My favorite aspect of this video is seeing the different Karls in action. There was one Karl with the ball cap describing stuff while pointing to things with a pencil tip (this is what grandpas and carpenters do) juxtaposed with super focused Karl (even the expression of concentration on your face makes you look Japanese) in full regalia in the dojo doing the iaito stuff, then the melding of the two with the tatami cutting while roosters are carrying on in the background. I appreciate the uniqueness of this much cultural diversity in a single person.
Very detailed review of fit and finish with high quality perfectly focused close ups. Your disipline is very admirable Karl, it is a pleasure to watch your swordsmanship. I posses none of your grace... 🇺🇸💪🗡
@@notsans9995 yeah I've been putting out a video about once a month. I've had many of my subscribers inform me that youtube has been unsubbing them from channel. So you may want to check to see if your still subbed. I have another video of a Zsey If you want to check it out. If you have them make you a katana I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I was thinking of having them make me a shobu zukuri as well. Lol! Great minds think alike, eh?
I really like the way this sword looks. Many are too fancy for my tastes but this one does it for me. Amazing demo of your cutting skills my friend. I respect and admire your dedication to the art of Katana
From the look, Z-Sey Katana blades and fittings are definitely very high quality. Buy their cutting power have really shown until this review. You have demonstrated impressive techniques on 3-quick-cut at 12:30 and an around-the-head cut at 13:58. What a treat to see you demonstrating these moves. You made the Z-Sey look very nimble and easy to maneuver. They have trusted the right person for this review. Their sales will skyrocket. I hope they will send you a more high-end Tamahagane blade for review. That would be fantastic.
Thank you very much for the fine compliments Spyder! And I agree that Z-sey is going to be hard to beat as the new upcoming sword manufacturer. Yeah that would be GREAT If they sent me more high end katana to review
Karl I gotta tell ya, you have definitely given me a love for these Katana blades I so appreciate the the time you take and a nice paced speed of explanation of the parts. Things that are explained rapidly just loose me. Your dojo looks awesome 😍 Your control and precision cuts are music 🎶 in motion
Fantastic review Karl! Every time I’ve seen their Katanas I’m more impressed with the quality and fit. Awesome blade-work and I sure enjoyed this one brother. Y’all stay healthy and safe! 😊🇺🇸🔥👍👍
What a beautiful sword. Most of those names of pieces flew right over my head but you explained them all so I could figure it out. Awesome cutting and handling. You’ve definitely mastered your skills. I’m not sure this guy could even come close. I’m sure I’d be the guy with the axe lol. I absolutely love your room there. Looks like a real quality katana. God bless brother. 👍👍
@@Katana-Karl oh I’m sure it’s a lifetime of learning. From a guy who swings a sledgehammer you’re a master. Lol. I am however thinking of getting a sword. Probably gonna be big and heavy though. Been thinking of a claymore. 👍👍
I'm really liking that sword, perfect colors and design just the way I like them. The blade is AWESOME !!! Thanks for sharing such a treasure my Friend.
love your form truly. such condensed focus on the mechanics throughout i like this blade. i feel they deliver on the whole presentation that blade profile is stellar
I’ve been watching your videos for a while now and I’ve really enjoyed all of your content so far. Your attention to detail with these reviews are impeccable and I really appreciate how you discuss even the small details. Great work! I hope to see more from you soon!
Karl this was an extremely well done review brother. Your camera work and attention to detail is bar none. Really got an understanding of the blade and its abilities from this. Excellent cutting in this video as well brother! That one at 12:40 was extremely quick.
Thanks man! It's a dang miracle! Yeah the youtubes doesn't always notify me when the folks I'm subbed to upload a vid either. 😡 And I've also heard from others that YT will unsubscribe them from my channel as well
1-2-3 and your a hecking samurai says Kimmers! You truly are a very skilled Mr.Karl as i was saying to Mr.Scab it's an art for sure! Thank you for taking through you epic cuts and showing some stances and some kata! Absolutely awesome video! Thank you Mr.Karl! Cheers, Kimmers and Jerbs #22ADAY I'll never quit quitting 👍🏼🇺🇸🔥🔪🔥🇨🇦👍🏼👏👏
The Brown ITO is definitely better suited on this piece than my black, totally agreed on the Tsuba. The diamonds look like a better execution, I have to agree that the polish work on the Zsey is Extremely well done and fittings are more detailed for your money than Huawai, I would still put them in the same class at this price point, even though I still feel that Huawei does some aspects better...excellent review and details of the sword, and of course your cutting was fantastic, well done old Boy.
Fantastic review Karl! I’ve really enjoyed seeing this companies work. Beautiful katanas. I personally like the copper on this one. 👌 very nice blade work you did also. take care brother and I really enjoyed this one 😊🇺🇸🔥👍👍
It looks like they don’t put enough of a bevel on the habakke, that’s probably why the saya gets hung up, very cool review!, awesome cutting!, love the tall ceiling in you’re dojo!, a very educational and entertaining vid my good friend⚔️
Great video Karl! I definitely agree just from the video footage from yourself and Joe's recent one that the polish on those blades look amazing/ the geometry looks spot on. I'm a fan of the straight hamon too as I think structurally it would make for one of the most even tempering on a DH blade and leaves a nice triple layer effect. I have a hanwei ninja-to with the same straight hamon and haven't seen too many outside of choosing one yourself from a custom order production let alone one done as well as that.
Excellent review Karl 👍 beautiful katana, I really liked the sai and the geometry of the blade 🔥Congratulations on your purchase! Good cuts and crisp clean cutting 💪👌😎
Great review Karl It would be pretty much prefect with the tsuba change. How did you find the weight and balance as a practitioner? Thinking about picking one up for kata and some tameshigiri.
Thank you for tuning in Mr. Hunter. I found the weight and balance to be VERY conducive to Kata and tameshigiri. The P.O.B. is 5.5 in. And it weighs in at 1lb.14oz. So it's light, fast and maneuverable while still having just enough weight to easily cut tatami without any hand shock.
interesting that's its so light as I had seen the listed weights of all the models but I'm glad I found your video because I had wanted to see one in action after reading and seeing a reviews without any cutting.
@@Tygrus thanks Mr. Lowe. Zsey has easily become one of my favorite production katana companies. Yes this is a very fast and nimble katana especially since there is no bo-hi. I appreciate you watching and commenting and I hope you check out more of my content and subscribe 😊
That honestly seems like a pretty nice blade. The fittings are pretty darn nice and it looks very comfortable and smooth. I'm not sure if you spoke about it's point of balance or not even though I am watching it the second time through (check the analytics :p) cause I was looking for it. However I'm a little busy with a side project at the moment. First time seeing your videos. I liked it, you got a new subscriber!
Yes it's a very nice blade. Z-sey is really stepping up in what they have to offer. I don't think I did say what her POB is. It seems I forget to mention this in all of my sword reviews. Lol. I'll definitely be putting that in from now on. I'm glad you liked this video. And sure appreciate you for the support! And hope you check out more of my content I have many katana and knife videos I know you'll enjoy.leave some comments I love conversing on all things samurai, katana amd knives
@@Katana-Karl I will happily watch more of your videos. Being into this type of culture and thing is incredibly rare where I live. Besides me I think the only cutters are old guntos at the pawn shop. Quite positive the guy hasn't even removed the tsuka and checked the signature. I'm curious if I could buy one off him actually. I may be able to get an acceptable deal. I didn't realize how important point of balance was until I got my first katana. This led me down the rabbit hole of buying spare parts with different weights and everything. Just got a unobuki zukuri through hardened 9260 actually. I'm currently working on the saya and waiting for new parts. Lol. Balance to me is everything as I'm just starting out trying to learn. So blade heavy options mess with my balance more. I want to learn perfect form so I figured getting the balance would help with that. I had never heard of this maker before and I'm quite blown away by it. I think they are about 900$ now if you can find em? Beautiful blades though.
@jayjohnson3160 thanks JayJohnson! Im looking forward to what you think in the comments of my other videos. That would be great if you could get a nice deal on one of them Guntos. Oh yeah POB is extremely important if your looking for a lively and nimble in the hand katana. That unokubi should be VERY well balanced. Although 9260 spring steel won't have a hamon unless it's wire brushed or etched on, it makes for one heck of a durable and forgiving blade. Meaning, it won't take a set (bend) if you make misaligned cut.
Wow Karl, that is really nice! I love the detail, but I don’t know what kind of flowers they are. Very cool, thanks for sharing! 🌸👈 The flower design actually looks very similar to this pink one, but I still don’t know what kind it is 🙂 P.S. watched til the end
Thanks So much Kat! Yes it DOES look like that pink flower! Interesting. I know I can always count on you and your husband for a full view. I appreciate you both!
Nice review Karl, one of the better looking Z-sey I’ve seen in a review. Most the ones being reviewed on sword forums seem to be over priced a bit and have had a number of issues with fit and finish. Would be nice to see some of these brands make something other than multi purpose cutting geometries. Nice cutting also, like seeing the inazuma pattern, trying to get that one down clean has been a focus lately for me. What’s the height of those mats?
Thank you Ryan. yes I've seent those reviews as well. buy I do believe they are from a while ago but could very well be mistaken on that. I Think they are continually trying to put out a better product and Liu seems alot better at taking constructive criticism than he used to.
@@Katana-Karl that’s good, some were from the last month, but definitely seen improvements, would like to see how they handle tougher targets ( ujto, dowels, bamboo, mugen dachi type tatami) I asked them awhile back and never got a response lol
I think you should have made a mistake, we have just entered the international market, the comments on the network can count all five fingers come over. I haven't seen the comments you said which point out many problems and I also have no impression that someone repeatedly asked us questions about tameshigiri. I can answer that, as long as anyone else can do it, this sword can do it.
Very beautiful blade, I got mine in recently aswell. I was really impressed. Mine has some tobiyaki near habaki. Waiting on stone katana and osoraku tanto :)
Outstanding Mr. Cookie! I have the Osoraku tant as well and let me say, you will not be disappointed. I will look up their Stone katana. Would love to see you upload a video on your sword.
Im surely looking forward to receiving them, i asked them to swap the brass habaki for a copper juyo one on the osoraku and also use the same tsuba they did on yours. Stone katana i have them change the tsuba swap habaki for juyo one and swap ito and sageo for dark green silk Cant wait to see how they turn out
@@adrgaming1 Congratulations on your katana! I know I'm speaking from the entire sword and knife community when I say we would LOVE to see you upload a video of your new purchase! And yes I will be reviewing the Osoraku Tanto. Not sure exactly when though.
@@Katana-Karl my pleasure. I haven't seen Z-sey katana until recently but they seem pretty good. I will do some videos of some of my katana very soon. Ive only done one katana video so far of my aprox 400 yr old Jumyo and some movie knives .
Thats a real nicely done suguha hamon on that blade. I'm wondering if you could just take off the tsuba and strip the paint with Jasco or a sand blaster. But if its raw iron it might rust unless its perpetually oiled.
@@preparedsurvivalist2245 good idea. I was thinking something similar. After stripping tsuba, season it like a cast iron skillet. Make drk brown/almost black. Whataya think?
@@Katana-Karl Yea, I'm not sure what all methods there are for rustic finishes but depending on the type of metal I'm sure there is something that could be done to it. Stain, patina, or whatnot.
Great view. Don't worry about the analytics too much. I try hard not to look at mine either. Nothing worse than checking and going "wait why did I lose 2 subscribers?".
oh im definitely going to make a video on it believe it! i watched all the reviews on z-sey from steel forged in fire, mathew jensen and of course yours(which i found to be very entertaining) and i was sold on the quality so i had to get one for myself. itll be half a year before it gets here but i know itll be worth the wait.
Looks nice, I am not personally familiar with this maker, but it is made pretty good. A bit pricey though. I agree same price Huaway or Skyjiro are made really good. Have fun and enjoy, my friend ✌️✌️
Thanks for watching! Yeah Z-sey is becoming one of the best sword companies in the market today. They use all traditional japanese methods when constructing their swords
I could be wrong, but the decorative flowers cast onto the fittings look like they're Corinthian Roses that grow on ornamental peach trees. However, I'm just assuming this because of the name of the sword, so take what I say with a grain of salt. "Taoyuan" is Chinese for peach garden, and is also a city in Taiwan.
What a beautiful sword, definitely one I'd like to have one day. Starting to get into cutting omate mats, do you have a preferred way to sharpen "polish" your blades if they start to get dulled from cutting?
Thank you for taking the time to comment and ask a question as I do love the dialog. Yes this is a beautiful katana no doubt about it! After every cutting session I clean and then polish the blade with some Flitz metal polish. Then I'll use a paddle strop with green jewlwers compound. Both sides of the katana edge get 100 passes. This keeps the edge hair popping sharp at all times. Eliminating the need to send it off to a professional polisher. I really appreciate you tuning in and hope you check out more of my content and subscribe if you're not already 😊
@@Katana-Karl fantastic information. I'll look into the paddle strop and compound. I thought flitz tended to remove the hamon but I'll look into that as well. I've been a subscriber for some time now, and I love all the content you make. First time I've seen the zsey swords, and always been a fan of the emperor node. Keep up the great work, long time fan! Cheers.
@@collegekids15 Outstanding sir! I truly appreciate you and the support of my channel. I have to tell you that even using the strop will slightly remove a slivers width of the hamon along the edge. Heck cutting tatami on the regular will do the same to the hamon along with micro scratches that will form on the shinoji-ji. I found that Flitz was the least abrasive out of Mothers Mag or Brasso and the like. And I use it sparingly as to not take away the bright milky white hamon. Your right in that you should do as much research on the subject as possible before you commit to any certain method. For I am an amateur at best.
Hi brother. I love your videos. I was wondering if you could do some reviews on some handmade katanas by fidestisan. I would love to hear your honest opinion.
Thanks man I hope you subscribe if you're not already. I will definitely look up the name you mentioned (can you provide a link?) and first see if I like what he is putting out and how expensive they are. Those two factors basically determine what katana I will purchase to review. Unless Fidestisan has a test sample he'd like to donate to the channel.
Well they are keeping it a company secret. They say it is Smelted steel improved by Z-Sey. I appreciate your question and tuning in to my video. I hope you check out more of my content and subscribe if you're not already 😁
They're peach blossoms not sakura. They look similar in real life though. It's very difficult to tell the difference between plum, cherry and peach blossoms. Even gardeners have a hard time distinguishing between them. But given that the sword is called Touyuan, it makes the most sense.
@@Katana-Karl I'm glad to see something about this brand. I started reading about them recently and wanted to see some "first hand" usage and thoughts. Most people never seem to talk about niku or if a blade is most suited to a particular range of cutting. Do you feel the smelted steel of zsey would do better than the t10 of a huawei, performance wise?
@@tainowarrior5781 Yes a agree. Not many "Hands on" videos for Z-sey swords. There were a few things I failed to mention. Niku being one of them so thank you for the reminder. In comparison to the Huawei I own, both Z-sey katana I have are slightly better cutters of tatami due to them being thinner as well as less niku. And the POB is closer to the tsuba also which gives the Z-sey a better feel and balance than the Huawei. That being said the Huawei have less hand shock when making contact so to speak on account of their weight helps with the momentum and shock absorption. As far as which of the steels, Huawei T10 or the Smelted steel from Z-sey I cannot really say at this point which is more durable or holds an edge longer. But with more time and use this should become apparent and I can make a follow up video on this subject if you like. I truly appreciate the feedback and love to converse on all things katana. And Japanese culture for that matter. I hope you check out more of my content and subscribe if you're not already. 🙏
Thank you! I hope everything is going great for you and yours as well! I'd have to say Z-sey is becoming one of the top sword companies if you want a high quality and exceptionally functional katana. Their traditional polish with Japanese water stones and higher quality fittings, their swords closely resemble nihonto. Evolution blades constantly puts out extremely high end swords as well with more focus on katana with specific purposes. From light to heavy cutters made from exceptional steel. You would definitely be hard pressed to have a Motohara take a set (bend) from a misaligned cut. And their fittings are of high quality as well.
@@Katana-Karl eh things could be better but could be worse. Been busy at work in my new career path but had a bit of an incident lol. Keep in mind with motohara I'll be having them do a more traditional geometry. They allow you to kinda set some parameters for a blade geometry wise. Been thinking about cloning a specific sengo school blade in particular but don't have full details so was gonna give them some guidelines and let them finish the rest. If you haven't had the chance read the write up on niku on the bugei website. Niku is cool but modern swords need less even for hard target blades. But the niku plus the details they get into with shinogi and mune details are both important. Let's you get hard target blades that can still perform against softer lighter targets well. Especially with modern steels. Z sey was thinking of potentially just ordering the muramasa clone they have. Or potentially getting the hitatsura blade for the beauty and then just dealing with something else for a new dojo blade. Killer geometries are nice but not necessarily needed Especially given there are some wide original blades to use as basis. Reason I'm thinking motohara is the l6 and other tough steels. I bent my ronin dojo pro recently. Had some work done to it but those blades are beefy for production blades. And given I'm going with a hamon this time I want something that'll hold up at least reasonably similar. Blades with hamon can't stand bending easier and be straightened but if they bend too easy they die faster. Dojo pro was old and took a beating but yeah lol. I know in the custom market multiple smith's can get their heattreatment done well enough to hold up. But production blades are still made for production purposes. I do know my wakizashi is most likely either going to be fully custom blade mounted by motohara or a motohara. And if I get the bare blade shirasaya muramasa or hitatsura blades from z sey might have motohara mount them. Wakizashi I'm cloning an original naginata naoshi. Should pair nicely for a daisho with the katana plans.
Thanks for watching! Here is the katana I think your referring to. Its an unboxing. I give some closeups and talk about it a little bit. ua-cam.com/video/8sXYLQRIHdc/v-deo.html
@@Katana-Karl thank you for responding so quickly. The sword you linked is really cool but that wasn’t the one I was referring to. The one you linked has a red ito wrap, has no tsuba, and can be seen at the top right of the screen at 11:04 The one I was referring to is the one with the tsuba and dark ito at the bottom of the screen. It is on a two-sword stand and is the bottom one. It also seems to have a bit more curvature in the blade.
@@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699 Your welcome! I truly enjoy talking with people all things katana. Lol! I understand now. That is a Huawei with a deep sori (curvature). Here are some close ups and my first impressions of that katana along with another Huawei in a shirasaya mount. ua-cam.com/video/2k5f5uec9z8/v-deo.html
I watched the whole video and I must say it a very good cutting blade , it's up there in price a little but once you understand that a good Blade is you can see it a quality Katana and not a budget Sword ⚔️ that's called a Katana by say Bud K.
Hi Karl, I just had to resubscribe to you again, youtube is being UA-cam again, please go over you’re sudds and make sure everything’s in order, this is getting ridiculous 😞
@@Katana-Karl I had to resubb to you, Erik Husayn, samurai Byrd, freedomfrog gear, and a few others just today, I have to check every week, just to make sure I’m still subbed to you guys, it’s ridiculous!😞
Hey brother, I'm watching now but wanted to let you know I got unsubed again and had to search you. You may want to send an email to youtube. The subscriber loss seems to slow down for a while and when it starts up again I email again. Make sure you include the fact that your real subscribers are telling you they had to resubscribe. Feel free to use this.
@@FreedomFrog333 I really appreciate the tip ol'boy! Been dealing with this for a while. Many of my subscribers have told me they've had to re-sub numerous timez.
My favorite aspect of this video is seeing the different Karls in action. There was one Karl with the ball cap describing stuff while pointing to things with a pencil tip (this is what grandpas and carpenters do) juxtaposed with super focused Karl (even the expression of concentration on your face makes you look Japanese) in full regalia in the dojo doing the iaito stuff, then the melding of the two with the tatami cutting while roosters are carrying on in the background. I appreciate the uniqueness of this much cultural diversity in a single person.
Thanks man! Many layers to this cake. lol
Best comment in this stream!
@@armoredsweatpants3997 Agreed!
Fantastic presentation brother! Absolutely gorgeous blade
Thank you Scabbo!
Very detailed review of fit and finish with high quality perfectly focused close ups. Your disipline is very admirable Karl, it is a pleasure to watch your swordsmanship. I posses none of your grace... 🇺🇸💪🗡
Thank you so much for that! I surely appreciate you my brother!
Man those cuts are awesome !
Thank you Shoresharp! 😊
Super clean technique. The cuts too, real nice, particularly those draw cuts!
Thank you sir! That means ALOT coming from you! I really appreciate you man
Woah, been awhile since I've seen you active. Thinking of picking one of these up? I've been tempted to commission a shobu blade from theme
@@notsans9995 yeah I've been putting out a video about once a month. I've had many of my subscribers inform me that youtube has been unsubbing them from channel. So you may want to check to see if your still subbed. I have another video of a Zsey If you want to check it out. If you have them make you a katana I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I was thinking of having them make me a shobu zukuri as well. Lol! Great minds think alike, eh?
Very impressive Mr.Karl and couldn't have gone to a better man!
Thanks Jerbs! Hope you watch the entire video
@@Katana-Karl yessir! God, family, friends and country my friend! 👍🏼🇺🇸🔥🔪🔥🇨🇦👍🏼
Outstanding polish job on this one, but I know you're the Kinda person who takes good care of his cutlery, your awesome Karl 👌
Thank you sir.
I really like the way this sword looks. Many are too fancy for my tastes but this one does it for me.
Amazing demo of your cutting skills my friend. I respect and admire your dedication to the art of Katana
Thank you sir. Yeah I agree this sword has just the right amount of pizazz with out being too over the top
Your dojo is so so perfect!
Almost. wish it was 3× bigger.
@@Katana-Karl right!? At least you have a weapons/meditation room! We work with what we have Mr.Karl....and you made a stunning room happen for sure!
From the look, Z-Sey Katana blades and fittings are definitely very high quality. Buy their cutting power have really shown until this review.
You have demonstrated impressive techniques on 3-quick-cut at 12:30 and an around-the-head cut at 13:58. What a treat to see you demonstrating these moves.
You made the Z-Sey look very nimble and easy to maneuver. They have trusted the right person for this review. Their sales will skyrocket.
I hope they will send you a more high-end Tamahagane blade for review. That would be fantastic.
Thank you very much for the fine compliments Spyder! And I agree that Z-sey is going to be hard to beat as the new upcoming sword manufacturer. Yeah that would be GREAT If they sent me more high end katana to review
Sooo stoked on this video!!!! You made it to the big leagues
Bah!
I truly enjoyd the entire video, I am grilling burgers and it was awesome to watch, your collection of katana blades are amazing
Thank you sir! And enjoy dem burgers! 🍔
Karl I gotta tell ya, you have definitely given me a love for these Katana blades
I so appreciate the the time you take and a nice paced speed of explanation of the parts.
Things that are explained rapidly just loose me.
Your dojo looks awesome 😍
Your control and precision cuts are music 🎶 in motion
Thank you Miss Donna! 😊
Fantastic review Karl! Every time I’ve seen their Katanas I’m more impressed with the quality and fit. Awesome blade-work and I sure enjoyed this one brother. Y’all stay healthy and safe! 😊🇺🇸🔥👍👍
Thank you very much sir! Yeah, Z-sey is definitely one of the top production katana makers
What a beautiful sword. Most of those names of pieces flew right over my head but you explained them all so I could figure it out. Awesome cutting and handling. You’ve definitely mastered your skills. I’m not sure this guy could even come close. I’m sure I’d be the guy with the axe lol. I absolutely love your room there. Looks like a real quality katana. God bless brother. 👍👍
Thank you very much for the Kind words D! But I am very far from mastering my skills. Budo is the never ending journey
@@Katana-Karl oh I’m sure it’s a lifetime of learning. From a guy who swings a sledgehammer you’re a master. Lol. I am however thinking of getting a sword. Probably gonna be big and heavy though. Been thinking of a claymore. 👍👍
@@dthomas5281 Thank you. A claymore?! Wow this is definitely a robust sword!
@@Katana-Karl maybe it’s the William Wallace come out of me. Lol.
@@dthomas5281 Ha!
I'm really liking that sword, perfect colors and design just the way I like them. The blade is AWESOME !!! Thanks for sharing such a treasure my Friend.
I agree on all counts! It's my pleasure to share
love your form truly. such condensed focus on the mechanics throughout
i like this blade. i feel they deliver on the whole presentation
that blade profile is stellar
Thanks man I agree. This katana is definitely a keeper
Karl , good looking sword and review , awesome cutting demonstration , watched the whole video , thanks for sharing , God bless brother !
Thank you very much Michael! I knew I could count on you brother!
Great review. Liked the combination of iai and tameshigiri. Good stuff, sir.
Thank you very much Kingfisher!
Absolutely beautiful Katana. Looks like it is a good one.
Thank you Rusty. It truly is a good one no doubt about it
I’ve been watching your videos for a while now and I’ve really enjoyed all of your content so far. Your attention to detail with these reviews are impeccable and I really appreciate how you discuss even the small details. Great work! I hope to see more from you soon!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
completely agree with the antiqued look being better
Nice! Thought I might have been bein a bit to picky. Lol
Karl this was an extremely well done review brother. Your camera work and attention to detail is bar none. Really got an understanding of the blade and its abilities from this. Excellent cutting in this video as well brother! That one at 12:40 was extremely quick.
Damn man I really appreciate you bigtime. For the fine compliments and going back thru and checking out some my other vids
God, family, friends and country! Love ya Mr.Karl! 👍🏼🇺🇸🔥🔪🔥🇨🇦👍🏼
Amen brother!
Beautiful cuts brother! Really really really clean cuts!
Thanks! I still have alot of learning to do.
@@Katana-Karl brother we learn until our shadow leaves this planet
@@choirboyzcutleryoutdoors Amen brother...Amen
Karl outstanding I actually got pinged for a video, about time
Thanks man! It's a dang miracle! Yeah the youtubes doesn't always notify me when the folks I'm subbed to upload a vid either. 😡 And I've also heard from others that YT will unsubscribe them from my channel as well
Looks amazing sir very cool 👍👍👍
thanks Steve!
1-2-3 and your a hecking samurai says Kimmers! You truly are a very skilled Mr.Karl as i was saying to Mr.Scab it's an art for sure! Thank you for taking through you epic cuts and showing some stances and some kata! Absolutely awesome video! Thank you Mr.Karl! Cheers, Kimmers and Jerbs #22ADAY I'll never quit quitting 👍🏼🇺🇸🔥🔪🔥🇨🇦👍🏼👏👏
Thank you so much for the compliments Kimmers! And thank you Jerbsy ol'boy for being my friend
@@Katana-Karl any day Mr.Karl....any day my friend!
wow Karl what an amazing sword, your dedication is very interesting, take care
Thanks Dan
Nice cutting as always!
thanks!
Good review. Looks like a nice sword all around. Hopefully see some cutting at the end.
Thanks Eric!
Welcome very nice cuts.
@@erichusayn thank you sir
@@Katana-Karl welcome
The Brown ITO is definitely better suited on this piece than my black, totally agreed on the Tsuba. The diamonds look like a better execution, I have to agree that the polish work on the Zsey is Extremely well done and fittings are more detailed for your money than Huawai, I would still put them in the same class at this price point, even though I still feel that Huawei does some aspects better...excellent review and details of the sword, and of course your cutting was fantastic, well done old Boy.
Thanks Joe! If Z-Sey keeps striving to put out better swords they will definitely be a force to be reckonwith on the production katana market
You have a great collection of katanas👍
Thank you!
That's a beautiful piece Karl, hope they let you keep this one 🇺🇸👍
Thanks Donavan. Yeah it's mine to keep. China can send out swords but it's against the law for them to recieve swords or weapons
@@Katana-Karl I would definitely like to send them something 😜✌🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
The copper is really cool,
Definitely my friend
Great descriptions of the details. Have a great week. Amazing sword collection. Full play & 👍
Thanks my friend!
Beautiful polish
Yes...quite
Fantastic review Karl! I’ve really enjoyed seeing this companies work. Beautiful katanas. I personally like the copper on this one. 👌 very nice blade work you did also. take care brother and I really enjoyed this one 😊🇺🇸🔥👍👍
Thank you kindly sir!
It looks like they don’t put enough of a bevel on the habakke, that’s probably why the saya gets hung up, very cool review!, awesome cutting!, love the tall ceiling in you’re dojo!, a very educational and entertaining vid my good friend⚔️
You are absolutely spot on with the habaki. Thanks for the compliments buddy!
Almost 1k wow!
I know right?! Lol!
I'm impressed, very nihonto like.
Thanks! Yeah man, I agree.
That triple was narley 🤯🗡🔪⚔
Lol Tanx brudda!
Great video Karl! I definitely agree just from the video footage from yourself and Joe's recent one that the polish on those blades look amazing/ the geometry looks spot on.
I'm a fan of the straight hamon too as I think structurally it would make for one of the most even tempering on a DH blade and leaves a nice triple layer effect.
I have a hanwei ninja-to with the same straight hamon and haven't seen too many outside of choosing one yourself from a custom order production let alone one done as well as that.
thank you Joske! always good to hear your input
Excellent review Karl 👍 beautiful katana, I really liked the sai and the geometry of the blade 🔥Congratulations on your purchase!
Good cuts and crisp clean cutting 💪👌😎
Thank you Alex but Z-Sey swords gave me this katana to review
@@Katana-Karl I didn’t know, it’s cool, you are very respected and trusted Karl 👍😎
@@Lex_Grin Thanks Alex I appreciate that. Yeah man, I mentioned it in the beginning of the video
@@Katana-Karl I don't speak English well, so I don't understand half of the conversation ((
@@Lex_Grin oh I see. I understand
Beautiful cuts brother, thanks for sharing God bless you
Thank you!
Great review Karl It would be pretty much prefect with the tsuba change. How did you find the weight and balance as a practitioner? Thinking about picking one up for kata and some tameshigiri.
Thank you for tuning in Mr. Hunter. I found the weight and balance to be VERY conducive to Kata and tameshigiri. The P.O.B. is 5.5 in. And it weighs in at 1lb.14oz. So it's light, fast and maneuverable while still having just enough weight to easily cut tatami without any hand shock.
interesting that's its so light as I had seen the listed weights of all the models but I'm glad I found your video because I had wanted to see one in action after reading and seeing a reviews without any cutting.
@@Tygrus thanks Mr. Lowe. Zsey has easily become one of my favorite production katana companies. Yes this is a very fast and nimble katana especially since there is no bo-hi. I appreciate you watching and commenting and I hope you check out more of my content and subscribe 😊
Awesome katana, take care brother of the blade
Thanks Stefan!
That honestly seems like a pretty nice blade. The fittings are pretty darn nice and it looks very comfortable and smooth. I'm not sure if you spoke about it's point of balance or not even though I am watching it the second time through (check the analytics :p) cause I was looking for it. However I'm a little busy with a side project at the moment. First time seeing your videos. I liked it, you got a new subscriber!
Yes it's a very nice blade. Z-sey is really stepping up in what they have to offer. I don't think I did say what her POB is. It seems I forget to mention this in all of my sword reviews. Lol. I'll definitely be putting that in from now on. I'm glad you liked this video. And sure appreciate you for the support! And hope you check out more of my content I have many katana and knife videos I know you'll enjoy.leave some comments I love conversing on all things samurai, katana amd knives
Oh and her POB 5 and 3/4" from tsuba
@@Katana-Karl I will happily watch more of your videos. Being into this type of culture and thing is incredibly rare where I live. Besides me I think the only cutters are old guntos at the pawn shop. Quite positive the guy hasn't even removed the tsuka and checked the signature. I'm curious if I could buy one off him actually. I may be able to get an acceptable deal.
I didn't realize how important point of balance was until I got my first katana. This led me down the rabbit hole of buying spare parts with different weights and everything. Just got a unobuki zukuri through hardened 9260 actually. I'm currently working on the saya and waiting for new parts. Lol. Balance to me is everything as I'm just starting out trying to learn. So blade heavy options mess with my balance more. I want to learn perfect form so I figured getting the balance would help with that.
I had never heard of this maker before and I'm quite blown away by it. I think they are about 900$ now if you can find em? Beautiful blades though.
@jayjohnson3160 thanks JayJohnson! Im looking forward to what you think in the comments of my other videos. That would be great if you could get a nice deal on one of them Guntos. Oh yeah POB is extremely important if your looking for a lively and nimble in the hand katana. That unokubi should be VERY well balanced. Although 9260 spring steel won't have a hamon unless it's wire brushed or etched on, it makes for one heck of a durable and forgiving blade. Meaning, it won't take a set (bend) if you make misaligned cut.
@@jayjohnson3160ua-cam.com/video/KKCkvv1Nrho/v-deo.html
Wow Karl, that is really nice! I love the detail, but I don’t know what kind of flowers they are. Very cool, thanks for sharing! 🌸👈 The flower design actually looks very similar to this pink one, but I still don’t know what kind it is 🙂 P.S. watched til the end
Thanks So much Kat! Yes it DOES look like that pink flower! Interesting. I know I can always count on you and your husband for a full view. I appreciate you both!
I believe they are Sakura, aka Cherry Blossoms.
Nice review Karl, one of the better looking Z-sey I’ve seen in a review. Most the ones being reviewed on sword forums seem to be over priced a bit and have had a number of issues with fit and finish. Would be nice to see some of these brands make something other than multi purpose cutting geometries. Nice cutting also, like seeing the inazuma pattern, trying to get that one down clean has been a focus lately for me. What’s the height of those mats?
Thank you Ryan. yes I've seent those reviews as well. buy I do believe they are from a while ago but could very well be mistaken on that. I Think they are continually trying to put out a better product and Liu seems alot better at taking constructive criticism than he used to.
The tatami are 36" long
@@Katana-Karl that’s good, some were from the last month, but definitely seen improvements, would like to see how they handle tougher targets ( ujto, dowels, bamboo, mugen dachi type tatami) I asked them awhile back and never got a response lol
I think you should have made a mistake, we have just entered the international market, the comments on the network can count all five fingers come over. I haven't seen the comments you said which point out many problems and I also have no impression that someone repeatedly asked us questions about tameshigiri. I can answer that, as long as anyone else can do it, this sword can do it.
Superb Review!!! Damm nice triple cut 12:30 Keep it Up!!!
Thank you very much Kirsh! I hope you and your family are well
VERY NICE BLADE BROTHER, SWEET CUTTING
Thank you very much John!
your swords are so nice, and your skills are quite impressive, take care
Thank you very much!
Very beautiful blade, I got mine in recently aswell. I was really impressed. Mine has some tobiyaki near habaki. Waiting on stone katana and osoraku tanto :)
Outstanding Mr. Cookie! I have the Osoraku tant as well and let me say, you will not be disappointed. I will look up their Stone katana. Would love to see you upload a video on your sword.
Im surely looking forward to receiving them, i asked them to swap the brass habaki for a copper juyo one on the osoraku and also use the same tsuba they did on yours. Stone katana i have them change the tsuba swap habaki for juyo one and swap ito and sageo for dark green silk
Cant wait to see how they turn out
@@adrgaming1 outstanding! Would love to see a video of it
Are you ever going to review the tanto? Would love to see
@@adrgaming1 Congratulations on your katana! I know I'm speaking from the entire sword and knife community when I say we would LOVE to see you upload a video of your new purchase! And yes I will be reviewing the Osoraku Tanto. Not sure exactly when though.
Very nice blade
Thanks
@@Katana-Karl my pleasure. I haven't seen Z-sey katana until recently but they seem pretty good. I will do some videos of some of my katana very soon. Ive only done one katana video so far of my aprox 400 yr old Jumyo and some movie knives .
@@gf2390 just subbed your channel
@@Katana-Karl thank you.
Hopefully you enjoy looking at some of my humble collection.
Some nice cutting by the way
@@gf2390 oh I Absolutely love checkn out other people's katana collection! And thanks for the compliments 😊
Thats a real nicely done suguha hamon on that blade. I'm wondering if you could just take off the tsuba and strip the paint with Jasco or a sand blaster. But if its raw iron it might rust unless its perpetually oiled.
@@preparedsurvivalist2245 good idea. I was thinking something similar. After stripping tsuba, season it like a cast iron skillet. Make drk brown/almost black. Whataya think?
@@Katana-Karl Yea, I'm not sure what all methods there are for rustic finishes but depending on the type of metal I'm sure there is something that could be done to it. Stain, patina, or whatnot.
Great katana, I hope someday I will have a katana in my hands.
I hope you will have one as well
เป็นดาบที่สวยมาก ไร้ที่ติ👍
Thank you it truly is
Awsome looking Katana Karl. Great review great options and information. Great performance. Thanks for sharing. God bless 🙏 stay safe hugs ❤️
Thank you so much for the compliments! I was beginning to wonder if UA-cam unsubscribed you. Glad to see you back! And thanks for sharing this video!
@@Katana-Karl notifications stink we know UA-cam slacks for sure. 🙏❤️
Very cool thank you for sharing! :-)
Great view. Don't worry about the analytics too much. I try hard not to look at mine either. Nothing worse than checking and going "wait why did I lose 2 subscribers?".
Thanks Samurai James!
sword looks very nice!
thank you!
Very nice, that was really nice of them. I’m sure you were pretty happy I would have been like O ya.
Great review Sir .
God Bless.
thanks for tuning in SigMan!
@@Katana-Karl 👍🏼👊🏼
Morning mate, that is beautiful mi friend. Thank you for sharing... 👍🇬🇧✌️🇺🇸
Thanks! Appreciate that!
@@Katana-Karl it would be great to have.... 👍😃
just put in an order for the cherry blossom katana from them. im so ready it looks so good!
You did? That's fantastic! Would love to see a video of it when you recieve it. There aren't many videos of Z-sey katana out there yet
oh im definitely going to make a video on it believe it! i watched all the reviews on z-sey from steel forged in fire, mathew jensen and of course yours(which i found to be very entertaining) and i was sold on the quality so i had to get one for myself. itll be half a year before it gets here but i know itll be worth the wait.
Nice katana!
Looks nice, I am not personally familiar with this maker, but it is made pretty good. A bit pricey though. I agree same price Huaway or Skyjiro are made really good.
Have fun and enjoy, my friend ✌️✌️
Thanks for watching! Yeah Z-sey is becoming one of the best sword companies in the market today. They use all traditional japanese methods when constructing their swords
I could be wrong, but the decorative flowers cast onto the fittings look like they're Corinthian Roses that grow on ornamental peach trees. However, I'm just assuming this because of the name of the sword, so take what I say with a grain of salt. "Taoyuan" is Chinese for peach garden, and is also a city in Taiwan.
Thanks Shane! but yeah I mentioned in the beginning of the video what the meaning of Touyuan was. 😁
Kashira flowers are cherry blossoms
Awsome thank you!
Great honest opinion finish my friend. 🙏❤️
Thank you Miss Susan!
@@Katana-Karl 🙏❤️. God bless your family and you
That is gorgious youtube took you off my list im back brother
Yes sir it's been happening ALOT of my subscribers. Damn ol' UA-cams
What a beautiful sword, definitely one I'd like to have one day. Starting to get into cutting omate mats, do you have a preferred way to sharpen "polish" your blades if they start to get dulled from cutting?
Thank you for taking the time to comment and ask a question as I do love the dialog. Yes this is a beautiful katana no doubt about it! After every cutting session I clean and then polish the blade with some Flitz metal polish. Then I'll use a paddle strop with green jewlwers compound. Both sides of the katana edge get 100 passes. This keeps the edge hair popping sharp at all times. Eliminating the need to send it off to a professional polisher. I really appreciate you tuning in and hope you check out more of my content and subscribe if you're not already 😊
@@Katana-Karl fantastic information. I'll look into the paddle strop and compound. I thought flitz tended to remove the hamon but I'll look into that as well. I've been a subscriber for some time now, and I love all the content you make. First time I've seen the zsey swords, and always been a fan of the emperor node. Keep up the great work, long time fan! Cheers.
@@collegekids15 Outstanding sir! I truly appreciate you and the support of my channel. I have to tell you that even using the strop will slightly remove a slivers width of the hamon along the edge. Heck cutting tatami on the regular will do the same to the hamon along with micro scratches that will form on the shinoji-ji. I found that Flitz was the least abrasive out of Mothers Mag or Brasso and the like. And I use it sparingly as to not take away the bright milky white hamon. Your right in that you should do as much research on the subject as possible before you commit to any certain method. For I am an amateur at best.
Man I want a katana again so bad. Wish I hadn't sold mine when I moved.
Hopefully you get one again soon. Thanks for tuning in!
Very nice, I totally agree, the tsuba looks out of place. I found touyuan means oval or ellipsis
It also means Peach garden
Hi brother. I love your videos. I was wondering if you could do some reviews on some handmade katanas by fidestisan. I would love to hear your honest opinion.
Thanks man I hope you subscribe if you're not already. I will definitely look up the name you mentioned (can you provide a link?) and first see if I like what he is putting out and how expensive they are. Those two factors basically determine what katana I will purchase to review. Unless Fidestisan has a test sample he'd like to donate to the channel.
Any idea what steel grade this is?
Well they are keeping it a company secret. They say it is Smelted steel improved by Z-Sey. I appreciate your question and tuning in to my video. I hope you check out more of my content and subscribe if you're not already 😁
The flowers are Sakura
Ah, thank you so very much!
They're peach blossoms not sakura. They look similar in real life though. It's very difficult to tell the difference between plum, cherry and peach blossoms. Even gardeners have a hard time distinguishing between them. But given that the sword is called Touyuan, it makes the most sense.
@@no_one_in_particular_ outstanding! Thank you!
The flowers are peach blossoms.
Thank you!
Whats the edge like in terms of niku? Would you say it's more of a mat cutter, mid range or heavy cutting?
Good question Taino. I would definitely say it's mid range. A perfect balance between no niku and heavy niku. I appreciate you tuning in!
@@Katana-Karl I'm glad to see something about this brand. I started reading about them recently and wanted to see some "first hand" usage and thoughts. Most people never seem to talk about niku or if a blade is most suited to a particular range of cutting. Do you feel the smelted steel of zsey would do better than the t10 of a huawei, performance wise?
@@tainowarrior5781 Yes a agree. Not many "Hands on" videos for Z-sey swords. There were a few things I failed to mention. Niku being one of them so thank you for the reminder. In comparison to the Huawei I own, both Z-sey katana I have are slightly better cutters of tatami due to them being thinner as well as less niku. And the POB is closer to the tsuba also which gives the Z-sey a better feel and balance than the Huawei. That being said the Huawei have less hand shock when making contact so to speak on account of their weight helps with the momentum and shock absorption. As far as which of the steels, Huawei T10 or the Smelted steel from Z-sey I cannot really say at this point which is more durable or holds an edge longer. But with more time and use this should become apparent and I can make a follow up video on this subject if you like. I truly appreciate the feedback and love to converse on all things katana. And Japanese culture for that matter. I hope you check out more of my content and subscribe if you're not already. 🙏
Been awhile but hope you've been well, how would you say the z sey compares to say the motohara blades.
Thank you! I hope everything is going great for you and yours as well! I'd have to say Z-sey is becoming one of the top sword companies if you want a high quality and exceptionally functional katana. Their traditional polish with Japanese water stones and higher quality fittings, their swords closely resemble nihonto. Evolution blades constantly puts out extremely high end swords as well with more focus on katana with specific purposes. From light to heavy cutters made from exceptional steel. You would definitely be hard pressed to have a Motohara take a set (bend) from a misaligned cut. And their fittings are of high quality as well.
@@Katana-Karl eh things could be better but could be worse. Been busy at work in my new career path but had a bit of an incident lol.
Keep in mind with motohara I'll be having them do a more traditional geometry. They allow you to kinda set some parameters for a blade geometry wise. Been thinking about cloning a specific sengo school blade in particular but don't have full details so was gonna give them some guidelines and let them finish the rest.
If you haven't had the chance read the write up on niku on the bugei website. Niku is cool but modern swords need less even for hard target blades. But the niku plus the details they get into with shinogi and mune details are both important. Let's you get hard target blades that can still perform against softer lighter targets well. Especially with modern steels.
Z sey was thinking of potentially just ordering the muramasa clone they have. Or potentially getting the hitatsura blade for the beauty and then just dealing with something else for a new dojo blade.
Killer geometries are nice but not necessarily needed Especially given there are some wide original blades to use as basis.
Reason I'm thinking motohara is the l6 and other tough steels. I bent my ronin dojo pro recently. Had some work done to it but those blades are beefy for production blades. And given I'm going with a hamon this time I want something that'll hold up at least reasonably similar. Blades with hamon can't stand bending easier and be straightened but if they bend too easy they die faster. Dojo pro was old and took a beating but yeah lol.
I know in the custom market multiple smith's can get their heattreatment done well enough to hold up. But production blades are still made for production purposes.
I do know my wakizashi is most likely either going to be fully custom blade mounted by motohara or a motohara. And if I get the bare blade shirasaya muramasa or hitatsura blades from z sey might have motohara mount them.
Wakizashi I'm cloning an original naginata naoshi. Should pair nicely for a daisho with the katana plans.
11:04
what is that red-sheathed katana in the bottom right? I couldn’t find a dedicated video for it on your channel.
Thanks for watching! Here is the katana I think your referring to. Its an unboxing. I give some closeups and talk about it a little bit. ua-cam.com/video/8sXYLQRIHdc/v-deo.html
At 5:52 I show some more close ups and cut with it.
ua-cam.com/video/EhxNFOjEdtE/v-deo.html
It s a customized Jkoo/Sinosword.
@@Katana-Karl thank you for responding so quickly. The sword you linked is really cool but that wasn’t the one I was referring to. The one you linked has a red ito wrap, has no tsuba, and can be seen at the top right of the screen at 11:04
The one I was referring to is the one with the tsuba and dark ito at the bottom of the screen. It is on a two-sword stand and is the bottom one. It also seems to have a bit more curvature in the blade.
@@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699 Your welcome! I truly enjoy talking with people all things katana. Lol! I understand now. That is a Huawei with a deep sori (curvature). Here are some close ups and my first impressions of that katana along with another Huawei in a shirasaya mount.
ua-cam.com/video/2k5f5uec9z8/v-deo.html
I watched the whole video and I must say it a very good cutting blade , it's up there in price a little but once you understand that a good Blade is you can see it a quality Katana and not a budget Sword ⚔️ that's called a Katana by say Bud K.
Right on!
👍
👊
Are these blades folded?
Negative. They do offer folded blades though
Hi Karl, I just had to resubscribe to you again, youtube is being UA-cam again, please go over you’re sudds and make sure everything’s in order, this is getting ridiculous 😞
Dang ol youtube! This has been happening for a while now. I'll go do a quick check
@@Katana-Karl I would be sad if you didn’t get my vids anymore😞
@@armoredsweatpants3997 I WAS unsubbed! Them Sonsab*&%^@s!
I see you haven't uploaded anything new tho so I didn't miss any vids!
@@Katana-Karl I had to resubb to you, Erik Husayn, samurai Byrd, freedomfrog gear, and a few others just today, I have to check every week, just to make sure I’m still subbed to you guys, it’s ridiculous!😞
Hey brother, I'm watching now but wanted to let you know I got unsubed again and had to search you. You may want to send an email to youtube. The subscriber loss seems to slow down for a while and when it starts up again I email again. Make sure you include the fact that your real subscribers are telling you they had to resubscribe. Feel free to use this.
Awsome man thanks
@@Katana-Karl Fantastic video my brother.
@@FreedomFrog333 I really appreciate the tip ol'boy! Been dealing with this for a while. Many of my subscribers have told me they've had to re-sub numerous timez.