Tenchi Ko Katana ReviewGrayson C – aka Rammstein on the SBG Sword Forum is, by his own admission, not a Katana man but a fanatical enthusiast for historically accurate European blades. But all that was about to change when he won a Cheness Tenchi Ko Katana in a recent competition from the Sword Buyers Digest online magazine... Was his first experience with a Cheness 9260 blade enough to turn him to the ‘Dark side’ (sword enthusiast slang for Japanese sword enthusiasts)? Read on and find out...!
This is the review of the Tenchi Ko-Katana given to me by Paul Southren for winning a recent SBG competition. Needless to say, I am very thankful for his generosity as well as those sword buyers digest members who voted for my entry (and no hard feelings for those who didn't, I like you all the same).
Lets kick things off by telling the audience that I am NOT a katana man. I don't know much about Japan and the samurai and katanas other than the very basics. I'm just an average joe with a sharp piece of steel in their fist. I've owned 6 swords, not including this one, so far in my life. A pot metal wallhanger rapier, a decent training rapier from triplette, the windlass Shrewsbury and Sword of War (both reviewed here), the Gen2 River Witham 10th c. sword (also on the main site) and the Albion Ritter (also reviewed, but not on the main site). I have a fair experience with swords, all of these are pretty different so I can say that I've handled more than one type of sword - but I've never handled a katana before now, so take my opinion accordingly.
Initial Impressions: This sword is small. Very small. In fact, it's too small for me, but no biggy. Next thing I noticed was how hair popping sharp the blade was! It's sharper than all of my kitchen knives, all of my swords, and can shave patches of hair off of my arms. It's also pretty darned light and feels almost weightless. The saya is a very pretty, if simple, lacquered black and it comes with a storage box, and a carrying bag.
Fit and Finish: This sword feels incredibly solid in the hand. There is no way to describe just how stable and secure everything feels. The ito is very tight and is black cotton, I believe. The blade is incredibly secure and fits neatly into the saya. There are no machine marks whatsoever on the blade, although something that did strike me is that the kissaki seems to have a more grainy texture to it than the rest of the sword. Is this typical of katanas? Don't ask me. I like it though, it comes of as a very attractive piece of steel. The bo-hi is present on this piece and is very cleanly placed along the blade. The habaki is fitted well enough and the mekugi are wedged in nice and tight.
The Tsuba is quite interesting in that it is very plain but looks really neat. It has no shakes and rattles as well as the tsuka. There is however, an aspect I found that I don't like. This thing (and those who know me already were expecting this) is that I don't like hamons. Nothing particular makes this one stand out as being worse than others I've seen, but I still don't like them. Nasty little blemishes/blurs. But that’s just what I think, and I posted a pretty good image of the blade above so you can make that assessment for yourself.
Structural Integrity: As I said before, just about everything is rock solid, like it's all one piece. There is a certain aura of power about holding this sword, making it feel just about unbreakable. It slices bottles (empty ones, mind you) effortlessly due it it's wonderful shape and sharpness. Pickle-chipping is a cinch to do. This is where you take out numerous tiny slices instead of one big one from a bottle. This requires a lot of skill to do normally (my record is almost 20 cuts, with my Albion Ritter) but this sword makes it really easy. Did I mention have darn sharp this is? Something I don't like, however is that the kashira is a little loose. This isn't really noticeable until you get around to handling it, but it can be a little annoying.
Alright, as usual I attempted to flex the sword by hand - wait, what is this? I can't flex it? Is it possible that the rigidity of the blade is so great as to render it almost inflexible? Yes I know the picture is with my fingers, but I couldn't get a good shot straining against the blade, so this will have to do.
I examined the mune (back?) to find out why:
Well, golly, Rammstein! That there's you're problem! Ok, so I'm not used to having so much meat in a blade, so shoot me. I need to reiterate though that even with this think mune (I don't even think it's think in comparison to other katanas, just with other swords) it doesn't negatively affect the sword at all.
Handling: This sword floats. I shouldn't need to say anything else, but for the sake of appearing absolutely professional and wanting to add more words to my post, I shall go on. When using this sword, the wielder (that's me, I assume it's the same for you too) feels like he's holding nothing whatsoever in his hand. I raise the blade and come down swiftly, hearing the marvelous whoosh that comes with it. It turns on a dime to deliver another blow quickly careening back the opposite way without a hesitant thought (hell, even my Albion can't change directions that fast...). Whooshing and swishing through the air like a a speeding bullet, it moves from one guard to another like it was an extension of my arm made from living flesh rather than steel and wood. Any thoughts of this sword being just a tool or just a piece of steel are gone. Once in your and, this sword wields itself - you can only hope to watch in awe as it performs turns and twists that would put an fighter jet to shame.
Like my figurative language?
Alright, that was the good news, so here's some small criticism. It's probably my fault, but the ito (wrap) is really hurting my thumb and index finger. It may be the way I grip the katana, but I think it could also be that the ito is a little abrasive, too. Just be prepared, my finger/thumb aches a bit.
I said this before, but I thought people would like a better explanation as to WHY the sword was too small for me. I am more comfortable with blades well over 30 inches. Small swords tend to feel more cramped up and lack the reach that I appreciate with longer swords. While this is just something personal, I think that it should be taken into account that this sword is not a full size katana and therefore will be quite a few inches smaller than the already short katana.
Final Thoughts: As with all good things, you can't talk about them forever, and my review is coming to an end. For a cheap ko-katana, look no further than Cheness. I am absolutely 110% impressed with the quality of the manufacturing done on my sword. Would I purchase it again? well considering it cost me $0.00 (U.S., mind you) the answer is a wholehearted YES! I am proud to own this sword and it has earned its place as one of the best swords I have ever owned.
Does Rammstein like? Yes.
Short of winning it in a SBG competition, the best place to get a Tenchi Ko Katana is right here in the 9260 Spring Steel section of the SBG Sword Store, where you can pick it up for a very reasonable US$189.99 ($10 less than direct from Cheness) – not to mention FREE SHIPPING in the USA.
I hope this review of the Tenchi Ko was informative. To return to A Beginners Guide to Authentic Japanese Swords from Tenchi Ko Katana Review, click here
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