Fuji's RV-H takes it a step further by allowing you to use a smaller ring at the very first guide up from the reel, a component more commonly referred to as the stripper guide. At the stripper guide, not only can line slap be an issue, but another area for concern is the angle by which your line comes off the reel. Because a smaller ring will bring the guide closer to your blank, using a smaller guide here can create a steeper angle for that line to travel in order to begin its journey through your guides. With their RV-H series, Fuji elevates the position of that smaller ring with a high-frame design thus alleviating concerns over this angle and allowing the line to funnel from the reel through the guides in a more natural angle thus enhancing casting performance.

Detailing at the ends of the grip sections is meticulous

I've seen the use of these stripper guides and have installed them myself on a couple of builds, but this is the first time I've noticed a full guide train of reverse oriented guides. Without an apples to apples comparison, I cannot say I notice the difference in performance, and to be honest, I'm not sure I would. But I certainly appreciate the thought process behind these guides and Gan Craft's decision to use them on this rod. Fuji continues to push the envelope with their designs and Gan Craft shows it has taken nothing for granted in the assembly of this stick.

The decorative reel seat is solid, not cut away. Few cutaway seats give you access to the actual blank anyway. You're usually touching a carbon sleeve

Sensitivity: Having fished the standard Dead Sword and Dead Sword Magnum rather extensively, I pretty much knew what to expect in the terms of sensitivity. The Dead Sword series from Gan Craft is not of the ultra-crisp, bone jarring type of sensitivity, but at the same time, they are better than average or at least somehow better than I expect. Rods with decorative builds and protective finishes over the blank carry excessive weight that can hinder performance. Ultra-sensitivity isn't really needed when fishing large glides and other big baits you can sling with the Dead Sword Shaku-One, but the stick delivers enough feel to distinguish when your bait is ticking grass or stuck in a patch of weed versus an actual hit.

When the tail stops thumping, swing!

However, to ensure I performed my due diligence, I tied on a DreamSmasher Swimbaits Flying Vick rigged with a size 12/0 Owner Flashy Swimmer to see if by chance I could feel this bait kicking during a retrieve. To my surprise, I actually could feel the swimming action of the bait, but this may also have been a benefit of my line setup (hollow braid and fluorocarbon leader). Just the same, it was a pleasant surprise the stick had this much feel even if all the strikes I can recall have been of the no doubt variety.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Gan Craft Dead Sword Trio, against the historical averages of similarly powered rods we've tested over the past twenty years. The R-One KGB-00 9-800SEXH is the teal colored, solid line curve at the bottom of the chart

Power: Big bait fishermen looking for rods that more closely resemble broom sticks than fishing rods will appreciate the Dead Sword Shaku-One. This stick, with its mod-fast taper, is built with large glide baits in mind, but it has plenty of backbone to help you accomplish a good connection on soft plastic baits with a jig-style hook too. Traditionally, these baits are fished on rods with faster tapers similar to a heavy powered, fast tapered rod you'd use to fish a standard jig. But the Dead Sword Shaku-One has so much power, setting with any style bait is a non-issue.

Checking out that stout tip

Where you have to be careful with a stick like this is during the battle. Because this stick has so much power, it's easy to want to just lean in and muscle your catch to the boat, but if that fish comes in hot, you stand a good chance of losing it right at the boat from a last minute head shake or jump. Just because the stick is powerful, doesn't mean you still don't have to play the fish. I can neither confirm nor deny that I might be speaking from experience here.

Detail of the reel seat hood is modest

Design & Ergonomics: Gan Craft's Dead Sword Shaku-One is a big, beefy stick. It tipped our scales at a whopping 9 ounces - 1.3 ounces more than our historical average for similarly rated rods. But with that higher than average weight, comes decent balance. Likely achieved with counterweights in the butt, it's not to the point where that extra weight becomes a burden because this stick is still noticeably tip heavy. Rather, Gan Craft strikes a nice compromise. That mysterious, "light feel" I referred to earlier is likely due to this balance. On paper, it's only a little better than average, but taking everything into account once the stick is actually in your hand, and the Dead Sword Shaku-One is a very easy stick to fish for extended periods of time.

This is where the rod section is inserted to the handle. Looks like a one-piece rod to me!

Every time I pick it up, I'm surprised how light and agile it feels in hand. I've handled a handful of rods with similar lure ratings from manufacturers like Megabass, Roman Made, Deps, but all of them just felt wrong. This is the first, true enthusiast tier stick built for obscenely large baits I've handled that hasn't made me think the effort of fishing those baits wasn't worth it. If I'm going to chuck a huge bait all day long hunting for just one bite, I don't want to hate a stick because it's too heavy, unbalanced, and just unpleasant to fish. The Dead Sword Shaku-One is fun and easy to fish.

Big rod, big bait, not so huge fish... the story of my big bait fishing over the last season

Price & Applications: Retail price for Gan Craft's Dead Sword Shaku-One runs about $850 through US based operations like Japan Import Tackle or Carolina Fishing Tackle. It can be found for less through retailers based in Japan but shipping can get out of hand. Either way, if you're in the US, there is no warranty on this pricey stick because it is not officially offered in our market. It is also not a regularly stocked item. Gan Craft seems to have an annual production run on their sticks (perhaps more) but not every model is on that list. Quantities for those sticks planned in the production run are often determined via pre-order with select few extras distributed to retail outlets based on those outlets' own order. In other words, despite the lack of warranty, this is not an easy stick to come by and once out of stock, it's difficult to know when Gan Craft will offer it again.

Conclusion: In the world of swimbait fishing, the selection of rods capable of handling baits up to six to eight ounces is pretty good. Once you crest that weight limit, however, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a stick with the right combination of feel, weight, build, design, to be fishable. Even a lot of the JDM options in this class aren't right. Either the handles are too short, the builds are too heavy, or the sticks are overly stiff or both. When it comes to fishing rods, Gan Craft is often overshadowed by bigger JDM names like Megabass and Evergreen International. Even their glide baits, despite being infinitely more accessible and just as effective, sit in the shadow of Deps and their SlideSwimmer series.

They can't all be huge, but fishing the Dead Sword Shaku-One and the Jointed Claw 303 together, brings a pretty big smile to my face

While their Dead Sword series of rods are not nearly as available or accessible as their Jointed Claw baits, Gan Craft gets a lot right with all three sticks, the original Dead Sword, Dead Sword Magnum, and Dead Sword Shaku-One. With these three sticks on the deck of your boat, you can handle a wide range of baits. The KGB-00 9-800SEXH in particular, is the one for which I cannot think of a suitable substitute and given the number or fishing rods I've handled, that's saying something.