# Communities > Modern-era Swords and Collecting Community > Modern Production Katanas >  9260 spring steel vs t10

## Kenji Kurihara

Alright. 
SBG has finally came out with a T-10 semi-custom katana shown here.
http://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-...om/custom.html
kaze>this? or this>kaze?
need opinions

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## M.K. Ridgeway

> Alright. 
> SBG has finally came out with a T-10 semi-custom katana shown here.
> http://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-...om/custom.html
> kaze>this? or this>kaze?
> need opinions



 I have been part of the discussion on the other site on t-10 steel. I have been part of an unfortunate number of 9260 discussions.

 The question which must be considered is , what application do you wish to use this sword for?

 If it's display, well I 'd choose a different sword altogether, but within the parameters you set... I'd take the SBG , because of the potential customizing.

 If you're looking for a performance sword, well the steel , whether 9260 or T10 , if HT'ed properly would hold up far longer than the other components of the sword...

 Plus , this SBG sword is an unknown element, noone has handled one... so noone has an informed opinion about it.... save Paul, I guess...

 Give your choices, I'd take the SBG sword, for reasons that have nothing to do with the steel... but either way you go, you're still going to have a $300 katana... and $300 doesn't buy a whole lot of katana in most instances.

 BTW, the toughest, best cutting sword I have is 1050 , through hardened...

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## Christopher H

> BTW, the toughest, best cutting sword I have is 1050 , through hardened...


Oh such heresy! You need _uber_steel!

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## Timo Qvintus

The fittings aren't worth the base materials they're cast of.. They're literally dime-a-dozen. My bet would be that habaki are far from individual, too. And tsuka, well.. 

Let's just say that no-one can beat the amount of custom options offered at this price point. And there is a reason for it. Sounds too good to be true? It usually isn't true, then. Some major corners have been cut to come up with this kind of product his so little money. Even Hanwei can't do it with their volumes (PPK costs more, and it's as far from custom as you get), so unless somebody has come up with a revolutionary new way to "forge" (precision mill), heat treat and polish blades for fraction of the cost other forges put into it, not to mention making koshirae for them.. Smells fishy to me.

To answer the question, Kris Cutlery over both.

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## Alex Carranza

> The fittings aren't worth the base materials they're cast of.. They're literally dime-a-dozen. My bet would be that habaki are far from individual, too. And tsuka, well.. 
> 
> Let's just say that no-one can beat the amount of custom options offered at this price point. And there is a reason for it. Sounds too good to be true? It usually isn't true, then. Some major corners have been cut to come up with this kind of product his so little money. Even Hanwei can't do it with their volumes (PPK costs more, and it's as far from custom as you get), so unless somebody has come up with a revolutionary new way to "forge" (precision mill), heat treat and polish blades for fraction of the cost other forges put into it, not to mention making koshirae for them.. Smells fishy to me.
> 
> To answer the question, Kris Cutlery over both.


good point. I had the same thoughts when I first saw the offer.

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## les yeich

> The fittings aren't worth the base materials they're cast of.. They're literally dime-a-dozen. My bet would be that habaki are far from individual, too. And tsuka, well.. 
> 
> Let's just say that no-one can beat the amount of custom options offered at this price point. And there is a reason for it. Sounds too good to be true? It usually isn't true, then. Some major corners have been cut to come up with this kind of product his so little money. Even Hanwei can't do it with their volumes (PPK costs more, and it's as far from custom as you get), so unless somebody has come up with a revolutionary new way to "forge" (precision mill), heat treat and polish blades for fraction of the cost other forges put into it, not to mention making koshirae for them.. Smells fishy to me.
> 
> To answer the question, Kris Cutlery over both.


yep. on all points. i've seen the same tsuba on some low. . . *low* end stuff from brands like ryumon, *before* they were even ryumon.

at the same time i'm with mark in that if we're choosing between these two models (kaze or sbg) i'd go with the custom options, since in either case the blade is ultimately what you're buying, and unless cheness has really improved their fittings since i owned a set of fuchi/kashira from them, they aren't a whole lot better than the sbg.

if i had the same price point, and my druthers, i'd go with this one (i'd go with kc, but for a little more traditional look. . . );
http://www.samuraisword4u.com/9260-s...rds-63-ctg.htm

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## Gary S

> yep. on all points. i've seen the same tsuba on some low. . . *low* end stuff from brands like ryumon, *before* they were even ryumon.
> 
> at the same time i'm with mark in that if we're choosing between these two models (kaze or sbg) i'd go with the custom options, since in either case the blade is ultimately what you're buying, and unless cheness has really improved their fittings since i owned a set of fuchi/kashira from them, they aren't a whole lot better than the sbg.
> 
> if i had the same price point, and my druthers, i'd go with this one (i'd go with kc, but for a little more traditional look. . . );
> http://www.samuraisword4u.com/9260-s...rds-63-ctg.htm


I'm with you on that, Les. Those samurai sword store katana look pretty well built.

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## Timo Qvintus

If you're looking for something "different" in $300 range, SSS should have those 1060 "Jewel forge" swords that AJ Bryant reviewed a while back that look promising (I have the T10 AJ-sensei also reviewed and it kicks ass). Try contacting Dave Lorrez for any updates.

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## J. Pitts

> Oh such heresy! You need _uber_steel!


LOL.  good point. With all of the different "super steels" out there, folks forget that proper heat treatment "makes or breaks" a sword.  A thru hardend 1050 blade is great.....now, people's technique......well, that's another "break point".  LOL :Big Grin:

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## C Yarbrough

> The fittings aren't worth the base materials they're cast of.. They're literally dime-a-dozen. My bet would be that habaki are far from individual, too. And tsuka, well.. 
> 
> Let's just say that no-one can beat the amount of custom options offered at this price point. And there is a reason for it. Sounds too good to be true? It usually isn't true, then. Some major corners have been cut to come up with this kind of product his so little money. Even Hanwei can't do it with their volumes (PPK costs more, and it's as far from custom as you get), so unless somebody has come up with a revolutionary new way to "forge" (precision mill), heat treat and polish blades for fraction of the cost other forges put into it, not to mention making koshirae for them.. Smells fishy to me.
> 
> To answer the question, Kris Cutlery over both.



Paul Chen has serious overhead as well as several middlemen between you and a sword. I strongly suspect that the PPK costs somewhere between $60-$80 to produce. The price consumers pay reflects several markups. I am certainly not defending the SBG offerings however. SBG is set up as a business, so of course they are going to hype what they are pushing. Since I have no intention of buying one of their new swords, I'll keep my opinion of them to myself.

Unfortunately for SBG, the further they get into paid hyping and self promotion, the less credibility they will have. There is at least one reviewer over there who is obviously a paid promoter.

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## Glen C.

> Unfortunately for SBG, the further they get into paid hyping and self promotion, the less credibility they will have. There is at least one reviewer over there who is obviously a paid promoter.


Let's leave the analysis of the site and motives off the board here. If you have feedback for the site itself, please take it there.

Thanks in advance.

Glen

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