I have a type 95 that is in exceptional condition. My father bought it back fom New Guinea where he served in the Australian Army. He "rescued" it from a Japanese Seargent that he dispatched.
That's something you keep to yourself! Or don't use soft language to distract from the idea that he maybe did unsavory things to a soldier and took something as a trophy afterwards. Remember! Only serial killers take mementos...
For the second blade, your edge alignment on the big bottle was perfect, that's why it felt so easy, having a sharp blade is useless if you mess up the alignment, it's like hitting with the side of the blade since at the moment of impact, the resistance of the bottle(or anything else really) will make the blade want to slip on its surface rather than cut through. This could explain why the first sword "failed" to cut for the 2 first strike despite the fact that it was still a bit sharp
If you're interested in testing the quality of the steel of these swords that you buy, there are kits that you can buy for testing steel hardness. Basically, they consist of a series of small files or rods of varying hardness which you use to scratch the metal being tested. You'd start with the softest (or hardest) and work your way up or down until it leaves or stops leaving a mark. Each file/rod is marked with its Rockwell level so the first/last file to leave a mark indicates the hardness of the steel. But, I believe this is only good for testing the hardness and won't tell you the composition of the steel, although I believe each kind of steel has a particular hardness rating so it should give you an idea of whether the sword is likely to be the kind of steel it says it is.
One thing you said that I want to correct you on is that Shin Gunto aren’t traditionally made. This isn’t actually true. Some Shin Gunto had none traditionally made blades and some did have traditionally made blades, with the latter being considered genuine Nihonto. The terms usually used to described this are Showoto, for none traditionally made blades of the Showa era. And Gendaito, for Nihonto made between 1873-1945. For example, all Type 95 NCO swords are Showoto, but many Type 98 swords are Gendaito.
From what I understand, some shinguntos were re-hilted family katanas. So, somebody would go off, join the military and take their family sword and have it rehilted to fit the regs of the time. I've head that this was done in earlier times as well, back when the Japanese were first starting to Westernize their military.
MediaDakwah True. But not all that common. Those deployed overseas generally did not risk family heirlooms to the possible damage of combat or other damage.
Just want to say that your edge alignment is a bit off when it comes to cutting the bottles. If you feel the blade bounce upward or downward after cutting, it means your edge alignment was a bit off. It's not a big deal, but you could potentially hurt yourself if the edge is too much off.
This may be true, however, whether the hamon is real or not isn't a good indicator of quality, unfortunately. You can make a hamon "wave" at just about any temperature, or hell you could just etch it on afterwards using metal etch and a brush like a lot of knock of Chinese factories do. Unless you really look closely at the edge hardness it would be tough to notice the difference, especially over video. Saying that for a Gunto (unless the blade was lifted from a family weapon and remounted or custom made for higher-ranking individuals) a hamon line wasn't common for cheaper examples.
@@OfficialDomPlays for a type 98 gunto a hamon was rather common. there werent many machined blades on those. type 98 s are usually of very good quality
Tachi guy here, I might be able to enlighten you on a few things about your sword. First and foremost, that ring on the pommel there is largely vestigial on Gunto type swords, those cords are supposed to be tied there as a symbol of rank, and I suppose in the modern time, to simply look nice. Prior to the 1930s, way back in time, the military sabre of choice in Japan was the Tachi, which a lot of others have likely already posted about. That ring existed on the tachi as well, and was mainly used with leather cord to tie off the sword onto the wielder's wrist, as if your sword was knocked from your hand while on horseback, it's a really big problem, so you want it tied off onto your person. I'd recommend getting some rawhide cord from an arts/crafts store and affixing a good lanyard to that ring, it's what I did with my tachi. You might also look into Budo/Kendo/Kenjutsu specialty stores and get yourself a quality Sageo cord for the scabbard. Essentially, all the Sageo is, is simply the arming wrap you would use to equip yourself with the sword. You'd want a sageo that's at least 7 feet in length for a tachi and gunto type of sabre, so that it wraps around the waist 3 or 4 times to give the scabbard a good, snug, ' high and tight ' fit to the hips. In conclusion, I think you did pretty good for 500 dollars from a sketchy Ali Express online shop. It might not be a genuine nihonto, but it is the next best thing to that, and that is it's a sword that actually does sword things!
im not sure that i would say they arent katana, it was actually allowed for most soldiers who carried their type 98 shin-gunto to attach their family's blade from their traditional katana to their gunto kits. and some were traditionally made, just not most. most traditional ones were either older family blades as i said previously, or were carried by higher ranking officers
Military swords never had scenes painted on the saya so not a faithful reproduction,I understand that budget can play a big part in what people buy but what sort of value for money do these offer? At the end of the day they are reproductions,a real WW2 sword might cost more but would certainly be a better investment and more interesting and pleasurable to own.
While certainly not as fancy as traditional katanas, I've always had an affinity for type 95 shin guntos. To me, they're the true 'work mans' sword. And, I understand that I'm now liable to be decapitated for that statement
Nothing wrong with that! The exact same people that'll scoff at you for having a Longquan, China forged ' Katana ' likely have several European/Western blades that were made in India or even China also. I say, so long as whoever made the damn thing knew what they were doing, and put the blade and fittings together well enough, it doesn't matter what part of the world the sword came from. Also, people seem to forget that China has been making swords for a really long time, not all of them are absolute junk, you typically get what you pay for.
The shin gunto that were actually used in combat had a blade 26.25 inch blade which was 2.25 inches shorter than the standard katana. The handle was also 2 inches shorter.
I have the replica Shin gunto type 95 NCO, they very well made but blunt. A flat mate of mine use to have an official original imperial type 95 so I know the difference. That type 98 copy you have is brilliant!, great cutting edge and artwork all over.
Problem with bamboo is that not every blade is the proper steel type to cut it. Softer metal blades will take a lot of edge damage and if you want to take care of your swords you should use them wisely. Generally, cutting water bottles and pool noodles do the trick with any sword to test handling and sharpness
1045 is still high carbon steel, but as it is soft I would recommend using it for light cutting and practiceing only. Do not venture to anything harder than water bottles
@@matiasdelatorreoverton3612 All you have to do is google friend. Try asking what gradient of carbon 1045 steel is. You are correct that you shouldn't use it for heavy cutting. Which reflects it's medium carbon content. Unless it's an Amazon ad trying to convince you otherwise, it'll say medium carbon.
@@matiasdelatorreoverton3612 but you are also correct, because you had the humility and strength to admit it, and even get back to me. Well done sir. I wish more folks were like you.
@@nicholasthompson9722 oh thank you. Actually one of the values you can take of japanese swordsmanship is humility. Yet I have still lot to learn as anybody else. Have a good one
Yeah your latest katana purchase was hand forged but mass produced so it probably only took about less than 5 days to produce it but the hamon pattern is legit. A well respected Japanese sword artisan can take up to 12months or even more actually to make a proper katanas and tachi swords etc. All swords bought online are usually made in China. Some are not bad at all, just some. PJXC produces some decent ones.
Decent réplica, my problem with AliExpress Is that there Is no way to know if the steel Is the real grade. Granted all this katanas come from the same place longquan, Is basically where most of the modern replicas come.
Japan invaded China called the 400th in North China. Many swords were left behind. This happened before the war. So yes it is possible to have real swords.
Yup real Hamon. The reason you are having trouble cutting bottles is because you are trying flat cuts. If you cut downward at a 45 degree angle, you will cut through every time. Even with a less sharp sword.
aliexpress is pretty good.. I shop from that site all the time. price is cheap and quality is good as well. why would people don't think aliexpress is bad...?
Because you need to do a bit of research and choose good products, some people buy the first thing they see with no reviews and a too good to be true price and when the item arrives it’s shit quality so they blame the site
The second sword an officers sword may be signed on the tang which can tell you who made it and when. That sword needs to be taken apart and looked at. At $400 it’s probably not a real one from WW2 that can run $1500 and more. The NCO swords the first one are very low quality and also faked.
Japanese government despise the Gunto and they are not considred "japanese sword". Only authentic handmade blades are allowed to exist inside Japan so it's obvious these 2 blades are not from Japan
@@kittycatwithinternetaccess2356 Gunto are war swords from WW2, modern Japan considred them shameful memories of the dark time and war crimes the imperial army committed in WW2. That ideal later developed into the sword and gun law possession in Japan, where steel swords, even blunt training sword, are forbidden in Japan except swords were made by certified sword smith
moreover, buying and possessing such things is basically illegal in Russia. so I'm fine with what I can get. you Americans have become too rich and cockered, you always forget that people in other countries don't have that many opportunities. anyway, I will keep making my videos as I wish
Almost everywhere in Asia, it's illegal to even own or buy a pocket knife. Sure i could buy a sword made in the US but the price of hiring middle man + the shipping price + the price of hiring smugglers to get the package pass the border make it very unaffordable compare to it's original price. It's easier to just buy from the Chinese and i only have to worry about the smuggling price and the sword original price
Everything from Aliexpress is rubbish. Fake/cheap swords are dangerous, especially if the owner decides to play ninja and the blade breaks, flying backwards into their neck.
Oh, these swords look great UNTIL you know what a real one looks and feels like... In comparison, these are ill-proportioned, MASSIVELY shitter quality, tacky and cheap-looking. Honestly, for the money he spent on these pieces of fake chinese shit, he shoulda just saved up a little more and bought an original. That's a MUCH more tasteful way to spend your money.
buy an original? not possible in russia. this stuff was the best I could find. moreover, buying cold arms is illegal here. you can't buy even a chinese katana here anymore. I got calls from police because of that. so, I'm happy with what I have
@@ExtremeGamingHD3D I suppose that if the Russian government is now sending T-55’s to Ukraine to fight Leopard II’s and Abrams, they probably wanted to confiscate your knives to send to the front too. It sucks that you don’t live in the free world where you can own real gunto without the police caring.
To me a gunto is equivalent to buying a nazi uniform. Katanas are beautiful, historic items, symbolic of a complex history. The gunto is a mass produced version, used in a very dark period in Japanese history, when they were allied with the nazis, and committed unspeakable acts of inhumane violence in China, Korea and Burma.
More like a Nazi dagger and even that not so much, there's nothing like a swastika on it or SS type skull motifs, it's just a sword in the style of imperial Japan. A little rude but not quite Nazi paraphernalia.
I have a type 95 that is in exceptional condition. My father bought it back fom New Guinea where he served in the Australian Army.
He "rescued" it from a Japanese Seargent that he dispatched.
That's something you keep to yourself! Or don't use soft language to distract from the idea that he maybe did unsavory things to a soldier and took something as a trophy afterwards.
Remember! Only serial killers take mementos...
For the second blade, your edge alignment on the big bottle was perfect, that's why it felt so easy, having a sharp blade is useless if you mess up the alignment, it's like hitting with the side of the blade since at the moment of impact, the resistance of the bottle(or anything else really) will make the blade want to slip on its surface rather than cut through.
This could explain why the first sword "failed" to cut for the 2 first strike despite the fact that it was still a bit sharp
Please can you post updated links for Aliexpress internacional?
If you're interested in testing the quality of the steel of these swords that you buy, there are kits that you can buy for testing steel hardness. Basically, they consist of a series of small files or rods of varying hardness which you use to scratch the metal being tested. You'd start with the softest (or hardest) and work your way up or down until it leaves or stops leaving a mark. Each file/rod is marked with its Rockwell level so the first/last file to leave a mark indicates the hardness of the steel. But, I believe this is only good for testing the hardness and won't tell you the composition of the steel, although I believe each kind of steel has a particular hardness rating so it should give you an idea of whether the sword is likely to be the kind of steel it says it is.
that would definitely ruin the look of the blade tho
This sounds amazing and I've never heard of it. That could literally save people a lot of money
One thing you said that I want to correct you on is that Shin Gunto aren’t traditionally made. This isn’t actually true. Some Shin Gunto had none traditionally made blades and some did have traditionally made blades, with the latter being considered genuine Nihonto. The terms usually used to described this are Showoto, for none traditionally made blades of the Showa era. And Gendaito, for Nihonto made between 1873-1945.
For example, all Type 95 NCO swords are Showoto, but many Type 98 swords are Gendaito.
From what I understand, some shinguntos were re-hilted family katanas. So, somebody would go off, join the military and take their family sword and have it rehilted to fit the regs of the time. I've head that this was done in earlier times as well, back when the Japanese were first starting to Westernize their military.
@@Riceball01 yup you are correct
MediaDakwah True. But not all that common. Those deployed overseas generally did not risk family heirlooms to the possible damage of combat or other damage.
Just want to say that your edge alignment is a bit off when it comes to cutting the bottles. If you feel the blade bounce upward or downward after cutting, it means your edge alignment was a bit off. It's not a big deal, but you could potentially hurt yourself if the edge is too much off.
That is a real hamon
This may be true, however, whether the hamon is real or not isn't a good indicator of quality, unfortunately. You can make a hamon "wave" at just about any temperature, or hell you could just etch it on afterwards using metal etch and a brush like a lot of knock of Chinese factories do. Unless you really look closely at the edge hardness it would be tough to notice the difference, especially over video. Saying that for a Gunto (unless the blade was lifted from a family weapon and remounted or custom made for higher-ranking individuals) a hamon line wasn't common for cheaper examples.
@@OfficialDomPlays for a type 98 gunto a hamon was rather common. there werent many machined blades on those. type 98 s are usually of very good quality
Tachi guy here, I might be able to enlighten you on a few things about your sword. First and foremost, that ring on the pommel there is largely vestigial on Gunto type swords, those cords are supposed to be tied there as a symbol of rank, and I suppose in the modern time, to simply look nice. Prior to the 1930s, way back in time, the military sabre of choice in Japan was the Tachi, which a lot of others have likely already posted about. That ring existed on the tachi as well, and was mainly used with leather cord to tie off the sword onto the wielder's wrist, as if your sword was knocked from your hand while on horseback, it's a really big problem, so you want it tied off onto your person.
I'd recommend getting some rawhide cord from an arts/crafts store and affixing a good lanyard to that ring, it's what I did with my tachi. You might also look into Budo/Kendo/Kenjutsu specialty stores and get yourself a quality Sageo cord for the scabbard. Essentially, all the Sageo is, is simply the arming wrap you would use to equip yourself with the sword. You'd want a sageo that's at least 7 feet in length for a tachi and gunto type of sabre, so that it wraps around the waist 3 or 4 times to give the scabbard a good, snug, ' high and tight ' fit to the hips.
In conclusion, I think you did pretty good for 500 dollars from a sketchy Ali Express online shop. It might not be a genuine nihonto, but it is the next best thing to that, and that is it's a sword that actually does sword things!
im not sure that i would say they arent katana, it was actually allowed for most soldiers who carried their type 98 shin-gunto to attach their family's blade from their traditional katana to their gunto kits. and some were traditionally made, just not most. most traditional ones were either older family blades as i said previously, or were carried by higher ranking officers
does the freezing cold weather makes test cutting harder?
Beautiful pieces of art! However I am unsure if its still being sold, as when I click the link to the store it says "the page could not be found".
Didn't you remove the tsuka to see the nakago? Is it a full tang??
Military swords never had scenes painted on the saya so not a faithful reproduction,I understand that budget can play a big part in what people buy but what sort of value for money do these offer?
At the end of the day they are reproductions,a real WW2 sword might cost more but would certainly be a better investment and more interesting and pleasurable to own.
You are right
Im sure every era had their lesser known more artistic blades.
Shopping links is not working.
Links to purchase swords don't work...
the serial numbers correspond to the saya, that way you can tell if its a matching set or mismatched
What is the length & weight of the second blade.
I can’t find them for sale on Ali Express and the link doesn’t come up with anything ☹️
Great job and thank you from Texas US👍👍
Although made using unfolded steel these have a rich history and make an excellent first buy into real nihonto katana. Great video!
neither links work, can you give working links please? im interested
While certainly not as fancy as traditional katanas, I've always had an affinity for type 95 shin guntos. To me, they're the true 'work mans' sword. And, I understand that I'm now liable to be decapitated for that statement
Nothing wrong with that! The exact same people that'll scoff at you for having a Longquan, China forged ' Katana ' likely have several European/Western blades that were made in India or even China also. I say, so long as whoever made the damn thing knew what they were doing, and put the blade and fittings together well enough, it doesn't matter what part of the world the sword came from. Also, people seem to forget that China has been making swords for a really long time, not all of them are absolute junk, you typically get what you pay for.
The shin gunto that were actually used in combat had a blade 26.25 inch blade which was 2.25 inches shorter than the standard katana. The handle was also 2 inches shorter.
I have the replica Shin gunto type 95 NCO, they very well made but blunt. A flat mate of mine use to have an official original imperial type 95 so I know the difference.
That type 98 copy you have is brilliant!, great cutting edge and artwork all over.
i wonder if its ok to be delivered in Canada?
i know this sounds weird or somthing
but get bamboo i feel like its kinda the standard if you can cut through it its sharp
Problem with bamboo is that not every blade is the proper steel type to cut it. Softer metal blades will take a lot of edge damage and if you want to take care of your swords you should use them wisely.
Generally, cutting water bottles and pool noodles do the trick with any sword to test handling and sharpness
Question?? I love the 2nd more elaborate sword the $400 priced one.. Doese the wrapping on the handle seem and feel tight. Ore is it loose???
Thank You from Slovenia! Best regards!
I want this knife, how can I get it?
Really good. How can I buy both?
1060 is considered high carbon steel actually. Even 1045 is usually considered medium carbon.
1045 is still high carbon steel, but as it is soft I would recommend using it for light cutting and practiceing only. Do not venture to anything harder than water bottles
@@matiasdelatorreoverton3612 All you have to do is google friend. Try asking what gradient of carbon 1045 steel is. You are correct that you shouldn't use it for heavy cutting. Which reflects it's medium carbon content.
Unless it's an Amazon ad trying to convince you otherwise, it'll say medium carbon.
@@nicholasthompson9722 I guess you are right mate
@@matiasdelatorreoverton3612 but you are also correct, because you had the humility and strength to admit it, and even get back to me.
Well done sir. I wish more folks were like you.
@@nicholasthompson9722 oh thank you. Actually one of the values you can take of japanese swordsmanship is humility. Yet I have still lot to learn as anybody else. Have a good one
Yeah your latest katana purchase was hand forged but mass produced so it probably only took about less than 5 days to produce it but the hamon pattern is legit. A well respected Japanese sword artisan can take up to 12months or even more actually to make a proper katanas and tachi swords etc. All swords bought online are usually made in China. Some are not bad at all, just some. PJXC produces some decent ones.
Decent réplica, my problem with AliExpress Is that there Is no way to know if the steel Is the real grade. Granted all this katanas come from the same place longquan, Is basically where most of the modern replicas come.
You mean
Rather than Japonica reproduction.. It's a Chinesis?
Help me please to buy this katana please
Links don't work.
Waves are made by using clay to harden the back of the blade ...it’s makes the blade stronger and less likely to chip or break
Except you want to harden the edge, not the back.
I would like to see these guntos cuting a nail. Bladesmith in my country do that to see if the steel is good or nah.
Copy or not it’s a real sword n they both can do major damage to anyone!!
Dear sir you dont use a katana as a baseball bat. lol
The metal handle one can't be used two handed really. Type 95 hurts your hands pretty bad unless you got gloves
nice cool type 95 its amazing sharp blade carbon stainless
Japan invaded China called the 400th in North China. Many swords were left behind. This happened before the war. So yes it is possible to have real swords.
So really is amazing all katans, wonderful, congratulations to you, from mexico, i loved the Japaness culture
Yup real Hamon. The reason you are having trouble cutting bottles is because you are trying flat cuts. If you cut downward at a 45 degree angle, you will cut through every time. Even with a less sharp sword.
I m hindi best kotana milega parsol bhaiya dilewori
The type 95 looks nice, seriously doubt that this one is full tang
looks legit 👌
Dear sir you hamon is real. beautifull sword.
Saya ingin memiliki nya bagai mana caranya
I saw an expensive katanas in AliExpress but it’s incredibly nice
The way you pronounce "Katana"..
Katena
aliexpress is pretty good.. I shop from that site all the time. price is cheap and quality is good as well. why would people don't think aliexpress is bad...?
Because you need to do a bit of research and choose good products, some people buy the first thing they see with no reviews and a too good to be true price and when the item arrives it’s shit quality so they blame the site
Well.. I never had that shit. I loved it! People have all different opinions
The Chinese making swords that were used to execute them decades ago was ironic
Can you buy a turkey and do a cutting /sharpness test with that...Make it like a cooking video and when you gotta slice the turkey use your katanas
I did a video like that with Turkey Ham lol.
Another TH-camr; Eric Husayn has a video of cutting a chicken in half. It’s excellent.
page is dead
Nice
The second sword an officers sword may be signed on the tang which can tell you who made it and when. That sword needs to be taken apart and looked at. At $400 it’s probably not a real one from WW2 that can run $1500 and more. The NCO swords the first one are very low quality and also faked.
No shit it's not a real one, it's from ali express. It's a China made replica.
found it!
That steel is a steel
Saya suka katana... Kasih saya satu katananya..?
Fake hamon because the real shin gunto or real katana is so expensive
And the steel they use are not that type what u say
wrong, just because its a "fake" sword doesn not mean the hamon is fake
No whoosh = wrong swing.
I thought this katana not from japan because the original is expensive than it
aliexpress means that a thing is made in china
Japanese government despise the Gunto and they are not considred "japanese sword". Only authentic handmade blades are allowed to exist inside Japan so it's obvious these 2 blades are not from Japan
@@jaketheasianguy3307 why do they despise this sword?
@@kittycatwithinternetaccess2356 Gunto are war swords from WW2, modern Japan considred them shameful memories of the dark time and war crimes the imperial army committed in WW2. That ideal later developed into the sword and gun law possession in Japan, where steel swords, even blunt training sword, are forbidden in Japan except swords were made by certified sword smith
@@kittycatwithinternetaccess2356 Because what these swords did in nanjing.
Looks like the type 95 is a wire brushed hamon, a fake one.
how come your coke is green?
Better save that money and buy a real one??
no
@@kevinmorrice hmm ok why not?
the price can tell this is fake one
красота
Military swords are not good quality swords, so you can play with them and break them.
Go to swords of northshire for way better swords at this price range.
Sorry that's the truth
I'm from russia. I don't have that many options as Americans have.
@@ExtremeGamingHD3D youtube isn't only for russians but I understand you
moreover, buying and possessing such things is basically illegal in Russia. so I'm fine with what I can get. you Americans have become too rich and cockered, you always forget that people in other countries don't have that many opportunities. anyway, I will keep making my videos as I wish
@@ExtremeGamingHD3D k
Almost everywhere in Asia, it's illegal to even own or buy a pocket knife. Sure i could buy a sword made in the US but the price of hiring middle man + the shipping price + the price of hiring smugglers to get the package pass the border make it very unaffordable compare to it's original price. It's easier to just buy from the Chinese and i only have to worry about the smuggling price and the sword original price
definitely not real hamon(❁´◡`❁)
My dad has type 94 shin gunto
Everything from Aliexpress is rubbish. Fake/cheap swords are dangerous, especially if the owner decides to play ninja and the blade breaks, flying backwards into their neck.
cheap sword..but the katana is the true one.
you dont know how to swing it
Oh, these swords look great UNTIL you know what a real one looks and feels like... In comparison, these are ill-proportioned, MASSIVELY shitter quality, tacky and cheap-looking. Honestly, for the money he spent on these pieces of fake chinese shit, he shoulda just saved up a little more and bought an original. That's a MUCH more tasteful way to spend your money.
buy an original? not possible in russia. this stuff was the best I could find. moreover, buying cold arms is illegal here. you can't buy even a chinese katana here anymore. I got calls from police because of that. so, I'm happy with what I have
@@ExtremeGamingHD3D I suppose that if the Russian government is now sending T-55’s to Ukraine to fight Leopard II’s and Abrams, they probably wanted to confiscate your knives to send to the front too. It sucks that you don’t live in the free world where you can own real gunto without the police caring.
Dang it’s not a katana but a ww2 sword… how sad… anyway take my money
To me a gunto is equivalent to buying a nazi uniform. Katanas are beautiful, historic items, symbolic of a complex history. The gunto is a mass produced version, used in a very dark period in Japanese history, when they were allied with the nazis, and committed unspeakable acts of inhumane violence in China, Korea and Burma.
That's a good point, that's Japan at their worst. That war costed a lot of innocent people lifes
More like a Nazi dagger and even that not so much, there's nothing like a swastika on it or SS type skull motifs, it's just a sword in the style of imperial Japan. A little rude but not quite Nazi paraphernalia.
You say katana completely wrong... These Aliexpress katana are crap.
Help me please to buy this katana please