rather chip then roll. Sixth, thank you for all your work. Thank you very, very much. I watch your channel for years now and I love all the content. I wish you a good health and all the best! Ps. I apologize for any language mistakes.

[@MovieFactory]

i agree with the kissaki point. if you look at 6:21 , you can see that the hada is not following the kissaki and is just going through to the edge

[@mrkiky]

And the habaki is not properly fitted to the blade. I doubt it can be mass produced and using traditional techniques at the same time. As we already know, they usually mass produce the habakis and the blades separately with standard dimensions in mind so that any habaki fits any blade to some degree. This standardization is what makes mass production possible, so it's probably done here as well. The traditional hand-made way is to fit the habaki to that particular blade. Not sure why it would be worth paying that price for a sword that has that Chinese mass produced feel, is functionally worse performing than a cheaper sword and you don't really get any of the tradition with it either.

[@gordyrroy]

I don't mind it getting blurry. I don't know many KZbinrs having these cool backgrounds behind them while doing reviews. :p

[@e1v1a19]

3:46 Skall looks really worried...probably because the sword blade is being held way too close to his face.

[@ProfesserLuigi]

Looks like he was about to have a beard trim for a second there. Isn't there long blade safety rules like there are gun safety rules?

[@formlessone8246]

No, it's just an optical illusion that's tricked your depth perception. Skallagrim is standing at an angle to his friends, and looking at the guy's hand reveals he's actually pointing it towards the camera, but not directly. Just a moment later the illusion is broken when the blade is placed between the camera and Skall's body, showing it was never actually close to his face. As for his expression, that's another kind of illusion. He has a neutral expression, but people often incorrectly assign an emotion to an emotionless face. In this case, you think the situation is concerning because of the depth illusion, so you assume Skall is thinking the same. But he has handled swords and fenced for far too long to let his friends handle his swords in a manner that could cause injury, and would take himself out of danger reflexively if they did.

[@Skallagrim]

It wasn't close at all, the camera angle makes it look weird.

[@jalcomics]

Awesome video. You put a lot of work into everything you do, and it shows.

[@Skallagrim]

Thanks!

[@boram1760]

I'd just add one word about the value aspect. Spending that much money on something as unique as this also goes a long way in supporting the craft of making stuff like this. Part of the price really does go into preserving this more laborious way of creating steel and making this sword.

[@canadafree2087]

Yes and no. There are way too many fashion brands that sell high not because of quality but on name alone. And people who will buy on name alone even as the brand's quality goes downhill. However, yes, the market will only make quality if there is demand for it. If no one is buying your $5,000 sword, you will have to go lower to sell more, it is a balance of quality vs. income to keep the business going.

[@mrkiky]

I have a strong feeling all that this is supporting is some Chinese company that found a way to mass produce a traditionally-ish looking sword that they can somewhat claim is hand made but it's standardized and mechanized as much as they can get away with. I'm sure there's still a lot of skill involved, but they're probably not using that furnace technique and they're definitely using power hammers and presses to forge it and they have some way of making the dimensions standardized so they can mass produce all of the fittings separately too and then just assemble them.

[@Luke-kn9pi]

I'm more of a European sword guy, but this is one katana I would own

[@sterisk7743]

Would you tho?

[@tommeakin1732]

When you say "would own" do you mean you'd buy it? Or just own it if someone gave it you for free? There's a big difference there lol. Though I have to say, if someone gave me this for free, I think I'd sell it on, unless it was only going to be worth more in the future. You could sell this on and probably buy three or even five cheaper swords that were to the same kind of functional standard

[@BenCarverGraphics]

Tamahagane is one of the worst steels to work with.

[@giulyanoviniciussanssilva2947]

I'm more of a swordsman geek I mean, I would buy one of those too.

[@Yellow.1844]

Did anyone ask ? Must an honor for that sword to be worthy of you man

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

4:32 From what I know, the practice of putting the menuki on the finger side (for right handed people) began in the peaceful Edo period and carried through until today and is still done on authentic katana handles

[@ShuajoX]

Yeah, I was gonna say that too. Uchigatana will have menuki like that, with tachi (and I think WW2-era shin gunto) having them reversed, under the palms for a right-handed person.

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

@@ShuajoX right on. It’s just far more comfortable. When I ordered my iaito I was sure to specify the menuki placement and I’m sooo glad I did. Love your edits btw

[@ShuajoX]

@@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699 My e-bogu iaito has it in the katana position. Definitely wanna get a customized one like you did at some point, perhaps from Tozando. And thank you kindly, sir! Glad to see they are getting appreciated.

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

@@ShuajoX yeah I got mine from Tozando. I had to save up for a bit, but it was worth every penny. Highly recommend their fully customizable iaito

[@jonwesick2844]

I wandered into a sword shop in Shikoku and found the blades there selling from $20k to $100k.

[@gavindooly2375]

Fuck that, use an axe.

[@jason200912]

I'd rather just buy a 50bmg with 20,000 rounds with that money

[@mrkiky]

@@jason200912 And just obliterate that tatami from 500 yards. Next on Demolition Ranch: how many tatamis does it take to stop a 50 bmg?

[@lukeshannahan2099]

Love the illustrations of the forging process

[@brolohalflemming7042]

I wonder how relevant they actually are, and if the steel really was made using a traditional tamahagane process. That could be condensed (for marketing purposes) to being made from iron sands. In which case New Zealand produces over 1m tons a year of steel from iron sand.

[@MaaZeus]

@@brolohalflemming7042 But it wouldn't be Tamahagane then. The imperfect method of smelting is what creates the pieces of steel and iron with wildly varying carbon content. If you modernise this method then the result would most likely be a "good" method of smelting and get homogenous carbon content.

[@brolohalflemming7042]

@@MaaZeus That's really the point. The only authentic tamahagane steel comes from Japan, because that's where Shimane is. I'd be very suprised if these are made from hand-smelted steel either. If people want an authentic katana, buy one from Japan because that's pretty much the only place to get the materials. If you want the best katana, the choice is wider with master swordsmiths who can use the best modern materials and techniques.

[@MaaZeus]

@@brolohalflemming7042 However while Japanese Tatara is where Tamahagane is originally made it is not the only method to get the same result. That Works channel made their own Tamahagane in a bloomery smelter that they built themselves and made a katana out of of the result. It is not a Tatara but it is otherwise similar imperfect way to make steel, with pieces of high carbon "pig iron" and pieces of low carbon softer iron. Creation of tamahagane is not exactly a lost, arcane art that only Japanese have a recipe for. *Edit* correction, it was still on the Awe me channel when they worked at their Man At Arms forge and where they made the Kill Bill katana with traditional methods but same people anyway.

[@brolohalflemming7042]

@@MaaZeus Yup. But just because you can, it doesn't mean you should. Iron sands are common around the world with a variety of impurities so it might be possible to find it with chrome or molybdenum and make 'tamahagane' stainless steels. But why bother, other than for historical amusement? We know there are better techniques for steel making and hardening, so could make a better katana using those. Or if you could make interesting hamon with cryoquenching. Or make a better blade and relegate hamon to a decorative feature. Even if this blade is made from hand selected iron chunks out of a broken clay pot, it'll be inferior one made from modern steels, and can't be truly authentic unless it's made in Japan by one of their certified masters. It's a bit pedantic, but also like Cornish pasties or champagne. You can buy those made outside the EU, but the only 'real' ones are made in Conwall and France.

[@Dionaea_floridensis]

Exporting genuine katana from Japan can be quite difficult, especially if they're antiques.

[@notanotherswordreviewchann4901]

This is a launquan forge t10 low acid etched blade. Not tamahagane. Most don't know and just assume by the price. Real tamahagane costs well over 10k....

[@MusashiKensai]

Not really. You just need some paperwork done which usually is done by the seller and it takes about three weeks. It the blade is considered a national treasure or something along the line you won’t get permission, everything else just needs some time.

[@YourHandleHere84]

If memory serves there are 5 grades of nihonto and you can only export grades 1 and 2 (or possibly grades 1-3, I can’t recall). Anything above the cutoff is considered a national treasure and cannot be exported. Higher grades can still be owned, they just can’t be removed from the country.

[@jason200912]

Literally pointless as there are Japanese swordsmiths outside of Japan that aren't required to charge 10k per sword due to Japanese laws

[@SmartAss4123]

@@jason200912 Thats the same thing I thought. There are far better smiths using far better steel than anything in japan. The only thing that makes them "special" for the japanese katana it is using cultural engravings and specific japanese sword smith details for aesthetic purposes

[@ВысоцкийАндрей-г5э]

This video is the best advertisement of rode wireless go I ever seen. You are recording in a literal storm and the sound is pleasant. 10/10

[@cernel5799]

5:18 The first thing I thought when I saw the handle was "is it necessary having that thing in the middle!?" Besides, I actually would have imagined that a sword made as you described would have costed more than that.

[@canadafree2087]

The thing in the middle is often to cover the peg that mounts the tang into the handle.

[@thehomiejw6714]

The reason why an authentic nihonto being so expensive is because they aren't considered a weapon but a piece of art.

[@kyarmwrestlingcr1115]

There's a ton of ppl who I wish understood that

[@Kingkongmental]

Its both

[@buccuducks]

There is a great video from man at arms where the smith ilya forges a katana using all traditional methods. Amazing to watch! Amazing sword skal!

[@Echo_419]

Ilya is such a master at his craft. He even made a sword for Skal, if you weren't aware.

[@buccuducks]

I was not aware, that is awesome!

[@EmoShaolin]

Hi, kenjutsu practitioner here. So, about the menuki, if you properly hold the katana, your grip should be above the hilt (like a tennis racket, the side of the tsuka should be fitting the 'v' between your thumb and index finger). When you grip tsuka in this manner, the menuki can actually provide additional grip for your fingertips, especially for the left hand which is the hand that actually drives the sword (left hand is gas, right hand is steering and brakes, cutting is like casting a fishing line). Additionally you can (and if you want the best experience and really want to invest, should) buy a custom made iaito for cutting tatami and practicing kata, and you can specify blade length, tsuka style and adornments, etc. And as well, a good katana you can disassemble with a maintenance kit for cleaning and replacing parts, and you can always move ypur menuki yourself 😊

[@Prismatic_Pixie]

12:48 I actually lost it cuz it's suddenly so much worse than the last cut, and it looks like Skal is entering the ethereal plane.

[@YTshashmeera]

The sword's power is morphing light

[@Raptor788]

A little off-topic, and it may be a small thing, but I just have to say I've always loved the border overlay you put on a lot of your videos. It looks so good when I have it fullscreened and it does wonders for adding your own flair to your content 👌

[@giulyanoviniciussanssilva2947]

I'm not going to lie, the wind provided a great atmosphere for this analysis.

[@3Y3ECE]

Great video, thanks for braving the violent winds. Camera fog aside, the microphone did it's job admirably, so since it was more about dialogue and nature, well, we got both. Nice to see people using these spendy swords. You know there's collectors out there who will never put a mark on their blades, full priced wall hangers, but they will always wonder... I prefer to know first hand too. It's why my sword collection changes so much. The bad swords die, the good ones stick around, or you liked them enough to replace them. Keep up the great work!

[@youremakingprogress144]

I would have liked to hear more commentary from Wataru, partly because he also tested the sword and another opinion is always good, and partly because he does kendo and might have additional perspective as a result.

[@Logan_93]

Please keep making content Skall. I've been watching you for many years. I'd be devastated if you ever quit. I find that the videos where you rate fantasy weapons on their realistic-ness are the most engaging. I found you when you made the Skyrim weapons video.

[@dasnomaden]

I like that one. It's got more pride than pomp in it and it looks quite business, definitely one of those swords you could proudly hand down the generations. The gold leaf is not to my tastes normally, but even that has been done wonderfully.

[@Mote.]

That microphone is impressive, handling the wind perfectly. Great review

[@bare_bear_hands]

Sand Iron? Primitive Technology has taught us how to get that and cook it with charcoal.

[@odinnatlason5873]

I practice Iaito, and the menuki is actually supposed to be underneath your fingertips. People debate whether this is so that people can see them better, or if it has a practical use. Just thought I might add this as an interesting fact.

[@DudokX]

Damn that microphone is really dealing with the wind well! Somehow your sound quality out there was better than some podcasts lol

[@rikhenry9701]

Great video! I had mentioned the sound quality of your videos previously but genuinely, with that microphone it just sounded like you had a recording of waves going on in the background, there was NO wind on the mic! Great job!

[@muninrob]

The pattern looks weld about right for a historical blade, it IS made from very small pieces of fairly random carbon content steel. Lovely piece of steel, well out of my price range.

[@sjfeiio]

2:45 talking about clean aesthetics while some torn fabric blocks the perfect view on the blade :D

[@davidraper5798]

A very nice piece of work, well presented, the sword I'd buy if a rich relative left me few million to spare.

[@lucanic4328]

Look at 7:48 with 0.25 speed, you can see how much a differentially hardened blade (albeit modern) can flex without taking a permanent set. That is despite having a rather thick cross section, which naturally resist to bending, therefore implying a relative severe degree of force involve. A certain sword youtuber with very skewed opinions seems to be under the impression that only European springsteel swords can achieve that, and that as soon as you touch a differentially hardened blades it will stay immediately bent

[@ziggysshiznit5282]

i study & practice japanese fencing. ur videos are great. there seem to be just as many similarities as differences. i prefer a tip heavy nihonto/ shinken. it seems more lively to me. butt also with a tip heavy japanese blade, it would seem that the “power” generates, “quicker/more” with the “casting” motion used to start the cut. the centripetal force helps with cut. im sure a commonality exisists. do you “ cast” ur cuts?

[@cashincheks]

Awesome review, liked "on location" filming, kudos for doing a great katana review and being exceptionally professional.

[@x511100x]

Did you know katanas are scientifically the most sword of all time?

[@Wuoffan1]

Nuh uh

[@EnigmaNL]

They certainly are one of the swords of history.

[@Franky_Sthein]

"...scientifically the most sword..." So they are more sword then, lets say, a european longsword? "Katanas are the essence of swords, destilled and refined then shaped out of steel. They are the ulimate weapon" Just joking of course, please don't take my first line serious.

[@iivin4233]

It's interesting how they weaponized iron.

[@notoriousgoblin83]

They sure do cut.

[@rengoku7136]

The way you unsheathed the katana earned my sub. It just gave me a vibe that in your past life you must have been the last Ronin that lived. It just felt like you were ready to use the forbidden final hidden blade technique. I am impressed.

[@madmanthepope6448]

That's a good mic holy hell like no annoying wind sounds what kind is it?

[@Skallagrim]

It's a Rode Wireless Go II.

[@madmanthepope6448]

@@Skallagrim this would make a really good ad for it haha thanks skall!

[@joshforbes1320]

Your mic did great! I like it didn't completely block the waves. I hope your camera survived. It's a beautiful sword btw.

[@Pablo668]

I have very limited experience with different katana. I have found that with mine and even my wooden one, they feel best when being moved, swung, cut with or at least simulating the movement of a cut. They feel all wrong if you try to hold them like a western sword, they feel point or blade heavy. Not sure if my comment makes much sense.

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

What kind of western sword though ? Longsword, Kriegsmesser, 2 handed Falchion, Swiss Saber.... ? There are literally alot of cutting focus 2 handed swords in the West that has PoB further from the hand and blade heavy like Katanas.

[@Pablo668]

@@jaketheasianguy3307 Good points there. I guess I was thinking things like Rapier or Arming sword. It’s hard to cover every eventuality in one statement.

[@daviddegeorge2667]

Actually no, I quite agree. I have an admittedly heavy Ming dao, but it feels quite effortless to swing. It's not as nimble with the point but all that blade weight seems to make swinging or cutting easier. Even quick direction changes are easier when you take advantage of the momentum, so they definitely feel more comfortable in motion, and seem awkward trying to deal with that initial inertia, or trying to fight it for an accurate thrust. Even my lighter one is easier to chop into a thrust than actually stab with.

[@daviddegeorge2667]

@@jaketheasianguy3307 To be honest I thought about putting in that I'd like a falchion to compare it to. I've never handled one. The comparison I have to work with is a similarly weighted, though slightly lighter, equal length, longsword. Like I said, I think it's down to purpose. I'd love to have a western 2 handed cutter for comparison.

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

@@daviddegeorge2667 To be fair, i have handled a miao dao as well, and they are truly beastie cutter and very easy to use if you know how to control it's momentum while swinging. However i have also handled alot of katanas, and even though they are blade heavy, they're still swords that designed to balance between cut and thrust instead of cutting focus like the war time Tachi, and that means you can cut short into the centerline for thrusting as well, no need to fight it at all.

[@ibrokemykeyboard]

The most value of anything in this video was demonstrated by your mic in that windstorm. Worth every penny.

[@Pumciusz]

Your microphone did really well.

[@1ns0mn14k]

That tiny mic didn't let ya down, methinks. Your voice comes through clear and what natural sounds I hear... Sound natural actually.

[@aaronyoung8301]

The comment that cutting stuff like tatami can stain a blade reminds me of how I gave a cheap sword of mine a horrible line of rust from trimming a willow tree at my place. It's a fun activity, but it can really mess up a nice finish.

[@UriahNeveah]

Yeah, how that microphone did it’s job when your hat couldn’t stay on was pretty incredible - a windy ocean background was a cool addition too, I’m guessing it felt like a pain, but it was cool.

[@rF-Phenom]

As a some-what functional piece of art, its nice. If i had to have a real ‘war sword’ japanese style blade it would be a modern, mono-tempered spring steel one. Far less cost, far stronger blade

[@jintsuubest9331]

That's exactly what Japanese did in the 1900s. Those sword issues to army troops were often factory mass produced mono spring steel blade with acid etched hamon. Sometimes with western cavalry officer type grip.

[@victoriazero8869]

@@jintsuubest9331 They're split into ko-gunto and shin-gunto. Ko-gunto sometimes hard to distinguish from English officer saber inside scabbard. Shin-gunto is the new style that you see in interwar and WWII (not coincidentally with the rise of Japan Imperialism and neo-Bushido), and is patterned after *tachi* instead. Some people actually redress their family heirloom katana as shin-gunto.

[@Khorneate]

Excellent review, really enjoyed the discussion after tests!

[@samuellowekey9271]

I wouldn't review a $3,500 dollar sword next to the sea in a gale😀

[@Skallagrim]

When I have a bad idea I'm not going to let something as trivial as reason stand in my way. ;)

[@CryoSwordsman]

Amateur opinion, the spiritual energy of the ocean wind enhances the magical power stored within the blade so it would be better at defeating demons.

[@kristoffereberius2476]

I think many people who stretched the budget for a quality sword at this price range wouldn't cut with it. I could easily see this as a nice presentation piece and using the cheaper but good quality swords for cutting. Great review and it's great to know there are still people making the traditional swords with care, precision, and skills to make it art.

[@xXjOmAmMaXx]

6:29 pretty significant delamination (if not an outright hagire/karasuguchi in the boshi... for $3500 that would be absolutely unacceptable and this is considered a fatal flaw on Japanese swords

[@jp16k92]

Had the same reaction! Boshi looks like it has hagiri.

[@TheDamokles]

Exactly.

[@notanotherswordreviewchann4901]

This is from launquan and is most likely just folded t10 then low acid etched. T10 has the exact same characteristics as Japanese tamahagane when low acid etched. Virtually impossible to tell the difference without a metal test. This is why you see "tamahagane" from Chinese forges and for such a low price compared to a Japanese kat. The real stuff is over 10k.

[@Candlemancer]

​@@notanotherswordreviewchann4901exported Japanese swords are more expensive because the industry is extremely regulated and the supply artificially limited, not because they're actually worth tens of thousands of dollars

[@Skallagrim]

Huh, I was wondering if this was a delamination, but I didn't want to criticize it for something I wasn't entirely sure about.

[@austinaxley81]

One major correction, the curve or "sori" is caused by the temerature difference between the edge, "hi" and the spine "mune" caused by the application of different clay patterns which creates the hamon as well. NOT the difference between the core and the spine.

[@Joelalfred]

Yay, love your sword reviews!

[@michaelhill6451]

0:40 Yeah...They are probably just using dirt cheap steel and saying they are making it out of "iron sand".

[@gigaslave]

IIRC tamahagane was needed because Japan had poor native access to iron of any decent quality, so smiths had to come up with a high-carbon smelting process to turn it into steel.

[@undertakernumberone1]

It has to be noted that a not too dissimilar process to refine iron was used in europe as well. Quite early, in fact. There is primarily a difference in terms of division of labour: In japan, the smith made the metal and the sword and another artisan sharpened it. In Europe, one smith made the metal which then got sold and another smith used it to make the sword and sharpened it (and even there, we later got experts for sharpening the blade)

[@windhelmguard5295]

@@undertakernumberone1 europe eventually got to the point where the handles were also made by a different person. This went so far that sword makers who couldn't keep up with the demand started making swords with flat tangs and then outsourced the construction of the handle to knife makers.

[@Specter_1125]

@@undertakernumberone1another difference is most of Europe had ready access to iron mines, where as Japan needed to sift through a significant amount of sand to get their iron.

[@bobrobinson1576]

I remember reading somewhere that some smiths used wootz steel imported from India because it was so much higher quality.

[@giulyanoviniciussanssilva2947]

Okay, but now there's good iron, couldn't you leave it visually the same way and using a more powerful process?

[@awyeagames]

Now I want to know more about that microphone. What an excellent microphone!

[@12shirosaki]

Meanwhile I walked into a katana store in Kyoto and the cheapest sharp katana is more or less 10000 euros

[@tsk5328]

great vid as always! it would be very interesting to see skall to one of those videos about medieval battles with the squares and unit movements but from the human perspective of someone who knows so much, about weapons and their handling in relation to each other and in so many varying qualities. I think he would have some interesting things to conjecture about the lived experience of people meeting different weaponry on alien terrain.

[@RaoulKunz1]

Beautiful if a bit overproduced in my opinion - and while I do have two medium priced Katanas here on my wall I'd have to say if I had to make the choice again I would have gotten Tachi. A friend of mind has one so I had the chance to test it and it feels a lot closer to a Kriegsmesser, longsword or really any "war sword" because, well, it *is* . Having a Katana with "War" on it is silly... it's not a war sword, it's a status indicating peace time blade... I'm still waiting for anyone to offer an at least moderately affordable Wheel of Time "book style" sword other than the old, and slightly takky, Windlass version. Swiss sabre/two handed Falchion/Kriegsmesser/Tachi blade with a complex hilt would in my opinions be a supremely awesome and functional sword ;). Best regards Raoul G. Kunz

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

Katanas were brought into war, but by that time their fitting are simply not like the ones used in peace time. Some tachi blades have 76-80cm blade length like Edo period Katanas so that the user can quickly deploy it when their main weapons are no longer accessible. Longer swords up to 90cm blade length and above, even though superior for fighting but also very cumbersome and harder to deploy when you truly need it.

[@RaoulKunz1]

@@jaketheasianguy3307 Thanks, my Japanese sword lore is simply no longer up to snuff, some 20 years after my initial infatuation with them. But are longer swords really harder to deploy? Especially in light of the differing military mounting and how scabbards where worn blade downward as was also common with single edged swords in Europe, unlike a Katana in a peacetime context. I feel in a "cavalry" type mounting for a 90cm bladed Tachi or O-Katana should be just as quickly deployable as a 70cm bladed Katana from an Obi? And I feel the Tachi mounting's stronger curved tsuka should make drawing one just as smooth a motion as drawing a shorter Katana? And does it really matter in a military context when you clearly expecting battle,. unlike a "civilian" context when you encounter some incident or muggery or matter of honour on the street and needed quick dependability? Just wondering and making deductions from European swords, not trying anything like "oh I kno betta!" to our comments ;). Best regards Raoul G. Kunz

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

Tachi were used on foot as well, not just for Cavalry. Alot of Samurai were not archers or cavalry men but they chose other kind of polearms to fight on foot as their main weapon. I have never ride a horse before so i don't know how easy it is to draw a 120cm Tachi on horse back. But on foot, the darn thing is a pain in the butt to draw out fast, especially when someone is rushing at you who wants your head. The tachi style of mounting is simply harder to apply the sayabiki technique to pull the scabbard back with your hips and left arm, hence makes it way slower to deploy fast when you are fighting and suddenly your main weapon is broken. That's just my experience though. Maybe i'm just bad at drawing long sword fast

[@RaoulKunz1]

@@jaketheasianguy3307 I'm aware that swords, unless specialized "almost-polearms", where always sidearms and polearms for most of the pre-powder era and cavalry actually reverted to the lance in the late 19th and early 20th century but this is probably a misunderstanding caused by me refering to the "hanging" Tachi style mounting as "cavalry style". I do not content that a Katana can be drawn substantially quicker but wouldn't the way to carry it in a sash have been a problem for an armoured warrior? I'm aware that this is insubstantial for the conflicts of the Imperial Restauration in the mid-late 19th century because the need to wear armour had been negated by high velocity bullets and later repeaters and thus a Katana as a sidearm makes a lot of sense. Thanks for your insights! Best regards Raoul G. Kunz

[@Kamamura2]

Towards the end of the video, you can clearly see how the ancient curse that stains this blade pulls Skal from this world towards the shadowy world of the bakemono... observe the blurred silhouette, and the strange shapes forming in the peripheral areas of the footage.

[@paulbrooks4395]

I can imagine rust being a pain in the old days, prior to nickel and chromium steels. That’s my sort of worry with something like this, it’s almost too nice to use and will be a decorative piece despite the labor that went into making it functional.

[@ToxicityAssured]

He was doing a rust test knowingly or not. The strong breeze atomizes the salt water and then it comes ashore. If not cleaned, I don't know how it wouldn't rust. My Spyderco in M4 steel was within 100 feet of the ocean for three hours and started speckle rusting on the exposed side of the blade.

[@mauer594]

In my limited, related experience with high-carbon Swedish knives: Hot oil does okay. I normally just dunk the blade a couple times in hot used motor oil and wipe it, but olive oil works reasonably well too. I haven't tried anything like tallow. Olive oil was used in the American Civil War under the name sweet oil to clean and oil firearms.

[@caravaneerkhed]

I’ve heard from Japanese sword experts that often samurai did not have to worry about rust as much as we think, they used the swords often enough that simply wiping the blade clean after use would be enough to keep the blade in good condition through its life cycle.

[@LLJVBass]

Watching you and your mic win the fight against nature was a feature, not a bug.

[@DigitalPhreak765]

Looks like a work of art 😁😁

[@ashfield4313]

The amount of master craftsmen or combined knowledge required to make a sword like that is astounding. If I were into Japanese swords made with authentic techniques, I could definitely see this as a pinnacle piece in a collection. It may not be made in Japan, but the sheer skill negates that, at least in my opinion, as it is definitely a genuine article.

[@invertedpolarity6890]

I love mahogany katanas!

[@thomaslorenc762]

wonderful Video, Skal!!! Beautiful blade!

[@JoeSteel1]

Nice Looking sword, just can't trust its Iron sand(and where from) or pig Iron smelted, being sold at KOA not sure what to think, but your insight was spot on, Tamahagane is more for people who want to appreciate the ascetics, but yes a 400 sword would give you as good or BETTER performance, The only production swords that I would look at in that price range is Evolution blades or Citadel.

[@jonajo9757]

Pig iron?

[@JoeSteel1]

@jonajo9757 Yes, look up the term...its left over metals processed into sword steel,

[@jonajo9757]

@@JoeSteel1 I know what pig iron is, but I just want to see what you know about it. Whenever pig iron is brought up during Japanese sword discussions, it's use interchangeably for Tamahagane.

[@JoeSteel1]

@jonajo9757 The true term Tamahagane is only for the absolute traditional way....the term is used very loosely when in fact many Chinese smiths use the Pig Iron method and call it Tamahagane....its still pretty hada on the steel but shouldn't be called so....I accept it, but sword sellers should be precise as to what it is....I dont think that sword was made with Iron Sand

[@julianlange920]

Really nice background, I like it. The fogging of the lense was unfortunately but not bad. I like your weapon reviews 👍

[@prismaticc_abyss]

If we're being that nit picky about genuineness of katana having to come from Japan specifically, then we might as well say all Katana made after the Meiji restauration are ingenuine. It's such a pointless distinction. It should be about how it's made and what it is, not where it comes from and when it was made.

[@kunimitsune177]

That's like saying all fuzzy wine should be called champagne

[@prismaticc_abyss]

@@kunimitsune177 all fuzzy wine should be called champagne.

[@Caderynwolf]

there is something to be said about authenticity, and done through a traditional method, that is in its own right valuable. I would say half the value/cost in this sword is due to the difficulty and skill required to make it through traditional smithing techniques. The rest of the cost being in the quality and aesthetics.

[@MrMetonicus]

Did you know any sword handled by Skallagrim instantly increases in value by 30%?

[@Skallagrim]

So it's now worth $4550, while no longer in new condition? XD

[@rycs16]

for something that costs that much there seems to be an awful lot of dings and nicks visible on the close up shorts in the cutting edge itself for something that is only cutting through water bottles and thin wood sticks...

[@Theduckwebcomics]

Very good, thoughtful review. Great video overall I can't help but think it's really silly to use traditional Japanese terms for all the parts of the sword. Look, we KNOW Japanese are very traditional about those things but a tsuba is just a guard, a saya is just a scabbard. We don't use cultural/language specific terms for any other culture's swords whether they're from Mali, Indonesia, China, Germany etc. It's only really appropriate for things that are unique to Japanese swords, like a sageo for example , not stuff there are already English terms for. Aside from that nitpick it's a great video

[@iratevagabond204]

Just started the video. . . waiting with baited breath to see him chop down trees.

[@kalrodwick]

Being a 6'4" guy i would prefer an Odachi over a Katana. Having a 53" inch blade would feel closer to a long sword.

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

Do you mean Great Sword? 53” blade seems way out of longsword range

[@lalli8152]

53 inch blade would be huge for long sword. The so called O-katana or some tachis are closer to longswords. 53 inch would be some kinda great sword range

[@kalrodwick]

@lalli8152 my bad meant 35" 🤣😂

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

@@kalrodwick oh ok that makes more sense lol. 35” blade would be much more like an O-katana or a tachi. It is around the 40” blade length when you have to question if it is a larger O-katana or a small Odachi

[@kalrodwick]

@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699 odachi or Nodachi are around 35." and that's a much more proper length two handed sword IMO. Especially for someone of my size. 🤣

[@BigWangLemon]

The cloudiness of the ocean-side segments gives a very specific feeling that really enhances the air (excuse the pun) of the presentation. I… kinda really like it.

[@asterisk606]

I'm not even overly biased against katanas, but compared to the high end European swords you briefly showed in the video, the European swords are significantly better looking to me. The overall design is more appealing. Even with that said, I can appreciate the detail work that was done on the katana. The "cool" factor comes from the creation process and being able to say you own something that was made like that.

[@gavindooly2375]

Fuck that, use an axe. Infinitely more versatile, cheaper, and easy to use and maintain.

[@ICECAPPEDSKY]

Yeah I’m kinda in the same boat where European swords to me are way more appealing aesthetically but the Katana is a fascinating weapon because of the traditional higher end craftsmanship processes, its history ,and spirituality. Which I believe that the smiths used to engrave their name on the tang of the swords and the swords I believe were blessed and it was believed each sword had a spirit although I could be wrong.

[@rpoutine3271]

The filming place was perfect!

[@syberslade3878]

What about that one sword that’s so sharp you get cut just by looking at it?

[@richardsantosgarcia8972]

You should make a review of that microphone, the real MVP of the video XD

[@LuxisAlukard]

I remember Skall who didn't like katanas as all! But, he has seen the light, and he's coming to his senses =)

[@captainLoknar]

haha it only had to cost 3000$ although it's made in China - but be slightly worse than a 1000$ one

[@edgarburlyman738]

What it's not Japanese? But you can get Japanese for that kind of money, antique or new production your choice

[@captainLoknar]

@@edgarburlyman738 yeah it's kinda shocking for that price. BUT antique katana are probably > 20,000$

[@edgarburlyman738]

@@captainLoknar nah I know where to get a Japanese katana from the 1700s for the $4k he spent on this piece of junk. I need to do a gofundme to make a video since no youtuber seems able to find them.

[@edgarburlyman738]

@@captainLoknar 1700s being not very old by Japan standards. For that $20k you could get something from the 1400s, just not a famous name.

[@kalashnikovdevil]

Hey I'm getting notifications for you consistently again! That's nice.

[@samusaran4799]

Holy can this be…? First?

[@ClipsFromMaine]

I just bought a katana that is perfectly accurate fittings, but a spring steel blade… I chopped down a 6 inch maple with it, then ordered another. Traditional katana blades are gorgeous, I own more than one, but today we have better options 🤷‍♂️

[@Interrobang212]

Very beautiful, and very niche. I think that was a fair review Skal, and I'm glad you got in someone with more expertise. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the straight hamon.

[@paperclipcereal5896]

For anyone looking for a Japan-made tamahagane sword you *can* get them but you have to go through very specific vendors who handle the paperwork

[@lb3613]

Really good video, really enjoyed the input of your friends

[@saranoconasanderson7673]

i'm going to suggest you also give us the make and modle of your mic you used on the windy parts because damn it worked like a champion.

[@perspicacity89]

What an amazing microphone.

[@northumbriabushcraft1208]

I also have a tamahagane blade. Im very lucky as i paid £400 for it. Its a wakizashi, edo period blade and a mix of fittings, meiji era tsuba and some late ww2 fittings. It was one of the blades cobbled together from older parts at the end of ww2 when Japan was using anything they could get, wakizashis included. I dont think i could ever afford a modern made tama-hagane blade and even this one was a steal at the price i paid. Your sword is beautiful skall, what an amazing piece. Edit: I should add the sword I have has a Japanned brass coated wooden scabbard with animals carved into it, along with a crane In the wetlands on its bronze tsuba. There are chrysanthemums on the sheath and handle, as well as a serial number on that bit of brass in-between the tsuba and blade

[@northumbriabushcraft1208]

The blade has some scratches on it from poor sharpening by a previous owner, I really wanna take them out but I'm not sure how to treat tama-hagane steel. I like the pattern on the blade, it would be a shame if I lost it Edit: I know you cant actually lose it, I assume it's like Damascus and comes back out if a acid is applied but I don't have any

[@o8thmsmunchieman]

I would love to see you do an updated buyer's guide for the Katana.

[@scottmacgregor3444]

Well, the mic put its work in. Nice katans.

[@ValTek_Armory]

Wether or not you are a fan of katanas, you must admit this is a lovely piece of craftsmanship

[@armandblake]

IMO Ikkan Maki grip wrapping looks the best, the flat wrap part gives it a cleaner look

[@althesmith]

I cut a few months ago with a shinsakuto which cost me over 4000, made in the 1970s by a Japanese smith. Cut very well but I took care to wipe down after every mat. This had been used for Iaido and cutting by the previous user so I didn't feel bad doing it.

[@KageStelhman]

To answer your question, yes that Katana is Historically Accurate except the Shinogi is parallel instead of being slightly beveled.