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Post by Charl on Mar 12, 2012 1:43:27 GMT
Well the good news is my wife has confessed a secret love of swords to me! This makes me smile as now we have yet another thing in common! (I think she was keeping this from me to try and prevent me from buying every sword i see!) Now she likes chinese swords, but thats ok! :mrgreen: So we are looking at buying one for her that will not be expensive, but will be durable and hopefully last her a long time or at least until we buy something higher end. she has also decided that she prefers the look of folded steel and we spent a considerable amount of time online last night looking at the options and have narrowed the design down to two swords. the first one is this offering from an ebay seller: cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250980638558And the second one is this offering from Sinoswords: www.sinosword.com/ProductShow/?p=Han-dynasty-ancient-Jian-swordI am waiting on a reply from the first regarding the construction of the sword, as my wife is interested in learning to cut with it. and an answer to a price inquiery from Sinoswords. So my question to you is this: Is there anything of similar style and colour in this price range that might be of better quality? And i would appreciate your thoughts on these two examples as i have no knowledge of chinese styled blades. thanks for reading yet another,"I dont know anything, please help me!" thread. |
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jhart06
Member
Slowly coming back from the depths...
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Post by jhart06 on Mar 12, 2012 2:32:56 GMT
It is nice he posted the mixture of steel, but Ronin Katana just said when testing that mix of steels for folded, the edge rolled and damaged worse than a TH 1045 or 1060, so i'd personally not use it.
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Post by Charl on Mar 12, 2012 2:45:21 GMT
Which one are you refering to?
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Post by chrisperoni on Mar 12, 2012 3:42:23 GMT
This is the thread he's referring to: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=100261060/1045 but in fairness Chris also says his dislike of this combo is his personal opinion. -My opinion is it'd be more a matter of proper heat treat whatever the steels. - I like the swords you chose (and jian's in general) however I would suggest you verify a proper tang and by what means it's fastened to the grip and pommel. In my research I've found these issues to be the most common problems with production jian. Basically to want a wood grip shaped to the full tang, with a rivet/pin - katana-esque stuff. To the sellers- ask "pics of the tang please; before I buy" |
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Post by Charl on Mar 12, 2012 5:49:46 GMT
Thanks for the information!
I just got this email from Sinoswords:
Does this sound reasonable?
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Post by junon on Mar 12, 2012 6:55:18 GMT
Sinosword price is quite reasonable... If I were you, I would wait until Bushido got his sword and ask for his opinion about the finish... viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9222He's currently waiting for his sword to arrive and you can get better feedback about the quality. If you are planning to do cutting, I would suggest you get a well known cutter... I'm always worried about unknown sword when use for cutting... (especially for beginner such as myself, who has no idea how to assess sword's safety... It might have a full tang, but with improper heat treatment and very bad technique, it might chip or broken into two during the cutting session)... I strongly suggest to use a sword designed for it... Hanwei Cutting Jian (Rodell's design) comes to mind, also Dynasty Forge model (huanuo rebrand - or get huanuo peony jian directly from Shifu Scott M. Rodell website at sevenstarstrading). It is more expensive than regular chinese/ebay made, but $100 difference can probably means end up in a hospital with nasty cut or a happy (and safe) cutting session... |
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Post by Charl on Mar 12, 2012 8:23:35 GMT
Thanks for the advice! Problem is when I show her those she says theyre "so ugly"!! Maybe were going to have to go custom!
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Post by junon on Mar 12, 2012 8:31:55 GMT
Go with jin shi custom then... Jin Shi han jian is designed for cutting & come with lifetime warranty!  |
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Post by Vue on Mar 12, 2012 14:10:28 GMT
I recommend Jin-Shi as well I have good experiences with them, I would also recommend www.enlightenmentswords.com/product/jian.html - I don't have any first hand experiences with their swords but from talking with Sifu Chen 'owner' I have no doubts they make good swords. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2012 14:21:52 GMT
The Jin-Shi blades look amazing, what do they cost? Cant find prices on the web site.
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Post by Charl on Mar 12, 2012 18:42:57 GMT
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Post by Bushido on Mar 12, 2012 23:45:42 GMT
I have a custom Jian on order from Sinosword at the moment, should be finished and delivered in around half a month. Will post a review of it when I get it, so if you're not in a hurry you could always wait for that and get some extra information before deciding:)
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Post by Charl on Mar 13, 2012 2:08:02 GMT
Thanks! I will definitely be doing this. i did email them though asking about the tang construction on the sword in the first post and they replied saying it has a rat tail tang but also said its good for cutting bamboo and tatami. i have now requested a photograph of the sword disassembled and on of the tang. so i will have to wait and see if they oblige.
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Post by HouShe on Mar 13, 2012 6:04:33 GMT
They worked... however:
There's something wrong here...
I don't think you can put 6" of stuff in just random places.
I just checked, my jian has a 27-28" blade and ~9" handle. (Rough measurement with a metric ruler) Total length, ~36". Well under the 42" of the Fei Long.
I was also under the impression that the Han Jian had a longer grip to match.
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Post by Charl on Mar 13, 2012 6:50:45 GMT
mmm... You have a good point there! It was 4:30am when i read these before leaving for work so i missed that!
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Post by Glaciersteel on Mar 14, 2012 19:29:34 GMT
Jin-Shi does custom work only now, so you will have to contact Garrett at the e-mail addy on the Jin-Shi website for pricing, etc. But you get a sword built just for you...or your wife. Garrett is great to work with, and the product is awesome. I love mine. |
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Post by Charl on Mar 16, 2012 18:27:34 GMT
Well I just received an email from Tony at katana1980, about my query about the tang on the Jian in the ebay link. www.ebay.com.au/itm/250980638558?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649And he was kind enough to pull one apart and take a photo to show me what it looks like under the handle.  I cant see how the whole assembly attaches to the handle, doesnt look like theres as nut at the end or any mekugi. I suppose i can add my own mekugi holes to it for peace of mind?... So all you sword experts out there, whats the verdict on this one?.... |
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Post by HouShe on Mar 18, 2012 1:18:02 GMT
Tell me again why you would want to weaken the structure of a solid, non-welded tang to put holes in it for 'peace of mind'?
The adding of further holes to the structure bothers me immensely, traditional Katana only have one and that's a failsafe because their tang is not fixed at the end of the grip, this tang goes the full length and is fine without damaging it.
That tang looks fine to me. (Unless there is a flaw that can't be seen in the photo).
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Post by Bushido on Mar 18, 2012 1:33:30 GMT
Which sword did you enquire about? When I spoke to them I asked specifically for pictures of their tang design, and even though I received no such pictures they assured me that it was "A full tang to reach the end of the handle". Perhaps not all of their swords (I sure hope not) are rat tails? May be worth asking them specifically about that. My sword is a one of a kind custom with an antiqued design, Sanmai laminated blade with folded sides (T10 core) and blade geometry as per my preferences (slightly thicker, flat diamond, no secondary bevel). I got to choose everything about it that I wanted to specify and trust that they make me an awesome sword. Price for all of this: Just under $300 Of course, I'm still waiting to see if what they deliver is actually worth the money. But it is a custom and a complex blade at that, so if they can pull it off it will be unimaginably good value for money if you ask me! Can't wait to get my hands (or hand rather, seeing as it is a one hander :lol: ) on it, so excited Also, I think HouShe is right. Don't go drilling holes in the tang. A katana tang is quite thick and quite wide. If you start drilling holes in a Jian tang you will severely weaken the structure (due to there not being a lot of material available for removal in the first place...). The tang in the picture is a full tang, so it should be strong enough. and I'm sure it is properly attached to the pommel somehow, even if you can't see the thread in the picture. Perhaps the picture shows a non finished sword before they put it together, and thus the tang has not been threaded or peened yet? |
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Post by Charl on Mar 18, 2012 3:01:31 GMT
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