Putting the Kaze Katana to the test...

"The Tatami Mat Killer Reviewed"

A unique sword, the Kaze Katana by Cheness Cutlery has a traditionally differentially hardened blade forged from 9260 Silicon Alloy Spring Steel. This means that the Kaze is not be as tough as the monosteel (read 'non differentially hardened') 9260 blades...

But on the otherhand it cuts like a laser!

And after you've seen it in action, I think you'll agree that the Kaze Katana could well be the perfect choice for someone on a budget looking for a traditionally forged blade - that can be fearlessly used for test cutting traditional targets at a level of performance far above what it's low price tag suggests...

Cheness Cutleries Kaze

The most common question I used to get with regards to the Kaze Katana goes along the lines of:

"if its made from 9260 Spring Steel, why does it say on the Cheness website that it isn't as strong as the through hardened blades like the Tenchi and the SGC?"...

It just doesn't seem to make sense, and if you've seen my review of the Cheness Tenchi, you'll know that the 9260 Spring Steel blades are VERY tough swords.

Indeed, the resilience of these through hardened 9260 blades is such that you can bend them up to 90 degrees in a vice and they won't break, shatter or take a set. They will instead, simply spring back to true.

So why can't the Kaze do this?

Well actually, the answer is quite simple..

You see, the cutting edge of the Kaze Katana has been hardened using a traditional treatment that involves applying clay to the back and quenching the blade so that the edge cools faster than the spine.

The advantages to this technique are that, because the edge is harder, it is able to have and to keep a much sharper, keener edge - not to mention as a by product it has a natural hamon (temper line), a much sought after feature that is common to all traditionally forged Katana.

The downside is that the clay covering the spine prevents the back of the sword from being thoroughly hardened, leaving it in a slightly softer state. This means that if you bend it hard, the Kaze - like all traditionally forged Katana - will take a permanent set. But the use of thick 9260 steel with a solid Hira Niku profile minimizes the risk of a permament bend on a normal cut as much as possible, making the Kaze one of the most durable traditionally forged Katana on the market, with a blade that has been favorably compared to swords up to three times the price...

At US$299.99, the Kaze Katana is also one of the most affordable traditional Katana on the market... Mostly due to the use of purely functional and rather basic fittings that are the hallmark of the entire Cheness Cutlery line.

FIT AND FINISH

The blackened steel tsuba is cast at the Cheness Cutlery forge and is based on an antique tsuba submitted to Mr. Chen by a customer.

Quite attractive in its simplicity, the steel tsuba is one of my personal favorites in the Cheness line up with its sleek profile and its triangular, four leaf pattern.

The Kaze I review here has a tsuka (handle) with brass colored fittings and black ito wrap, nothing amazing, but it does the job (and at least the rayskin is real). There is also a brown ito version that looks slightly more attractive (though the fittings on both remain the same).

Everything is tightly assembled, indeed - perhaps a little too tightly assembled as the sword can be difficult to dismantle

But all fittings aside, the most distinctive feature of the Kaze is its hamon - a clear demarkation line between the harder cutting edge and the more flexible spine done in the Sughata style with a traditional claying technique.

The Kaze Katana has a natural, unetched and quite subtle hamon that fades in and out of visibily as you angle the blade. But to be fair it is rare to see a real hamon in any Katana in this price range. And the play along the borders is lively and very attractive, especially when compared to the fake acid etched wavy lines (too uniform) or the nasty 'sharks tooth hamon stencils' seen on many low end wall hangers.

But while the hamon is a bonus, what really makes the Kaze Katana so special is its amazing cutting ability. Which is why I nickname it the "Tatami Mat Killer".

PUTTING THE KAZE TO THE TEST

In this case, I am not going to thrash the Kaze Katana out like I did the Tenchi. Since the edge is traditionally forged, such tests would no doubt only damage the sword and are inappropriate.

So as this is effectively a heavy duty traditional blade, I am in the main going to stick to traditional targets - namely, Tatami Omote (the outer cover of a Tatami Mat). And as you'll see, the results are nothing less than extremely impressive...

"But First Things First: How Sharp Is It?"

The first thing I noticed when examining the blade of the Kaze Katana was just how sharp it felt when compared to the Tenchi - a by product of the differentially hardened edge.

However, because these swords have an appleseed bevel (called 'Hira Niku' profile in Japanese sword terminology) rubbing your thumb along the blade does not reveal how truly sharp they are (but running your thumb ALONG the blade, and following the way a sword SLICES certainly will as I found out the hard way! Can we say 'ouch!') But to truly see how it would cut, I had to go the opposite way to my heavy duty tests. So I started out by cutting a single sheet of unsupported A4 paper...

Now obviously unless the edge is very keen such a cut is going to fail miserably. After all, unsupported paper has no mass, and a dull edged or overly heavy sword will tend to either tear or simply be knocked away. But the results speak for themselves - a perfectly straight strip cut cleanly from the bottom - not to mention the strange almost 'supernatural' sound the first cut made (which subsequent cuts failed to replicate, obviously a real 'zen' moment!).

VIDEO: Paper Cuts! The Kaze makes short and easy work cutting unsupported paper...

Now that it had been established just how sharp this blade was, and how it can easily reach the desired speed and velocity - it was time to break out the tatami! And as you can see from the video below, my overly forceful blows were hardly neccessary...!

VIDEO: The Tatami Killer In Action! The Kaze cuts through just about any traditional target presented to it with ease EVERY time... Well, almost every time...! :-)

The Kaze made short work of several mats in rapid succession, full mats and half mats alike. Each cut was clean and easy, lopping through the tatami without so much as breaking a sweat.

Test cutting with the Kaze Katana sure is a whole heap of fun! And such is the sharpness of the blade and strength of the steel that just about anyone could cut effectively.

Even my good friend Shane, who has no real experience handling a sword and has only cut a few water bottles in the past with a PPK was able to cut with the Kaze Katana cleanly and easily (well, he had a little trouble with a horizontal cut, but quickly made up for it!).

In fact, on the whole he was really quite surprised and impressed with just how effortless the cuts were, and commented on how each cut seemed to go right through with practically zero resistance.

As a result, the Kaze Katana is a great choice for the beginner and experienced cutter alike.

It's keen blade ensures that if you hit a target - you will cut it. And the resilience of the 9260 spine means that even if you botch up your hit, your chances of taking a set (bend in the blade) are practically non-existant.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt in my mind that the Kaze is easily one of the best traditionally forged cutters out there, especially so when you consider its more than reasonable price.

Sure, it isn't a maniacal 'take on anything' Katana like the Tenchi. But if you are on a budget and looking for a cool looking authentic blade for rigorous test cutting of traditional targets, there is very little else on the market in this price range that even comes close...

PROS

• Traditionally forged, differentially hardened blade with NATURAL unenhanced sughata hamon line

• Perfect combination of durability and sharpness (many sharp Katana are very fragile, but the 'hira niku' profile reinforces the entire structure)

• Great handling (not too heavy, not too light) with exceptional slicing ability

• Fittings are very plain

• Does not have the same EXTREME durability properties as other 9260 blades

WHERE TO BUY

The Kaze Katana sells at Cheness Cutlery for US$299.99.

However it is available at the guaranteed best deal on the internet right here in the 'other Cheness Swords' section of the SBG Sword Store for just US$264.99 - plus you also get FREE Shipping in the USA!!

Do you have this sword? Want to let others know what YOU think?

If you bought this sword, either before or after reading this review, be sure to let others know what you think - share your own impressions here!

Click below to see mini reviews from other owners of this sword...

The Kaze Katana: Available at the lowest price on the internet in the 'Cheness Other Swords' section of the SBG Sword Store for just US$264.99.