Purchasing my first katana soon (beware, newbie ?'s ahead)
Aug 23, 2011 11:18:39 GMT
Post by gilla409 on Aug 23, 2011 11:18:39 GMT
Hi, my name's Clay. I'm new to the forums, though I've lurked for quite a while, soaking up as much info as possible. Please pardon my lack of knowledge on the proper terminology.
I'm currently saving up to purchase my first katana, and could use some help/advice. It must be functional, as I want to start training and eventually do some cutting. My first choice is to get the SBG Custom Katana when ordering opens again in November. But, before I do, I wanted to see what other more experienced sword collectors and cutters have to say about them.
My main draw towards the SBG is the price, and the amount of options available. I really like the idea of picking out exactly what style/colors I want, making it more personal. My first question, is this katana worth the $330, or should I look elsewhere and save some money? I found a couple of eBay stores that offer similar options (though not as many) for less, though I like that SBG stands behind their product, and offer a refund if it's flawed... something that is much more difficult to do with an eBay store based in China.
Second, as much as I want it to be functional, I also want it to look nice. The fact that SBG offers a folded steel blade at an additional cost has me intrigued. I realize that folding isn't necessary with modern steel, and I wouldn't want to take away from it's functionality. SBG has their contact email disabled as of now, so I'm hoping someone here can help me with this. Is the folded steel upgrade still using T10 steel, or a different type? Does the blade have a softer core and folded edge/sides like this? www.ebay.ca/itm/FOLDED-Sanmai-Dragon-Carved-Blade-SNAKE-Tsuba-JP-KATANA-/320628819841?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa6f78781#ht_13885wt_938
Or is it all the same folded steel?
Finally, if there's another website that offers custom options on a quality "battle-ready" katana, please enlighten me. I'm totally open to suggestions, so if there's a better option, I'm all ears.
Thanks in advance for any help, it is greatly appreciated!
I'm currently saving up to purchase my first katana, and could use some help/advice. It must be functional, as I want to start training and eventually do some cutting. My first choice is to get the SBG Custom Katana when ordering opens again in November. But, before I do, I wanted to see what other more experienced sword collectors and cutters have to say about them.
My main draw towards the SBG is the price, and the amount of options available. I really like the idea of picking out exactly what style/colors I want, making it more personal. My first question, is this katana worth the $330, or should I look elsewhere and save some money? I found a couple of eBay stores that offer similar options (though not as many) for less, though I like that SBG stands behind their product, and offer a refund if it's flawed... something that is much more difficult to do with an eBay store based in China.
Second, as much as I want it to be functional, I also want it to look nice. The fact that SBG offers a folded steel blade at an additional cost has me intrigued. I realize that folding isn't necessary with modern steel, and I wouldn't want to take away from it's functionality. SBG has their contact email disabled as of now, so I'm hoping someone here can help me with this. Is the folded steel upgrade still using T10 steel, or a different type? Does the blade have a softer core and folded edge/sides like this? www.ebay.ca/itm/FOLDED-Sanmai-Dragon-Carved-Blade-SNAKE-Tsuba-JP-KATANA-/320628819841?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa6f78781#ht_13885wt_938
Or is it all the same folded steel?
Finally, if there's another website that offers custom options on a quality "battle-ready" katana, please enlighten me. I'm totally open to suggestions, so if there's a better option, I'm all ears.
Thanks in advance for any help, it is greatly appreciated!