Customer review for Nittaku Miyabi

External Review for Nittaku Miyabi on November 28, 2017

This is my third one ply blade. Its 9mm thick and at 95 grams weighs less than the Yinhe J1 and Sanwei H10. With 729 cream transcend 1.5mm both sides the overall playing weight is 180gms which is a fairly average set up. Flared handle is good but not as comfortable for my big hands so overgrip added at the neck.

The quality of the wood is open to question as the grain (spacing of the growing rings) become progressively wider across the face of the blade, so in theory the feel of the blade and vibration should differ from one end of the blade to the other. This is disappointing as Nittaku made in Japan is often seen as a sign of superior quality. The Sanwei has consistent grain across the whole blade and is half the cost.

However the feeling of this blade is superb, speed is medium fast. It does not have the vibration of the Sanwei, and its weight is similar to my match playing set up and this makes the transition to this one ply much easier.

Everyone who has tried it has been captivated by the feel of this blade. It puts a warm feeling and a smile on your face.. sheer pleasure!

This blade can do everything except pushing at the table which is rather awkward probably because of the adjustment needed to take into account the thickness of the blade.

Because of the wide spacing of the growing rings this is not top notch Kiso Hinoki as mentioned in the introduction above. This has either been grown in a warmer area than Kiso, or it is made from cheaper cuts rather than the best quarter sawn examples. It is definitely not 400 years old but I believe it is Japanese hinoki because of the size to weight ratio. The Sanwei H10 is likely to have been made from Taiwanese cypress which is heavier.

Of course top quality Hinoki costs a multiple of the asking price of the Miyabi. Now if I could get one made to measure .......

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