转贴美国刀友Seastien对于汉威苗刀的入手品鉴

汉威

Hanwei Miaodao Corn Leaf Saber
Review by S閎astien Bilodeau, Montr閍l


I eyed this sword for many months before taking my chance on it. I was charmed by its graceful lines and the fact that it replicates a poorly known type of chinese sword. I bought the sword from a fellow forumite, Wiwingti, who gave me a good price. His service was very quick, courteous and informative. I paid the saber 155,00 US$, shipping included. Shipping was quick but worked in a strange way; Hanwei had to send the saber first to Wiwingti, who then had to send it to me himself, even if I actually lived much closer to the shipping route taken by UPS ... Anyway after a week my saber arrived, not much waiting time there.

For those interested in a bit of history, Miaodaos were katana-like two hand sabers used by chinese infantrymen in the 17th century  and/or in the early 20th century, alongside the dadao (see here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miaodao).

Now, lets check the replica ...

First impressions


The saber was stored in a red sword bag, in a brown paper filled boxe, in another brown paper filled box ... There wasn't any damage on the oiled blade, on the scabbard, etc. The sword quickly felt good in my hand, it felt (and still does) very light and lively and it gave a nice sound when I swung it. Its proportions looked a bit strange, though, the handle and the guard look quite beefy compared to the long, delicate blade. However, it also gives the blade a very graceful and pleasing look. One more thing about the blade, it came sharpened, almost paper sharp, and quite capable of backyard cutting.

Measures:

Hilt lenght : 13 ''
Blade lenght : 30 1/2 ''
Guard : 3 1/2 '' wide, 1/2 '' thick
Overall lenght : 44 ''
Point of balance : about 4'' from the guard

Pommel, handle, guard





The pommel and the guard are in a silvery metal, lots of details, very solid with no rattle. The handle is made of a brownish-red wood, it offers a good grip and its lenght helps when handling the weapon. Everything is quite sturdy, no rattling. I think the level of detail is very good for the sub-200 $ price of this replica.

Blade




The blade looks a bit delicate at first. Its is about 1 1/4 '' high by 1/4 '' wide, it tapers to a sharp point for its last 1 1/2 ''. A deep fuller (bo-hi ?) runs along the back of the blade, it stops close the tip. Because the blade looks delicate, I didn't try to bend it yet and didn't do any test cuts on heavy targets. However, its light weight clearly helps when making cuts on light targets or when dry handling the sword.

Scabbard








Not much to say here. It is made in dark brown hardwood, with a metal tip and throat. It comes with a short red rope, held by well-decorated pieces of metal. Very good looking piece of work.

Handling & test cutting

Unfortunatly, I have no images for this part.

I dry handled this sword many times, and it is always a joy to wield and swing. The POB and light weight of this weapon make it very quick and easy to use, cuts feel natural and are easy to control. I mostly tried Iaido cuts and stances, and the Miaodao worked perfectly. It not only looks like a large katana, it almost handles like one. Overall, I can't find anything to ask more about this weapon's handling.

I did a few test cuts, disposing of a few water bottles and soft drinks cans. All swings cut cleanly their targets in two, with very little effort. The long handle and the dynamic qualities of this replica made each cut a pure joy, the saber almost felt like an extension of my arm.

My only disapointment was that the soda cans left small chips on the blade (almsot impossible to see, felt by gently touching the blade), which supported my initial impression that the blade was delicate.

Althought this saber feels like a deadly melee weapon, I think it would be nearly useless against an armored opponent,. Or, in a more modern context, a heavy backyard target ...

I didn't try any thrusts. The tip is very acute and sharp and the sword's handling make jabs and thrusts very easy. However, I ran out of targets before trying these strikes. Also, I fear that the tip will chip or bend against any heavy targets.

Conclusion

Overall I am quite satisfied by this replica. I have trouble finding much to complain about, the only I would wish for is a slightly beefier blade, but that would probably diminish the sword's handling. Here are my ratings ...

Pros

-Very good-looking fittings.
-Very good handling , swings are very easy to start and control.
-Good cutting results, easily cuts water bottles and other light targets.
-Solid fittings.
-A well-made replica of a rare type of sword.

Cons

-Thin blade, for light cutting only, unforgiving if you hit your cutting stand ...
-Edge is vulnerable to botched cuts (small chips created by accidently hitting water bottle caps).
-Little autority in the cut.


Historical accuracy 4.5 / 5 : The replica is nearly identical to most images and specs I saw, about real Miaodaos. One detail : real Miaodaos were slightly or much longer than 44''.

Handling & test cutting 4.5 / 5 : Wish the blade was less delicate, but it is so much fun to cut with ...

Fits & finish 5 / 5 : Very solid, nice looking, well made. I couldn't ask for more.

Durability 3.5 / 5 : Althought I didn't have any missed cuts, I felt this blade could have bent or chipped easily if I missed my bottles and hit my stand.

Value for money 5 / 5 : 155,00 US$, shipping included. A very good price for a very good sword, in my opinion.

Overall 4.5 / 5 : I think this is a well-made sword, very fun to handle and cut with. My only complaint is the blade; although it is a efficient cutter, it doesn't seem error friendly. However, the sword is so easy to control that I think it definitly isn't a deal-breaker