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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 3:29:18 GMT
Hello, First post on these forums, and hopefully not the last. Ive been interested in buying a katana for a while and would like to purchase one of the highest quality that my budget will allow (Up to 1000$) I came across one on Handmadeswords.com that peeked my interest, www.handmadesword.com/368.htmlUnfortunately I haven't been able to find any reviews outside of there website on this sword, and was curious if anyone has dealt with this site/bought anything in the price range im looking at, and can answer some of my questions. I'm a noobie when it comes to sword specifications and im wondering if this particular sword is worth the price there asking and if the quality is fairly high. Thanks in advance. |
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Post by Lord Plaza on Jan 17, 2011 3:54:03 GMT
If your budget is that high, I'd suggest one of Hanwei's high end offerings, like the Lion Dog or Tori XL.
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Post by chopper on Jan 17, 2011 4:20:37 GMT
I agree. If your budget is that high then go with Hanwei. I have one of the HMS 1095 swords. It's nice but doesn't begin to compare in quality to my bamboo mat.
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Jan 17, 2011 4:23:47 GMT
I own one of handmadesword.com sub-100 $ katana. I reviewed it here, alongside a couple of other katanas ; sbgswordforum.proboards.com/inde ... read=18296 I am not a big connaisseur of katanas and I don't know much about higher end models, but AFAIK they are other sellers and makers that are more likely to give you a katana worth your money. HMS quality can be a bit random, while makers like Hanwei and Dynasty Forge tend to constantly offer well-made, high quality katanas. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 4:34:37 GMT
Wow those are some nice katanas, while looking at the hanwei's website, theres this video with the high alloy steel, and they show a sword in this video and im wondering what its called, heres the link, ... _embedded#! its the second katana with the brown handle and green case, any idea what sword it is? |
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Post by Student of Sword on Jan 17, 2011 4:37:45 GMT
HMS is way overpriced. The sword you asked about should not cost more $400. Even with $400, I rather get a Dynasty Forge. For $1,000, you have a whole lot of options but HMS is money poorly spent.
Recommendation are following:
-Red Dragonfly Sword Art
-Hanwei
-Dynasty Forge
-Kensei Forge
The katana in brown with green saya is the Old Pine. You can only get it at Bugei for $1,200.00. FYI, the handle is called a tsuka and the scabbard is called a saya. I highly recommend that you wait until you know more about katana than you do now before purchasing one. Until you know all the names for various parts, your decision to buy will most likely be a poor one. Get a book on katana.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 4:43:47 GMT
Probably a good idea, going to do atleast a week of research before i decide on one, this forum is proving to be very helpful haha.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 4:51:20 GMT
So i guess the general concenses is if im going to spend 850 dollars on a katana, its not worth getting one from HMS?
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Post by Student of Sword on Jan 17, 2011 4:58:08 GMT
I cannot speak for anyone else but that is my opinion.
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Post by chopper on Jan 17, 2011 16:10:01 GMT
Yeah, I would stay away from HMS if you are wanting a quality sword that isn't over priced. Go with one of the companies that was suggested by student of sword.  |
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Post by Hiroshi on Jan 17, 2011 17:11:38 GMT
Definitlay stay away from them.... I would also suggest that a $1000 sword NOT be your first sword. There are many things to learn about the upkeep/maintennance of a sword and of course safety rules as well. I always recommend getting a sub $200 sword as a beginners sword. Check out the recently popular www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-T10-Munetoshi-Take-Katana-Samurai-Sword-B-p/jh-3103br.htm It seems to be a pretty go sword for the price. Then after you have learned a bit about swords and feel like you can take care of a $1000 sword... You really need to think about how you want the sword to handle, Do you want it to be a supper light fast cutter suitable for only light & medium targets?(assuming your going to be cutting with it) or do you want a heavy super cutter, like the hanwei bushido (my personal pride and joy [youtube]Definitlay stay away from them.... I would also suggest that a $1000 sword NOT be your first sword. There are many things to learn about the upkeep/maintennance of a sword and of course safety rules as well. I always recommend getting a sub $200 sword as a beginners sword. Check out the recently popular www.swordnarmory.com/Handmade-T10-Munetoshi-Take-Katana-Samurai-Sword-B-p/jh-3103br.htm It seems to be a pretty go sword for the price. Then after you have learned a bit about swords and feel like you can take care of a $1000 sword... You really need to think about how you want the sword to handle, Do you want it to be a supper light fast cutter suitable for only light & medium targets?(assuming your going to be cutting with it) or do you want a heavy super cutter, like the hanwei bushido. My personal pride and joy This is a heavy katana with medium niku and no hi, brown silk ito, real same. nice itame hada, suguha komidare hamon, real buffalo horn koiguchi/kojiri/kurigata, the theme of the sword is fighting samurai. check out Tomi's review for lots of pictures. forum.sword-buyers-guide.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1605or of course you could go somewhere in the middle. What ever you do, you have to understand that every katana is different. Buy the cheap sword first, figure out if the the blade on that one is to long/short, heavy/light, the tsuka is to long/short/fat/thin/miss-shapen, whether you prefer silk/sued/cotton for the ito, if you want it though hardened or differentially hardened. There are actually quite a few more questions one could ask but alass my wife has reminded me that it's time to go out and run errands. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2011 3:20:24 GMT
So ive looked around at some hanwei Katanas and I came across a few that really caught my eye, but im having a hard time deciding which one I like the most. www.swordnation.com/Fuku-Riu-Katana-p/ch1655.htmwww.swordnation.com/Bushido-Katana-p/sh1210.htmwww.swordnation.com/Tiger-Katana-p/sh1204.htmI really like the tsudo and Kashira on the bushido, but the saya isnt my favorite because of the gold flakes and cheery blossoms, the Fuku has a very smooth look toit but im not the biggest fan of the tsudo, and the Tiger just looks stream lined. Would it be possible to replace the saya on the bushido or would that be rather expensive? Its really the only thing about the katana that bothers me, while the rest of it is amazing. |
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Post by Hiroshi on Jan 18, 2011 4:02:44 GMT
ok first off, I think you mean "tsuba" not "tsudo".
To get a saya custom made for the the bushido it would cost close to $200-$300 to get one of the same quality.
On the bushido the gold flake isn't that noticeable unless your in direct light. and the sakura blossoms are really small as well.
Have you given any thought to the advice of buying a cheaper first sword? Figuring out what you like/dislike and then going for the more expensive one?
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Post by Student of Sword on Jan 18, 2011 8:58:31 GMT
You are basing decision on a look? How's about length, thickness, point-of-balance... ect?
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Post by chrisperoni on Jan 18, 2011 12:56:35 GMT
First off let me say that as myself and others answer to this post we are not doing so with anything less than the best intentions to help you  . Please take any comments as they are intended, which is to aid you in making a decision that you will be happy with for a long time. We have been through this before and we can help you to avoid common regrets. Perhaps you are not basing the purchase on looks alone but it seems as though looks are all you are commenting and focusing on when you describe what you like in a particular sword. If I make an analogy it might help explain what we're thinking: Imagine you are buying a car based on the paint job- the car is the right colour so you want to buy it, period. That's just not enough to go on. You should be checking under the hood, seeing how the car handles on the road, figuring out the gas mileage, investigating the interior to see if it's comfortable for long trips, etc etc. My point is there is so much more to buying a car than what it looks like. Do you know what I mean? The same goes for your sword. It's really a great idea to buy a much lower priced sword for your first. Think of it as a test drive, or getting a rental for the weekend to see how it runs. You'll learn a lot and be able to make a much better decision on your main purchase. Plus, you'll have 2 swords! Which is even better! If you do end up geting a more expensive sword and it is exactly what you want then there's a good chance you'll not want to actually use it too much for fear of tarnishing it in some way. A cheaper 'beater. sword is perfect to have in this case. Alternatively you could sell the first sword here in the classifieds and recoup some cash for the next buy. |
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Post by craigd on Jan 18, 2011 12:58:21 GMT
While you are correct SoS, it really depends on WHY he wants a Katana.
If he wants one for display/collector purposes then Balance etc. is not that much of an issue, indeed what it looks like becomes more important. As a 'collector' on a tight budget I bought the Tori as it was folded, meaning it was that little bit more traditional (in manufacture, not geometry) even though the Iaidoka in me wanted the Bamboo Mat.
If he wants one to cut with, then a $1000 sword for his 1st is probably not the best starting place.
I guess it comes down to: What do you want the sword for Tyhthus?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2011 1:54:09 GMT
Its mostly for display purposes. I'd much rather spend alittle more for a katana thats crafted closer to tradition and that i can be proud of owning.
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Post by Hiroshi on Jan 19, 2011 4:21:44 GMT
Why would you not be proud of a cheaper katana?
and as it was already said, you could easily sell it on the classifieds here then buy an expensive sword. or if you've got $1000 you could easily get a $200 sword and a $1000 sword. then you have two swords.
IF your worried about being able to show it off, dont worry, the average idiot cant tell the difference between a stainless steel POS and a real sword. So they certinally won't be able to tell the difference between a $200 sword & a $1000 sword.
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Post by 6stringseme on Jan 19, 2011 7:55:30 GMT
Well, in that case... www.red-dragonfly-sword.com/Some of the most beautiful swords in the $1000-range are made by Red Dragonfly Sword Art. Their tamahagane line is particularly amazing looking. They use fittings imported from japan; in your price range they are the closest thing to real traditionally-made katana, other than actual nihonto (which you could also get within your budget). |
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Post by chopper on Jan 19, 2011 14:20:06 GMT
There is a bamboo mat in the classifieds right now. FYI
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. Please take any comments as they are intended, which is to aid you in making a decision that you will be happy with for a long time. We have been through this before 
