Tozando iaito photographs

[Silverleaf]

I am in the process of establishing a website featuring closeup photographs of iaito by Tozando (http://www.tozando.com) . This is because, unlike most of the other prominent online iaito traders such as Swordstore (http://www.swordstore.com) , Tozando rarely present an interested customer with little more than a tiny photograph of the entire iaito - you really are taking pot-luck that you don't get a really ugly fuchi/kashira/menuki/etc.

I was able to track down photographs of many of the iaito I was considering purchasing, through personal websites, forums, etc, but it wasn't an easy task and took many hours of googling and emailing. So this website is my effort to make the decision easier for those who come after me. I have a very simple design with what I've found so far up here (http://lmaurits.cruin.com/tozandocloseups/) .

The purpose of this thread is probably clear by now: if there are any iaidoka here who own Tozando iaito - or, for that matter, iaito by other well-known online traders whose photography leaves something to be desired - and have digital photographs which they would like to contribute to this effort I would be most grateful if they could contact me, through the email address given on the website. Hopefully we can make things a little less frustrating for future Tozando customers!

[fjg109]

I bought an Iaito from Tozando earlier this year. It is the KA-90 Masamune Koshirae. Aside from the fact that the blade is a little loose in the saya (it rattles some), the overall finish, appearance and balance is very nice. I read on another discussion thread that their customer service is not the best...probably true. It took over 2 months to receive my order, another month and a half to receive the correct tsuba and no reply at all to my concern about the loose fitting saya. If you are still interested in some digital photos, let me know and I'll send you a few.

[fjg109]

I bought an Iaito from Tozando earlier this year. It is the KA-90 Masamune Koshirae. Aside from the fact that the blade is a little loose in the saya (it rattles some), the overall finish, appearance and balance is very nice. I read on another discussion thread that their customer service is not the best...probably true. It took over 2 months to receive my order, another month and a half to receive the correct tsuba and no reply at all to my concern about the loose fitting saya. If you are still interested in some digital photos, let me know and I'll send you a few.

[R A Sosnowski]

I bought an Iaito from Tozando earlier this year. It is the KA-90 Masamune Koshirae. Aside from the fact that the blade is a little loose in the saya (it rattles some), the overall finish, appearance and balance is very nice. I read on another discussion thread that their customer service is not the best...probably true. It took over 2 months to receive my order, another month and a half to receive the correct tsuba and no reply at all to my concern about the loose fitting saya. If you are still interested in some digital photos, let me know and I'll send you a few.

This is, unfortunately, a typical story that one hears continually about Tozando; I have personally heard it from several people.

I had the opportunity to buy a restocked Iaito on sale in Jan 2000- it was unusual because of the size (see below) - and I wanted it as a "spare" Iaito while my main Iaito was in the shop for refurbishing. Delivery was within two weeks; the Iaito I received was the same as above (very nice overall finish, appearance and balance) but the Saya did not rattle. FYI, here is the item description:


Item 3) Masakuni Dotanuki KA-70 34 cm long Tsuka
Stock: 1 left
http://tozando.com/image/hhh/19325.gif
http://tozando.com/image/hhh/19325-2.gif
This is a cancelled order. When this was finished, the customer requested to
cancel the order with agreement of paying the restocking fee. Very long Tsuka
(34 cm long). Mint condition. 2.8 Shaku. Comes with a sword sack. Black gloss
with part sharkskin wrapped Saya. Nice heavy blackened iron "Mokko Hakubai"
Tsuba. Regular Price 100000 yen Tozando News Price 62000 yen. Item number 19325

Apparently they put a lot of effort into this custom job. YMMV.

Because this was an already-made sale item, I decided to buy it from Tozando; however, my usual advice is to buy from someone in country (the US in this case) like Swordstore.com to avoid the customer service issues and the language problem. FYI, my main Iaito is from Swordstore.

[roar]

This is, unfortunately, a typical story that one hears continually about Tozando; I have personally heard it from several people.

I had the opportunity to buy a restocked Iaito on sale in Jan 2000- it was unusual because of the size (see below) - and I wanted it as a "spare" Iaito while my main Iaito was in the shop for refurbishing. Delivery was within two weeks; the Iaito I received was the same as above (very nice overall finish, appearance and balance) but the Saya did not rattle. FYI, here is the item description:



Apparently they put a lot of effort into this custom job. YMMV.

Because this was an already-made sale item, I decided to buy it from Tozando; however, my usual advice is to buy from someone in country (the US in this case) like Swordstore.com to avoid the customer service issues and the language problem. FYI, my main Iaito is from Swordstore.


2,8 shaku, how tall are you really? That is one major piece of moving alloy! Doing nukitsuke with proper power and jo-ha-kyu is no problem?
i am not a weakling, but I moved the tang on my 2,6 dotanuki, and I had to get down to 2.35 to be satisfied. Noto has never been a problem, with proper sayabiki, I manage more than 2,8. Its doing the cuts properly I found very hard with a long sword.
Doing suburi with such a big sword is one thing, very few have the power and bodysize to get them fat shiny thingies moving properly troughout more than a few kata. I guess you are one of them.
:)

[R A Sosnowski]

2,8 shaku, how tall are you really? That is one major piece of moving alloy! Doing nukitsuke with proper power and jo-ha-kyu is no problem?
i am not a weakling, but I moved the tang on my 2,6 dotanuki, and I had to get down to 2.35 to be satisfied. Noto has never been a problem, with proper sayabiki, I manage more than 2,8. Its doing the cuts properly I found very hard with a long sword.
Doing suburi with such a big sword is one thing, very few have the power and bodysize to get them fat shiny thingies moving properly troughout more than a few kata. I guess you are one of them.
:)

6' 1.5", 35/36" sleve length, 4" palm span.

It's a challenge to cut well with it, but it is well balanced which helps a lot. Nukitsuke is a challenge, but everything else usually falls into place, provided that I make BIG movements. When I don't, it is so obvious.

My regular Iaito is 2.75 Shaku, which I have used since 1997 (6+ years). In the first few years of practice I had to get a new shirt wardrobe twice! :D After all, it is low-weight, high-rep weight training.

HTH.

[kgh]

While perhaps off topic, I use an iaito from Nasyuiaido. They are a nice company to work with, as you can totally customize your sword (no pot-lock on sword furniture). They also give the option to have a custom fit saya made, so no rattling. If you go this route, they send both the "stock saya" and the custom. I use the stock (which was also snug when it arrived) for my normal practice and the custom for testings, events, etc.... Gives me that extra assurance that my sword won‘t accidentally fall out of　its saya. (Yes, I know if you go about things correct that wont happen, but I have seen a 7dan have his shinken fall out of its saya at shinsa when be bent over while explaining a technique to a group of 2dan.....which oddly resulted in all of us getting lectured about "sword saftey" ;)) Accidents happen.