Victor Coburn
Dec 28, 2018
(5 out of 5)
Absolutely Beautiful
Pictures do not do it justice! Shorter than my other Odachi swords, and the length of the handle makes it more akin to a nagamaki.
No complaints though, cut through the rolled mats with little effort, great balance, and did I mention that it's ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Cannot believe the price, I spent $6000 on my demonstration Odachi, and I LOVE this one more!
35+ years of kinjutsu, highly recommend.
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Aug 24, 2016
(5 out of 5)
Beast!!
this sword is just..MONSTROUS.I,m speechless of this swords beauty yet scared straight impression this makes.Btw Shinwa uses a black finish to just make the damascus pattern more noticable and if the finish wears off you can still see the pattern with a special LED flashlight.The damascus is real on all their swords its just they use a finish dye to make it noticable without an extremely bright LED light just to make things clear.Oh and I Prefer this over the 1045 Odachi it just has a distinctive feel to and I'd say I think Shinwa beat Musashi in the Odach class id proudly say
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Benjamin Wimer
Oct 02, 2015
(5 out of 5)
Amazing sword
This is an incredible weapon. Massive design makes the Sword feel huge in your hands, yet it's elegantly balanced so it doesn't have too much weight unbalanced. The blade is black and sleek and gorgeous. The whole design has a very dark, sinister feel to it, as if it were a sword made for the villian to wield. I absolutely love it, it's immediately become one of my new favorite swords in my collection. I would highly recommend, especially for the price, you're getting an amazing weapon for the cost of an entry level katana, I feel it's definitely worth it.
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Colin Johnson
May 03, 2015
(3 out of 5)
The picture is a bit misleading, as the habaki isn't gold, but rather the same color as the tsuba and other fittings. The sword came with some minor blade damage, including several small nicks and a slightly bent upper third of the blade. However, the bend was easily fixed by placing it into a vice and carefully readjusting it. Also, The tsuba rattles slightly when swung. As these issues are specific to my blade, I wouldn't worry too much about them if you're thinking about buying the sword. Every blade is different.
Speaking of the blade, it has a beautiful geometry. There are two fullers. The wider of the two stops about a third of the way down the blade's length, while the narrower one almost reaches the tip. The second half of the sword is also double beveled, though only the side meant for cutting is sharpened. The tip is fully formed and very sharp, but isn't perfectly symmetrical upon close inspection, but that's to be expected when dealing with a cheaper sword like this.
The handle feels sturdy, but the wrapping isn't very tight. It shifts when swung, revealing the wood of the handle. It's nothing major, but still a nuisance. It makes me wonder how well the wrapping would fare during heavy cutting. If I had to guess, not well at all. The rayskin is also crudely cut and put into place, so that it's sticking out at the edges.
If you're like me, and upon arrival the black oxide finish doesn't look as cool as imagined, it's easy to remove with nail polish removal, leaving behind a nicely shaded, more traditional silver color. Unfortunately, the logo and numbering are etched in, and no amount of nail polish remover will get rid of them, though once the oxide finish is stripped away the logo becomes far less easier to notice.
The blade handles moderately well. Its point of balance is about five inches from the handle. It feels nimble, and is easy to control. My blade came very sharp, and cut with ease when doing light test cutting (water bottles, jugs, cans, etc.) As said before, I'm not sure how the sword would handle heavy cutting.
While it has a lot of issues, it's price more than makes up for them. It's rare to find a nice odachi (meaning, one that doesn't fall apart when swung) at this price, and if you're looking for one for light test cutting or to hang on the wall, you'll likely be satisfied.
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Robert
Mar 26, 2015
(4 out of 5)
The is the first Odachi sword I brought. It was cover in oil,so I clean the sword first.The sword has a nice edge,the handle on the sword was tight and it cut through four milk jugs full of water with little effort on my end.It is well balanced and I feel it can easily cut through a man with no issues.
It is worth the money.My only complaint was the logo and the number on the blade.Made it look like a mall brand store,but it is truly a battle ready sword.
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Yuriy
Mar 05, 2015
(1 out of 5)
semimanufactured material
Disgusting. The conventional steel, the pattern of the Damascus erased. Quality arm miserable. Only after replacing the handle on the smaller, can be used. Or as a decorative element.
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C.M. Writings
Feb 13, 2015
(3 out of 5)
You get what you pay for
I look at the sword and I wonder whether this is truly a damascus blade. The pattern on the blade looks awesome but it does looks like the pattern could be rubbed off. Maybe that is just from the high gloss on the blade. The point of the blade is very soft and can be bent quite easily. Of course this is typical of swords under $200.00. The sword is light weight and well balanced. Despite the fact the sword is five feet long, I am able to move quite fast with it. I would not call this a battle ready sword but it can be used for demonstrations and some light cutting. And, the sword displays quite nicely.
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Sam
Dec 20, 2014
(4 out of 5)
Well after having it for a day I can say that this is indeed a fine piece of metal. The only reason I am giving it 4 as opposed to 5 stars is for the scabbard. Still wood shavings inside from a lack of cleaning which were covering the blade when I first opened it. I understand the coating of oil but the shavings and dust were a bit unsightly. After a cleaning of my own, the blade itself is gorgeous, the handle, tsuba, and fittings are all sound. Although only for bit of decor, this is an action ready sword and simply out of respect I have no other option but to go blow another 20$ on fruit and other cuttables, and have myself a day of slice-em-up before retiring it to the wall
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Daniel Voges
Apr 01, 2013
(5 out of 5)
Good reason to buy Shiwa swords
Shinwa swords are a very excellent and true example of what a sword should be.I have removed the hilt on many Shinwa's to prove to my customers that Shinwa's are full tang and true folded steel,the tangs are coated to protect them from rust,if you brush off some of the coating with lite sand paper you will see the damascus pattern,or look on the spine of the tang to see the cross sections of the folded steel.Now I think many don't really understand what full tang means,all you need to know is the tang runs close to the full lengh of the handle,there might be one peg,or two pegs,you can't judge the lengh of the tang by how many pegs are in the handle.If you want a very good sword and not pay an arm and a leg,then Shinwa swords are a good choice.If you are buying your first sword and you plan on useing the sword,you should start with a Shinwa Regal or a double edge like the Dragon Lord or the Black Dragon,These are swift swords there sharp and are extremelly durable and fine cutting swords.When it comes down to it any Shinwa will be a good sword for you as long as you understand you can't cut down anything with a sword.I'm 55 years old I've been swinging swords since I was 19,I own many swords expensive and not so expensive and I have never seen a perfict sword and for me a sword just needs to be durable everything else come with training and experience.You can't go wrong with a Shinwa sword.Your friend Daniel of Nebraska.
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Max
Dec 19, 2012
(4 out of 5)
A professional smith's evaluation
I recieved this sword as a gift last weekend. Being a swordsmith and classically trained in kendo/kenjutsu, I just HAD to do some thorough checking. I have used and owned original Japanese blades, and have also made them by traditional techniques. Good news: For a commercial piece, it is in fact a very high quality and beautiful piece. It does in fact have the properties of a handforged and properly tempered blade, it's lighter than it looks, and surprisingly well balanced for it's sheer size. Everything is exceptionally well finished and fitted, with none of the typical rattles of most commercial swords. Bad news: It is NOT truly a damuscus blade, nor even folded steel. From what my professional eye can see, it is a chemically produced pattern in the surface of the blade. When I disassembled the sword, the tang shows NO signs of the damascus pattern, and is rough in finish - so much so that it is prudent to wear heavy work gloves lest the ragged corners and edges of the tang tear your skin. The wood of the Hilt was cracked at the back side of the tang, so it can't safely be used to try test cuts or the hilt will split. Overall, I am still VERY impressed, as I plan to make a shorter hilt for it anyway, and while the sword is meant to be a wall hangar, it remains functional enough for practice purposes and perhaps even combat, though admittedly, duels with swords of any type are a thing of the distant past. My own blades are much higher quality, true... but MINE dont sell for less than 4 grand a pop, so this sword is MORE than worth the money.
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