Dark Blood Katana - 27" Blade/ 12.5" Tsuka

by Dennis Hurley
(Tyler, Texas)

I photographed my sword immediately when I got it so that I could write up an immediate "first impression" review.

The packaging was very well done and protected the sword fine. However, my sword was not in it's sword bag and because of this it had a lot of white "fuzzies" all over it. Three minutes with the air compressor took care of that but others without an air compressor may have difficulty in getting all of the crud off of the sword.

The Saya looks to be a very nice shade of blood red and is in good order with no visible flaws. It is tight but not overly so. I'm very impressed with how the Saya looks.

I had this sword built with a custom order 12'5" Tsuka because that is what I prefer for more sword work. The Tsuka Ito is tight and seems of good quality cotton. The double Mekugi are tight and hold the Tsuka very solidly together. The Menuki appear to be of a fair quality that look good. The Kashira is of a good quality and is tight and goes well with the overall theme.

The Tsuba is of fair quality. It is tight and does not move at all. But the Tsuba does appear to be hand painted and does not exactly look crisp. I will probably touch this up myself at a later date.

The blade itself looks very good. The Sori is just right. The Ha looks very precise and sharp. The Shinogi is distinct and even. The Bo-Hi is an even depth throughout. The Kissaki is distinct and prominent. The Hamon is subtle but does have a very nice irregular wave patten to it.

Overall this is a really nice sword and I am happy with it. This will be a regular use sword in the dojo, not a wall hanger, and will see occasional cutting use. For the price of this sword you get a huge amount of quality options that you could not get with another company.

Very satisfied, Thanks!

Dennis Hurley