Cheness O Katana vs Cold Steel O Katana
by Dawei
(Fremont, CA)
QUESTION: Cold Steel's is bigger, more beefy.
Cheness' is better looking, handles better/lighter.
But how are the edge retention abilities of these 2 swords? That is an attribute I rarely read about when it comes to these 2 swords, and of the 2 which one has better fittings?
ANSWER: Good questions indeed!
As far as edge retention goes, both are of a similar HRC (mid 50s) and I have not heard of complaints with the retention of either of these two swords, so they are pretty similar - or at least no huge noticable differences.
Cheness fittings are better though. There used to be a lot of complaints about their fittings on SFI in the early days, but in response to this they have revised the fittings at least 3-4 times, and the current models have hardwood, thick handles and a tight ito wrap, where Cold Steel fittings haven't put so much attention to refining their fittings, and there are quite a few reports of the ito and kashira coming loose after a pretty short period of usage...
- Paul