Global Gears Japanese Swords - the Chikara
The exclusive line of Japanese swords made for Australian based sword sellers, Global Gear, never really grabbed my attention – at least at first... However, over time the word started to reach me that their Katana were continually evolving, and from humble beginnings with mixed impressions, there were rumours that the value for money ratio was starting to really push the envelope. And always on the lookout for an affordable Katana with an authentic natural hamon – the differentially hardened ‘Chikara’ Katana looked worth a try... But as you will see, I was not truly prepared for the package that arrived on my doorstep one Tuesday afternoon...
I’ve said it before, but often the kind of packaging used by a sword manufacturer is a decent indication of how much they value and care about the product... And it’s clear that global gear do seem to care about these Japanese swords – one layer of corrugated cardboard over a normal cardboard box over a wooden one – it reminded me of Russian dolls and by the second box I was starting to worry if there was actually a sword in there at all. But the wooden box stopped me in my tracks...
Normally, I don’t really like branding on the box like this – it’s just a little bit cheesy or crass. But I’ll admit it, it actually looked kind of cool. And the box itself is a beauty, solidly constructed with three latches and a small handle for carrying it – it’s easily the best packaging I have seen on a sword in this price range – but I was hoping that it wasn’t all ‘style over substance’. Inside the pseudo silk lined box was a small laminated card with the swords stats and information in Japanese, a shrink wrapped cleaning kit box and the sword – in a beautiful looking very Japanese styled sword bag.
The presentation was excellent. And indeed, even the cleaning kit was better than normal – with a solidly constructed uchiko (powder ball), a lovely ceramic bottle of choji oil and your standard mekuginuki hammer and rice paper – all much better quality than the standard kits on offer.
Now of course, the presentation of these Japanese swords costs money – so I was hoping that it had not been done at the expense of the actual Katana inside... Tentatively unwrapping the attractive sword bag – I took out the sword sheathed in its saya and took a little time to examine it...
Now I’ll be the first to admit it – the one thing that made be sceptical of this sword was the suede ito.. Generally speaking, at least for me, my previous thoughts were that suede and Japanese swords (or indeed, ANY swords) do not – and should not – mix. But while the initial pictures of the handle on Global gears website made by think – ‘yuk’, when I saw it first hand with my own eyes – well, all I can say is that it somehow fits...
The wrap was very even, pretty tight and comfortable enough – and the same (rayskin) is very good quality, with none of the wood of the tsuka peeking through. And while I must admit, I liked it more than the initial pictures I had seen of it, it still didn’t really quite ‘grab’ me right off. As I said, Japanese swords and suede just kind of grated on me... Anyway, the suede aside for now – one of the things I REALLY liked when I first saw it on their site fittings wide was the Tsuba. ”THIS TSUBA HAS SOME SERIOUS CHARACTER!” On the handles side, there is a somewhat spooky, forlorn looking disembodied tree spirit girl – perhaps a kind of protection or mascot (Japanese ‘Omamori’) for the sword user.
The spirit girl is something of a dramatic contrast to the beast that faces anyone on the blade end of the sword – a hideous ‘Kappa’ rising up out of reedy waters with a clouded moon in the background – threatening anyone who is facing the business end of this Katana with a terrible fate indeed!
Yup, like I said – this tsuba has some character alright, and the detail is excellent – very clear, very attractive and very Japanese. I like it a lot... The other fittings of the Fuchi and Kashira are pretty good quality, attractive – well fitted to the sword and the total package is very aesthetically pleasing. The Saya is very nice quality too actually – though it was a tiny bit tight to start with. What makes it nice though is that most Japanese swords in this price range have the typical high gloss saya that leave fingerprint marks all over them. The Chikara on the other hand has a powder coated saya with golden colored shitidome and tight, very functional sageo.
So far, the only thing I didn’t like straight off was the suede ito – but that was just my own personal prejudice, it is – like the rest of the fittings – very well done. However, even if you are not a fan of suede on Japanese swords like me – one look at the blade and ALL is forgiven...
The blade of the Chikara Katana is 1075 Spring Steel (0.72-0.80 percent) with a 0.17-0.37 percent Silicon and 0.50-0.80 percent Manganese content. While this is quite impressive, and makes for a very strong and resilient blade, what makes this sword special from an aesthetic point of view is both the traditional and very REAL natural hamon...
It literally blew me away, with a distinct an very lively Toran (billowing wave) styled pattern that is usually only seen on Japanese swords several times the price... As they say, a picture says a thousand words – so here are three thousand words that barely even begin to describe how nice it really looks in person.
Like all natural hamon, it fades in an out depending on the angle the light strikes it – from very faint to extremely prominent and I simply cannot say enough good things about how it looks. It is both very deep, at times literally almost touching the bo-hi (fuller) and very rich... The finish of the steel is excellent, with a high level of polish – and it is extremely and consistently sharp along the entire length of the 29” blade. If I didn’t know better and was looking at the blade alone, I would guess that I’d be looking at the kind of Japanese swords that typically sell for the US$1000+ price point. It REALLY is that nice...
Weighing in at 2lbs 12oz without saya and with a point of balance approx 5” from the tsuba, the Chikara is an interesting sword to wield. As you may know, the word ‘Chikara’ is Japanese for ‘Power’ and it is, in this respect, very well named... The balance and weight combines to ensure that each cut is optimised for maximum effect without feeling that you have overextended or cannot recover quickly. As such, I would say that it is a very good blend of cutting power and overall handling – leaning more towards cutting power than speed – which is my personal preference in Japanese swords (antique Japanese swords vary quite a bit, some are very light and fast, others what many inexperienced people would say is too slow and depend on the preferences of the user and the style of sword art they practice).
The normal test medium for testing Japanese swords is of course Tatami Omote – Japanese floor mats rolled and soaked until they become comparable to the consistency of the limbs or neck of a human body. For the Chikara – I started with a half mats, which will often bend or deform if the cut is not clean or straight enough. Each cut was very crisp and effortless – with the blade doing all the work... I followed with high quality full mats, and to be honest could feel no appreciable difference in resistance.
I was in love...! Next, I decided to have a bit of fun with water filled plastic containers – starting with some deep thrusts into an orange juice container. The tip pierced the container easily, going in one side and out the other until the blade was more than halfway through. A quick slice cut it clean in half, followed by another more difficult thrust (as its mass was significantly reduced) but it was no problem – the blade still went right on through... Next I hung a couple of buddy bottles from a string and sliced through both of them in one go. Unfortunately though, I underestimated the trajectory of my swing as you will see from the video below...
Even though the blade hit the steel pole, the damage to the blade was minimal. And as I ended up doing a destructive test without meaning to, I decided to have a go at a tree limb (something I am trying not to do these days because too many people are doing the same thing after watching my videos, even after repeated warnings that this is potentially VERY damaging to the blade and everyone around it – and also, well – I’m going to run out of trees soon!). The blade passed through the branch with almost zero resistance, demonstrating the frightening cutting power of Japanese swords – and suggesting that this blade would have no problems slicing off a human limb without even breaking a sweat.
The results of my unintended cutting tests, the sheer beauty of the natural hamon, the super cool tsuba and overall quality of the fittings and the excellent packaging and accessories make the Chikara sword a VERY alluring package. Indeed, the ONLY thing I didn’t like about it was the suede ito wrap.. But it’s funny how things can grow on you. It is very comfortable in the hand. It suits the sword very well, giving it some additional character. And now, well, I wouldn’t want it to be any other way (well, maybe silk ito – but I am dreaming for any more value to be added to this package!). Overall, I honestly cannot recommend the Chikara Katana enough. The value for money is off the scale - so if you are a fan of authentically styled Japanese swords, and love a beautiful hamon with extremely effective cutting power, grab this sword with both hands.
The Chikara Katana is exclusively available from Australian based sword sellers here at Global Gear.com
Of course, this is one of those deals where Australian’s finally get access to a fantastic sword at a lower price than in the USA! ;-) However, North American (and especially European) enthusiasts should not be despondent – the shipping cost is generally around the AU$100 mark, making the total cost of the sword somewhere in the US$400 ball park (they only charge the actual shipping costs and will verify after you place your order to make sure that the costs are acceptable). But even at US$400, I personally feel that its still a bargain for these Japanese swords. There isn’t much else out there that even comes close to the value for money these blades offer...
I hope this review of these Japanese swords has been helpful. To return to A Beginners Guide to Authentic Japanese Swords from Global Gears Japanese Swords - the Chikara, click here
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