Many thanks to our SWORD FORUM resident Japanese sword polisher, Christopher Lau who provided these valuable insights! Edited by your friendly Editor.

What is the difference between the Shinto Katana and a Bob Engnath Blade?

Here on The HSG, we discuss how one can obtain a beautiful and battleworthy Japanese style sword made after a traditional style, as the result effort of Bob Engnath (who provides a ground-to-shape / stock removed blade) and Fred Lohman (who provides the scabbard, handle-carving, handle wrapping, and furnishings.) The resulting sword is in the $1,400-$1,500 range - and is the same sword that The Bugei Trading Company has been selling for double the price!

The Shinto katana averages under $500 - almost a third of the price. So what is the difference?

Blade Hardness

The Shinto katana has a 20 Rockwell spine and a 60 Rockwell edge. The spine is generally too soft and the 60 Rockwell edge is a bit too hard and potentially brittle. An Engnath katana blade measures in the mid 40's for the spine, and 57-58 Rockwells for the edge.

Steel Types

The Shinto is forged from 1095 steel, whereas an Engnath blade is ground to shape (stock removed) from 1050 steel. AISI 1095 can be made harder than 1050, but it's a less tough steel; for swords and impact weapons, the ideal carbon content is around 0.5- 0.7%.

The 1095 may have lost a bit of carbon through forging, but it's still going to be considerably higher.

Blade Activity

By "blade activity" we are referring to the hamon, which is the Japanese term for the temper line, formed as a result of clay and heat treatment. It is where steels of differ ing carbon contents meet.

Bob Engnath's katana blades are full of activity (for those of you who are more technical, it features lots of yo, ashi, etc.). The Shinto, though attractive, has nothing - its hamon is merely a wavy line!

These activities and features are not just for show, but actually serve a useful purpose: they are composed of slightly softer particles of steel which help to prevent chips and cracks in the edge.

Final Remarks

Says Christopher Lau, "All that said, the Shinto Katana, is still an infinitely more usable sword than any stainless blade, and I have no problems recommending it as a training blade. The people at Bugei have used it for test cutting bamboo. The only caveat I make is that you should know proper form and technique before trying to cut or you risk bending the blade (but this is true of any sword, Japanese-made or Engnath; the Shinto Katana may just be a bit easier to bend because of its softer back).

Lastly, two Engnath blades will still take damage if used against each other, but if you stole two Masamune blades from the Tokyo National Museum and used them against each other, they'd also take some damage. Swords are steel, they are not lightsabres, if you hit them edge-to-edge, you will chip them, if you hit them elsewhere, you will leave a mark."

Click here to go to the main article on the Shinto Katana!