Sinosword quality? Ordering a custom Jian! PIC update!

Ahhh, that's what I get for skim reading.

Let us just hope that it's a mis-translation from Chinese and that they mean the edges that protrude out are the 1095.

Often 1095 and 1050 are folded together to get the folding pattern, but when combined make ~1070 a more moderate and softer steel. I'm not exactly sure of the exact process that Sinosword is using for it though.

But with T10 as the center plate, with the proper heat treatment, you should get a good result.

I think it's going to be good. I've heard that carbon steel softens once worked, so if they intend to use a mixture of 1095 and 1050 and then fold it through the end product should be fairly flexible and shock absorbing. they seem to know what they're doing, I just misunderstood what they meant.

I think this steel mixture of folded 1095 and T10 will make for an interesting blade. I mean, T10 is generally accepted as a good steel for swords both flexibility wise and edge retainability as well. Plus, my sword is going to be laminated woth a softer steel plus differentially hardened... I can't see how the lamination and hardening would make it any worse Can't wait to get my hands on the final product!

You are right Junon, it is my custom.

Well I have no interest in doing a full and proper review. Nor taking new photos. (I don't own a quality camera at the moment), so I'll do something a little ad hoc.

But first, basics. Very nearly everything on this blade is custom. Blade length, fittings etc.

I requested a blade length of 69.5cm, which is substantially down from the standard production length of 75cm. In accordance with various things, it reaches the bottom of my ear when in the ready position. Overall length is ~93cm. (Due to the guard not being flat and me not really caring that much, it's within 5mm either side.

PoB: Irrelevant statistic.

Blade: 4000 layer Twistcore, Sanmei constructed. Didn't get details on the specific steels involved. Through hardened.
(Side note, I went away for work for ~6 weeks and kept the blade in my cupboard for the duration, when I returned, I was taking it down but apparently I hadn't fastened the blade in properly, I normally leave it half out for ease of drawing, the blade came out and spun down landing tip first on concrete. There is now a hole in the concrete, the tip was undamaged. Heat treat successful)

Fittings: I asked for a Flame Serpent design, they had absolutely nothing to work with from past examples for this. So had to make the design from scratch. I did however like the Bai Long Jian that they had done and asked for a similar pattern. (ex: www.haotaiji.com/haotaijistore/m ... sword.html )

SOME of the fittings on the scabbard are highly similar, however, I don't blame them, I can't think of what else to put there. The pommel as you can see is stylised flames with a Snake inside it.

Weight: 941g. With scabbard ~2kgs, well inside historical norms.

Blade profile: Flat diamond to very shallow appleseed. Distinct appleseed geometry near the tip.

Polish: Mirror

Handling: My experience has involved handling, including with forms work a fair few production blades and one Antique. (In Australia, it's hard to get access to large amounts of antiques) However, this antique I handled was Linda's from www.chinese-swords-guide.com if you want to have a look, my custom handles almost the same. It has a blade presence and effortlessly flies through the cut.

Single flaw: After the first time I utilised fajin in my jian form, there was a rattling sound coming from the pommel. I had to disassemble it and found small fragments of the casting process still inside the pommel. Shook them out and put the pommel back on. No further sounds have been heard. (I took my time due to a lack of tools to fix it. I do kind of miss the small bell-like sound it made though)

Now, I do a lot of forms work with it, I however don't do cutting practice with it, the polish is too good. Maybe one day when I've learnt how to return it to a mirror polish, but until then, she will remain as incredibly sharp as the day she arrived. (I have cut paper and the cleaning cloth with it.)

San mei just means three-plate. The actual form of folding in the steel is irrelevant. In fact, you can have unfolded sanmei. Imagine 1095 center, with 1050 plates. No folding, that is considered sanmei. Standard folding is just that, the metal is heated up, folded over and beaten into place.

Twistcore is where it gets fun. (By fun I mean complicated) There are many different variations that you can do with twistcore, from the number of bars you use, to the amount of twists you put into it. The feather grain pattern is the most common, because it is dramatic and beautiful. Mine looks like the contours on a map. Because depending on what they do after the twists (often they may cut the folded billet in half to use on either side) or they may use it in one piece. These are all good and acceptable. However they are all harder to do.

However, there's nothing stopping twistcore from being put into sanmei. Hope that helps.

Sounds like a very nice sword! Have you published any pictures of it on the forum? Might one ask where?

Very nice! Beautiful sword!

Hi!

So it has, but none that I've been informed of. I'm assuming manufacturing is well underway, but I probably won't be notified until completion of the sword draws near. Pictures will be sent to me when the sword is finished.
I too am very curious to see what's been going on over the last month, but my requests for status reports have thus far been ignored... Oh well, hopefully it will be allright in the end:)

Hi Bushido,

Have you received your sword from JKoo? I'm really looking forward to see it!