Always enjoy your extremely in depth analysis on these blades. Hope this does something for swordis reputation among some of the other more skeptical katana collectors.
Mr. jensen, excellent work and thank you for all the small details on every step of the way. I think it helps people feel better about spending more or at least help people understand the process!!
I have a $300 Musashi basic from Shadow Dancer and it's amazing! Saya leaves a bit to be desired but the blade itself, fittings and construction are excellent for the price point. It feels as good or better than my $500 Hanwei. Minus the way better fit saya and articulately drawn pieces. Casting quality was about the same though! I'd take a more refined blade itself over furnishings and looks any day! Would like to see reviews on more premade Shadow Dancer items as I get ready to purchase another. I recommend them to everyone interested. Nice video my friend
Video felt a lot shorter than an hour. Cool to see you go through the process, and very informative. I knew during your choices that you should have chosen the bo-hi version, because you love the tachikaze when practicing. One thing I would recommend is not to rely on the tachikaze so much. You can feel when it's right, and don't necessarily need to rely on the sound. That said, it's a very satisfying sound and good feedback, just not really necessary for someone who has practiced as long as you have. Final product turned out great. One thing I would like to have seen is an option to dial in the distal taper. Extra, normal, etc. would be a cool option for someone looking for a specific feeling. Great vid, man.
Reason I mention is that when I was discussing with Dremsword about dimensions, Hong was able to talk very specifically about the distal taper. Sold me a sword with 7.2mm to 3.9mm distal taper, which feels amazing. Stout in hand but light in transitions, and thin enough to laserbeam through targets without being wimpy. From the discussed details of target-use and feeling, they got it spot on, which is a huge factor for me. Again, great video. Much enjoyed.
This inspired me to put my own build together. Have it sitting in my cart. As soon as I return the Cloudhammer which I wasn't crazy about this is getting ordered. I sort of let it get out of control a bit and its at about 1600 although there is a 5% coupon. I got the saya and tsuba upgrades.
Just because you mentioned you weren't sure what the silver habaki are made of, they're cupronickel. For those who don't know, cupronickel is a copper and nickel alloy.
This video must have taken more than a minute to finish😅great job putting this together, gonna do something similar when mine comes in. build look great
I can't get the with Niku option on the shadow dancer custom. Only unsharpened or without niku. I get the option on the hanbon custom, but not shadow dancer
I played around with the options on Swordis. I have to say the available options and the over all interface is one of the best I've seen compared to the other "custom" sword websites. The pictures of each option are clear which isn't the case with most of the other sites. Yes, it's a higher cost than mass produced swords from the same manufacturer but you're getting something you want and not something that just comes close. For me there is value in that. I am curious why there are no T10 options. I know there are small differences in steel types. But that seems to be the one most katana are made with now and it surprised me that wasn't an option.
I think the Shobu Zukuri claim about Mongol armors stems from Bugei Company, because that is how they described their shobu sword. This goes as far back as 24 years ago. I've read a lot of sword books and history books, and I can't recall ever hearing that claim being made from any reliable source. What's worth noting though, is that it's a shape that's a lot easier to repair. Which means it's easier for a soldier to fix his own gear, without a huge loss in overall shape. It's also a great shape for cutting. These are also good reasons for the shape, but this is also just word-of-mouth rather than from any collectors or academic sources. From Unique Japan's collectors' catalogue issue 30, they mention that the iris leaf (shobu 菖蒲) was revered by samurai because it's a homonym of 勝負 (also shobu) which literally means "victory and defeat" which symbolizes the samurai spirit. I wouldn't put it past the Japanese to have invented this shape because of the auspicious symbolism. After all, they did that very frequently.
Wanted to add, from experimentation on different targets, that the shobu does indeed pierce better, cuts well, though is also harder to do Iai with because of the tip-scratch effect. While it might be hearsay, I think the description in the video is spot on. I have a theory that while the shobu is the superior shape, the shinogi is historically preferred because nobody wants a poked up hand during sheathing, particularly when teaching beginners.
One thing I’m wondering about is why it seems like the price of a swordis custom is double or more than double the price of a comparable sword directly from shadow dancer? They charge $400 just for sashikomi polishing, but shadow dancer sells a 1095 sword with sashikomi polishing for less than $450 out the door. Sorry if you addressed this in the video and I missed it. Great video as always.
I noticed the same, I'm very curious what the markup is here because it seems to be really high, of course I don't know how much extra Shadowdancer would ask if you came to them directly asking for custom work but it does seem a bit ridiculous when you see their stock models.
I've received this question frequently, so I have a template prepared to help clarify a few points about how our prices are determined. First, our pricing is aligned with-and often below-what our suppliers charge. We do not set prices with the intent to overcharge our customers. In fact, some custom katana options are offered at a lower price at our own cost. The creation of standard models requires specialized expertise in steel composition, forging, and design-knowledge that is challenging to transfer. Each model is carefully tested before the process is taught to others to ensure consistency and quality. When you order a custom sword that deviates from these established patterns, it requires close supervision by an experienced smith. This is necessary because the production process no longer follows the usual patterns, which can slow down the overall production of other swords and increase the risk of mistakes. Custom orders also require different personnel to manage their progress and customer service, which further adds to the costs. The higher price tag would only make sense for someone who wants a highly customized sword that is well-made to their exact specifications. In addition to this, processes like shashikomi, custom tsuka or scabbard, and urushi take the most time-sometimes even 2 to 4 months. This is the information that was passed to me, and honestly, I’ve never personally assisted them forging a sword, so I can only trust the expertise of their team. I hope this answers your question, but I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have.
There is probably a big difference between batching 50 mass produced blades and taking a custom blade from beginning to end. The tooling is set up for a production line while it would have to be changed for something custom. That takes time and effort which costs money. After playing with the options, it looks like they're all going to come to a basic price point. We can pick some options that give us the option to save money in some areas which is cool.
I'd assume they mass produce those swords so that might be it but I agree that it's a bit off-putting. That's the price of having anyone custom make anything, it takes a person more time
@@servalkorion686 still doesn’t explain Sashikomi polishing costing as much as an entire sword with a sashikomi polish from shadow dancer. Juice just isn’t worth the squeeze at all for me, but more power to anyone who really wants a customized sword exactly the way they want.
Great video and very informative. I was wondering how long did it take for you to get your sword after ordering, and how would you rate their customer service? Thanks for sharing!
In the testing did you feel like it was actually s5 or more durable than normal? Their seems to be some questioning from other vendors on what shadowdancer is putting out. Fit and finish looks great as always with their work.
I don't have any reason to believe it is not what is advertised. In terms of how it acts, it seems quite durable. It did not bend and took hitting metal well enough. I have not broken an S5 blade from shadow dancer but I did break and S7 and it was one of the hardest swords to break I have tested. Probably 2nd behind the Cloud Hammer S7.
Ok. I'm in. We will see what my "ideal" nagamaki zukuri will eventually run me. They definitely went above and beyond letting you customize. The two zsey I own (the previous iteration of their hira zukuri model, and the Ko-Choji Hamon Shinogi Zukuri. Both are excellent swords.
Matt what did the itomaki end up being made out of? The fuchi/kashira wasn’t muddy or poorly cast at all, and the transitions looked pretty evenly done. The mitsudomes are a deal breaker, so they were good looking on the tsuba. Too bad about the menuki though, and here’s the meh part. While cool that the habaki was silver-ish and had no real space between it and the blade (where a lot of sword makers fail) it is a design that I’ve seen from the Lonquan parts bins. For the $1K+ price point there shouldn’t be tool marks in any light, or from any angle, and seems to have taken some more damage than the mythical S5 would have. I’ve heard an argument where people were questioning Shadow Dancers ability to properly heat treat S5 🤷🏽 I don’t know if there’s any way to validate whether it is or not, shy of comparing it to another S5. The only problem with S5 is that I don’t think anyone has found a way to put a bohi on it, which does take the tachikaze away when practicing iaido. Thank you for walking me through the custom ordering process, and a great review as always
It feels good, just slicker than silk and has a sheen. It looks good with the gloss on the saya. Pro's and cons but I think silk is the better choice. I am happy for to see the Rayon though, the cheaper options still delivers great results. Not sure if I would have wacked the wheelbarrow if I had silk, I lost my grip and so it makes me wonder.
@@Matthew_Jensen Sounds like it’s light years ahead of synthetic cotton being rayon I mean. You did say that it was basically a dedicated chopper, being S5 and all, right? So I know you were trying to keep the price as low as possible, and if you’re using it in the backyard or even at the Dojo, I think you’re right. Splurging for the silk ito might have been like putting lipstick on a pig! Being that it “could” have slipped out of your hand you don’t want to have a helicopter of doom moment
With your laws there, I don’t think they can, unless you have a business that this would be considered a practice tool, like a dojo, martial arts center etc etc.
Always enjoy your extremely in depth analysis on these blades. Hope this does something for swordis reputation among some of the other more skeptical katana collectors.
Great design choices and a spectacular sword. Nice work!
Mr. jensen, excellent work
and thank you for all the small details on every step of the way. I think it helps people feel better about spending more or at least help people understand the process!!
great point about having the right length sword for your training, I felt quite a difference in my movement after changing to a slightly longer size
Well put. Even 1" extra can make a big difference over the standard size. My preference is probably 29" on the dot to get that sense of hip mechanics.
Long handle short blade, switch to short handle longer blade, and felt goofy really odd ,showed what I was doing wrong.
Very cool that you can get a full mantis skin wrap, not many sword makers do that anymore.
I have a $300 Musashi basic from Shadow Dancer and it's amazing! Saya leaves a bit to be desired but the blade itself, fittings and construction are excellent for the price point. It feels as good or better than my $500 Hanwei. Minus the way better fit saya and articulately drawn pieces. Casting quality was about the same though! I'd take a more refined blade itself over furnishings and looks any day! Would like to see reviews on more premade Shadow Dancer items as I get ready to purchase another. I recommend them to everyone interested. Nice video my friend
Love this. Seems like an excellent option. Will have to give this a try at some point
This is really cool their website has a lot of great information
Video felt a lot shorter than an hour. Cool to see you go through the process, and very informative. I knew during your choices that you should have chosen the bo-hi version, because you love the tachikaze when practicing. One thing I would recommend is not to rely on the tachikaze so much. You can feel when it's right, and don't necessarily need to rely on the sound. That said, it's a very satisfying sound and good feedback, just not really necessary for someone who has practiced as long as you have.
Final product turned out great. One thing I would like to have seen is an option to dial in the distal taper. Extra, normal, etc. would be a cool option for someone looking for a specific feeling. Great vid, man.
Reason I mention is that when I was discussing with Dremsword about dimensions, Hong was able to talk very specifically about the distal taper. Sold me a sword with 7.2mm to 3.9mm distal taper, which feels amazing. Stout in hand but light in transitions, and thin enough to laserbeam through targets without being wimpy. From the discussed details of target-use and feeling, they got it spot on, which is a huge factor for me.
Again, great video. Much enjoyed.
Cool video , I think that sword looks awesome !
This inspired me to put my own build together. Have it sitting in my cart. As soon as I return the Cloudhammer which I wasn't crazy about this is getting ordered. I sort of let it get out of control a bit and its at about 1600 although there is a 5% coupon. I got the saya and tsuba upgrades.
There was 10% off in the video.,.
Just because you mentioned you weren't sure what the silver habaki are made of, they're cupronickel. For those who don't know, cupronickel is a copper and nickel alloy.
I've come to like the katate-maki ever since I got my nodachi in. I think I actually prefer it now compared to the usual.
They probably have their own individual nuances but I often wonder if Matt confuses his katanas because he likes swirlies so much
This video must have taken more than a minute to finish😅great job putting this together, gonna do something similar when mine comes in. build look great
This gets a bit wordy but hopefully it helps figure out what you are looking at when you go through a custom sword builder.
I can't get the with Niku option on the shadow dancer custom. Only unsharpened or without niku. I get the option on the hanbon custom, but not shadow dancer
I noticed the same. The niku option seems to have disappeared from every steel choice in the shadow dancer line.
I played around with the options on Swordis. I have to say the available options and the over all interface is one of the best I've seen compared to the other "custom" sword websites. The pictures of each option are clear which isn't the case with most of the other sites.
Yes, it's a higher cost than mass produced swords from the same manufacturer but you're getting something you want and not something that just comes close. For me there is value in that.
I am curious why there are no T10 options. I know there are small differences in steel types. But that seems to be the one most katana are made with now and it surprised me that wasn't an option.
Thanks for the review! I wonder what the lesser price target is like
I think the Shobu Zukuri claim about Mongol armors stems from Bugei Company, because that is how they described their shobu sword. This goes as far back as 24 years ago. I've read a lot of sword books and history books, and I can't recall ever hearing that claim being made from any reliable source. What's worth noting though, is that it's a shape that's a lot easier to repair. Which means it's easier for a soldier to fix his own gear, without a huge loss in overall shape. It's also a great shape for cutting. These are also good reasons for the shape, but this is also just word-of-mouth rather than from any collectors or academic sources.
From Unique Japan's collectors' catalogue issue 30, they mention that the iris leaf (shobu 菖蒲) was revered by samurai because it's a homonym of 勝負 (also shobu) which literally means "victory and defeat" which symbolizes the samurai spirit. I wouldn't put it past the Japanese to have invented this shape because of the auspicious symbolism. After all, they did that very frequently.
Wanted to add, from experimentation on different targets, that the shobu does indeed pierce better, cuts well, though is also harder to do Iai with because of the tip-scratch effect. While it might be hearsay, I think the description in the video is spot on. I have a theory that while the shobu is the superior shape, the shinogi is historically preferred because nobody wants a poked up hand during sheathing, particularly when teaching beginners.
One thing I’m wondering about is why it seems like the price of a swordis custom is double or more than double the price of a comparable sword directly from shadow dancer? They charge $400 just for sashikomi polishing, but shadow dancer sells a 1095 sword with sashikomi polishing for less than $450 out the door. Sorry if you addressed this in the video and I missed it. Great video as always.
I noticed the same, I'm very curious what the markup is here because it seems to be really high, of course I don't know how much extra Shadowdancer would ask if you came to them directly asking for custom work but it does seem a bit ridiculous when you see their stock models.
I've received this question frequently, so I have a template prepared to help clarify a few points about how our prices are determined.
First, our pricing is aligned with-and often below-what our suppliers charge. We do not set prices with the intent to overcharge our customers. In fact, some custom katana options are offered at a lower price at our own cost.
The creation of standard models requires specialized expertise in steel composition, forging, and design-knowledge that is challenging to transfer. Each model is carefully tested before the process is taught to others to ensure consistency and quality.
When you order a custom sword that deviates from these established patterns, it requires close supervision by an experienced smith. This is necessary because the production process no longer follows the usual patterns, which can slow down the overall production of other swords and increase the risk of mistakes. Custom orders also require different personnel to manage their progress and customer service, which further adds to the costs.
The higher price tag would only make sense for someone who wants a highly customized sword that is well-made to their exact specifications.
In addition to this, processes like shashikomi, custom tsuka or scabbard, and urushi take the most time-sometimes even 2 to 4 months.
This is the information that was passed to me, and honestly, I’ve never personally assisted them forging a sword, so I can only trust the expertise of their team.
I hope this answers your question, but I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have.
There is probably a big difference between batching 50 mass produced blades and taking a custom blade from beginning to end. The tooling is set up for a production line while it would have to be changed for something custom. That takes time and effort which costs money.
After playing with the options, it looks like they're all going to come to a basic price point. We can pick some options that give us the option to save money in some areas which is cool.
I'd assume they mass produce those swords so that might be it but I agree that it's a bit off-putting. That's the price of having anyone custom make anything, it takes a person more time
@@servalkorion686 still doesn’t explain Sashikomi polishing costing as much as an entire sword with a sashikomi polish from shadow dancer. Juice just isn’t worth the squeeze at all for me, but more power to anyone who really wants a customized sword exactly the way they want.
11:30 In the knife world, it's called a 'convex grind'.
great video
I was curios about higher dollar Katana but they don't seem to offer the niku edge anymore so dunno what's up with that.
Awesome.
Great video and very informative. I was wondering how long did it take for you to get your sword after ordering, and how would you rate their customer service? Thanks for sharing!
Service has been good for me. Timing was a few months. Thought I started in the process before the builder was ready.
what is the motohaba and sakihaba of thid blade?
My complaint is that there's no way to select what type of Kissaki as I would like to do a Ko-Kissaki.
In the testing did you feel like it was actually s5 or more durable than normal? Their seems to be some questioning from other vendors on what shadowdancer is putting out. Fit and finish looks great as always with their work.
I don't have any reason to believe it is not what is advertised. In terms of how it acts, it seems quite durable. It did not bend and took hitting metal well enough. I have not broken an S5 blade from shadow dancer but I did break and S7 and it was one of the hardest swords to break I have tested. Probably 2nd behind the Cloud Hammer S7.
I would like to see you collect weapons like in the game. "Wukong Black myth" would be a good decoration for your house.
I can't get past blade length to get a ballpark for a nice shadow dancer
Ok. I'm in. We will see what my "ideal" nagamaki zukuri will eventually run me. They definitely went above and beyond letting you customize. The two zsey I own (the previous iteration of their hira zukuri model, and the Ko-Choji Hamon Shinogi Zukuri. Both are excellent swords.
What would your ideal sword be?
Why no hamon
it is trhough hardened and I did not want a fake one.
Matt what did the itomaki end up being made out of? The fuchi/kashira wasn’t muddy or poorly cast at all, and the transitions looked pretty evenly done. The mitsudomes are a deal breaker, so they were good looking on the tsuba. Too bad about the menuki though, and here’s the meh part. While cool that the habaki was silver-ish and had no real space between it and the blade (where a lot of sword makers fail) it is a design that I’ve seen from the Lonquan parts bins. For the $1K+ price point there shouldn’t be tool marks in any light, or from any angle, and seems to have taken some more damage than the mythical S5 would have. I’ve heard an argument where people were questioning Shadow Dancers ability to properly heat treat S5 🤷🏽 I don’t know if there’s any way to validate whether it is or not, shy of comparing it to another S5. The only problem with S5 is that I don’t think anyone has found a way to put a bohi on it, which does take the tachikaze away when practicing iaido. Thank you for walking me through the custom ordering process, and a great review as always
Ito is Rayon (the basic option)
@@Matthew_Jensen Well you said it felt good in the hand, so that’s all that matters for its purpose right?
It feels good, just slicker than silk and has a sheen. It looks good with the gloss on the saya. Pro's and cons but I think silk is the better choice. I am happy for to see the Rayon though, the cheaper options still delivers great results. Not sure if I would have wacked the wheelbarrow if I had silk, I lost my grip and so it makes me wonder.
@@Matthew_Jensen Sounds like it’s light years ahead of synthetic cotton being rayon I mean. You did say that it was basically a dedicated chopper, being S5 and all, right? So I know you were trying to keep the price as low as possible, and if you’re using it in the backyard or even at the Dojo, I think you’re right. Splurging for the silk ito might have been like putting lipstick on a pig! Being that it “could” have slipped out of your hand you don’t want to have a helicopter of doom moment
Swordis ship to the UK.. please 🙏
With your laws there, I don’t think they can, unless you have a business that this would be considered a practice tool, like a dojo, martial arts center etc etc.
That edge towards the tip is trash. It's dented or rolled or chipped.
I hit a steel wheel barrow. It is pretty minor for what happened.