"The Fukyo Katana Spring Steel Double Bohi Razor Sharp" by The Romance of Men -- The Review
A detailed review written by a Sword Friend, after extensive interactions and testing of the new design offered for ~ $200. Link is in the review below! See the extra pics (home-made, no Photoshop.)
Short Version For Those Who Would Rather Not Read That Much
Sample arrived from the Romance of Men, random sample from the inventory, priced at $190-200.
Tsukamaki/handle works are done very well, including the samegawa panels, tightness of ito/handle cord, quality fittings being well-fitted.
It's made from industrially precision made through-hardened steel with a spring temper, 5160 is the designation for the steel. A great sword steel used by a lot of forges and smiths due to its quality and ability to do what a sword blade needs to do (used, for example, by Albion Swords and Hanwei, and many more).
It is extremely sharp, passed the “paper test,” slicing cleanly through standard printer’s A4 paper, cut through pool noodles like butter, even when the technique wasn’t perfect, and showed very good cutting qualities cutting a large water canister in sub-zero temperature. It is a good, forgiving cutter. Please exercise Extreme Caution, as the blade is, basically, as sharp as a good straight razor.
I believe the dual bo-hi design (dual “blood-groove”) — doesn’t just reduce the weight of the blade and positively affects the balance, but also provides additional rigidity for piercing hard targets without over-bending. It is a hypothesis, however.
Saya is very colorful but overall matches the color of the tsuka/handle and other fittings harmoniously. It's very well worked, has extra thick and strong lacquering, and locks in the sword perfectly well. It’s a better saya than what I have on swords 2-3 times more expensive. Huge applause to the Romance of Men to not cheap out on this important part of the entire package.
There's a lot of story about the theme selected for the sword, and you are welcome to read on to find out more.
At the end of the article there's a rare Q&A with the mastermind behind the Romance of Men and its owner, Henrique. Certainly suggest taking a look.
Overall, it's a great choice for a budget sword that breaks through as an original, colorful, yet tasteful design, and stands very strongly on its own among the competition. It’s a great shinken (katana-type sword made outside of Japan) for anyone interested in Tameshigiri, and other Japanese martial arts, and is a great choice for anyone else who would like a perfectly capable sword with a beautiful execution, colorful, strong and reliable, and yet made in line with the Japanese standards of aesthetics, which is something that is especially difficult to do, in my humble opinion, without creating a “my little pony” looking sword. This is, gladly, a far-cry from it.
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Now, the long-form review :-) Would like to start with a quote from poetry of the monk, whose life inspired the design of the sword:
We’re lost, born in delusions
Deeper than any mind.
If you could escape awakening,
You’d ripen like a pear, all by yourself.
Ikkyū
Link to the sword page itself:
https://romanceofmen.com/products/the-fukyo-katana-spring-steel-double-bohi-razor-sharp
Also, see a 9 picture gallery of photos I have taken. I have more but Substack has a 9 picture gallery limit :/ Hit me up if you want to see more though.
Intro & Theme:
My dear friends at the Romance of Men were so kind as to send me a sample of one of their new designs, which they have in the inventory ready to ship at the time of the review. It's a $200 "budget" sword that doesn't quite feel like it (please see the rest of the review ;)), they call the sword in question as Fukyo (madness, craziness – loosely from Japanese), and the inspiring figure behind this design is the Zen Monk Ikkyū, who had a very rich life during one of the most turbulent times in Japan (such as a lot of lives were lost to wars between great houses and families). He is considered to be the most eccentric monk within the Zen branch of Buddhism, which is quite a historically significant achievement. At some point he became an abbot, but prior to that he played healing music on flutes, made dolls, drunk at times excessively, didn't leave a celibate life, and, overall, was an eccentric genius poet and artist, as well as a vagabond, who also didn't shy from violence, if the circumstances called for it. And, I am sad to say that violence during the Warring States period was nearly at the peak with the nation.
It's possible to go down a deep rabbit hole about the life of Ikkyū, and it will be a time worthy spent, but I will concentrate more on the sword, and the attributes of the entire package, and not go too deep into the life of the monk.
The sword is not a historical replica, per se, but an inspiration gained from studying the monk's life, and also it breaks few well-established traditions in the modern katana replica world outside of Japan, such swords are technically called shinken, but folks still may refer to them as "katana." You can see on one of the pictures this sword among a portion of my permanent collection pieces, and see how it really shines and takes all your attention away from the more sombre classic "Emperor's Court" black & white sword designs that are featured on that particular "sword shrine." I have a few lol, some featuring Japanese art and a certain theme within the swords on the display. At times I set a candle and give three respectful bows towards them. It doesn’t matter if the swords are not made in Japan, what matters is your personal attitude and understanding of the matter.
Prior to receiving the Fukyo, I bought on my own two customized daisho sets from the Romance of Men. Daisho means a set of swords consisting of a long and a short sword of the same theme, with fittings, made to match each other – which was a symbol of a samurai for centuries, such as while they were allowed to carry the short sword, wakizashi, they also could carry a long sword, such as a katana or tachi (more of a cavalry saber-type design, something I discussed in one of my prior post in detail); some of the other classes were allowed to carry swords, such as yakuza, but not two, which was the exclusive right of a samurai, until the modern era when the class was abolished after the Meiji Restoration.
At that time I was exploring the "budget" LongQuan forges and vendors to see if anything worthy could be had without breaking the bank. The Romance of Men did make me two great sets of swords for a very reasonable price for me, without any kind of personal knowledge of each other, and did a wonderful job with the Customer Service. Thus they got on my “good list,” and I browse their catalog often. They also make real samurai armor, and you can customize the thickness of the cold-rolled steel laminated plates. Isn’t it something?
One thing lead to another and I started exchanging e-mails with Henrique, the business owner and the mastermind behind the project. We worked on few site features together, and some minor and humble product development. We both share a lot of tastes and some of the life philosophy, so the friendship was forged over time (if I may use this word). When Henrique heard me planning to write reviews of my few recent sword purchases, he offered for me to take a look at his new design. That's, in few words, how the sword made it to me.
Katana, and pretty much everything Japanese, is deeply symbolic. Each sword has a meaning beyond its qualities as a weapon. It's also a work of art and often carries a message or messages, making most historical finds very unique, such as featuring hand-made custom tsuba/hand-guard and koshirae – other fittings on the tsuka/handle. It's nice to see how modern creators of replicas at times release deeply custom products as inspirations about a certain topic, historical character, and so forth. The imagination at its best, and helps the market not to grow stale featuring the same designs over and over again. The Romance of Men is looking forward to continue the tradition, and you might see more swords inspired by real historical figures soon. I am hoping we could design our own "Musashi" sword, that would be different enough from offerings of other forges, and yet would be inspired by the remaining museum swords that were determined as being Musashi's during his life. More about this later. If we get anywhere, and there's a new product out there, I will certainly let the readers know.
Fukyo was meant to be a product to stand on its own, and be unique, be distinguished from other replicas from other vendors in its design, and offer a bit of an eccentric and colorful theme, that certainly stands out among my other swords. I believe it succeeds at portraying the carefully selected theme and as a sword replica/shinken -- it's possessing the qualities important to martial artists, such as practitioners of Iaido, Kenjutsu and Tameshigiri.
In other words, I will say that, to the best of my knowledge, and from testing, sincerely, this is one of the best swords for $200 a person can find, with very consistent manufacturing (such as my sample was pulled from the inventory, and wasn't made in any way to be different or "better" than other pieces in stock). Which makes me like it even more, as playing a lottery with LongQuan vendors takes a lot of patience, and at times it doesn't pay off. This would make it my 5th sword from the Vendor, that to me it was worth waiting for, and is certainly feels as worth having. More about this in the "Conclusion" portion. This paragraph could be considered a thesis, to help pull everything together a bit before we dive into the details, and, as they say, the devil is in the details.
Now let's look at the Sword fittings, saya/scabbard, how it feels, the steel used and other details that any Sword Friends would like to know before making a purchase (such its balance, and how it cuts, and much more).
Also see at the end the exclusive Q&A with the Manufacturer!
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The Tsuka/Handle
White samegawa/ray-skin panels are used, they are very well implemented and the edges don't stand out, they also cover all of the required space, and the silk-like ito/handle-wrapping, has been done wonderfully. Very symmetrical knots on each side of the handle, very tight execution. I truly have swords in my collection that are much more expensive, yet required some textile glue to make the knots stronger and less spongy. Fukyo's ito is incredibly tight. The tsuka feels good in the hand, and I like it's shape, continuing the curve of the blade/sori -- this gives the sword some additional elegance. I don't mind straight handles, especially for long-bladed shinken, especially if they are done in the rico/hour-glass shape, but when it comes to standard/average katana/shinken sizes, I do prefer having the handle to continue the curve of the blade, making it a bit easier to exercise a good circular motion, when cutting and practicing kata (precise sets of movement requiring a cut or cuts, as found in Japanese martial arts and beyond). Others may have different tastes, but I do write through the lenses of my own experiences and preferences. I think this could be considered as a bit of bias, at least I am ready to admit it.
Bamboo pegs/mekugi are well-inserted, well-shaped, not made from chopsticks, and have a lot of grain to them. The carved openings in the samegawa/ray-skin are nearly flawless. I've seen much worse on some of the Ronin Katana blades, though I also have some Ronin Katana shinken that do have very well-executed mekugi. All of my five swords from the Romance of Men had no issues with mekugi. In fact, in my second, "blacked-out" daisho (also featuring the dual bo-hi extra sharp 9260 blades) – I found that smoked mekugi were used, not simply painted black, which is a traditional treatment for the pegs (most historical katana have a single peg, most modern replicas have two, to ensure the strength of the handle). Making mekugi match in color with the rest of the sword, without cheapening their looks – was much appreciated. Fukyo also has the dual mekugi handle design and I want to reinforce that the handle-works/tsukamaki have exceed my expectation for this price-point, or raised the expectation for future purchases. Both, I suppose.
I will offer a picture of a Cloudhammer sword that is nearly 2.5 times more expensive, and the way the knots, and the rest of the tsukani, were done, just so you have something to compare the tsuka with... It's the picture with the sword that has a large gap in the kashira/end-cap. Since then I have lacquered it lightly and fixed spots where samegawa wasn't showing with black nail polish lol. I still like that sword, however, and the steel-works look nearly flawless.
The Fukyo's tsuka has a good grip, which is very important for cutting, there appears to be hishigame made too (rice paper triangles inserted into the knots of ito, to make them stand out a bit more, helping the grip, and as it has been done traditionally on Japanese katana, featuring the silk and samegawa as the main elements that a person would feel having the sword in their hands). This is a great feature to have in a $200 shinken, and objectively makes a good difference.
The transition at the bottom of the handle, where the metal cap/kashira is, with the rest of the tsuka -- is seamless. The transition from the fuchi ring (that is right below tsuba and a brass spacer/sepa) -- can be felt, but it's very even on each side, installed very symmetrically and with care/precision. While some would appreciate seamless transition in that area as well, since Fuchi is not usually used for gripping the blade, to me it's more important that it's a strong, thick ring, that is unlikely to deform from cutting, and is symmetrically done on each side, having that consistence. To me that's as good as having a seamless transition, especially if a very thin fuchi is used, that has higher chances of deforming and even becoming loose. Thus, I don't mind the fuchi, though some of you may have a different opinion in regards to the ring, and the transition right below it, and rightly so, as we all have different tastes and some requirements/preferences that are more personal, yet, for the most part, if the replica is made objectively well, it's likely to please a wider crowd, than replicas made with clear deficiencies upon inspection that may get in the way of experiencing the sword.
A note on ideal swords: 1) they do not exist, each sword has its perks and areas of opportunity, so the expectation of perfection, even at $1k+ prices – could be very disappointing, and 2) as one Sensei I read of noted, that the imperfections of the sword — are important for self-development of the wielder of the sword. It's important for training, overcoming obstacles, and, perhaps, the so-called weaknesses, such could be learned to be used as useful features. So I never expect perfection, but I do have certain expectations for each price point.
Word on the material used for the metal parts, tsuba and kashira, fuchi – it's an alloy, with copper, thus it has a slightly yellow-ish color, with a hint of gold. It's not a very high copper concentration alloy, but could be, likely, classified as a type of brass, but the spacers/sepa – are brass 100%, as well as the habaki/blade collar, with higher copper concentration. I would always want my sepa and habaki made from brass, copper or silver. Strong enough materials, yet able to absorb a lot of kinetic energy before cracking. Ideally, that is.
The habaki/blade collar, while being a mass-produced casted brass piece (as is extremely common with most low to even high-end, expensive, replicas) -- features a very cool pattern that I haven't seen very often, if ever, in the catalogs of various other forges. It certainly gives some extra uniqueness to the sword. The pastern on the habaki harmonizes very well with the over al theme of the sword, including the ornamentation, and doesn't seem like a random choice. I believe it features the ornament important in Buddhism. It seems like a sort of a labyrinth. If someone knows exactly the details about the meaning of the pattern – please do comment!
On my sample the brass habaki is fitted extremely well, and has a nice thickness to it.. It wasn't a product of sloppy casting, it looks sharp, and can easily trick the eye into believing that it was custom-made especially for this sword. I made a conclusion that the Romance of Men use scientific method, logic and precision, in order to create the overall package that doesn't have a single visible problem. Same goes for my last custom swords I paid for, that is the blacked out version of the "extra sharp dual bo-hi" 9260 spring steel type, except, well, all fittings are black, and I asked for iron (or lacquered mild steel) for the tsuba and other fittings. Fukyo's ito is also made from a different material, more soft and pleasant in the hand, but does offer a good grip. The ito does imitate silk fairly well. My guess would be that they used some synthetic material for that ito, perhaps with a bit of cotton. That texture, and color, does match the sword well. (The Romance of Men have multiple options for the ito to be used on your sword, and you can ask the CS if you have anything special in mind.) Fukyo also shows care in construction and precision. I will post a picture to compare some swords in my collection with Fukyo, just out of curiosity, and also to show swords/shinken that look quite different, aesthetically, yet share the same blade geometry type.
When time spent to truly find the best habaki from the pile, and fit it to the right sword, and make it well-fitted – it is very important, as it's often called as "the heart of the sword." It certainly is. The blade alignment is perfect on each side. And it didn't become loose, along with tsuka in general, after cutting a bunch of pool noodles, using iai – cut when unleashing the sword in one smooth motion – and after cutting a thick water bottle, filled with water and having a cap on (on a cold winter day), as well as after cutting branches of the ever-green trees I have in my yard, that I trim only with swords :) Branches and thick plastic filled-up water bottles (size of a gallon container, the types you can buy from a supermarket) -- could be quite tricky targets, and some lesser blades could get damaged during the first day of practice, such as develop a rattle, or loose ito – there are a lot of moving pieces in the construction of katana/shinken. Such design was developed on purpose to absorb the kinetic energy and keep the hands under less stress while cutting, along with helping the blade not to break (Japanese steel may be a bit brittle but with a very good, sharp, edge, in very general terms, due to the Tamahagane steel used, still from smelted iron sands from various sources). The construction of a katana/shinken is a marvel of engineering, if you ask me. And I am happy that the key elements are still being used and are very important part of some of the better modern replicas, such as Fukyo. The fittings have to be mounted well to the point that a large battle could be won, and still all components are holding the sword together well for a possible battle right after. This is not science fiction, it's just a good craftsmanship and medieval version of engineering. Fukyo held up fine, though this has not been my designated back-yard cutter, and I had about three weeks to spend with it, not years.
I am going a bit off-track from the sword in question, in the next paragraph, it's more about discussing the general characteristics of Japanese swords. Feel free to skip or, maybe, learn something new?
In comparison, my designated backyard cutter now has a dental floss that helps to keep the tsuka rattle-free, but that sword went through hell and back, and being a mass-produced budget sword – I find issues of such level to be acceptable, especially if they are easily repairable and the sword is still sharp after a lot of cutting exercises, and my back-yard sword gladly is. Alternatively, I could have inserted an extra sepa, as the handle comes off usually without too much effort. Just remove the mekugi pegs, made to travel only in one direction. Most "katana care kits" have a little hammer for removing mekugi, but it doesn't have to be a special one by any means. Another big perk to me, as the construction is both tight and yet creates a "dynamic system,having just the right amount of "give," which supports the ability to absorb a lot of vibrations/kinetic energy, while not breaking, and not becoming loose easily. Every fitting has a purpose and contributes to this "dynamic" overall construction, down to the bamboo peg(s). In fact, other materials were tried over-time in Japan, and bamboo ended up to be the best for the job, especially if it's well-dried, smoked/treated, and dense enough. Bamboo by itself is a fascinating plant, but alas we are talking about the sword here... Having the ability to strip the blade from the handle in field conditions, if any quick repairs or maintenance are needed – is quite a nice feature. The design is really fascinating to me, elegant, not primitive, but well thought-through, with just a good amount of complexity, and is one of the reasons I have so much respect for Japanese swords (and good foreign replicas), as well as for the craftsmen behind them. The Romance of Men does not use child labor and the services of only trained craftsmen.
To me, a well-fitted non-paper thin habaki is very important. It brings everything together, and whenever I come across a sword where the blade may not be sitting in parallel enough with habaki, it really spoils the overall picture. BUT, even some museum pieces from Japan do not have perfectly aligned habaki. So the looks do matter, but if habaki does the job well, being reliable and strong – well, I could forget about the blade alignment on each side. Fukyo's habaki is excellently executed to me, considering it's a $190-200 "budget" sword. It's both very functional, practical and aesthetically well executed. It's clear they spend sufficient time with the blade-fitting process, understand what customers prefer, and the significance of this piece, my huge thanks to the Romance of Men for taking their job seriously.
Kashira/cap has a parallel lines-like pattern, the lines are 3d and not painted, that goes well with the menuki – little ornaments that help with the grip, situated beneath the ito on each side – they remind me of bamboo branches with leafs. Ito (the silk-like wrapping of the tsuka/handle) has somewhat of a leaf-like color, except it's not a bright green or a deep green, it's quite subdued, far from being a neon green either (thank Goodness).. I started calling this sword after a while "The Autumn Sword," as the color of saya that is like an orange autumn leaf, with colorful sprinkles in the lacquer – remind me of droplets of water reflecting light after rain, corresponds with the green of the handle. I have seen some ever-greens having a similar color. Because, well, Fukyo, while being an awesome name for the sword, does sound quite a bit like "Fu*k *ou." It's not accidental, and very witty. A sort of a message to the competition and the very saturated market, during the new Swords' Renaissance. But the "Autumn Sword" to me, personally, sounds like a good alternative name, that emphasizes and explains the color pallet, without sounding slightly obscene to my ears. In proper Japanese it only sounds a little similar, just the translation into English of the name has that vibe to it :D
There's something to say about the beauty of the tsuba execution. Even if it was a cast-piece, the pattern and the general look of the tsuba – are very pleasing. It has a labyrinth-like design that I also don't see as a design choice for replicas amongst other LongQuan forges (I browse their catalogs more than I should). It feels strong for what it's meant to do, but also has a very pleasant aesthetic, and symbolic, quality. The casting is Very sharp looking and well worked on before installation, making it look hand-carved with a naked eye. It really brings together the entire design, in my humble opinion, and helps the sword to live up to its description on the site with a promise of a unique looking full package. I think the Monk Ikkyū would see in this sword as both a well-executed theme, notice its overall aesthetic harmony, but also may see a question within, such as the sword hides some secrets. At least in my imagination. Maybe I am too impressionable. Either way, I wanted to describe the best I could the more abstract aesthetic understanding and perception of the specific theme. Such as it does provide me with a unique emotional feedback. Not to say that others will have the same thoughts and the same experience. But if I let my imagination fly and meditate on the sword, I see interesting things.
Last Word on the tsuka/handle in general. Someone smarter and more experienced than me, told me that the tsuka, and its overall execution – is the interface by which a swordsman uses the sword. It's just as important as the blade and its quality. This struck a cord with me, and made me do more lacquering of tsuka of lesser swords, and use more textile glues on the knots on teach side of the tsuka, to ensure I have the strongest, well-executed the "hand-sword" interface. And now a good handle is a very important item for me when looking for replicas. Gladly, in this case Fukyo does have a well-executed tsuka, technically and aesthetically, and at this time doesn't require any additional repairs or work done. It does what it's supposed to do, and it does it well, which is excellent for a "budget" blade. Not everyone can afford swords worth thousands (neither can I, my most expensive sword is a 47 Ronin from Hanwei, but it rarely leaves the rifle case, well oiled and tightly wrapped, it is a beautiful blade with a great tsuka and saya (scabbard), but still a far-cry from a $5k Motohara or a very well-preserved and executed Japanese antiques).
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The Blade
Fukyo's made from the modern, industrially produced, with a lot of precision, 5160-type spring-tempered steel. Same steel type is being used by many other forges for their products, from Hanwei to Albion Swords, and many more. It is through-hardened. There's no differential hardening for the hamon (sort of an artistically and practically executed temper line) to appear, when a blade is through-hardened it’s normal, but there are some signs of additional sharpening and some polishing-like activity on the kissaki, that doesn't look as done sloppy at all, and makes it a bit more unique, gives it somewhat of a hamon-type vibes without being a hamon. To me it's aesthetically pleasing, a tiny detail really, thus to others it may not be so.
Strength and flexibility, without a doubt, a very important for swords, 5160 reached a nearly kult status over the years. This steel is also wildly used industrially as well for a variety of things, such as for making quality springs.
In other words, it's a bad-@ass modern spring steel that is very well suited for the things that sword supposed to do. If this blade was to appear in Early Middle Ages – folks may think it's magical, and made by Gods or dwarfs, or what have you. In part due to the physical properties of this modern alloy steel, precisely treated, and having a good carbon distribution throughout. Very few medieval swords, not made as a crucible steel, featured even carbon distribution around it's age, even if it's forge-wielded high-carbon steel edge bound to a softer core, as was a popular way to make swords among Germanic tribes and in Medieval Europe in general. But I digress...
I suppose Swedish Powder Steel, or any other high-end powder steels made with the specific process, may have even better distribution of carbon, but, honestly, I think the difference is not very significant. The way such steels, as 9260 or 5160, and many more — are made industrially in the 21st Century — they exhibit overall excellent carbon distribution. China does make good steel, they also make bad steel, mostly because that's cheap and that's what companies around the world ask them to do to save costs. But if China makes a batch of good alloy steel – it's very likely that the same steel may end up in military equipment, and be important for major construction projects -- thus they do not compromise and do make good steel with modern high-tech industrial processes, based on scientific method, when they are on it, as it is a strategic resource and is very important domestically. The ruling party of China doesn't mess around when it comes to production of key steel parts. Thus I do not have any reasons to doubt that the 5160 used for the sword in question is of poor quality, especially after all the cutting tests I have performed with the sword.
This is a "an extra sharp" design featuring dual bo-hi/"blood grooves," which in reality have nothing to do with blood, but that's the term a lot of folks still use. Single bo-hi, would have, actually, made the sword lighter (applies to most modern LongQuan designs), dual bo-hi in this case does help to reduce the weight, and influences the overal shape of the blade, making it slightly elongated and yet still featuring a thick strong spine, diamond-like cross-section that has been typical in classic designs of katana blade. It feels good in my hands, well-balanced, a bit shorter but lighter than my Hanwei Civilian Shashka, it's very similar to the custom blade I ordered from them, wanting to test the "extra sharp" part, combined with a better kind of spring steel, and looking quite good, if you ask me, even without the hamon. The blades do feel similar balance-wise, but there are plenty of other differences. Such design feels light enough for a single hand operation, with some training, and absolutely easy to handle with the classic dual-handed grip. Dual Bo-Hi produce a unique sound when the cut is executed well, but it's not as loud as most LongQuan single bo-hi designs, yet certainly more audible than "no-hi" designs. It's somewhere in the middle. Some may appreciate this aesthetic more than others, but hear me out in the next paragraph...
I have a hypothesis: dual bo-hi (hollow grooves on each side of the blade) -- is almost like having two railroad rails side by side, it stiffens the blade further, while reducing its mass, because of the physics/engineering, using dual bo-hi for man than just a weight-reducer without compromises to the structural integrity (when done right). Unlike some of lower-end spring tempered European medieval designs, that tend to over-bend during thrusts of hard objects, katana, even if made from spring-steel, are not "bendy." That thick spine helps to keep the blade from loosing its shape. 9260 is a good spring steel, and is great for blades that go through a lot of cutting and training with, as they are less fragile than differentially-hardened blades featuring hamon, the edge is less likely to roll or become brittle, from poor cuts. So there's certain benefit for selecting a good spring-steel for a practice blade. Along with the dual bo-hi, the blade design aspects synergies very well together. I do believe that dual bo-hi adds some additional stiffness along with the weight reduction, and is a fairly genius design choice for a spring-steel shinken. And the blade is sharp as a straight razor. It passed the "paper test" with flying colors. There's no secondary bevel, yet the edge/kissaki is not too thin, straight razor-like blade gains some thickness as it reaches the spine/mune, and seems to be made right between "not too thick" and "not too thin" territory. And harmony is very difficult to execute well.
It passed the paper test (cutting an A4 sheet right through without getting stuck or "chewing" the paper – of which I will post a picture of). It cuts pull-noodles like butter, even in sub-zero temperature when plastic is more hard, and it's normally easier to send a noodle flying without cutting through it. I use my own custom very short stick hammered into the ground for pool noodles cutting, so if there's a mistake with the circular motion, the angle, and other aspects of performing a cut – it is more likely to show by pushing the noodle out without a clean cut. Having it secured stronger would have made it a bit too easy of an exercise. If I do cut the noodles I set them on a stick that's about 2" out of the ground, and then try to cut it with precision and whatever humble skill I have acquired. I promise that a sharp blade and the circular motion will allow you to do this fairly easy, perhaps with a bit of practice, and this may even expose some of the mistakes we are likely to make while cutting. Fukyo, in such adverse cutting situation, cut the noodle even when my technique had errors. I attribute it to the sharp steel and the blade geometry unique to the "extra sharp dual bo-hi" design claim. It appears that the claim is not just marketing promises but the reality.
It also cut cleanly through thin-to-medium pine branches, and done well with water-filled large water bottle. Though, I have to note, it's not my regular thing to cut, plastic may cause some scratching on the blade, especially during sub-zero temperatures these days, and as I like this sword quite a bit, I didn't want to do any destructive testing, but did need to see how it performs at least once with a more difficult and dangerous (to the sword) target. Thus I did it once, with a large plastic jug meant for water storage, and gladly do not see scratches with a naked eye. I wasn't able to cut through the entire container, but the blade went almost through it, I attribute this to my lack of skill and not the lack of sharpness. I tried another bottle with a different sword from another manufacturer, and while it done well, I think it was easier to cut with Fukyo. This could be an anecdotal evidence, but I thought to mention it anyhow.
Basically, it is very sharp, it does cut well, the spring steel makes it extra resilient, and extra forgiving for the beginners of the art of cutting. It lives up to the claims made in the description of the blade-geometry (being an "extra sharp" design). It is, not just empty marketing promises.
Henrique asked me the first thing, after I confirmed that the sword has made to me, if the blade is sharp, and I could definitely state that it is. I was glad that he is concerned that the product performs as expected and advertised. I have a much less sharp blade that I use for iai cuts of pool noodles, as well as to cut thin branches, being much longer and heavier – my old back-yard cutter -- made from 1095 high carbon steel with differential hardening, that really needs a good polish by now – if that sword can cut OK, than Fukyo cuts like a hot knife through butter, and the feedback in the hands is quite minimal, as intended by the design. It's clear that the overall design stays true to how katana were made – absorb a lot of kinetic energy through the use of habaki/sepa/ito/mekugi combination, each able to absorb some of the feedback and vibration. You can almost think of it as being a "hidden" recoil spring, as used on some fire-arms. Not the best comparison, but quite easy to imagine, I think.
That's why I don't plan on covering tsuka with a poly-urethane lacquer, to keep the ito and all bits and pieces together better, which I have done on some other lesser swords, because while there's still the ability of poly-urethane to contract and absorb some kinetic energy, shinken do feel better when cutting without having to lacqure the tsukamaki, if they are made well. Still, lacquering is a good choice under certain circumstances. Such as I have an O-Katana "Dancing Crane" from Ronin, and while the ito was fairly OK in terms of tightness, the knots were slighlty spongy for my tastes. At that time I decided to make few thin layers around the tsuka. It certainly feels a bit more rigid in my hands now, but it's not a bad feeling when handling an extra-long and heavier blade. If you are curious about the results of lacquering tsuka – there are a lot of good articles and posts on Reddit that could help you get a better picture of the process and the results. Sorry for stepping a bit from the "Blade" topic... You are also very welcome to ask me, as I have quite a bit of experience in lacquering by now.
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The Saya/Scabbard
Saya is one of the most underrated parts of the full package when it comes to shinken. 99% of the time, even with more expensive blades, I have been coming across your standard shiney or satin lacquer finish, that is quite thin and very easy to dent. Which made me buy other saya, as I am a bit OCD when it comes to dented and poorly made saya. Or at times spent hours sanding saya and re-lacquering them myself, reinforcing with clear poly. The saya of Fukyo – is nothing but outstanding. The sprinkles look surprisingly well with the whole package (gave me some My Little Pony vibes, but so are the sprinkles within my Juke's control panel). The orange-y color contrasts nicely with the green ito and sageo (saya cord). The colors are meant to be contrasting when I look at the wheel of colors, that is often used by fine artists. There's also just a bit of artistic asymmetry, that is prevalent in Japanese arts. Making it extra cool in my book. I couldn't put a finger on it, however, it was just the feeling when keeping the sword in my hands. The choice of colors seemed to be well-thought, and done for specific reasons. Saya really helps the shinken to stand out. Again, you can refer to my picture of this sword along other pieces of my collection, and Fukyo outshines them with the looks. Some people do prefer certain colors, designs, such as the classic Akira Kurosawa black & white look of the swords, what Emperor decreed to be the requirement for swords in his residency and during official functions. But it is getting old getting the same color combination over and over again, even if that's your favorite. Out of this production shinken world – Fukyo stands out. And it may be pleasing to the eye, and likely to attract house guests, especially the ladies! They love colors and sprinkles, which could be in your favor as well :) My mom really liked the looks, see?
Besides the nice colors, the saya is made with thicker than usual lacquer, which, again, really impressed me for the price-point. One of my Top 3 favorite sword – Tatsu from LK Chen – had a very fragile saya that picked up dents like a dog picks up ticks in the woods of an early spring. They are sending me a replacement, hope the second one will be more matching the $500-$600 shinken. It also has a less tight into and I did use some textile glue to strengthen the knots, that dries without leaving an easily visible mark. So having something more reliable, stronger, with a great-worked opening and the end-cap, nicely executed presentation knot of sageo (which is a bit on a thinner side but perfectly usable). The blade locks in with the say very nice, and yet it's possible to pop it out with a thumb, or with a squeeze of a hand (for stealthier draw) – without any issues.
The saya makes the whole package classier, supports the theme in which the sword was made (to challenge the offerings from competitors), I especially like a good saya with my sword, so the execution of it does, in my mind, adds a lot of extra value to the sword. That is not just for the looks, but contributory in the overal practical use.
The shitodome / bronze rings installed to reinforce Kurigata (piece for sageo to connect with the saya) are present. One of them was glued, and the other just needed a couple of drops of super glue to secureit. A very minor flaw, hell, most replicas I received didn't have shitodome glued in at all, having either one loose. It am surprised that at least one of them was glued in well for the prie point. In really doesn't take more than two drops of super glue to secure them, if you wish to use them, however, there are plenty (including me) of Sword Friends who don't use them and collect them in a suitable leather baggie for future use, or use them for display in their "sword shrines," though it's by far not a universal practice. With this saya and sword design I do suggest to glue them in, if it wasn't completed at the factory already, to contribute to the overal look of the entire package. If you decide to keep the presentation sageo knots that come with the saya, likely the shitodome will stay in place without any need of glue.
***
The Conclusion
I did ask Henrique a small list of questions, to clarify few manufacturing points (but also without a meaning to steal their secrets either). I know he is an extremely busy man, he replied, and I will include the Q&A below, under the "P.S." section of this review. I think you may find them to be interesting, not just in terms of how Fukyo is made, but also giving insights into modern LongQuan manufacturing practices.
I have described well the construction, the practical ability of this sword to cut, my personal observations about it's balance (I relive I stated that the blade feels well-balanced), materials it was made from and other design choices. So, especially after examining the pictures, you should have a very good idea whether this sword belongs in your humble collection or not. I do believe it's a great value for $200, as a collection "stand-off" sword, but also a quality executed shinken, from the blade to the tsuka, supported by the well heat treated 9260 spring steel, that may also get an extra benefit from the dual bo-hi design (according to my speculations at the very least). So, as far as a modern replicas go – this is is a good replica, with a lot of attention to details and a truly quality execution. Swords of this "caliber" are often times not found within this price range. (I noticed folks pay attention a lot to the steel and forging, the steel used, a lot, but the tsukamaki gets left out as a less important item, which I believe is wrong, is just as important as the blade itself. In this case the tsukamaki has really surprised me in a good way).
As previously briefly noted, the tsukamaki is incredibly important when handling a katana/shinken. It's the source of connection the swordsman has with their sword. If the connection is flawed, it doesn't matter how well the blade is forged, and what type of steel was used. When a sword appears for a reasonable price featuring good tsukamaki, saya, well executed blade (including the overall geometry), while being made from a good choice of a steel – the overal package gets much appreciation. And there's more desire to train with such swords, as they simply more pleasant to handle. And it's great that no textile glue or poly-urethane coats are necessary, as on swords from some of their competitors do a bit.
I do have plenty of praise to Fukyo, some of it is based on objective qualities of the example, I hope the most of it, and some of it is due to some personal preferences. Everyone needs to dig deep, do their homework, see what is it that they would like to have in the collection, and whether an important design is missing to make the entire collection more harmonious – this is all up to you to decide. But my job here seems to be done. I stand by my words, I genuinely like the sword, regardless if it was a free sample. It being a sample didn't stand in the way of my objective decimation of its qualities. It helps that Henrique confirmed that it was a random sword taken from the batch.
Thank you so much, Dear Readers, and fellow Sword Friends, for spending your time and energy reading this post. I hope it was a worthwhile undertaking.
If you have any questions about this specific model, or any other type of a sword or steel, or wood, or what have you, anything to do with Japanese and European Medieval and High Medieval Swords – please feel free to reach out to me. It will be a lot of pleasure for me in trying to help you. I studied mostly Medieval History at the Uni, and been fascinated with the subject of sword, of many cultures, since my childhood, so, I believe, due to my theoretical and practical back-ground (learned fencing in college, started to practice Iaido thanks to the Mountain Teachings and Sensei Roger Wehrhahn) -- I do have barely sufficient knowledge on the subject matter, thus please don't hesitate to ask questions.. And if I don't know something, I will state that, and not going to make anything up, promise :) Would love to find more resources and have more experiences to learn more.
Happy Holidays! Love you, All!
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If you would like to know more about the inspirational and out-of-ordinary Buddhist Monk Ikkyū hat wore many hats, here are some good resources I found:
https://scienceandnonduality.com/article/a-life-of-zen-ikkyu-the-crazy-cloud/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikky%C5%AB
You are certainly welcome to dig for more, there seems to be a lot of educational resources dedicated to his life. He wrote absolutely breathtaking poetry with so much depth to it, and yet with a sense of humor. Recommend you read his works on you own :)
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Furthermore (last point, promise):
Here below I poasted the Q&A with the Romance of Men, as Henrique got back to me with a short list of answers to my questions, in regards to their manufacturing processes, specifically concerning aspects of Fukyo, and moar (didn't want to steal any trade secrets, but I am a curious being by nature).
Q&A: Answered by the Boss Henrique:
My Questions:
1) What is the material of the wooden core, the type of the wood used? Has it been kept in 40% humidity for a while to dry properly?
2) Hishigami? It does seem it was used but I am not certain, and don't want unwrap ito.. It's a beautiful sword and I am not that good at tsukamaki.
3) Did the saya undergo additional processing, such as extra layers of poly or lacquer? Because it seems the finish is quite sturdy and not like what's found on a lot of generic LongQuan saya out there..
4) Any use of horn? Or is hard plastic?
5) Has anything been done to the blade to make it extra sharp, besides just selecting the type of blade geometry that allows a razor-sharp edge? Perhaps a special sharpening process? Additional time spent on ensuring the edge and subsequent QA?..
6) When the sword is sharpened or polished: is a bit of dripping water being used to cool off the steel, to maintain higher Rockwell Scale of the edge, preventing it from heat damage?
7) Does your sword-smith sign the mei on the tang, or is it blank?...
Henrique’s Responses:
It's a type of local wood, and I couldn't find the correct name in English, it's suitable for tsuka and saya, and yes we dry them properly, but don't really precisely 40%, it's more relied on experience.
2) Yes It's Hishigami wrapping, silk ito, panel real ray skin, we didn't go for full wrap ray skin, full wrap is even better, but much more expensive, our idea is to make an entry level super sharp katana, full wrap seems like a bit luxury)
Nothing too special about the saya, it's just we used better lacquering and pay better for quality control and details.
No Horn used, just hard plastic
No magic tricks on the sharpness, it's just taking longer to sharpen, as you can see the lead time for this sword is longer than others (Plus the hishigami also time consuming as well).
Yes we need to dip water when sharpen and polishing the blade.
We do not sign the Mei, we are not famous yet.
Thanks, Again! Low Respectful Bow!
More to come about Swords! Here's what is going to happen next:
I plan to post this review on the SBG Forums, as well as on Reddit and to r/Swords. Haven't decided if I could just link the Substack article, or copy and paste everything, and make it more native to the platforms, but hope you may find this review out in the wilderness of Internet in more than one source. I think it's absolutely worth it to spread my experience with Fukyo and the Romance of Men, who are quite a bit of a small venture at this time (but also make the real deal samurai armor, and by my request, a customer can customized the thickness of the laminated colled-rolled steel!)
I am also having the HanBonForge samples sent to me, along with my very deeply customized vision of the "Musashi" sword (which I paid for), and had to wait for months. Likely after holidays, as their shipping is simply overwhelmed. My relationship with the forge has always been friendly, I have few custom pieces from them, and only few problems that I have all resolved. They are certainly a good forge, where you buy directly from the makers and not re-sellers (such as stay away from the Mini Katana, my humble advice). Mr. Yao honors me for allowing to review their samples...
Some-day I will post a review of the Hanwei Civilian Shashka (paid for with my own money). At this time I can tell that it's good, but there are some opportunities with the way the wood was shaped in the scabbard, and in not quite an excellent wood used for the handle, yet the sword itself is worth the asking price, even with some minor issues, and some of these things can be fixed at home, if my OCD really kills me.
Last thing in the queue is a review of the Medieval Saxon Long Sword (from the era before they were conquered by Franks, and still worshiped the Norse pantheon of Aesir and other older gods). It's on back-order, so no ETA, and it's a lower-priced model made from an OK-ish high carbon steel, to be sharpened by the Kult of Athena themselves (I heard their in-house sharpener is doing quite a good job!). There are some very specific features about this sword I found appealing, and it's going to be my only Viking Sword or Norse-type sword. Should be great on display with my historically accurate Czech crafts-men's made broken back seax, which was even more valued than any other weapons that Norse warriors used and carried. The extremely high number of novels of historical fiction type I read over the years, besides digging into primary sources, such as Snorri's writings and Icelandic Sagas – Norse people are just as fascinating to me as the Japanese. My grandpa hails from the North, which adds a certain level of interest, as some Norse blood is certainly in my veins, along with some Cossack and Gypsy, haha.
It just happened so that I like katana/shinken very much, and it has shaped my collection accordingly. I also practice Iaido and Kenjutsu with these swords, and they are very familiar to me in how they feel and perform. Remember, they are all not the same, may have a different geometry, length, curvature, tsuka shape, and so many other factors, that one sword can behave very much different from another one, even if they are all made in Japan. This variation is a part of my fascination, not just with their swords, but with the Japanese History in general, which I also took college courses on, but mostly studied about on my own. I wish I could show you the collection of books I gathered on the subject. Might be 90% of all ever published in English. My huge treasure...
So, in less words, there's so much more to come! Stay Tuned! Subscribe if this is interesting to you :) These plans are absolutely exciting for me and will provide me with a good respite, and escape, from the very stressful & busy life – reviewing my beloved replicas, testing them, training with them... And writing about them. The very nice and good clean fun. It's good to have hobbies and interests :)