Hanbon Swords Folded Katana ("eBay Forges," Part 1)
Sept 27, 2012 7:21:09 GMT
Post by Kuya on Sept 27, 2012 7:21:09 GMT
Introduction
After seeing so many new people ask and post about eBay sellers, I decided to do a head to head comparison from the three most frequently asked about during my short time here: Hua Wei, ST-Swords (AKA ST-Nihonto), and another seller that goes by multiple accounts (SwordMaker688, SwordSmith668, KnightSwords) named "Yao" that has his own website named "Hanbon Swords." I am not a rich person, so I decided to keep the price range under $250, which is an expected price for a decent functional starter katana that isn't your plain super cheap beater. This sword was the cheapest of the three purchased, coming in at a bargain $213.27!
Full Disclosure
I'm a rookie when it comes to the sword scene. This review may not agree with the majority of established veteran sword enthusiasts. I don't get free swords sent to me, so my reviews are from a more realistic buyer's viewpoint. Although, a very special thanks to Marc Kaden Ridgeway for offering to let me borrow his Hua Wei, so I wouldn't have to spend so much money! Unfortunately, that sword's price was out of the target price range, and I didn't think it would be fair to compare it with swords that were 20-25% cheaper. Still, it was an incredibly kind gesture.
Initial Impressions
The sword came in the really old type of environmentally unfriendly polystyrene foam ("Styrofoam") that breaks a part easily when struck or rubbed against and "sticks" on everything. Every sword from the "eBay Forges" I ordered for this review came in teh same exact style of packaging. Polystyrene wrapped in layers of yellow packing tape. If you order a sword from a eBay Forge, open it outside or in your garage or somewhere where you won't mind getting bits and pieces of polystyrene foam everywhere.
After opening the package, I noticed something that didn't come with the other eBay swords. A greeting card was included, thanking me for my purchase... some funky Chinese currency (probably worth a nickel or less). I thought it was a nice touch.
As I do with every sword I get my hands on... just in case... I held it aloft and said, "By the power of Gray Skull, I have the power!"
Fabulous secrets were still not revealed to me, and neither I, nor my bunny rabbit, went through magical transformations. I did have to "He-Man" it out of the saya, though. The sword was in there really tight, too tight. I could not push the sword out with my thumb, and I fancy myself to be a decently strong person. After I got the sword out, and took off the protective plastic covering the blade had on it, I put it back in to see how it fit. It had the same problem with the first ST-Nihonto sword had. There was resistance going in before the saya got to the habaki. Pulling it back out again was just as difficult as the first time, the saya was still way too tight even after the layers of protective plastic were removed from the blade. Other than that, everything else looked and felt OK from a quick initial impression.
Statistics
Blade Geometry: Shinogi Zukuri
Overall Length (without saya): ~99.8 cm, ~39.3"
Nagasa Length: ~69.2 cm, ~27.2"
Handle Length: ~27.7 cm, ~10.9"
Blade Material: 1060 Carbon Steel
Tsuba: Silver/Gray Colored Alloy (originally iron/steel)
Fuchi/Kashira: Silver/Gray Colored Alloy (originally iron/steel)
Menuki: Silver/Gray Colored Alloy (originally brass)
Blade Width (at Habaki): ~32 mm, ~1.25"
Blade Width (at Kissaki): ~23 mm, ~0.9"
Blade Thickness (at Habaki): ~6 mm, ~0.24"
Blade Thickness (at Kissaki): ~ 5 mm, ~0.20"
Weight (without Saya): ~0.975 kg, ~2.15 lbs
Point of Balance: ~14.5 cm, ~5.7"
The weight on both my scales kept fluctuating as 2.1 and 2.2 lbs. I couldn't get a majority measurement as it literally was nearly 50/50 on the measurement readings. So I just compromised and put it as ~2.15 lbs.
The Blade
Looks really nice. Folded steel pattern is very visible, and the hamon can be seen easily when looking for it and continues into the kissaki. The folds probably what people want most when buying swords with this feature, as it's really not needed anymore with modern steels. It delivers on that front. They look very pleasing and add visual flair to an otherwise boring and plain shinogi blade shape/design.
Sorry for the bright flash, but it was the easiest way for me to get the folded patterns to pop out.
Cross polish on the kissaki is great and even with the polish on the rest of the blade. I like that feature very much, because when it looks like they stopped one or two grit "sizes" early like on many other katanas, it really irks me. Curvature of the blade is a little bit more than what I've seen on some other katanas, but not as pronounced as it is on a Kris Cutlery 26/29. I would classify the niku as "medium," using a Kris Cutlery 26/29 as the "heavy/fat" end of the spectrum, while an H.S.T.S Budo and my memory of a Munetoshi Mokko are the "light/skinny" end.
The habaki isn't fit on as well as I'd like, and has big gaps and the ha isn't centered in its notch. I did have it changed from the gaudy "giraffe" patterned habaki to a plain brass one, but it should still fit better at this price range, since the sub-$200 Munetoshi had a very tightly fit (around the blade) habaki. While I thought that it having a "curved top" was nice, and I do prefer it over the flat tops, I found that every one of the "budget eBay" swords for the comparison came with a curved top habaki. Seems it's not that rare and "premium" anymore.
Overall, though, the blade is a beauty.
The Handle
Dark blue (almost black) synthetic silk ito over black samegawa panels. I noticed that the panels were very wide and covered a good deal of wood, extending rather far into the area covered by the ito. There are no paper triangle reinforcement things in the ito folds/twists, but that really isn't expected in the sub-$250 arena. Original fuchi and kashira were iron/steel, but I opted to change them to an alloy construction, because they were what the design I wanted came in.
Big even diamonds and alternating crossovers are nice, but the wrapping isn't super tight. It doesn't move while doing light dry swings, and it's still all in place after the test cutting I've done, but if I wanted to, I could easily move it about at the crossover areas where the sticky paper on the ha/mune "sides" aren't holding things still. The end knots are also not as clean as others I've had/seen. I'm not sure if it's an issue, but I think the start/end of the ito wrap is also reversed. When carried blade up, the solid band of ito isn't facing outward, it's the "open half diamond." I personally don't mind this, because I like displaying and carrying blade down like a tachi.
It looks like the mekugi were filed/ground down after being installed, and there's a little bit of samegawa casualty if you look really close around the edges of the pegs. But it's so minor and slight that you can't see it until you start looking right at it at a very close distance. I can't see it at all while holding the sword out at arm's length.
Shape-wise, it's a straight handle with no taper or curve to it. It's not as wide and thick as your "average" handle either. The "sides" where the samegawa panels are also somewhat more flat, giving it less diameter and making it easier for those with smaller hands to hold. For me, it feels just on the side of being too thin. While I like it being thinner in my off-hand, it feels weird in my main-hand. It's like the bottom of a Kris Cutlery handle (which is tapered), but throughout the upper half as well. Below are pictures of the tsuka next to the Hua Wei's that I also bought for comparison. Notice how the Yao/Hanbon's less wide and thinner than the Hua Wei's.
Despite it not being as good a fit for my hands, the less-thick handle is not a flaw or "wrong" in any way. In a way, it's rather aesthetically pleasing to the eye to have the handle not be so much wider than the blade and habaki. Would have been nice to be curved like the Hua Wei's, though.
The Guard
The original tsuba on the sword's eBay auction listing was iron, but I didn't like the design and opted to have it changed to a different theme. The tsuba I chose was an alloy phoenix design that was solid and didn't have the dagger/hairpin utility holes, and the "blank" areas of the canvas weren't hollow. I really really like the tsuba, fuchi, and kashira, even though they're made of an alloy that's "taboo" amongst "serious/hardcore" collectors. The raised surface of the design is quite high and substantial, it also has a lot of depth. It's very 3D, and has a pleasant design style. The phoenix looks graceful and not out to kill you, rather than rough and angry like I've seen on other hawk/crane/phoenix designs. The "blank" areas of the koshirae surfaces also have the same texture to them, so that was also a very big plus for me, as I've seen too many "sets" that have textured surfaces on some pieces, while other pieces of the set are smooth.
Another reason I chose the tsuba and koshirae is that the color was a nice medium/dark silver gray color. I wanted something that wasn't black or dirty brown like so so so so SO many other tsuba/koshirae. The finish and color of the metal is great, it's not too shiny, and it's not all old and junky looking. It's like that nice darker silver on more expensive and classy cars than that really light and bland silver most cars come with. The stuff is light too! I think that may have helped with the sword's feel and handling. This sword came in at ~6% less weight than what the original auction listed at.
The design on the tsuba is meant for the sword to be held/displayed face-down, however. If carried or displayed in the blade-up fashion, the phoenix is upside down.
The Scabbard
Too tight, WAY too tight. As I said in the Initial Impressions section, I could not push it out of the saya with my thumb no matter how hard I pushed, and I had to really muscle it out. The last coupe of inches or so of blade, like the first sword I received from ST-Nihonto, rubbed against the saya and there was resistance when sheathing the sword before the koiguchi touched the habaki. The upside to this insanely tight fit? No saya rattle no matter where I hold it and how hard I shake it, and it won't come out when turned upside down.
The color and finish I chose was the dark blue with metallic flecks (glitter). When looked at with the right angle of light, there's an "indented" dip that streaks along one of the sides. The sageo is also not made of what I"m used to seeing sageos made out of. It's the same material as the ito.
Handling Characteristics
"Normal" is the best way I can describe the balance and handling characteristics of the sword. It's lightweight when carried, and easy to swing and recover from, but not quite as agile as a KC 26-A. The sword does have a bit more blade presence (that's the positive way of saying "blade heavy") than a KC 26-A and Munetoshi Mokko, but that's not saying much as both those swords aren't blade heavy at all. I think that if this sword had a bo-hi, it would be more agile than them. Unfortunately, it seems that the Yao/Hanbon Forge doesn't have the capability to make good looking bo-hi termination.
Test Cutting
First target was a 2-liter soda bottle. It cut through... obviously. And I was able to cut another part of the bottom half of the bottle after refilling it with water.
Second target was a single roll 36" x 60" beach mat rolled along the 60" length to make the roll 36" tall and as thick as possible. The sword sailed through with no problems, and no drag to pull or knock the stand over.
Third target was a double roll of 36" x 60" beach mats rolled the same direction for thickness as the single roll beach mat. It was able to cut through most of the time, but had a few failures when trying for "pickle/cucumber slices" and there wasn't much mat above the blade's target area.
Final target was the Sunday New York Times w/ Advertisements soaked and rolled up. Made it through every time with mild shock/resistance. One of the cuts did have enough drag to bring knock the stand over, but the newspaper roll was still cut through.
Conclusions
Pros
+ Very good looking blade.
+ Evenly polished kissaki.
+ Nicely balanced.
+ Great price.
+ Tons of free customization choices.
+ Really personal customer service.
Cons
- Saya came WAY too tight.
- Ito was wrapped incorrectly.
- Habaki fit has huge gaps.
You get a lot of the "catch-phrase" goodies (folded, differentially hardened, etc.) for a really low price, and it looks really good. Yao/Hanbon Sword also has a lot of options for the fittings (over 120 tsubas!) and themes, and they will let you mix and match them however you like. I had a somewhat complicated mix and match, and I changed just about everything possible on the base-sword's fittings and colors, and they got all the requested changes 100% correct. It looks good, it cuts well, and isn't prohibitively expensive. For the price it's a good sword. But if they only made sure everything fit better, it would be a great sword!
The Bottom Line
It's a good sword for the money, and the personal touches the company representatives make in the buying experience is leaps and bounds above the other eBay forges. It makes you feel that this company cares, and wants your repeat business. Compared to Hua Wei's style, where they know they'll get more sales anyway, so once they're done with you... it doesn't matter to them if you come back. I would buy from this seller again. You get so much flash and variety for so little money.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Rating w/out Personal Service: 3 out of 5 stars.
Comparison Conclusion
With these "eBay Forges," you get what you pay for. They don't seem to be as bad as others make them out to be, but if you aren't willing to spend a lot of money, you can't really expect perfection and excellence in the katana scene. Each forge/brand had their ups and downs, excelling in certain things and failing in others. I've come to the following conclusions regarding these three forges compared to each other.
If you want more flash for your buck, I would go with Hanbon Swords for katana that are aesthetically pleasing and still work well in cutting. They have a lot of theme and tsuba choices, and they offer the catchphrase goodies (Differentially Hardened, Folded Steel, etc.) for less. For . Their customer relations are also on another level compared to the other two forges.
If you want more quality in construction, and are willing to pay for it, go with Hua Wei. They are (currently) the only of the three that can do proper termination on bo-hi, and with the right communication, they can make you a quality custom blade if you want something different than what they have in stock.
If you want something unique and different, I would go with ST-Swords. They have all kinds of different blade styles available without having to do a custom order. They also have some fittings that aren't available with the other two forges (black habaki, handachi/hondachi style, white frosted/webbed/silver-polished koshirai, etc.) and if you browse their "higher end" they have a LOT more saya choices, and some of them are really nice looking. My luck with their saya fit was abysmal, though. ST-Swords also had very good customer service, but unfortunately the mistakes weighed them down. To me, their blade quality is as good as Hua Wei's (if not a tiny bit better, but their bo-hi can't touch Hua Wei's), but the fit and finish on everything else wasn't quite up to par.
When taking into account what I have observed the community and new people inquiring about the eBay forges want, the overall winner in this comparison is Hua Wei. They're not as good looking, and they cost more, but they seem to be put together better and people in this price range and new to the scene want something to cut with. However, out of the three swords, I'm only keeping the one from Hanbon Swords. That sounds like a win to me too.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
After seeing so many new people ask and post about eBay sellers, I decided to do a head to head comparison from the three most frequently asked about during my short time here: Hua Wei, ST-Swords (AKA ST-Nihonto), and another seller that goes by multiple accounts (SwordMaker688, SwordSmith668, KnightSwords) named "Yao" that has his own website named "Hanbon Swords." I am not a rich person, so I decided to keep the price range under $250, which is an expected price for a decent functional starter katana that isn't your plain super cheap beater. This sword was the cheapest of the three purchased, coming in at a bargain $213.27!
Full Disclosure
I'm a rookie when it comes to the sword scene. This review may not agree with the majority of established veteran sword enthusiasts. I don't get free swords sent to me, so my reviews are from a more realistic buyer's viewpoint. Although, a very special thanks to Marc Kaden Ridgeway for offering to let me borrow his Hua Wei, so I wouldn't have to spend so much money! Unfortunately, that sword's price was out of the target price range, and I didn't think it would be fair to compare it with swords that were 20-25% cheaper. Still, it was an incredibly kind gesture.
Initial Impressions
The sword came in the really old type of environmentally unfriendly polystyrene foam ("Styrofoam") that breaks a part easily when struck or rubbed against and "sticks" on everything. Every sword from the "eBay Forges" I ordered for this review came in teh same exact style of packaging. Polystyrene wrapped in layers of yellow packing tape. If you order a sword from a eBay Forge, open it outside or in your garage or somewhere where you won't mind getting bits and pieces of polystyrene foam everywhere.
After opening the package, I noticed something that didn't come with the other eBay swords. A greeting card was included, thanking me for my purchase... some funky Chinese currency (probably worth a nickel or less). I thought it was a nice touch.
As I do with every sword I get my hands on... just in case... I held it aloft and said, "By the power of Gray Skull, I have the power!"
Fabulous secrets were still not revealed to me, and neither I, nor my bunny rabbit, went through magical transformations. I did have to "He-Man" it out of the saya, though. The sword was in there really tight, too tight. I could not push the sword out with my thumb, and I fancy myself to be a decently strong person. After I got the sword out, and took off the protective plastic covering the blade had on it, I put it back in to see how it fit. It had the same problem with the first ST-Nihonto sword had. There was resistance going in before the saya got to the habaki. Pulling it back out again was just as difficult as the first time, the saya was still way too tight even after the layers of protective plastic were removed from the blade. Other than that, everything else looked and felt OK from a quick initial impression.
Statistics
Blade Geometry: Shinogi Zukuri
Overall Length (without saya): ~99.8 cm, ~39.3"
Nagasa Length: ~69.2 cm, ~27.2"
Handle Length: ~27.7 cm, ~10.9"
Blade Material: 1060 Carbon Steel
Tsuba: Silver/Gray Colored Alloy (originally iron/steel)
Fuchi/Kashira: Silver/Gray Colored Alloy (originally iron/steel)
Menuki: Silver/Gray Colored Alloy (originally brass)
Blade Width (at Habaki): ~32 mm, ~1.25"
Blade Width (at Kissaki): ~23 mm, ~0.9"
Blade Thickness (at Habaki): ~6 mm, ~0.24"
Blade Thickness (at Kissaki): ~ 5 mm, ~0.20"
Weight (without Saya): ~0.975 kg, ~2.15 lbs
Point of Balance: ~14.5 cm, ~5.7"
The weight on both my scales kept fluctuating as 2.1 and 2.2 lbs. I couldn't get a majority measurement as it literally was nearly 50/50 on the measurement readings. So I just compromised and put it as ~2.15 lbs.
The Blade
Looks really nice. Folded steel pattern is very visible, and the hamon can be seen easily when looking for it and continues into the kissaki. The folds probably what people want most when buying swords with this feature, as it's really not needed anymore with modern steels. It delivers on that front. They look very pleasing and add visual flair to an otherwise boring and plain shinogi blade shape/design.
Sorry for the bright flash, but it was the easiest way for me to get the folded patterns to pop out.
Cross polish on the kissaki is great and even with the polish on the rest of the blade. I like that feature very much, because when it looks like they stopped one or two grit "sizes" early like on many other katanas, it really irks me. Curvature of the blade is a little bit more than what I've seen on some other katanas, but not as pronounced as it is on a Kris Cutlery 26/29. I would classify the niku as "medium," using a Kris Cutlery 26/29 as the "heavy/fat" end of the spectrum, while an H.S.T.S Budo and my memory of a Munetoshi Mokko are the "light/skinny" end.
The habaki isn't fit on as well as I'd like, and has big gaps and the ha isn't centered in its notch. I did have it changed from the gaudy "giraffe" patterned habaki to a plain brass one, but it should still fit better at this price range, since the sub-$200 Munetoshi had a very tightly fit (around the blade) habaki. While I thought that it having a "curved top" was nice, and I do prefer it over the flat tops, I found that every one of the "budget eBay" swords for the comparison came with a curved top habaki. Seems it's not that rare and "premium" anymore.
Overall, though, the blade is a beauty.
The Handle
Dark blue (almost black) synthetic silk ito over black samegawa panels. I noticed that the panels were very wide and covered a good deal of wood, extending rather far into the area covered by the ito. There are no paper triangle reinforcement things in the ito folds/twists, but that really isn't expected in the sub-$250 arena. Original fuchi and kashira were iron/steel, but I opted to change them to an alloy construction, because they were what the design I wanted came in.
Big even diamonds and alternating crossovers are nice, but the wrapping isn't super tight. It doesn't move while doing light dry swings, and it's still all in place after the test cutting I've done, but if I wanted to, I could easily move it about at the crossover areas where the sticky paper on the ha/mune "sides" aren't holding things still. The end knots are also not as clean as others I've had/seen. I'm not sure if it's an issue, but I think the start/end of the ito wrap is also reversed. When carried blade up, the solid band of ito isn't facing outward, it's the "open half diamond." I personally don't mind this, because I like displaying and carrying blade down like a tachi.
It looks like the mekugi were filed/ground down after being installed, and there's a little bit of samegawa casualty if you look really close around the edges of the pegs. But it's so minor and slight that you can't see it until you start looking right at it at a very close distance. I can't see it at all while holding the sword out at arm's length.
Shape-wise, it's a straight handle with no taper or curve to it. It's not as wide and thick as your "average" handle either. The "sides" where the samegawa panels are also somewhat more flat, giving it less diameter and making it easier for those with smaller hands to hold. For me, it feels just on the side of being too thin. While I like it being thinner in my off-hand, it feels weird in my main-hand. It's like the bottom of a Kris Cutlery handle (which is tapered), but throughout the upper half as well. Below are pictures of the tsuka next to the Hua Wei's that I also bought for comparison. Notice how the Yao/Hanbon's less wide and thinner than the Hua Wei's.
Despite it not being as good a fit for my hands, the less-thick handle is not a flaw or "wrong" in any way. In a way, it's rather aesthetically pleasing to the eye to have the handle not be so much wider than the blade and habaki. Would have been nice to be curved like the Hua Wei's, though.
The Guard
The original tsuba on the sword's eBay auction listing was iron, but I didn't like the design and opted to have it changed to a different theme. The tsuba I chose was an alloy phoenix design that was solid and didn't have the dagger/hairpin utility holes, and the "blank" areas of the canvas weren't hollow. I really really like the tsuba, fuchi, and kashira, even though they're made of an alloy that's "taboo" amongst "serious/hardcore" collectors. The raised surface of the design is quite high and substantial, it also has a lot of depth. It's very 3D, and has a pleasant design style. The phoenix looks graceful and not out to kill you, rather than rough and angry like I've seen on other hawk/crane/phoenix designs. The "blank" areas of the koshirae surfaces also have the same texture to them, so that was also a very big plus for me, as I've seen too many "sets" that have textured surfaces on some pieces, while other pieces of the set are smooth.
Another reason I chose the tsuba and koshirae is that the color was a nice medium/dark silver gray color. I wanted something that wasn't black or dirty brown like so so so so SO many other tsuba/koshirae. The finish and color of the metal is great, it's not too shiny, and it's not all old and junky looking. It's like that nice darker silver on more expensive and classy cars than that really light and bland silver most cars come with. The stuff is light too! I think that may have helped with the sword's feel and handling. This sword came in at ~6% less weight than what the original auction listed at.
The design on the tsuba is meant for the sword to be held/displayed face-down, however. If carried or displayed in the blade-up fashion, the phoenix is upside down.
The Scabbard
Too tight, WAY too tight. As I said in the Initial Impressions section, I could not push it out of the saya with my thumb no matter how hard I pushed, and I had to really muscle it out. The last coupe of inches or so of blade, like the first sword I received from ST-Nihonto, rubbed against the saya and there was resistance when sheathing the sword before the koiguchi touched the habaki. The upside to this insanely tight fit? No saya rattle no matter where I hold it and how hard I shake it, and it won't come out when turned upside down.
The color and finish I chose was the dark blue with metallic flecks (glitter). When looked at with the right angle of light, there's an "indented" dip that streaks along one of the sides. The sageo is also not made of what I"m used to seeing sageos made out of. It's the same material as the ito.
Handling Characteristics
"Normal" is the best way I can describe the balance and handling characteristics of the sword. It's lightweight when carried, and easy to swing and recover from, but not quite as agile as a KC 26-A. The sword does have a bit more blade presence (that's the positive way of saying "blade heavy") than a KC 26-A and Munetoshi Mokko, but that's not saying much as both those swords aren't blade heavy at all. I think that if this sword had a bo-hi, it would be more agile than them. Unfortunately, it seems that the Yao/Hanbon Forge doesn't have the capability to make good looking bo-hi termination.
Test Cutting
First target was a 2-liter soda bottle. It cut through... obviously. And I was able to cut another part of the bottom half of the bottle after refilling it with water.
Second target was a single roll 36" x 60" beach mat rolled along the 60" length to make the roll 36" tall and as thick as possible. The sword sailed through with no problems, and no drag to pull or knock the stand over.
Third target was a double roll of 36" x 60" beach mats rolled the same direction for thickness as the single roll beach mat. It was able to cut through most of the time, but had a few failures when trying for "pickle/cucumber slices" and there wasn't much mat above the blade's target area.
Final target was the Sunday New York Times w/ Advertisements soaked and rolled up. Made it through every time with mild shock/resistance. One of the cuts did have enough drag to bring knock the stand over, but the newspaper roll was still cut through.
Conclusions
Pros
+ Very good looking blade.
+ Evenly polished kissaki.
+ Nicely balanced.
+ Great price.
+ Tons of free customization choices.
+ Really personal customer service.
Cons
- Saya came WAY too tight.
- Ito was wrapped incorrectly.
- Habaki fit has huge gaps.
You get a lot of the "catch-phrase" goodies (folded, differentially hardened, etc.) for a really low price, and it looks really good. Yao/Hanbon Sword also has a lot of options for the fittings (over 120 tsubas!) and themes, and they will let you mix and match them however you like. I had a somewhat complicated mix and match, and I changed just about everything possible on the base-sword's fittings and colors, and they got all the requested changes 100% correct. It looks good, it cuts well, and isn't prohibitively expensive. For the price it's a good sword. But if they only made sure everything fit better, it would be a great sword!
The Bottom Line
It's a good sword for the money, and the personal touches the company representatives make in the buying experience is leaps and bounds above the other eBay forges. It makes you feel that this company cares, and wants your repeat business. Compared to Hua Wei's style, where they know they'll get more sales anyway, so once they're done with you... it doesn't matter to them if you come back. I would buy from this seller again. You get so much flash and variety for so little money.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Rating w/out Personal Service: 3 out of 5 stars.
Comparison Conclusion
With these "eBay Forges," you get what you pay for. They don't seem to be as bad as others make them out to be, but if you aren't willing to spend a lot of money, you can't really expect perfection and excellence in the katana scene. Each forge/brand had their ups and downs, excelling in certain things and failing in others. I've come to the following conclusions regarding these three forges compared to each other.
If you want more flash for your buck, I would go with Hanbon Swords for katana that are aesthetically pleasing and still work well in cutting. They have a lot of theme and tsuba choices, and they offer the catchphrase goodies (Differentially Hardened, Folded Steel, etc.) for less. For . Their customer relations are also on another level compared to the other two forges.
If you want more quality in construction, and are willing to pay for it, go with Hua Wei. They are (currently) the only of the three that can do proper termination on bo-hi, and with the right communication, they can make you a quality custom blade if you want something different than what they have in stock.
If you want something unique and different, I would go with ST-Swords. They have all kinds of different blade styles available without having to do a custom order. They also have some fittings that aren't available with the other two forges (black habaki, handachi/hondachi style, white frosted/webbed/silver-polished koshirai, etc.) and if you browse their "higher end" they have a LOT more saya choices, and some of them are really nice looking. My luck with their saya fit was abysmal, though. ST-Swords also had very good customer service, but unfortunately the mistakes weighed them down. To me, their blade quality is as good as Hua Wei's (if not a tiny bit better, but their bo-hi can't touch Hua Wei's), but the fit and finish on everything else wasn't quite up to par.
When taking into account what I have observed the community and new people inquiring about the eBay forges want, the overall winner in this comparison is Hua Wei. They're not as good looking, and they cost more, but they seem to be put together better and people in this price range and new to the scene want something to cut with. However, out of the three swords, I'm only keeping the one from Hanbon Swords. That sounds like a win to me too.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3