This is one of the best reviews I've ever watched on a sword. His intelligence makes this video fun to watch and has been a teaching experience. Keep it up bud
I am really impressed with the Honshu Boshin line of products. I am not a professional swordsman or anything like that, just an average guy that likes guns, knives and now swords. I purchased the Honshu Boshin wakizashi a couple of months ago based on a review I saw on a gun forum saying it was an awesome piece of gear for SHTF. Well I was so impressed with the quality I ended up getting the Katana & Tanto to complete the set and also purchased the D2 steel Sekyuriti folding knife. Well made and quality feel, not like cheap junk you can buy. If your looking to buy I would say get it now because some of the items ive been waiting on are no longer available... People are buying up this stuff like crazy with all the rioting and civil un-rest going on. No doubt in my mind if the apocalypse comes & the ammo runs out, these swords will last though I may not!
I just received one as a gift. As a katana enthusiast who owns over 2 dozen production amd a couple customs, I was very impressed. Bit heavy and the "tsuka" takes some getting used to, but all in all, shes definitely worth the price they charge. Steel is really well done. Took me forever to raise a burr on mine.
Hey Eric ... long time no hear. Glad you like this one. This thing ... for what you are paying ... ain't that bad ... as long as you understand what you are getting. Fun thing to play around with though. And ... to top it all off ... they made it out of decent steel. Again ... not bad for the price. At this price point ... quite frankly ... you could actually do A LOT worse!!
I have loved Gladiator since I first saw it as a teenager. Not gonna lie... the sound track kept me longer, and I am thankful it did. Very good and honest review. Subscribed.
Thank you!! I love movie soundtracks ... and getting to put them with these videos is really fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for subscribing ... plenty more to come!
It's definitely a backyard taticool beater...Mine was bought to convert to a kaninholmsablen (vids on my channel) It held up to cutting hard, dry bamboo which is a pretty jolting target; so I have no issues with the steel. The edge was not very sharp when I got it as many say. Also mine came with a bend in the blade at the guard the tip is about 1/2 inch off center. It definitely came that way but it hasn't gotten worse or noticably effected cutting but is worth looking out for.
thanks Arthur for reviewing this I always wondered about that company but honestly never took it seriously, I rather spend 130.00 if I had to on a Musashi silver line 1060 steel that is actually a really good Katana...still one of favorites even next to my more expensive ones...good job on the review
This one was purely and indulgence on my part. Overall I like the design ... the minimalist / tactical katana thing is pretty cool. I just bought a very modern katana from a company called Sabersmith. Can't wait to see who that things works. But ... yeah ... for a $120 not the worst thing in the world for what you are getting. Its fun to play around with ... but that's about it. Very weighty blade ... and not very sharp.
How would I go about sharpening this sword? Is it worth sharpening? Great review by the way. I bought the double edge one too, feel like I might regret it. Lol but I love the look of these swords.
I liked the look of them too ... that tactical style is kinda cool. As to sharpening it ... no idea. I typically evaluate these things right out of the box to see how they come to you. As far as regretting it .. meh ... don't. You liked the look of it ... I hope you have fun with it. That's the real point right?
@MuthaPhuka jones I guess the video you saw that you speak of is of possibly a newer manufacturing process where they may now use a full tang, but as I initially stated, the video I saw, possibly an older video, showed the guy disassembling it and it did in fact have only a quarter tang cut in a sort of puzzle style design to fit into a 3/4 piece of steel and tack welded in three places. It didn't look bad and for those that can weld, they could finish it with complete welds both sides and I would assume that to be as good as a full tang. Don't know that for certain however about being as good as a full tang though. I have the straight double edged and the matching Katana's hanging on the wall and as much as I'd love to clear this mystery up, I'm not intending to inspect them further. I'll just have to stay in the dark on the matter.
Good review. I’m a bit late on this one, but I act bought one yesterday at a local knife/sword shop as a result of this video. I noticed that there is a bit of a loose feeling in the handle when holding it with one hand. Not too noticeable if you grip it with two hands, but it’s there. You can feel a slight bit of movement of the tang in the handle, which makes me question the whole “full tang” advertisement that UC states. Is this normal?
Yes it is. Several other reviewers have commented that there was a slight clicking sound in the handle when using it particularly aggressively. This is probably due to the fact that the handle is a carbon fiber molded material and may not fit the nakago EXACTLY especially because its mass produced. Still ... tough little mutha for the price.
@@mr.excalibur1455 Thanks for clearing that up. I was beginning to think mine was defective. I was surprised to see that it was ground like a knife (hollow ground with a secondary bevel) rather than like a traditional Katana. Doesn’t feel very sharp compared to a traditional style Katana, but given its intended use, I think sharpening it to a finer edge will likely make the edge roll of you hit a hard object. Can’t wait to have some fun with it in my backyard this weekend. Thanks again for a great review!
Most of the "testers"; didn't hold the sword correctly, swung it like a baseball bat, seemed more interested in their stupid face gear and had no apparent understanding of keeping the cutting aligned to what is being cut. And finally, what kind of an idiot takes a sword to cut a laptop?
I own it it’s worth the buck but ..... don’t expect it to feel like an Albion. period ! it feel like what it is .... a sharpened steel bar ... however you can with time patience and lots of extra belts grind into it a distal taper I wouldn’t recommend using the old fashioned bench, disc or any other high speed grinder you will destroy whatever temper it has ..that being said I am going to use a Ken Onion Worksharp with the blade grinding attachment and give it a whirl and see if I can give it a distal taper and maybe make it feel like a “real sword” ...
Also zgb the people in the vid cutting the head, the person swinging it is actually a katana master, but the people who cut laptops are dumb a katana is meant to cut flesh not electronics
For some reason I can see the comment that I was swinging it like a baseball bat. Hmm ... perhaps ... lack of experience. Most of mine is with European Swords ... but I'm getting better.
I love using this sword, but not a lot of decent reviews for it. Worst the people testing it don't even know how to use a katana... 🤣 At 1060 steel pretty good for tameshigiri of course if your using it on a target like tatami mat. I just wish people would stop chopping water bottles it doesn't prove anything. Plastic is plastic it ain't offering good. resistance. The katana was designed to cut flesh and bone. Tatami mat and bamboo are best used as a target. 😊 Just because it cost less doesn't meant it won't do the job. Well it depends on who's using it... 🤣😂🤣 A katana blade is not invincible even for original nihonto swords forged by a reputable Japanese swords smith. It will require maintenance and proper use for its purpose. Now if your chopping oak trees and laptops I'd say your better of using an Axe! 🤔
I appreciate the feedback ... thank you. Swords are very personal weapons ... one of the reasons I love them so much. People have different opinions based upon their skills and physical preferences ... THAT's what makes them so interesting. Different strokes. This was a very interesting piece. For the price I was impressed by the materials that were being used and the nice "tactical" fit and finish. I would still have preferred a sharper blade out of the box ... but I suppose if you have half way decent sharpening skills and resources ... probably could sharpen it up to a decent serviceable edge.
How much more time and money would it cost the company to put a decent edge on these swords??Katanas and swords in general should not be sharpened like knives!!! Should be no secondary bevel!! I almost bought the wakizashi just as a fun novelty item to wack brush and whatnot down when I'm doing yardwork, but when I heard about the secondary bevel i said no way!! I now have the right stuff to properly sharpen it if u wanted to buy it, but I'm no longer interested...
Wait 'till you see the modern made katana I'm going to be reviewing from a company called Sabersmith. They actually did a hollow ground "knife edge" katana right. Thing handles and cuts pretty nice for that kind of grind. It also cost almost double as much as this one was lol.
@@mr.excalibur1455 think I have looked at them before.. Got leather wrapped handles right?? Think as far as "Japanese " swords they offered a katana and a straight "NINJA" sword if they are the company I'm thinking of... They also had a fantasy type Scimitar that looked pretty cool.. Does it actually cut well?? Was always scared to pull the trigger cause I was afraid the sword would be a dull poorly balanced hunk of metal only good for looking cool on the wall.
@@mr.excalibur1455 I know Mathew Jensen talked of wanting to review one of their katanas.. Maybe yall could do another video together like yall did for the Warrior Katana.
@@jmc2235 This is all possible. I don't remember Matt wanting to cut with one before. I actually bought three of their pieces and was pleasantly surprised. I bought a "two handed" sword which was more of a European model and a fantasy model ... not the Scimitar ... it was the Elven Longsword. They make 'em out of 1075 mono tempered steel. They weld all the hilts and pommels together ... they are tanks!! But ... they aren't for everybody. If you are looking for some kind of historical recreation ... these aren't the guys to go to. They are modern built ... modern manufactured weapons that are inspired by historical examples. They actually have a katana, ninja sword ... AND No (o)dachi blade as well.
I have Cold Steel machete swords that I would put up against your Musashi katanas, winner takes the other's weapon. It's technique man and you should say it. You could have bought an awesome made sword that just needed some TLC, like sharpening a tad. I keep looking on here for sword reviews but I never see anyone flex a blade tempered in the western fashion, or test the differential hardness on a katana tempered in the eastern fashion with a scratch bit set. Dude no offense but it seems to me like you are more into collecting swords than using them to defend yourself. Hell I cut a charging coyote's head off in one swing as he leaped to attack me by side stepping him and dropping a diagonal cut, with a $50 stainless steel sword copied from one of Museum Replicas Limited medieval designs. In the woods, starting from a seated position, with witnesses, and under pressure. All you CZcams sword guys need to step it up from the tiny water bottles but no go as far as Lynn Thompson with dork uniforms (only Lynn gets to carry a gun). These weapons are made to kill, not to rub on while you play Minecraft. If I am wrong then call me out on it but your music montage told me the whole story pal. You can do better my friend. I am sorry if I am dropping this on you after four hours of watching the deadliest thing on earth to plastic water bottles.
This is one of the best reviews I've ever watched on a sword. His intelligence makes this video fun to watch and has been a teaching experience. Keep it up bud
Thank you very much. I do appreciate it. They are fun to do.
I am really impressed with the Honshu Boshin line of products. I am not a professional swordsman or anything like that, just an average guy that likes guns, knives and now swords. I purchased the Honshu Boshin wakizashi a couple of months ago based on a review I saw on a gun forum saying it was an awesome piece of gear for SHTF. Well I was so impressed with the quality I ended up getting the Katana & Tanto to complete the set and also purchased the D2 steel Sekyuriti folding knife. Well made and quality feel, not like cheap junk you can buy. If your looking to buy I would say get it now because some of the items ive been waiting on are no longer available... People are buying up this stuff like crazy with all the rioting and civil un-rest going on. No doubt in my mind if the apocalypse comes & the ammo runs out, these swords will last though I may not!
What else can i say except WOW...great review
I just received one as a gift. As a katana enthusiast who owns over 2 dozen production amd a couple customs, I was very impressed. Bit heavy and the "tsuka" takes some getting used to, but all in all, shes definitely worth the price they charge. Steel is really well done. Took me forever to raise a burr on mine.
Hey Eric ... long time no hear. Glad you like this one. This thing ... for what you are paying ... ain't that bad ... as long as you understand what you are getting. Fun thing to play around with though. And ... to top it all off ... they made it out of decent steel. Again ... not bad for the price. At this price point ... quite frankly ... you could actually do A LOT worse!!
@@mr.excalibur1455 for sure.
I have loved Gladiator since I first saw it as a teenager. Not gonna lie... the sound track kept me longer, and I am thankful it did. Very good and honest review. Subscribed.
Thank you!! I love movie soundtracks ... and getting to put them with these videos is really fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for subscribing ... plenty more to come!
I think it's good enough for zombie apocalypse.
I just ordered the wakizashi. Honestly, the main selling point for me, no air-brushed or acid-etched fake hamon. Just a big beefy blade.
That is exactly what you'll get. I hope you enjoy it!!
I also bought the Wakazashi which I love (got it for my wife) but I’m thinking about either getting another Wakazashi or the katana, can’t decide yet.
This video was a huge help
I'm happy to have helped. Glad that it was useful.
It's definitely a backyard taticool beater...Mine was bought to convert to a kaninholmsablen (vids on my channel) It held up to cutting hard, dry bamboo which is a pretty jolting target; so I have no issues with the steel. The edge was not very sharp when I got it as many say. Also mine came with a bend in the blade at the guard the tip is about 1/2 inch off center. It definitely came that way but it hasn't gotten worse or noticably effected cutting but is worth looking out for.
A tactical katana, which is very similar to the Witcher 2 sword in the Polish Witcher series.
thanks Arthur for reviewing this I always wondered about that company but honestly never took it seriously, I rather spend 130.00 if I had to on a Musashi silver line 1060 steel that is actually a really good Katana...still one of favorites even next to my more expensive ones...good job on the review
This one was purely and indulgence on my part. Overall I like the design ... the minimalist / tactical katana thing is pretty cool. I just bought a very modern katana from a company called Sabersmith. Can't wait to see who that things works. But ... yeah ... for a $120 not the worst thing in the world for what you are getting. Its fun to play around with ... but that's about it. Very weighty blade ... and not very sharp.
It only has a quarter tang that is inserted between a piece of metal and tack welded in three places.
It looks like to me that there's nothing a little additional sharpening wouldn't cure. Imo, a pretty good buy for the money!
For the money ... yeah.
How would I go about sharpening this sword? Is it worth sharpening? Great review by the way. I bought the double edge one too, feel like I might regret it. Lol but I love the look of these swords.
I liked the look of them too ... that tactical style is kinda cool. As to sharpening it ... no idea. I typically evaluate these things right out of the box to see how they come to you. As far as regretting it .. meh ... don't. You liked the look of it ... I hope you have fun with it. That's the real point right?
Took me about 2 hours on my worksharp to raise a burr. Just takes patiemce.
Thanks for the video. I’d love for someone to take it apart and actually show the “full tang”. If you get bored, I’d watch that!
Sold it off months ago ... but you are right ... deconstructing that one would be very informative.
It's only a quarter tang inserted between a steel extension and tack welded in three places.
@MuthaPhuka jones I guess the video you saw that you speak of is of possibly a newer manufacturing process where they may now use a full tang, but as I initially stated, the video I saw, possibly an older video, showed the guy disassembling it and it did in fact have only a quarter tang cut in a sort of puzzle style design to fit into a 3/4 piece of steel and tack welded in three places. It didn't look bad and for those that can weld, they could finish it with complete welds both sides and I would assume that to be as good as a full tang. Don't know that for certain however about being as good as a full tang though. I have the straight double edged and the matching Katana's hanging on the wall and as much as I'd love to clear this mystery up, I'm not intending to inspect them further. I'll just have to stay in the dark on the matter.
@@FoxBonly the new ones have a full tang I saw a video of one being disassembled
Saw the video as well. Dude couldn't file the tang- the steel was too hard! @@noahgilbert8630
Good review. I’m a bit late on this one, but I act bought one yesterday at a local knife/sword shop as a result of this video. I noticed that there is a bit of a loose feeling in the handle when holding it with one hand. Not too noticeable if you grip it with two hands, but it’s there. You can feel a slight bit of movement of the tang in the handle, which makes me question the whole “full tang” advertisement that UC states. Is this normal?
Yes it is. Several other reviewers have commented that there was a slight clicking sound in the handle when using it particularly aggressively. This is probably due to the fact that the handle is a carbon fiber molded material and may not fit the nakago EXACTLY especially because its mass produced. Still ... tough little mutha for the price.
@@mr.excalibur1455 Thanks for clearing that up. I was beginning to think mine was defective. I was surprised to see that it was ground like a knife (hollow ground with a secondary bevel) rather than like a traditional Katana. Doesn’t feel very sharp compared to a traditional style Katana, but given its intended use, I think sharpening it to a finer edge will likely make the edge roll of you hit a hard object. Can’t wait to have some fun with it in my backyard this weekend. Thanks again for a great review!
Most of the "testers"; didn't hold the sword correctly, swung it like a baseball bat, seemed more interested in their stupid face gear and had no apparent understanding of keeping the cutting aligned to what is being cut. And finally, what kind of an idiot takes a sword to cut a laptop?
I own it it’s worth the buck but ..... don’t expect it to feel like an Albion. period ! it feel like what it is .... a sharpened steel bar ... however you can with time patience and lots of extra belts grind into it a distal taper I wouldn’t recommend using the old fashioned bench, disc or any other high speed grinder you will destroy whatever temper it has ..that being said I am going to use a Ken Onion Worksharp with the blade grinding attachment and give it a whirl and see if I can give it a distal taper and maybe make it feel like a “real sword” ...
Took me 2 hours to raise a buff in mine.
yeah not taking people that want to cut laptops and tablets word for it . My competition cutters do not handle those items.
Henry Hill LMAO SAME
Also zgb the people in the vid cutting the head, the person swinging it is actually a katana master, but the people who cut laptops are dumb a katana is meant to cut flesh not electronics
@@connorthompson719 Maybe ... still is funny watching people try though.
that's a destruction test not a true testimony of the cutting power but funny to watch
So it’s a fantastic sword
HA! Yeah ... for a$120.00 ... pretty tough!
For some reason I can see the comment that I was swinging it like a baseball bat. Hmm ... perhaps ... lack of experience. Most of mine is with European Swords ... but I'm getting better.
Mr. Excalibur yea
Mr. Excalibur not you Man I was talking about the people giving it a bad review
You have it upside down
I was thinking about buying one of these because of cool design, but it's clearly blunt and poorly hardened. For the price, not worth it.
I love using this sword, but not a lot of decent reviews for it. Worst the people testing it don't even know how to use a katana... 🤣
At 1060 steel pretty good for tameshigiri of course if your using it on a target like tatami mat.
I just wish people would stop chopping water bottles it doesn't prove anything. Plastic is plastic it ain't offering good. resistance.
The katana was designed to cut flesh and bone. Tatami mat and bamboo are best used as a target. 😊
Just because it cost less doesn't meant it won't do the job. Well it depends on who's using it... 🤣😂🤣
A katana blade is not invincible even for original nihonto swords forged by a reputable Japanese swords smith. It will require maintenance and proper use for its purpose. Now if your chopping oak trees and laptops I'd say your better of using an Axe! 🤔
I appreciate the feedback ... thank you. Swords are very personal weapons ... one of the reasons I love them so much. People have different opinions based upon their skills and physical preferences ... THAT's what makes them so interesting. Different strokes. This was a very interesting piece. For the price I was impressed by the materials that were being used and the nice "tactical" fit and finish. I would still have preferred a sharper blade out of the box ... but I suppose if you have half way decent sharpening skills and resources ... probably could sharpen it up to a decent serviceable edge.
@@mr.excalibur1455 czcams.com/video/YlanqvikEgs/video.html I use it for daily practice the tactical katana is fine. 😊
czcams.com/channels/SuHhu7-bAG4nnf9YsBiCFA.html
How much more time and money would it cost the company to put a decent edge on these swords??Katanas and swords in general should not be sharpened like knives!!! Should be no secondary bevel!! I almost bought the wakizashi just as a fun novelty item to wack brush and whatnot down when I'm doing yardwork, but when I heard about the secondary bevel i said no way!! I now have the right stuff to properly sharpen it if u wanted to buy it, but I'm no longer interested...
Wait 'till you see the modern made katana I'm going to be reviewing from a company called Sabersmith. They actually did a hollow ground "knife edge" katana right. Thing handles and cuts pretty nice for that kind of grind. It also cost almost double as much as this one was lol.
@@mr.excalibur1455 think I have looked at them before.. Got leather wrapped handles right?? Think as far as "Japanese " swords they offered a katana and a straight "NINJA" sword if they are the company I'm thinking of... They also had a fantasy type Scimitar that looked pretty cool..
Does it actually cut well?? Was always scared to pull the trigger cause I was afraid the sword would be a dull poorly balanced hunk of metal only good for looking cool on the wall.
@@mr.excalibur1455 I know Mathew Jensen talked of wanting to review one of their katanas.. Maybe yall could do another video together like yall did for the Warrior Katana.
@@jmc2235 This is all possible. I don't remember Matt wanting to cut with one before. I actually bought three of their pieces and was pleasantly surprised. I bought a "two handed" sword which was more of a European model and a fantasy model ... not the Scimitar ... it was the Elven Longsword. They make 'em out of 1075 mono tempered steel. They weld all the hilts and pommels together ... they are tanks!! But ... they aren't for everybody. If you are looking for some kind of historical recreation ... these aren't the guys to go to. They are modern built ... modern manufactured weapons that are inspired by historical examples. They actually have a katana, ninja sword ... AND No (o)dachi blade as well.
Ow, that looks like it hurts.
I have Cold Steel machete swords that I would put up against your Musashi katanas, winner takes the other's weapon. It's technique man and you should say it. You could have bought an awesome made sword that just needed some TLC, like sharpening a tad.
I keep looking on here for sword reviews but I never see anyone flex a blade tempered in the western fashion, or test the differential hardness on a katana tempered in the eastern fashion with a scratch bit set.
Dude no offense but it seems to me like you are more into collecting swords than using them to defend yourself.
Hell I cut a charging coyote's head off in one swing as he leaped to attack me by side stepping him and dropping a diagonal cut, with a $50 stainless steel sword copied from one of Museum Replicas Limited medieval designs. In the woods, starting from a seated position, with witnesses, and under pressure.
All you CZcams sword guys need to step it up from the tiny water bottles but no go as far as Lynn Thompson with dork uniforms (only Lynn gets to carry a gun). These weapons are made to kill, not to rub on while you play Minecraft. If I am wrong then call me out on it but your music montage told me the whole story pal. You can do better my friend. I am sorry if I am dropping this on you after four hours of watching the deadliest thing on earth to plastic water bottles.
Interesting take. Thank you for the input and the war story.
its not bad but its ugly