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Post by Chinook Kaze on Apr 19, 2012 14:53:36 GMT
I'll chime in, for what it is worth. I think the general membership is really trying to look out for you best interest Alan, based on their past impressions of how the company had done business and their general experience with the slew of generic Ebay resellers. I do see Alan's point that no one is reaslly stepping up with first hand experience with Ryan Sword and one of their products. I do recall a review listed here from a year or two ago where one of the memebers had bought two lower end 1060 swords from Ryan Sword, one an Iaido and one a live blade and his impressions were pretty favorable for the money spent. IIRC he seemed to think Ryan Sword had stepped up a bit on the quality of their product. Alan, I think the only way you are going to know for sure what kind of product value and service you will get from Ryan Sword is to step up and take the plunge. I for one would love to see your impression and review if you do decide to purchase the Katana in question.
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Post by wolf_shade on Apr 19, 2012 15:12:23 GMT
The issue here is that the comments are not sanctioned or endorsed by SBG. Paul just opened up the floor and let anyone who felt like it say their piece. So while SBG does attempt to provide as much information that is as accurate as possible what you are looking at there is an open opinion poll. While there are some responses to previous posts, it's not a format (like the forum) where you would expect (or I would go so far as to say, even desire) point and counterpoint or contradiction.
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Post by kasim18 on Apr 19, 2012 16:37:17 GMT
i completely agree that it would be somewhat less reliable than the forum, for the very reasons you just gave, but it should still be considered a reasonably valuable resource simply because each of those people had actual experience with the swords in question
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Post by wolf_shade on Apr 19, 2012 16:55:49 GMT
Certainly a valuable resource. I was more concerned with equating the comments left by the general internet population with the reputation of the SBG site. I was attempting to say that any comment, good or bad, would best be viewed with its source in mind. But you are correct that it is still a valuable resource for feedback.
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Apr 19, 2012 17:01:58 GMT
Well I don't remember much, and I have black spot between 2007 and 2012, as I didn't bother to even look at their products or read any info on them during that time. But one bad sign is when someone sells stuff on Internet auctioning site, account closes down, shortly after that same stuff pops up under a different name. I don't know if it was the bad quality, bad transactions or whatever that made/makes them change the id but I find it disturbing. Here are few old threads, on our friendly neighbour forum: www.swordforum.com/forums/showth ... nsword.com www.swordforum.com/forums/showth ... nese-Forge www.swordforum.com/forums/showth ... boo-Katana There are probably some older ones too, I don't remember them very well as it didn't intrest me that much back then. Some might even have "vanished", if I remember they splitted opinions sometimes. I remember ryansword had some pretty bad feedback as an eBay seller. Products were far from what was promised etc. My info on them may be outdated but after seeing few pics they haven't upped their game, and their products still look about the same to my eye as they were in 06-07, bad. I don't bash products or companies on purpose, and I understand I may have way too harsh criteria for production swords. But having owned some cheap production swords I know there are good ones and bad ones out there. Probably the only way to find your answers would be getting one. Who knows you might love the sword or you might hate it. However every purchase will teach you something, may it be good or bad decision you will know better in the future. Actually the bad decisions will teach you the most.
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 19, 2012 22:53:08 GMT
Im always looking for the next sword....LOL... The ryan sword is one of the few that Im attracted to- But Im not saying "Oh I got to have that one!"In my next sword I hope to get one with a mix of different steels, as shown in the Ryan Swords diagram. I think as I already own swords with normal cloth wrapping on the handle that silk would be a cool thing to have as an add-on on the next sword. I read that longer post with all the quotes, but Im not sure what guy has the sword that is like the one I was looking at? That would be the guy for me to talk to, the rest of em are just making a guess based on a photo and a price tag...LOL I was looking run into someone who owns that type of laminated sword. That could be very helpful to me as I kick around ideas as to what sword is the best fit for me...
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 19, 2012 23:00:06 GMT
I always have to keep in mind that the SBG website is a smaller one, and there is not a lot of traffic here. So this means that it's a shot in the dark as to picking out a sword and then seeing if anyone of the current members actually owns that same sword...
How many swords are for sale right now out of China?.....100s?...1,000?....even more?
I dont have a clue, but I bet there are a lot of sword owners who own a lot of different swords, so it may take me a while and a search of different forums to track down someone who owns a sword Im interested in....
But we got time...
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 19, 2012 23:07:54 GMT
We shall see....
It's still early in the game, and I still got a lot of other swords to look at and run by my friends in my sword class.
Im not qualified to actually review a sword...and Im not really the typical guy who does them reviews. I am in a real sword class....3 years in University Kendo club , and 6 years now in Championship Kumdo, so Im not one of them guys who videos himself trashing his sword on a car door and calling it a "review".
When I make a cut Im corrected not only about cutting the target, but more about the form I show during the whole thing...
I have my T-10 sword out as i write this. I love that sword, but Im not sure how I would say, "It feels real" in a review?
But who knows, perhaps one day....
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 19, 2012 23:18:29 GMT
...It was a very good thing to do, very helpfull to read all the comments.
The only thing is that a lot of the names seem to not be forum members?...or are they all forum members here?
I asking because it would be nice to email a few of the people who posted comments....
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Post by wolf_shade on Apr 20, 2012 13:47:07 GMT
I have two issues with this paragraph. 1) Anyone is qualified to give a review if they can experss their thoughts and impressions on a sword in an understandable manner. That's all a review is, "I have this opinion on this sword for these reasons." There are certainly better reviews and worse reviews, but if you had to have written 200 sword reviews to be qualified to write a sword review... 2) Including the statement about trashing a sword on a car door is a serious disservice to a number of the reviewers, and some of the specific reviews, that have been done by members on the forum. Essentially you've just said that anyone who does a review, or a destructive test, is the same as the people in the "swords are not toys" videos.
No, they are not all forum members here. Forum members tend to post reviews of their swords here. The majority of those are likely people who either read SBG but not the forums, or who did a google search for Ryansword review and found that site. The only way to get the e-mail address for one would be if they left it in their message (a few did).
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Post by kasim18 on Apr 20, 2012 17:21:33 GMT
I don't think the door smashing was meant to offend any member of the forum, in 'destroying the deuce' on zombie tools, that is exactly what they did
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Post by DMikeM on Apr 20, 2012 22:12:11 GMT
Kumdoalan, just buy one. Use a CC with buyers protection or use PayPal with buyers protection. You could also make a deal with the vendor. Email him, tell him you are interested but have much trepidation due to non-buyer feedback. Tell him you want to test the sword and have him agree to a contract that stats you can return for refund for any or no reason whatsoever. And if his sword is good then you can be the one to dispel all the bad feedback regarding his product. I have been looking at the swords on his website for a week or 2 now and am impressed with the videos and words he uses but those could be someone elses swords and he could be lying.
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Sam H
Member
Posts: 1,099
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Post by Sam H on Apr 21, 2012 0:00:18 GMT
Kumdoalan,
After having read this thread in whole I have come to a conclusion based on the original premise of this thread... and first I'll give you my observations that I based my conclusion on:
1. You started a thread asking people to chime in on whether a sword is "Cool or Crap"
2. You have thus far ONLY posted listings by Ryansword from Ebay.
3. When people say its crap you are always the first to come forth to defend the swords and the company.
4. You've tried very hard to try and make what people have opined as being nothing more than conjecture and worthless.
5. You've challenged only people who own this same sword or similar type of sword to answer now.
6. You've listed your martial arts credentials (or at least what you make of them) and then stated you are in fact looking for a sword despite what you'd earlier posted stating you were NOT looking for anything.
7. You've come to a forum of sword enthusiasts - populated by both veteran and novice sword owners, users and collectors - and asked for opinions.
8. You have apparently NOT gotten an answer you've been happy with thus far.
9. You've gone so far as to say (in not so many words) that you don't trust the opinions of members of this forum.
10. While its your god given right not to trust the opinions of this forum you SHOULD trust your teacher who thus far you've made no mention of consulting about a sword. Kumdo practitioners prefer a different geometry than kenjutsu and iaido practitioners... and kendo practioners do not use real swords.
So after these ten points I've come to conclude that this whole thread thus far is CRAP. Others have said it and I'll say the same - since you've gone to such lengths to defend the sword in question and the company then put your money where your mouth is. Buy the sword, put it through some quantifiable testing, compare it to another sword of the same price point that has gone through the same or similar testing and finally give us the unadulterated results to either prove the general opinion of the forum to be truly wrong or capitulate and admit that the forum was correct.
Really though if you've been in "Championship Kumdo" for 6 years then you really need to talk to your instructor about what sword you should be buying. Why you would come to ask the forum and not your teacher is beyond my understanding... other thoughts come to mind but I'll keep them to myself at this point.
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 21, 2012 2:11:25 GMT
I .....I am thinking it over....
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 21, 2012 2:17:51 GMT
I have written to the guy Ryan, or whoever answers their mail a few times over the last 2 weeks. I have gotten back quick answers to each of my questions. This speaks highly of the seller, in that I feel they do pay close attention to people inquiring about their swords...
But, well....as for the form their answers took?...I think that English is a uphill battle for them.
I got back answers that were nice to receive and were written with a clear spirit of much respect for my questions...but their phrasing and the grammar were a challenge for me to decipher.
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 21, 2012 2:31:01 GMT
I may have also run into that review. I know that I have done of ton of Google searching on this forum for opinions and reviews going back about 3 years.
For the most part Im leaning favorably to getting a Ryan Sword, "Or" the Huwei T-10 non-folded that i was sent a link to yesterday.
They each got a lot going for them...and each have a part that they lack to fulfill what Im (in a very general way), looking for. The more I look around, ask questions, and search for things the more I find that it's hard to beat the Huwei.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Apr 21, 2012 2:56:13 GMT
I know that it probably seems as though many of us have blindly hostile feeling towards Ryansword, but I don't think that's the case. It seemed that for a while there Hauwei had a poor reputation, but then they seemed to step up and word came that they were now making good quality for a good price.
If you really like the look of it, I think that you should get it as that's the most important thing. You could have a totally rad $1000 sword, but if you don't like it then it was a waste of money. Believe me when I say that most of us would happily eat crow if Ryansword turned the corner and made good quality items for a low price. Low price items are plentiful, but low price/good quality is fairly scarce.
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 21, 2012 4:24:53 GMT
and...one of the worst ads for a sword is - www.ebay.com/itm/clay-tempered-1 ... 19cffd5a0c Its like they dont have a clue how to sell anything to anyone... However I do like the hamon of 1095 steel....always have
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Apr 21, 2012 4:35:58 GMT
1095 makes a very nice hamon. check out this mamjama. This is Joe11Blacks Huanuo forge Penji katana made from 1095.
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Post by Kumdoalan on Apr 21, 2012 4:43:26 GMT
Diapers, cheese and rice!, I could hang my hat on that hamon it stands out so much....
got a link to a seller?
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