# Communities > Modern-era Swords and Collecting Community > Modern Production Katanas >  Paul Chen Bamboo Snake katana?

## Aaron Justice

http://cgi.ebay.com/Paul-Chen-LTD-Ba...QQcmdZViewItem

I also found this. Anyone have any pictures of it yet? I guess this will be similar to the Momo no saru katana, but with greet ito and black rayskin.

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## David Arthur

Yeah sorry I didn't see your thread when you made it but I just found this thing a few days ago. I was on kultofathena and saw this "hanwei snake katana" and nearly crapped my pants. They didn't have pics so I rushed to CAS home and saw it being advertised on the right hand side. They say it's a blue ridge knives exclusive, so... it's not likely to find it any old place obviously. But ebay and kultofathena are the two places I've found it. (koa just doesnt have the green scabbard, only black  :Frown:   )

Boy... a green saya. 140 made. (160 with black) And only 50 waks.  :Frown:   :Frown:   :Frown:  


bleh... I must fight the urge. After all, they say it's got black same, but I prefer the white as shown in the pic here...

http://www.casiberia.com/pdfs/BRK.pdf

Sure is one cool tsuba !

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## Skyler R.

Here are more pictures of it..as well as it is a few hundred dollars cheaper.  http://www.kultofathena.com/product~...Green+Saya.htm

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## J.J.Haavisto

Ha, I'll be bying this for a friend as a gift....Just not sure if he'd like the black or green saya.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Jerry G.

:Big Grin:    I'm on it like a trollop on a rich man.  Link=> http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=76901

#11 / 140 is on its way to me now...green saya...and purchased from KOA this past Friday.  I got the last one in stock but he was expecting more in another week or so.  If'n y'all can hold your horses until this weekend, I'd be happy to take some pics of mine and post 'em up as soon as it arrives.

FYI, I do not believe they will actually be available with black rayskin despite what early advertising copy suggested.  Every picture I've seen besides the original prototype depicts creamy white samegawa.  Also, it _is_ constructed of forge-folded K120C according to Hanwei.

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## David Arthur

Holy crap! One day and bingo! When were those beautiful pics added?  :drool:  

They actually had em in stock? I thought they were still preorders everywhere. Oh man... really tempting.

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## J.J.Haavisto

Ooh, Please do !





> If'n y'all can hold your horses until this weekend, I'd be happy to take some pics of mine and post 'em up as soon as it arrives.

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## Jerry G.

> Ha, I'll be bying this for a friend as a gift....Just not sure if he'd like the black or green saya.


I'll promise to be your very best friend if you buy _me_ the matching green-saya wakizashi!   :Big Grin:

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## P.K.Hansen

Jerry, the tsuba is mine, but you know that, right  :Big Grin:  
You can have another PC tsuba instead - what do you want ?

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## J.J.Haavisto

Haha you wish, Jerry.G.

In my humble opinion this daisho is only second to the liondog (shi-shi) one...(from hanwei that is.)
 Gona be real nice to "inspect" it before I pass it on.  :Big Grin:  



> I'll promise to be your very best friend if you buy _me_ the matching green-saya wakizashi!

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## Jerry G.

Well, the PC1658 arrived today and it is a beauty- green saya with white same, as ordered.  It feels much different than my Bushido daito in the hand..."quicker", almost.  The nagasa appears longer by at least an inch yet it's slimmer and more tapered between the mune and ha as you approach the kissaki.  I can't wait to get home and compare them side-by-side after everyone else is in bed.  There are reasonable limits to what I can get away with at work even when I close my office door.   :Big Grin:

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## David Arthur

Pics would be most appreciated if it's not too much trouble. I'm tryin to decide real hard to get this (seems like such a good deal, and I shouldnt pass up, but  :Frown:   ) or keep saving for an Albion blade.

Congrats btw, sounds very nice.

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## Jerry G.

> Pics would be most appreciated if it's not too much trouble. I'm tryin to decide real hard to get this (seems like such a good deal, and I shouldnt pass up, but   ) or keep saving for an Albion blade.
> 
> Congrats btw, sounds very nice.


I'll take some pics this w/e and have 'em up ASAP.  In the interim, here is a chart comparing and contrasting it to my PC Bushido daito.   :Smilie:  

In a nutshell, the main difference between the two is that the Green Bamboo Snake's blade is 3/8" longer but with 3mm less blade width plus identical thickness and taper.  Also, the tsuka on the Snake has an hourglass taper variance of 5mm whereas the Bushido has an untapered tsuka.  Overall quality of mount is comparable but the Bushido has slightly more blingy relief sculptured koshirae with silver/gold accents.  Both tsukas utilize panelled same(though my Snake's had emperor nodes) and quality cotton ito over hishigami.

I was unable, unfortunately, to weigh them because my digital scale(static suspended type for tournament bass fishing) had used up its 9-volt battery and I didn't have an extra on hand.  I'll take care of that and weigh them both this w/e while taking pictures.

In summary, the Bushido is a very masculine sword and the Bamboo Snake is a very feminine one, and I mean this in the most complimentary way.  Had I to choose _between_ them, I have no idea which way I'd go.  The Bushido is beefier and more peacockish while the Snake is slimmer and more elegant.  I have no doubt the Bushido would cut better and similarly, no doubt the Snake would be better for kata and iai.  The Bushido handles powerfully and purposefully while the Snake handles effortlessly and gracefully.

Anyhow, I am very pleased with my purchase and as an FYI, KOA just got more of the green ones like mine in stock.   :Big Grin:

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## David Arthur

> and as an FYI, KOA just got more of the green ones like mine in stock.




I noticed  :Big Grin:   Shhhhhhh ! (don't let the people with money find out  :Stick Out Tongue:   )

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## Peter Davis

real pic someone please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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## Jerry G.

...but here are some compare / contrast pics of the Bushido & Tree Snake:

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## Jerry G.

...of the Bushido / Tree Tnake pics:

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## Jerry G.

How crappy that with all the necessary cropping and resizing, you can no longer really make out the hada in the pictures.

In the 5th one, it looks like the Tree Snake's tip is missing...

...actually, it is stuck a little bit into the fabric of the couch.  Oooops!   :Big Grin:

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## mikejarledge

It might just be the angle of the pic, but in the pic with the saya openings, you can really tell a lot of difference between the size and shape of the blades. Very neat, Thanks Jerry!

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## John Lundemo

HI, not into snakes but I really dig that green ito and black same trick. Looks like a cool sword. I'ld like to see an Odin made up like that :Smilie:

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## David Arthur

Thanks for the pics Jerry! 

I gotta ask though, is it the camera making the wrap seem that way, or is it really more of a teal, blue/green color rather than a darker, deeper green ?


I really like the way this looks but I know how cameras usually distort the colors a bit. http://www.casiberia.com/pdfs/BRK.pdf

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## Jerry G.

It is what I'd call a bright green rather than a teal, but it was photographed in my basement under horrible fluorescent lighting.  To me, teal is like the CS Dragonfly series, as pictured below.

There are definitely two shades of green in the saya and ito(my wife thought they clashed), but I was personally tired of piano black sayas and figured the ito would darken with handling.

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## Peter Davis

mine should be here wednesday
the hada in one of the pics looks nice

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## Jerry G.

For giggles, I hung my digital fish scale from my shower curtain rod and then weighed each of my blades suspended from its hook w/o saya.  Here were the results:

Cold Steel O-Katana w/bohi(36")......................3lb 7oz
Cheness Shura w/bohi(30").............................2lb 7oz
PC Green Bamboo Snake no bohi(28.25)............2lb 5oz
Cheness Kaze no bohi(28").............................2lb 8oz
PC Bushido no bohi(27.5")..............................2lb 10oz
Cheness Shura Kokatana w/bohi(21'")...............2lb even
PC Bushido Wak no bohi(19")...........................1lb 9oz
Cold Steel O-Tanto w/bohi(13").......................1lb 5oz

What surprised me the most was the weight of the Shura 30"er which is supposed to be ~3lb.  Perhaps I need to get my scale recallibrated but all weights were taken one right after the other in the exact same static fashion.  I guess I should figure that out before the bass tournaments begin, though.   :Big Grin:

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## G. Allen

It don't matter Bubba, all of them will cut up a bass just fine    :Smilie:

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## Peter Davis

they look similiar to last legend yashima
mm at yakote and the rest 
handle is 1 inch bigger
question for you guys is the swedish powdered steel hanwei uses a lot better than the 
10xx steels or is it just hype?

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## mikejarledge

Jacob Dir emailed me a link to post here while his account activates.

The link is legit, and has some awesome photos on it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7216416@N07/

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## Micha Hofmann

*Deep sigh*. 
Somehow this Katana keeps tempting me. 

A very unique, special look and a price that's just on the border of "still affordable" for me. Breathing, spirit, discipline...  :Ninja Master:   :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## David Arthur

I know how you feel ^

I made the mistake of looking at those pics when I should have pulled myself away. I am, so far, doing a good job now keeping my money for my precious Albion desire. Musnt spend it.

Phew, I think I'm over it. Still... I will be kicking myself later for never getting this when I had the chance. :Embarrassment:

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## Micha Hofmann

And that is almost exactly how I feel right now. 
I'll probably regret not buying this later, but once my Gur-sword arrives ( it should be in my hands next week  :Smilie:  )  and I have some new nice blade to play with, I'll probably make the next months without purchasing one of these. ( The 1506 I ordered from Gus will help a lot, too, I guess.  :Smilie:    ). 

But if... by chance... a bamboo snake kat might still be on the market by autumn... never say never.  :Wink:

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## Jerry G.

Overall, I would consider the Bamboo Snake's quality comparable to if not slightly below that of the PC Bushido...primarily because the Bushido has _just a little bit more_ detail, e.g. sakura inlays on the saya and gold/silver highlights on the koshirae.  The Bushido is noticeably heavier, though, and the tsuka is untapered.  Choosing between the two, I'd say the Bushido would be better for more physically powerful individuals or those seeking a cutter while the Snake would be better for smaller folks or those needing a quick, lively blade.

Market prices have varied widely, with shipped daito prices ranging from $590 to over $900.  The shoto has been overpriced, in my opinion, by design.  I would consider a good price for it to be ~$425 yet due to intentional(IMHO) economic scarcity, those wishing to pair their daito will be forced to pay a premium on the wak.  Pre-order prices have ranged from $470 to $600 thanks to their very limited production numbers.  Most likely, I will not get one.

BTW, the black saya version _will_ have black same under green ito.  Had I been able to stand the prospect of another piano-black saya, I probably would have gone with that version instead.

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## David Arthur

Great...


once I get over _this_ snake katana, another snake katana must tempt me also. I will remain strong... must.... stop... checking...this... thread.  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Peter Davis

I got number 29
green saya
wak coming next week

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## Ron Salter

I just dont know about that green saya,in some pics it looks kermit green,in others like a dull olive green, either way I think a darker bottle green would have been nicer.I like the look of the rest of the sword tho.Hanwei are certainly bringing out some nice product of late.

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## Peter Davis

Its like bamboo green, is what I think they were trying to make it
when it grows in spring

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## Jerry G.

Agreed.  I even downloaded some woodcuts of bamboo leaves in case I get ambitious enough to do a gold leaf inlay of them on the saya like is done with the sakura leaves on my Bushido kat & wak.

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## Ron Salter

ah!, thanks, so hard to tell true colours on computers :Big Grin:

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## jake dirr

I've already started sanding down to refinish the saya in forest green.  I had the same idea about about gold leaf bamboo or maybe a lighter green relief of something like this from the bottom to a quarter or half up:

http://www.openc.k12.or.us/start/ima...ual/bamboo.gif

Then I found some green cobra skin on the web and thought about applying that and lacquering over it.  Tha might be TOO much snake though.

The photos I posted on Flickr that shows the sword in the saya are a pretty accurate representation of the saya color v. the ito, for those wondering.

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1977141&size=o

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## Jerry G.

> I've already started sanding down to refinish the saya in forest green.  I had the same idea about about gold leaf bamboo or maybe a lighter green relief of something like this from the bottom to a quarter or half up:
> 
> http://www.openc.k12.or.us/start/ima...ual/bamboo.gif
> 
> Then I found some green cobra skin on the web and thought about applying that and lacquering over it.  Tha might be TOO much snake though.
> 
> The photos I posted on Flickr that shows the sword in the saya are a pretty accurate representation of the saya color v. the ito, for those wondering.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1977141&size=o


Cool...great minds think alike!   :Big Grin:  

Here are the images I was thinking of adding to the saya in gold leaf before adding some clear lacquer.  Also, a nice piece of white same to reinforce the mouth of the saya would look great, IMHO.

BTW, I am a weak, weak man- wak #21 is on its way...same green saya.

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## jake dirr

The second image would look neat going down the saya like the Bushido.  Would you keep the circle?

After reading the post about a saya same wrap, I thought, "me too."  Has anyone ever fashioned a kojiri out of it?

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## Jerry G.

> The second image would look neat going down the saya like the Bushido.  Would you keep the circle?
> 
> After reading the post about a saya same wrap, I thought, "me too."  Has anyone ever fashioned a kojiri out of it?


If I was to stagger them down the saya like the Bushido, I would probably use image #3.  Image #2 I saw as larger, with the circle and one on either side of the saya just below the tied sageo.

I would probably just use enough same(lacquered black then sanded so white tips show through) to reinforce the kojiri and add friction for grip.

I see it in my mind _so clearly_ but making it a reality kind of frightens me.  I'd hate to Eff the sayas up!

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## jake dirr

first coats of forest green went on last night.  another coat today, then the leaf and lacquer.

I looked up some bamboo pictures and can see how they were mimicking the color, but the saya already looks nicer in a darker shade matching the wrap.

Smooth move on buying the wak. I'd do it too if I was a weak man with means. Only 50 made? Did it arrive?

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## Peter Davis

#19 on the green saya wak

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## Jerry G.

The wak is on the UPS truck out for delivery to my home today.  Needless to say, I am nervous with anticipation and wish I wasn't at work.

I can't wait to see how the darker shade saya looks.  I like the bright green, myself, but as it is my favorite color, I like almost any green.  I am reluctant to change it anyhow and want to see if I can locate replacement ito first and see what shade of green _it_ is.  What's on there now so far as a shade may not prove easy to replace.

I talked with the guy at CRKT who ordered them from Hanwei and he said the green color saya was a mistake.  They switched to black sayas after receiving the initial shipment and completed the commissioned purchase.  BTW, the black same ain't happenin' unless you spray it yourself as the black saya version ended up with white same afterall.

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## David Arthur

> BTW, the black same ain't happenin' unless you spray it yourself as the black saya version ended up with white same afterall.




Yeah I saw the note on KoA.  :Frown:   Still wanna see how it looks, however.

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## jake dirr

"I talked with the guy at CRKT who ordered them from Hanwei and he said the green color saya was a mistake. They switched to black sayas after receiving the initial shipment and completed the commissioned purchase. BTW, the black same ain't happenin' unless you spray it yourself as the black saya version ended up with white same afterall."

Ha, I bought the green one because of how they looked on the Cas Iberia PDF ad, (which I think was color corrected and the photos on KoA look darkened as well), thinking that I was getting the better deal because they made less green sayas.  Kinda sucks to know I was getting the bum-batch saya...

Did they pull the ad from the Cas Iberia website?

Oh well, the blade is kosher and that's why they make spray paint.

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## Jerry G.

> "I talked with the guy at CRKT who ordered them from Hanwei and he said the green color saya was a mistake. They switched to black sayas after receiving the initial shipment and completed the commissioned purchase. BTW, the black same ain't happenin' unless you spray it yourself as the black saya version ended up with white same afterall."
> 
> Ha, I bought the green one because of how they looked on the Cas Iberia PDF ad, (which I think was color corrected and the photos on KoA look darkened as well), thinking that I was getting the better deal because they made less green sayas.  Kinda sucks to know I was getting the bum-batch saya...
> 
> Did they pull the ad from the Cas Iberia website?
> 
> Oh well, the blade is kosher and that's why they make spray paint.


Let me choose my words more carefully- it was not so much a _mistake_(as in someone goofed up) so much as when the first batch arrived, they feared the color was too bright or vibrant to facilitate rapid sale.  I guess it was kinda like buying 3 buckets of paint to redo your living room / dining room based on a swatch and then deciding after the seeing the first bucket applied that it doesn't look as nice in practice as you'd predicted...so you return the other two buckets for a darker shade to finish.  Personally, I love the bright green but then again, I'm somewhat biased.

I opened up the wak yesterday after work, cleaned off the cosmoline / shipping grease and gave it a nice choji/uchiko spa treatment.  The things I noticed comparing the Bushido kat & GBS kat are mostly the same comparing the Bushido wak & GBS wak:

Blade:
* Both waks have very subtle hada when compared with their larger kat versions
* Unlike the kats, the _Bushido_ is the longer of the two by 3mm
* Like the kats, the GBS is thinner by 2mm at the habaki and 1mm at the yokote
* Like the kats, both have the same thickness(gauge) and sori

Tsuka:
* Like the kats, the GBS wak tsuka is tapered, though much less dramatically, and the Bushido is not
*  Unlike the kats, the Bushido tsuka is over an inch shorter than the GBS tsuka and considerably smaller in girth
* Ito material is of similar high quality cotton with tight weave
* Like the kats, the GBS seems to have same' with somewhat larger nodes than the Bushido

Handling:
* The same handling characteristics I noticed when comparing the Bushido and GBS kats are present with the waks- the Bushido is beefier / more tip heavy and the GBS quicker / more balanced towards the tsuba
* The Bushido wak's tsuka assembly is noticeably smaller and better-suited for small hands while the GBS's feels more substantial to me and less likely to twist in the hand on more resisted cuts
* I have not weighed them yet on my digital scale, but the GBS is noticeably lighter while static in addition to feeling lighter due to balance

I will take comparative pictures of the Bushido and GBS waks this weekend like I did with the kats.  I hope to do a better job than I did before.  I will also similarly take static hanging weights of each on my digital scale less saya.  All in all, I am very happy with my purchase and think that short of a Kaze wak when those finally become available, I am probably done purchasing production blades.  I will explore what I have to the best of my ability for a healthy term and then, God willing, delve into the wonderful world of customs.

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## jake dirr

thanks jerry

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## Jerry G.

I don't seem to be able to get the picture thing down.  These are probably worse than those of the kats.  The come out fine on the digital camera and on my computer, but when I have to resize them to get them below the 100KB size limit, they turn out like crap.   :Frown: 

Oh...and 1lb 6oz for the Bushido Wak and 1lb 4oz for the GBS Wak w/o sayas.

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## David Arthur

A good buddy of mine made this page. Has some great pictures ! (except that last one)  :Big Grin:  

http://www.geocities.com/jason_gulisux/bamboo.html

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## sal v.

the blades there are just truly beautiful...wish i had some

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## Aaron Justice

I own one now. Oddly enough... it's Jerry G's...  :Big Grin: 

Bought the bare blade and saya from Joo-Hwan Lee and mounted it myself.

I couldn't STAND the green saya. Just my taste. About 5 shades darker might have worked for me. So I sanded it all off, did it in natural brown, and gave it a heavy clear coat. It's a good looking sword, and I was pleased with how light and well balanced the blade is.

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## sal v.

now, what is there most durable cutter? i would like one, but i do not want a mass produced piece of crap

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## Jerry G.

> I own one now. Oddly enough... it's Jerry G's... 
> 
> Bought the bare blade and saya from Joo-Hwan Lee and mounted it myself.
> 
> I couldn't STAND the green saya. Just my taste. About 5 shades darker might have worked for me. So I sanded it all off, did it in natural brown, and gave it a heavy clear coat. It's a good looking sword, and I was pleased with how light and well balanced the blade is.


AJ, you have _NO idea_ how close I came to contacting you and trying to buy it back once the coinage became available again.  They are *really* a fantastic bargain to begin with even when you don't get as great a deal on one as you did.  I was even considering buying a black-sayaed one and trading it with you for the green saya version.  J-H was kind enough to make me a very generous trade/sale for the L6 whereby I kept all the GBS fittings for the MAS's remount...and I could not pass it up.  I still want to find another green-sayaed GBS kat to pair with my matching wak but I've been distracted from that goal by a very attractive custom I'll be picking up in a couple weeks.  Until then, I'll just have to console myself with the Butouken BBS.  I can't really call it a GBS now that my green cobra skin saya application got shot down like a pudgy pheasant on opening day.

Anyhow, I can't wait to see how you mount her.  Any hints about themes or styles or fittings?  One of these days, I'll hopefully be the first one to thrust the money in your face when you set one of your beauties up on the auctioneer's block.  I'm frankly getting a little tired of just being a bridesmaid and I really appreciate your work.   :Big Grin:

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## Benjamin P.

How does the GBS blade compare to Bugei Dragonfly?  I heard that the Bugei Dragonfly is light and nimble too.  Do they have similar dimensions?

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## Aaron Justice

> How does the GBS blade compare to Bugei Dragonfly?  I heard that the Bugei Dragonfly is light and nimble too.  Do they have similar dimensions?



It's not at all like the Dragonfly. The Dragonfly is light, but that's because it's a fairly thin blade with absolutely no niku at all.

The GBS is slightly thicker, has a little niku, and I think less distal tapering. The GBS is a lighter blade.

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## Rich D.

I ordered a Bamboo Snake and I have a question. The last inch or so of of the blade is completely unpolished (just along the top). Is this as it should be?

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## Jerry G.

> I ordered a Bamboo Snake and I have a question. The last inch or so of of the blade is completely unpolished (just along the top). Is this as it should be?


In a word, yes.  It's a tactile heads-up for your hand during noto that you are _real_ close to the pointy part.  Think of it like a rumble strip- take heed or you'll bleed.

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## Rich D.

Thanks, it makes perfect sense now, but since I couldn't find a pic or a mention of it I was a bit uncertain.

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## jake dirr

Hey folks,

After almost a year, I'm finally nearly complete on my bamboo snake remake.  I've attached some photos in the same flickr account I posted on after I received one of the first katanas and posted some photos so people could see the ugly pea grea saya. I'd appreciate your feedback. I'll post more info on methods if anyone's curious.

Click "all sizes" along the top of the individual photos for a bigger picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7216416@N07/

Cheers to Mr. Justice for the inspiration and Helen for the rattan wrap.

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## David Arthur

Nice job! What did you do to the fittings? They look differently colored.

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