When I first read about Phill Hartsfield in some of the knife publications, and saw the various photographs and advertisements of cutting champions using his swords, I was mesmerized by what Mr. Hartsfield described as "live warblades" which could cut "two-by-fours".

I have since studied Japanese swords extensively and learned how to forge blades and now understand the process of heat treating, metallurgy, function and aesthetics from both a modern and historical standpoint a little better than before.

I had a chance to examine one of his $7,000 at a local gun show. Honestly, I didn't recognize it at first. It looked like a low grit finish and an Americanized katana. The hilt was wrapped with a hay-colored string and then on top of that wrapped in black cord in a modernized interpretation of a Japanese wrap. As this is wrapped around a rectangular-shaped tang (there might be wood beneath but I couldn't see) the handle was for me uncomfortable and awkward to hold as it was not ergonomic like a traditional style handle.

The tsuba (guard) was a blackened steel or iron. I expected a Japanese pattern or design on it but found a snake that was drawn or etched very unattractively, not unlike a child's drawing.

Next the blade. I noticed that there was a ridge on the right hand side of the blade, but then the other side was perfectly flat as if half the blade were missing. It then dawned on me that this was the "chisel grind" for which Mr. Hartsfield was famous in knife publications. It is believed that the chisel grind increases the cutting power of the sword. However, one individual with an aeronautical engineering background I spoke with indicated that if you think of a traditional katana section as the section of the wing of an aircraft, such a section would fare better than a "chisel ground wing", because the chisel grind has a far more increased drag coefficient over the flat side, and greater surface resistance against the cutting material.

Mr. Hartsfield had pointed out that the chisel grind was used in historical swords in Japan. This is true to an extent, as there was a pocket of time where a very small number of swords were made in this fashion... and then never again.

The blade was by no means a presentation polish or even a working polish given to traditional-style swords, but the Hartsfield Katana seemed like it was fininished on a 40 grit belt. Like many Americanized interpretations of Japanese weapons, this had a tip that was triangular and straightish, but it was better shaped than that of most Americanized katanas and tantos I've seen.

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The ridge went towards the crossguard and then curved to become the full width of the blade. There was no copper/brass habaki here - the ridge became the integral habaki. Upon it are his initials "PH" slightly resembling Japanese characters.

The sword was fairly maneuverable and fairly balanced, but the non-ergonomic modernized handle bothered me a lot. From the perspective of a traditional and practical martial arts practitionary use, I don't find the handle favorable.

The steel was A2 which is a tool steel that some knifemakers have enjoyed using because it is marketed as a steel that cuts other steels. (But to get steel to cut other steels the blade has to be heat treated extremely well, and the steel it is cutting must be softer in the first place!)

Probably the most important thing that makes a Japanese-style sword what it is - is the hamon (temper-line). Traditionally this is created with clay, where clay coats the body and more or less leaves the edge exposed. The blade is heated to a cherry red, then quenched in water to form a hardened edge and softer body. As A2 tool steel is an air hardening steel, this generally negates the effective use of clay. In addition, the high chromium content of the steel also ruins the prospect of creating an attractive one, let alone a visible one.

At first I did not see a hamon until I tilted the blade 45 degrees away from me. It was an uneventful curving line throughout, somewhat artificial in appearance, unlike that of traditional swords. The hamon does not appear typical of a traditional clay-coat. It is said that Phill Hartsfield is one of very few people in the world who know how to put a temper line on A2 steel. I cannot guess at the process, nor do I have the opportunity to actually test the sword to prove the strength of the edge.

I've observed photographs of cutting champion Soke Toshishiro Obata using a Phill Hartsfield sword cutting through as many as seven straw mat bundles. (This is more a testament to his cutting ability than the capability of the sword). However, Mr. Obata has also done the same with various other swords, so Mr. Hartsfield's blades are not exclusive in their ability in this case. In any case, sources close to Obata state that Mr. Obata only endorses swords he has personally tested - rather than an entire production run, for example. The knife-collecting industry may have construed this as Mr. Obata endorsing the work of Mr. Hartsfield. If this is the case, I would like to see a statement of endorsement prior to jumping to that conclusion.

I managed to speak with a high-level member within Mr. Obata's martial arts organization - The Shinkendo Federation - regarding what he thought of Mr. Hartsfield's sword. The only comment I received was "They are very sharp and very hard." In general, hardness may suggest that the blades are extremely rigid, which can be a plus. However, if the blade is too hard, it can be more prone to cracking under stress and impact. The member would neither confirm nor deny these occurences. (I would only assume we were speaking within the same metallurgical vocabulary.)

In short, the sword grip feels awkward, and the blade's appearance is not all that graceful. Those who are used to a properly shaped katana will find this one-sided chisel-grind a difficult concept to mentally master. The sword is not given any form of a presentation polish. I would hesitate to call this a working polish, as I've seen working polishes that are quite attractive (e.g. via Fred Lohman Company). Again, this appears to be finished on a 40 grit belt grinder. It feels smooth. And there's quite a bit of molecular grain to be seen on the surface, but no aesthetic qualities like hada (forge folded grain - like wood burl patterns).

Perhaps pure function is what Mr. Hartsfield had in mind. However, a historically accurate katana made by a Japanese smith and by the traditions of Japanese bladesmithing can be purchased for the same amount of money - and such a sword would not only be functional but aesthetically beautiful as well - not to mention have a much better chance at increasing collector value. Further, for the same amount of money, I could purchase one or two Howard Clark or Randal Graham swords in full mounts and of traditional blade design, featuring aesthetic qualities that collectors seek in the temper line (hamon) such as nie, nioi, and ashi. There is nothing inferior about these blades to the esteem with which Mr. Hartsfield's swords are held.

If you haven't seen many authentic Japanese sword, I would recommend on purchasing a few books for your personal study before investing such a high dollar amount. It is the opinion of this writer that the $7,000 price tag is hard to justify considering that one or even two swords that are traditional style and fully mounted made here or in Japan can be purchased for roughly the same price. Further, it is hard to base a purchase decision on performance alone, laying claim of Mr. Obata's usage as evidence of performance. Cutting ability comes more from a swordman's skill rather than the sword he/she uses. Being able to cut through seven wara bundles, for example, attests to the skill of the swordsman, not the ability of the sword. Further, properly shaped and sharpened mild steel can be used to cut. Try it some time.

There are other swords that have been tested successfully by Mr. Obata. Mr. Hartsfield's sword is not unique in this regard, considering his claim to be Number 1 in his magazine advertisements.

Phill Hartsfield, Blademaker
A Cut Above Knife Shop
13095 Brookhurts Street
Garden Grove, CA 92843
714-636-7633

Katana phogograph by Dann P. Schrader, Mission Viejo, California. Close-Up Photos courtesy of Jeff Stover.