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Shinken Katana Comments Page 3 (Prev/Next)

Shinto Elite Katana

Sales Pitch (Shinto Elite Katana)

The Shinto features a hand-forged 1065 high-carbon steel katana blade (now featuring the geometry of the Performance Series) and is differentially tempered using the traditional claying method. The Shinto is mounted in black and the tsuka-ito is made of premium black Japanese cotton. The saya is finished in a deep black lacquer with a black cotton sageo. A finely rendered dragon, detailed in gold, with true front-and-back detail, forms the black iron tsuba. The fittings are superbly antiqued adding to the aesthetics of the set. The Shinto is supplied with a protective cloth bag and traditional maintenance kit.

Comments

We could not cut with the sword tested and that hurt it's overall rating.  It rated 4th in the balance and feel category and would have rated higher if the tsuba did not have high relief.  High relief tsuba tend to be hard on the hands and the dragon tsuba of the Shinto could use some smoothing with emery paper before use.  Some reviewers thought the tsuba was too small.  Most like the balance of the blade and it rates solidly overall.

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Shinto XL Katana

Sales Pitch (Shinto XL Katana)

The Shinto features a hand-forged 1065 high-carbon steel katana blade (now featuring the geometry of the Performance Series) and is differentially tempered using the traditional claying method. The Shinto is mounted in black and the tsuka-ito is made of premium black Japanese cotton. The saya is finished in a deep black lacquer with a black cotton sageo. A finely rendered dragon, detailed in gold, with true front-and-back detail, forms the black iron tsuba. The fittings are superbly antiqued adding to the aesthetics of the set. The Shinto is supplied with a protective cloth bag and traditional maintenance kit.

Comments

We could not cut with the sword tested and that hurt it's overall rating.  Most like the balance of the blade and it rates solidly overall.  It rated well in the balance and feel category and would have rated higher if the tsuba did not have high relief.  High relief tsuba tend to be hard on the hands and the dragon tsuba of the Shinto could use some smoothing with emery paper before use.  Some reviewers thought the tsuba was too small.

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Last Legend Mark VII Bear

Sales Pitch (Last Legend)

Standard blade lengths are 28" or 30" • Standard 11.5" handle on the Mk IV and VII, and 12" on the Bear. All with black tsuka-ito and white samé • The Bear blade geometry differs from the Dragon in that the blade is 1 mm thicker and 2 mm wider with a Shobu-zukuri style and available with or without Bohi at NO extra charge. The shinogi-ji is narrower than the Dragon's, and on the model with the bohi, the bohi starts 3 inch's down from the habaki and ends 3 inch's before the yokote (tip line). It will weigh in at about 1350 grams with a balance point at 128 mm.   The blades themselves have a low shinogi, the Shinogi-ji is wider on the model with Hi to make room for the Koshi-bi style Hi. The other model is a Iori-mune style (it tapers to almost look like s false edge), plus a very steep oroshi.

• Utilizing the Last Legend Bear geometry
• Differentially clay tempered
• available with or without Bohi at NO extra charge
• 28" blade and a full one inch Sori (blade curve), with available 30" blade no-cost option
• Copper Seppa (spacers)
• Fully lined sword bag
• Standard cotton tsuka-ito (handle wrap) in black with white samé
• Mk VII Options available
  • Now with Six optional tsuka-ito (handle wrap) colorsDragon's Blood (dark Red), Imperial Jade (dark green), Raiu Blue (dark blue), Emperors Court (dark purple), Earth Brown (dark brown), Silver Dawn (dark gray),
  • Now available, three samé colors - Black or White and including the New Silver Gray
  • Cryo Treatment

Comments

This katana is solid and heavy.  Most reviews thought it felt very kissaki heavy and thought it was heavier than swords that actually weighted more. The yokote was not defined.

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Shinto XL Light Katana

Sales Pitch (Shinto XL Light Katana)

The Shinto features a hand-forged 1065 high-carbon steel katana blade (now featuring the geometry of the Performance Series) and is differentially tempered using the traditional claying method. The Shinto is mounted in black and the tsuka-ito is made of premium black Japanese cotton. The saya is finished in a deep black lacquer with a black cotton sageo. A finely rendered dragon, detailed in gold, with true front-and-back detail, forms the black iron tsuba. The fittings are superbly antiqued adding to the aesthetics of the set. The Shinto is supplied with a protective cloth bag and traditional maintenance kit.

Comments

We could not cut with the sword tested and that hurt it's overall rating.  Most like the balance of the blade and it rates solidly overall.  It rated well in the balance and feel category and would have rated higher if the tsuba did not have high relief.  High relief tsuba tend to be hard on the hands and the dragon tsuba of the Shinto could use some smoothing with emery paper before use.  Some reviewers thought the tsuba was too small.

Back to Shinken Ratings