SBG Sword Store Blog

If you have read our page on Ninja Swords you will know that there is a rather fierce debate about what exactly a Ninja sword actually was from a historical point of view..

You see, the classic Ninja sword that most people imagine – a straight blade with chisel like tip and square, distinctive handle – cannot be found in any museum (ok, scratch that – the Ninja Museum in Iga has a very similar sword on display – BUT it is not an original, for all intents and purposes, it might as well be the hanwei sword on display).

Here is a picture of the sword in the museum again for those of you playing at home:

The incriminating Ninja sword in the Ninja Museum, Iga, modern day Mie prefecture, Japan.

However, it gets complicated because it IS listed as representative – and the good folk at Iga are the living descendents of the arts and have certainly researched it more than anyone in interwebz land, so who knows..

Perhaps that is the way the Ninja would have liked it.

But – all argument aside – at face value I must admit, on its own merits it is a fantastic, versatile and incredibly good FUN sword. And oh my, can that chisel tip kissaki sure can deliver one rather frightening stab..

Ah, good times.. For a trip down memory lane and a review that was as valid now as it was when it was made 6 or 7 years back…

Click here for more information

In the meantime, here are a few more pics from the Iga Museum I snapped on one of my trips there.

Very plausible, concealed blades, chains and other things that cause people to go ouch..

Here are some concealable weapons, ranging from blades in a walking stick ala Zatoichi to flails and all manner of clever knick knacks.

Below is some chain armor:

I don’t know if you can call this chain armor “concealable” or not – guess it depends what you are wearing on your head over it! (even today, concealing the face in public is not strange in Japan, so I guess it was possible)..

And the “Ninja’s” from the show (which is quite impressive, especially the display from the old senior guy throwing 3 heavy shuriken at once into a wooden board from about 30 feet!):

A piece of that tip just got me O’Dell.. Performers at the museum stage in Iga hamming it up.

If you are ever down Kansai way (West Japan – includes Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto – and excludes Tokyo – West is the best! Go Hanshin Tigers, rah, rah, rah) – sorry, I will start that again..

If you are ever down in West Japan/Kansai a visit to the museum is a must ーbut bring a friend who can speak Japanese as the show, etc is not in English.

まあーやっぱり日本だね – Well, it is Japan after all!

Luckily, they do have an English website for the curious or those who are seriously planning the trip.

Back to topic again, the Hanwei Iga Ninja-to.

Here is a link to the original review of the Hanwei Shinobi Ninja-to on SBG.

And here is the sam model sword available in our store:

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It really is a fun, nifty little sword – especially at this crazy price.

We used to sell these years ago – but back in those days they had a strictly regulated minimum advertising price, so while excellent, crazy sharp swords they were – they were a tad overpriced.

But not anymore..

But price aside, the sword itself – how does it stack up? Lets take a look at it from a Pros and Cons Point of View.

PRO: The steep, wide blade angle cuts a lot like the Cheness SGC – but with a much lighter, faster (and extremely well balanced) cut (and, price again, at $40 or so less).

CON: Unlike the SGC, the blade is differentially hardened – so it is not a sword to “abuse” but rather a precision tool. And thus, not for everybody as it is considerably more breakable.

PRO: It IS DIFFERENTIALLY HARDENED and around $200! Woo-hoo!

CON: The hamon is covered over by an acid etch. I.e. it is not a natural hamon, but there is a hamon UNDER there. Crap.

PRO: Solid Iron fittings at this price point is a real plus, creating a very strong and reliable handle. Nice.

CON: The rayskin is synthetic and it is wrapped in a faux suede that cannot get quite as tight as cotton, leather, silk, etc (shifts slightly, but unlikely to come off. An annoyance, not a disaster).

PRO: On the bright side, no animals were harmed in the construction of this sword (but an ostrich got nervous).

SUMMARY:

The overall effect is that while it has an untraditional geometry, the overall effect is surprisingly close to how a real Japanese Nihonto feels in the hand and performs..

I don’t know if it was intentional or they just got lucky (probably, like how swords developed historically, it was a process of trial and error) – but at the end of the day, for the price, this is a hugely enjoyable sword and a fantastic base for customization.

Now where have I heard that before.. Looks like I messed up linking to SBG Sword Forums Global Moderator Marc Ridgeways original review (that to do list of mine just keeps on getting longer by the second! Lol)..

Better fix that up – in the meantime, to get the full scoop on this sword, check out Marc’s review here – it is actually super helpful as it is also a bit like a guide to Japanese terminology at the same time (actually, tell the truth, I added this later with Marcs blessing he freely used some advanced terminology without referencing it – and I decided it would be a good chance to introduce beginners to the meaning at the same time)..

In the meantime, here it is in all it’s glory.

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It is generic, it is cheap.

It is solidly constructed – it looks cool..

But the price tag makes it even cooler..

At $149.99 with FREE SHIPPING it is one of the cheapest non Japanese battle ready swords on the market – especially when you consider just the amount of steel you get for your buck.. (31″ blade and weighing in at a manageable but authoritize 3lbs 2oz) and apparently, pretty suitable for belly dancing according to this belly dance review and video.

Thankfully for all of us, it is not one of MY Videos. 😉

Seems that it is both belly or battle ready, not something you can say about too many swords now is it.. (Not dropping the sharp tip on your foot however, is pretty universal advice for sword collectors!).

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Zombies beware – Japanese blades are sceaming into the 21st century with the Plasma coated 5166 Spring Steel blades of Hanwei’s Tactical series.

It is basically a RAPTOR series blade mounted in an ultra modern, military fashion – and this line has proved to be a popular one.

Until recently, Hanwei kind of hogged this line to themselves, and the price was a non negotiable $175 – which isn’t an unrealistic price, but I think you will agree, OUR price is a lot more attractive…

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