Jin Shi's Jian
Apr 3, 2011 7:03:06 GMT
Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2011 7:03:06 GMT
Hello, the SBG Sword Forum!
I've been making use of the site and forum as a resource for years, and I can safely say it's the reason I eventually sold the couple of sword-like objects I'd received as gifts in my innocent, reckless youth, and got myself my first sword.
A couple years ago, I bought myself a Cold Steel Gim—in part because of the review on this site. I've always had more of an aesthetic attraction to the jian than to the more media-popular katanas(which are beautiful in their own right.) I'm immensely pleased with this weapon.
I recently followed a link to Paul Southren's own review of the Han-Dynasty Two-Handed Jian. Immediately, this is a sword that I would dearly love to own. It's striking in a way looking down from a very tall height is, when you might fall. But, I can't right now spare the ~$450 to purchase the sword. I shared the photos around to those of my friends who "ooh" and "aah" with me over these things, and filed it away under "When I Win That Lotto I Never Enter."
Today, while perusing craigslist("Junk. Junk. Mortally dangerous junk.") I found a listing offering two katanas and a jian. They're listed at $150 each, and the low-resolution photo of the jian... looked eerily familiar. I opened a new tab and brought up the Jin Shi review. The swords look nearly identical. The close-up of the pommel is a dead-ringer; the only difference I can spot is some brass ornamentation around the collar of the scabbard.
The answer, of course, is to go see the sword in person. I know what the shuang xue should look like(another term I learned thanks to Paul). I know to check the fit of the blade and the hilt for rattling/looseness. I can check the bamboo peg(what is the Chinese term for mekugi?)I probably wouldn't presume to disassemble the sword in front of the seller, but I've learned enough to tell a champion stallion from a drugged-up bray from SBG and other sites I used for research while organizing a speech on sword collecting.
What else should I be looking for? I've emailed Jin Shi Trading, asking if there's a way to identify their product, if they etch in a hallmark, etc. Since Jin Shi makes them to order, the slight difference in scabbard might be insignificant, but I don't want to end up with an imitation.
Pstscrpt edit: I figured a few images might help.
I've been making use of the site and forum as a resource for years, and I can safely say it's the reason I eventually sold the couple of sword-like objects I'd received as gifts in my innocent, reckless youth, and got myself my first sword.
A couple years ago, I bought myself a Cold Steel Gim—in part because of the review on this site. I've always had more of an aesthetic attraction to the jian than to the more media-popular katanas(which are beautiful in their own right.) I'm immensely pleased with this weapon.
I recently followed a link to Paul Southren's own review of the Han-Dynasty Two-Handed Jian. Immediately, this is a sword that I would dearly love to own. It's striking in a way looking down from a very tall height is, when you might fall. But, I can't right now spare the ~$450 to purchase the sword. I shared the photos around to those of my friends who "ooh" and "aah" with me over these things, and filed it away under "When I Win That Lotto I Never Enter."
Today, while perusing craigslist("Junk. Junk. Mortally dangerous junk.") I found a listing offering two katanas and a jian. They're listed at $150 each, and the low-resolution photo of the jian... looked eerily familiar. I opened a new tab and brought up the Jin Shi review. The swords look nearly identical. The close-up of the pommel is a dead-ringer; the only difference I can spot is some brass ornamentation around the collar of the scabbard.
The answer, of course, is to go see the sword in person. I know what the shuang xue should look like(another term I learned thanks to Paul). I know to check the fit of the blade and the hilt for rattling/looseness. I can check the bamboo peg(what is the Chinese term for mekugi?)I probably wouldn't presume to disassemble the sword in front of the seller, but I've learned enough to tell a champion stallion from a drugged-up bray from SBG and other sites I used for research while organizing a speech on sword collecting.
What else should I be looking for? I've emailed Jin Shi Trading, asking if there's a way to identify their product, if they etch in a hallmark, etc. Since Jin Shi makes them to order, the slight difference in scabbard might be insignificant, but I don't want to end up with an imitation.
Pstscrpt edit: I figured a few images might help.
