Z-SEY Tuoyuan $900 Katana Review

Ойын-сауық

This is a review of a Z-Sey Tuoyuan Katana.
Some notes that were answered after the recording of this review.
*The polish on this sword is Sashikomi A (their base polish)
*The saya is the standard. Presumably the extra $260 hand made saya would be a better fit.
*BoHi cost an extra $250. I was unaware of this in the recording but it does not change my view on the value. At least not much.
*The steel is NOT folded and NOT Kobuse/Laminated. Some of the banding effects brought out in the polish give the impression of folding but the steel is not folded. Z-Sey offers other swords with folded steel. This blade is made of a proprietary steel and they are not keen on sharing details. Folded or not the blade is still lovely to look at, I was unsure during the recording and again my view has not changed.
You can find more information here - www.swordjp.com/product/katan...
Bohi Add on Here - www.swordjp.com/product/bo-hi
Specs:
Handle/Tsuka Length: 10.5”
Blade/Nagasa Length: 28” (without habaki)
Sori: .665”
Moto-haba: 1.233”
Motokasane: .243”
Saki-haba: .916”
Sakikasane: .156”
Weight: 1lb 15oz
POB: 5.25” from tsuba
HRC: tested under habaki - spine approx. 40 (40 file had some bite) edge approx. 60 (55 file no bite, 60 file very little bite, 65 file easy bite)
MSRP: $1250 ($1000 base sword +$250 for bohi)
Some other great reviews to check out on Z-Sey
Karl Ruedger:
• Z-Sey Katana Touyuan r...
• Z-Sey Katana Hira Zukuri
Joe Steel Forged in Fire:
• ARE YOU READY FOR THIS...
Cottontail Customs:
www.cottontailcustoms.com/z-s...
Music provided by - Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com
Link to the Facebook spot - / matthewjensenswordreview
Link to the Twitch spot - / sword_friend_matt
Link to the Patreon spot - / krunan
Link to the TicTock spot - / matthewjensenswordguy
Link to the Instagram spot - / matthewjensenswordguy
Link to the KZread Membership spot - / @matthew_jensen
Link to my eBay sales page - www.ebay.com/usr/krunangree

Пікірлер: 112

  • @z-sey
    @z-sey Жыл бұрын

    Wow! Very professional review. Thank you Matthew!

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed. While I pointed out some opportunities for improvement, overall I was impressed with the sword. It was lovely in both appearance and handling. The polish was absolutely fantastic. I hope that I get a chance to review more swords from you in the future.

  • @way2dumb

    @way2dumb

    Жыл бұрын

    None of my Zsey swords had any of those faults. I recommend the next polish up.

  • @KF1

    @KF1

    Жыл бұрын

    One thing I notice from Both Z-sey and Dragon Sword is this phrase "Professional Review" Are you the same person that commented to Juardian?

  • @z-sey

    @z-sey

    Жыл бұрын

    @@KF1 I don't know what you mean. I use Google Translate

  • @way2dumb

    @way2dumb

    Жыл бұрын

    @Kingfisher Professional normally means they are paid, and they both got a free sword,. So they got paid.

  • @garrettmarshall9740
    @garrettmarshall9740 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for testing on used Japanese tatami omote. So many "reviewers" cut soft beach mats, brown wara, and mugen dachi that don't challenge blades or cutter technique and give a false impression of performance, toughness, and durability. These blades look similar to upper tier Sheng and old Simon Lee, but with better fittings and mount. Nice aesthetics... good option for collectors with budgets below euro customs or Japanese stuff. They might be a decent replacement for Kaneie/Kurin. These aesthetic blades typically sacrifice structure for aesthetics. That's why you won't see them in practitioner usage because performance, toughness, and durability aren't there... and once you bend it, it'll keep bending in the same way, with less stress.

  • @tofufregit

    @tofufregit

    Жыл бұрын

    Yup, as stated by themselves in SBG forums, Zsey bought old Simon Lee company. That's why they look similar but with better fittings / more refined koshirae as you said. I like what they're doing, sure there's always room for improvement, but overall I appreciate that they're trying to capture a more traditional nihonto-like blade in both handling and aesthetically wise. The polish work really stands out from what we've got on the market at that price point and I really like their tsuba selection a lot! Cheers!

  • @marlyalmeida1139

    @marlyalmeida1139

    Жыл бұрын

    Kuroinu A sua A sua

  • @dragonof2swords867
    @dragonof2swords867 Жыл бұрын

    Hello sword friend Matt

  • @KF1
    @KF1 Жыл бұрын

    Great review and camerawork. Nice to see the tougher mats being cut and the remnants of shaving cream gave the video a "classic Matt" feel

  • @JoeSteel1
    @JoeSteel1 Жыл бұрын

    Great Job on this Matthew

  • @bsams3827
    @bsams3827 Жыл бұрын

    Hey Matt great review! One thing I may recommend is when you are showing the polish on the blades is to put some kind of straight edge above to show the edge profile and niku. That would be very helpful for practioners of tameshegiri. I must say though I have been watching you're videos for years and you are one of if not the best at what you do! Cheers!

  • @collegekids15
    @collegekids15 Жыл бұрын

    I've been waiting for your review about this company. I've been on the fence about purchasing one but after your review I'm comfortable trying them out.

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad it helped. Hope you enjoy

  • @Kurichan42069
    @Kurichan42069 Жыл бұрын

    I ended up ordering their folded steel blade with the higher up polish level, because of this review. Got the blade it was gorgeous. Shipped it to motohara for mounting. Thanks for the help.

  • @Iaido_Tests
    @Iaido_Tests Жыл бұрын

    As always a very nice review

  • @TopLob
    @TopLob Жыл бұрын

    Nice to see you review these. I've been curious about them. They look very impressive on their website. Sounds and looks like it would be great for iai, but for tameshigiri, you'd want something more in line with Nakamura sensei's recommendations.

  • @garrettmarshall9740

    @garrettmarshall9740

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes. Good looking blades with what looks like good mount quality. Good for display or iai air-cutting.

  • @GeneralZeroOfficial
    @GeneralZeroOfficial Жыл бұрын

    I clicked the video to learn more about katanas and I stayed for the professionalism, the editing, his great voice, and the attention to detail in his fair critique. Mini Katana has some decently affordable katanas. Wondering what he thinks of some of their 1060 and 1095 steel swords.

  • @Kratos_God_of_50_BMG
    @Kratos_God_of_50_BMG9 ай бұрын

    Great review as always Matt! I'm 6' 240lbs, so I empathize with the big meat hooks. I hope the elbow heals up!!

  • @joske2838
    @joske2838 Жыл бұрын

    Great video matt, thier website looks like a very impressive catalogue but far beyond my price range.. maybe one day though :) I also never get tired of the sausage fingers remark haha

  • @yotomuramasa
    @yotomuramasa Жыл бұрын

    This is the first one they released on their ebay page after changing their name if I remember correctly (they still had a cat as their profile picture). I liked a lot of the old Simon Lee blades they had listed, but these new ones are eye candy as well

  • @RockModeNick

    @RockModeNick

    Жыл бұрын

    I have a "Simon Lee" era katana that has a full wrap of ray skin and a slightly deeper, earlier style curvature, and I really like it

  • @Katana-Karl
    @Katana-Karl Жыл бұрын

    Wow this is why you have such a following. You are so good at articulating what you want to convey. After watchn this, I'm like Sloth from Goonies in my review of this sword compared to you. Lol!

  • @GGolden219

    @GGolden219

    Жыл бұрын

    You also do great reviews Karl.

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    Sword.... Goood.... Polish .. .. Shiny. - Don't sell yourself short. You provide valuable perspective and have your own style. Keep doing what you are doing or take what you think works better from others and make it your own. Either way you provide value with each upload.

  • @Katana-Karl

    @Katana-Karl

    Жыл бұрын

    @@GGolden219 thank you sir

  • @Katana-Karl

    @Katana-Karl

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Matthew_Jensen appreciate it ol'boy!

  • @andreashartmann3900
    @andreashartmann3900Ай бұрын

    Hello great as always I really want to see a rewiev by you on z sey katana with their tamahagane models like the crab katana

  • @ambulocetusnatans
    @ambulocetusnatans Жыл бұрын

    I saw their swords on Ali Express a couple years ago before they got popular, but I just figured they were just another Long Quan sword reseller. I should have taken a gamble on them back then when their prices were lower.

  • @jakevoss1980
    @jakevoss1980 Жыл бұрын

    The word you were looking for when you were talking about the flat area on the tsuba where the seppa rest and where nakago ana is... is seppa dai.

  • @bmxriderforlife1234
    @bmxriderforlife1234 Жыл бұрын

    Some attention to the Nakago can actually be good for durability. Improper tangs lead to alot of breakages even if they're full tang. Bad grinds can leave weak points.

  • @naruomi9477
    @naruomi9477 Жыл бұрын

    I heard of Z-Sey a while ago

  • @consumer1073
    @consumer1073 Жыл бұрын

    koshi zori? if you could maybe make a presentation on your favorite koshi zori swords i'd love that, deep koshi zori is my favorite

  • @cloudmelinte1856
    @cloudmelinte1856 Жыл бұрын

    Great review ! With how familiar you are with swords i would have a question about where to buy quality fittings for a new build do you have any sites you would recomend ? Thanks

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    For modern cast fittings, Tozando, Yamato Budogu, Lohman Company, Hyper Cafe.. If you want custom stuff then the budget needs to be bigger. Marcus Chamers, Rado Sword, Roman Urban, Kevin Adams, Josiah Boomershine...

  • @peterjanjanin9883
    @peterjanjanin9883 Жыл бұрын

    Both of mine both had issues, I'd be apprehensive about getting another one. My 2k Shrimp Katana came with a loose Tsuba that took quite a bit of hammering and Gorilla Glue to tighten up. My cheaper ZXN-275J came with a crack in the Saya. It's a great Mat cutter though

  • @peterjanjanin9883

    @peterjanjanin9883

    Жыл бұрын

    I just received a Thaitsuki Honso Kumiage and it's sweet!

  • @peterjanjanin9883

    @peterjanjanin9883

    Жыл бұрын

    And I'm waiting on a real Japanese Nihonto I got from ebay for a sweet price

  • @civicboi96

    @civicboi96

    Жыл бұрын

    @@peterjanjanin9883 You should share some pictures of the kumiage. Curious if thaitsuki has improved this time around.

  • @peterjanjanin9883

    @peterjanjanin9883

    Жыл бұрын

    @@civicboi96 it arrived and it's pretty sweet! As good as any of my other Shinken for sure

  • @civicboi96

    @civicboi96

    Жыл бұрын

    @@peterjanjanin9883 If you find time, I would love to see an imgur of your kumiage. I've always had a soft spot for thaitsuki, but I am just so hesitant after getting burned really badly by one of their blades.

  • @blades8284
    @blades8284 Жыл бұрын

    Good looking sword. But lacking the Bamboo Mat emotional attachment for you, good to know! j/k Ramble on.

  • @DestianSuryajaya
    @DestianSuryajaya Жыл бұрын

    The appearance looks like Kenshin Himura's sakabato in Rurouni Kenshin live action.

  • @shanewright344
    @shanewright344 Жыл бұрын

    Normally, I would request that you (Matt) push the sword further, but in this case, I'm going to refrain from doing that because I agree with you on all points. I think that if this was a sword from Hanwei, or Dragon King, or, a custom sword from JKOO, or Ryan Sword, then I would say go for it.

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    Its going to bend a lot, softer swords tend to deform before they break. I would expect it to hold up like a softer 1060 blade and eventually crack and break. I would guess it would hold up as a weapon (technically) for a while but loose what makes it good rather quickly.

  • @KingTotz

    @KingTotz

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Matthew_Jensen perhaps without bohi it won't bend so easily.

  • @user-wt5jc6nb9b
    @user-wt5jc6nb9b10 ай бұрын

    have ever done a review on gold mountain forge?

  • @tengu190
    @tengu190 Жыл бұрын

    Why is Dragon King one of the few companies that glues them in?

  • @user-kz8wy5kt8q
    @user-kz8wy5kt8q Жыл бұрын

    Definitely the peak of china-made katanas. Looking forward to getting one soon.

  • @Kirk1957
    @Kirk1957 Жыл бұрын

    Which version is this one? I noticed the final version dosen't have the bo-hi.

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    I think it is an option you can add. I would guess this is version 2?

  • @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145
    @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145 Жыл бұрын

    Is the white fluffing Matt's hair snow, packing peanut bits, shaving cream or horrible dandruff? 😂 Love ya Matt Im just picking.,we know it's the powder Anathar uses to mind control you.

  • @andrem.6684
    @andrem.6684 Жыл бұрын

    Do you have any good looking swords that are also quite durable to recommend

  • @ballsdeep6943

    @ballsdeep6943

    Жыл бұрын

    cloud hammer forge

  • @dees.daniel7
    @dees.daniel7 Жыл бұрын

    Is the blade folded?

  • @yotomuramasa
    @yotomuramasa Жыл бұрын

    That tsukamaki looks very impressive from a Chinese reproduction

  • @yotomuramasa
    @yotomuramasa Жыл бұрын

    I say keep this one, don't break it

  • @lordvadersql719

    @lordvadersql719

    Жыл бұрын

    Though if he did break it, that would be quite interesting to see...

  • @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145
    @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145 Жыл бұрын

    Anyone else hearing a weird ringing or is that just me? I'm getting over a chest & heard old so I'm honestly not sure.

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    I think the background music may have come out as a drone.. No matter how many videos I make, background music is still a mystery to me.

  • @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145

    @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Matthew_Jensen I edit all my vids on my phone with a very user friendly app. But even so occasionally I get a strange glitch on audio or something...so no worries I just wasn't sure if it was the vid or me 😂

  • @BT-su1yf

    @BT-su1yf

    Жыл бұрын

    I think it’s a part of the song intentionally.

  • @violentinstincts
    @violentinstincts Жыл бұрын

    .. they seem a bit overpriced. Nice polish though.

  • @petermartinka9274
    @petermartinka9274 Жыл бұрын

    www.youtube.com/@koreasword found this company, they are several years on the market, pretty unknown, seems to me they make high quality katanas.

  • @user-uu8wd6vq3e

    @user-uu8wd6vq3e

    4 ай бұрын

    I have two. They are very good. Best balanced blades. They are more in line of Korean tradition than Japanese tradition, but really great quality. Mine have been abused a lot and never failed.

  • @breadfan_85
    @breadfan_854 ай бұрын

    That is a serious case of dandruff, my dude.

  • @SucculentDoorbell
    @SucculentDoorbell Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for all your years of sword knowledge gathering Matthew. It's really appreciated! For your elbow, guess what, we have Rife Frequencies for that! And binaural beats. This one helps loads, it's by YTer Good Vibes, for joints: m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/i5-LlbyDj5q8hJs.html

  • @way2dumb
    @way2dumb Жыл бұрын

    Your technique sux, you injury makes it very bad. Also an older version then the one in the ad. Also the model up is a much stronger steel. That is the lowest polish available. The tsuka is hand made and custom fit on the one in the ad. They are made with metals that would exceed a japanese kobuse katana with the same style. These are a proper forged blade from a steel puck.

  • @Matthew_Jensen

    @Matthew_Jensen

    Жыл бұрын

    It's odd that I note my expertise and injury in the beginning yet you point out how much I suck.. I'm working on it, progress is slow. Any suggestions? No objection to criticism but I the constructive version is better. As for the blade changes, Z-Sey has made improvements and it looks like they have begun marking them. I was only able to review the sample provided. If you mean it is better than a well made Nihonto by "Japanese Kobuse katana" then I am not sure on that. This seems a bit softer then some of the modern blades I have cut with. Its not a fair comparison though.

  • @way2dumb

    @way2dumb

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Matthew_Jensen It was pretty blunt. My mistake, I can take things too personally.

  • @hunterwolfe6295
    @hunterwolfe6295 Жыл бұрын

    Destroy it !! Destroy the sword!!!!

  • @ballsdeep6943
    @ballsdeep6943 Жыл бұрын

    Spending $900 on a china craptana is both laughable and insulting. Just save up for a nihonto at that point

  • @eltadashi1

    @eltadashi1

    Жыл бұрын

    A real Nihonto Katana starts about at 4000€ or $. So there is a pretty big jump in price you have to pay for the real deal. 900$ is not alot of money for a china katana.

  • @yotomuramasa

    @yotomuramasa

    Жыл бұрын

    The main appeal to these is having a Nihonto - like sword that you can ethically use and abuse, without damaging a piece of history. On the other hand, I'm worried that the existence of such higher quality Chinese swords will encourage the production of malicious fakes. They look nice but goods might not outway the bads

  • @GGolden219

    @GGolden219

    Жыл бұрын

    I agree with El Tadashi - $900 is not a lot of money for a sword of this quality, even it was made in China. Not to mention I would use this before ruining a $4000+ nihonto.

  • @peterjanjanin9883

    @peterjanjanin9883

    Жыл бұрын

    I was able to get a sweet Nihonto from ebay

  • @GGolden219

    @GGolden219

    Жыл бұрын

    @@peterjanjanin9883 Fully mounted for $900? I collect nihonto and production katana, and any nihonto I have found fully mounted at $900 have been less than satisfactory for collection purposes.

  • @Sfourtytwo
    @Sfourtytwo Жыл бұрын

    I bet you can cut through the guard without even trying - that must be as protective as a smallsword guard.

  • @SoloKyoto

    @SoloKyoto

    Жыл бұрын

    I doubt you would cut through it but it would definitely bend. Mine bent while using a block to remove the handle but bend back just fine. Definitely not the toughest though.

  • @yotomuramasa

    @yotomuramasa

    Жыл бұрын

    Some katana used smallsword shells. Also some antique smallswords have parts that were made of shibuichi or shakudo

  • @Sfourtytwo

    @Sfourtytwo

    Жыл бұрын

    @@SoloKyoto Well it cutting through brass wirework shells of sabres is something that happened and that stuff at least to me looks more massive than this.

  • @SoloKyoto

    @SoloKyoto

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Sfourtytwo That is true and you might be right I just feel like after the blade made contact the tsuba would bend glenting the blade off but Im not a expert sword fighter and definitely would trust my hand to it. Lol

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