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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 10:14:25 GMT
I am also waiting for more than 7 months now, come on Brian everybody got impatient and want to see your art pieces a.s.a.p. I went for a Hanwei Raptor Katana instead of your Deshi eventhough I wanted it so much but waiting timeline is unpredictable. I am sure that you will send nice stuff.....but when :-) I sent you 2 pms , I will be happy if you reply me.
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Post by tengu76 on May 7, 2009 12:22:55 GMT
+1 for you bajamike for the great pics!!
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 12:44:33 GMT
Agreed,...
bajamike, that is one hell of a nice sword!
Love the combination of the brown and black throughout...
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Post by shadowhowler on May 7, 2009 14:56:58 GMT
I know Slavia does faded saya like that... I've seen his before... but I didn't know Brian did that. It's very nice. Brian: About how much do you charge to do a color-fade saya like the black to brown in the sword above?
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 15:44:44 GMT
I know Slavia does faded saya like that... I've seen his before... but I didn't know Brian did that. It's very nice. Brian: About how much do you charge to do a color-fade saya like the black to brown in the sword above? His website lists it at $125
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 15:46:48 GMT
I purchased a Bushi from Brian almost two years ago. I am very please with this sword and his services. I would recommend his products to any one looking for a sword with more personalization. It might take a longer to get it, but in the end he will make sure you are happy. Here are a couple pics. Beautiful, thanks for sharing! Do you know which forge the blade is from? It is kobuse laminated right? +1 to you for the photos.
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 15:49:35 GMT
I know Slavia does faded saya like that... I've seen his before... but I didn't know Brian did that. It's very nice. Where do you think slavia got the idea...
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 15:54:27 GMT
Nice sword there, +1 for the pics. Man every time I see one of his swords I'm more happy that I orderd from him, even with the wait. Love that saya.
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 19:28:40 GMT
Holly cow, has anyone seen the new "custom sword" Brian has up on his site right now? It's a dragonfly themed sword with some amazing artwork on the saya. I remember him talking to me about this project, and I think it turned out even better then how I pictured it. Great work Brian. Can we see a full sword picture of it, in the saya, with the tsuka and sageo in frame?
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 19:48:26 GMT
If it only had no-hi and a different tsuba...
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 19:55:45 GMT
If it only had no-hi and a different tsuba... I think he is swapping it out with a more antiqued looking tsuba...? If memory serves
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 20:04:30 GMT
I know, right, I'm not a fan of hi either. I like the tsuba, plane and elegant at the same time.
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Post by shadowhowler on May 7, 2009 20:21:41 GMT
I've been in love with the Custom Bamboo katana with the stained wood saya and mother of pearl inlay for almost a year now. I'm afraid to ask what it would cost to have that done, tho.
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2009 21:18:23 GMT
Yea that bamboo is beautiful, I love the natural stained wood look, even if not traditional. Between that one and the Kiku in tea ito, I'm sold on the look. I've been Inet searching for some fittings to go with a theme I want for a custom, and I want the saya done like that. Maybe some ratan at the top.
The bamboo in winter custom is a very beautiful saya as well, perfectly executed.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2009 7:01:38 GMT
Thanks for all the karma. It is from the Zhou Zheng Wu forge and it is kobuse laminated. I can't remember but I think it was a different metal composition back then. Something like 1070/1090 or 1060/1080.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2009 7:14:03 GMT
Different Tsuba could be good , yes. I wonder if Brian can do ''Tengu'' theme Katana.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2009 14:46:19 GMT
I'm betting he can do just about anything, from looking at his work. Just give him the inspiration and the time.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2009 15:11:05 GMT
I'm betting he can do just about anything, from looking at his work. Just give him the inspiration and the time. Just saw this over on SFI. "You should contact Brian.He has a whole new approach that he is about to undertake.I'm jumping the gun a little so I really don't want to say more other than he's tired of doing affordable semi-custom stuff. He's finally going to do what he should have been doing all along much higher end customs,the blades of his own design from one of the best forges in China. No more 'forge direct' and no more bargains. More like the way Bugei does things but not Hanwei stuff. Also the man will finally charge what he should. Don't expect mass produced tsuka and the same ol' 28" bo-hi shinogi zukuri blades.The prototypes I've glimsed are awesome and the geometries correct.These are gonna be great!" In this thread forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=95636Sounds like a good direction to head in.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2009 17:19:12 GMT
I'm betting he can do just about anything, from looking at his work. Just give him the inspiration and the time. Just saw this over on SFI. "You should contact Brian.He has a whole new approach that he is about to undertake.I'm jumping the gun a little so I really don't want to say more other than he's tired of doing affordable semi-custom stuff. He's finally going to do what he should have been doing all along much higher end customs,the blades of his own design from one of the best forges in China. No more 'forge direct' and no more bargains. More like the way Bugei does things but not Hanwei stuff. Also the man will finally charge what he should. Don't expect mass produced tsuka and the same ol' 28" bo-hi shinogi zukuri blades.The prototypes I've glimsed are awesome and the geometries correct.These are gonna be great!" In this thread forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=95636Sounds like a good direction to head in. It really is the best direction to go in, and there's several reasons why... First off,... i don't think anyone would disagree that Brian's maki services are the absolute lowest priced in the land. And we aren't talking about someone who is 'self taught' and dabbles in mounting either. Brian apprenticed under a master (can't remember his name?) and has been doing this on his own now for nearly 20 years... Brian has kept his prices fair over these years, and has always offered an affordable means of having a sword customized. This is rare in an industry that usually only see's dollar signs, where the same services that Brian offers can end up costing you close to $1000 from other professionals at the same level of quality - and - the same (sometimes even longer) wait times... In today' market we want "more more more", and we want it "now now now", and with so many people placing orders for Brian's work that have never dealt with having anything customized (and therefore) don't quite understand what goes into the process, there are more and more people complaining, spamming emails, ringing his phone off the hook, ect. ect. because they want their sword and don't want to wait for it. And trying to explain to someone who has only ever bought $50-$150 swords that are stocked in bulk in a warehouse and delivered within 3 days of ordering why they have to wait 2-3 months (or possibly longer) for their sword to be professionally mounted is like trying to explain advanced trigonometry to a 5 year old... Brian has been charging minimal prices for years for his work, all the while his competitors were charging 3 times as much, for the same work - done in the same time frame. The reason the prices were so low was because he had a passion for the work, and a love for the community in that he wanted everyone to be able to have what THEY wanted on a sword, and not just what the manufacturers were shoveling out. But this has had unexpected side effects... People began to equate Brian's low prices (including customization), with the low prices of factory direct wares from the big name manufacturers. And as a result of this, people started expecting manufacturer type speeds... When you tell someone "your sword should be ready in 2 weeks", <- That's if all goes well, and everything is in stock. First the blade has to be ordered and sent from the forge, then any special order materials need to be located and ordered (ie. menuki, fuchi/kashira, tsuba, silk ito, sageo, ect.). Sometimes those items are back-ordered and that causes even further delays... Then when all the pieces are together the sword is placed in queue for assembly, which depending on the schedule may take up to 6-8 weeks before its gotten to. Then you have angry customers wanting answers that email everyday (and expect a response EVERY TIME) when they have already been told what the situation is, and that they would be contacted if any changes take place. Then these folks go on to various forums and bash Roninswords for being "poor customer service", or "crooks", or whatever else they can get away with saying without being too slanderous... And its simply not fair.... Sure it sucks to wait, but some things are worth waiting for, and i would rather wait and get a steal on the service costs, than pay out the nose and get my sword a week or two earlier... Heh, paying $125 for a custom wrap in premium silk is not "a discount"... That's "a gift"... And all that is asked is that one is patient & understanding about the time frame and possible delays. Or, go pay around $400 and get it done somewhere else (which you will probably end up waiting close to the same amount of time). At times the guy is making "peanuts" in order to make a customer happy, and very few appreciate it. Some friends of Brian's (including myself) had come up with the idea of offering 'forge direct' to people in the hopes that those who wanted a great sword, but didn't want to wait to have it customized could get one within a very short period of time sent directly from... well... the forge! But in doing this, Roninswords has lost some of its identity that distinguished itself from other companies by inadvertently competing with all the other dime-a-dozen companies doing the same exact thing. And that's never been what Roninswords was about,.... its always been about "YOUR sword, done how YOU want it, for an affordable price". Well,.... that will soon be changed i think, in that no longer will the "$300 "beater" be the mainstay of the Roninsword lineup. Custom will be the word of the day, and they will be priced accordingly. Big plans ahead! And prototypes are looking sweet! I was lucky enough to snag one of the early models up myself which i am waiting to have mounted now. So, i would get your orders in folks and get locked into the current service rate, before it goes way up, and folks suddenly start to realize how much they have taken this company and its low service fees for granted... I got 3 swords ordered through Brian, and i am waiting happily for them as i know when they are finished they will be worth the wait and then some.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2009 18:25:40 GMT
Ronin Swords look awesome. Three words. LAY. A. WAY. I can't afford it otherwise.
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