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Post by Rob Dorsey on Nov 14, 2012 4:18:14 GMT
Yeah, yeah, yeah - nag, nag, bloody nag; I 'll make some pix tomorrow for ya, Cobb'r. I hope you'll be able to see what I have done with my time. It's been a load of work and all for you, my friend. Wink, wink, nod, nod,know what I mean?
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Nov 14, 2012 5:16:45 GMT
Of course! one must be able to point and say "They made me do it!" You might remember the replacement Raptor Wak - Well I have been sharpening while watching movies on my computer- it has gone from Sharp to Really Sharp, now I'm trying for "ouch! that's sharp!"
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Post by Svadilfari on Nov 14, 2012 5:25:43 GMT
Forgive me for this question - you say this is a pre-production , prototype -- correct ? Is it possible that it's just a work-in -progress, and has not been finished to normal standards ?
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Nov 14, 2012 5:31:12 GMT
Rob's original comment went thus....
"I very recently took possession of one of the semi-prototypical Cheness O-Katana having a 33" blade and made of 9269 through hardened steel" And "The sword was shipped out of Cheness's San Diego facility and was in stock so it came quickly."
So there is no excuse for the poor workmanship, indeed you would expect a greater level of inspection on such a blade.
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Post by Svadilfari on Nov 14, 2012 5:50:24 GMT
I realise that..I was just curious as to WHY it was classed as such? I mean..is the company in question in the habit of normally shipping blades like that..or were these blades sent out for testing purposes, to see if the testers thought they'd be a commercially suitable product ? I note that Rob stated he 'took possession" of the sword..not that he purchased it. Maybe he did, and that's just the way he expressed himself. But thats one reason I was thinking maybe he was 'testing" it.. If I'm wrong..I apologise.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Nov 14, 2012 6:26:29 GMT
From what I've found, the Cheness O-Katana "prototype/pre-production" isn't even that anymore. It's been in "prototype/pre-production" since 2008. They just are either too lazy to update their website, or what's being sold now are remaining stock of that first "test run" from 2008. When 9260 was a pioneering novelty, it was probably worth the prices they charge for it. But now you can get Hua Wei and ST-Nihonto versions of the Cheness Tenchi for under $150 (and that's with shipping from China already included).
The extra $120 or so you pay for a Cheness goes into probably the best fitting production sword saya fit. Both my former SGC and whatever Cheness adrian.jordan has, have absolutely no rattle, even when held under the kurikata and shaken hard.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Nov 14, 2012 6:58:21 GMT
I fairly sure Rob paid full price and expected "full price quality"
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Post by Svadilfari on Nov 14, 2012 20:38:33 GMT
MyY apologies to all..I hadn't realised how long this blade had been available. So yes..Rob should have recieved a much better finished blade.
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Post by Rob Dorsey on Nov 15, 2012 17:38:26 GMT
Ya durn danged tootin right I should have received a better blade. And, now adding injury to the insult, I can take pictures only of the polish as it stands right now, not as it was. My time machine is on the blink.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Nov 15, 2012 18:28:24 GMT
You bought two, just take a picture of the one that you haven't messed around with yet.
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Post by Rob Dorsey on Nov 16, 2012 16:32:52 GMT
BRILLIANT! Ocassionally my way of thinking hinders rather than helps. Being overly literal made me only think of the sword in question. I'll proceed as suggested although the shirasaya blade is the better of the two. I'm going to polish it and dress it nicely.
In other business: I have received my two swords from Hauwei. They are quite nice and the nicer of the two, a T10, clay hardened blade with 1.5" sori is mopre than nice. It is miraculous. The tsuka is full wrapped with same and has real silk tsuka-ito. The feel is plumb luxurious. And the 1.5" sori, and I love large sori, should make it cut like a hot knife...yadda-yadda.
All on that subject for now, I'll report on it and the little Musashi 9260 ($99) that came with it in another thread. Look for it. Out Here Havin' Fun, Rob
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Post by Rob Dorsey on Nov 17, 2012 3:58:29 GMT
At risk of continuing to hijack my own thread, This large sori katana mentioned above is a lovely thing to behold. It has the Chinese rosewood saya with black on black tsuka and my favorite tsuba in a mantis theme. The hamon nioi line is bright white and chrystal sharp.
It strongly has the appearance of a tachi rather than a katana due solely to its extreme sori. On the stand it maintains the tachi masquerade with that striking visual presence the tachi has when displayed edge up, the kojiri and kashira drooping as if the whole were somehow melting. I like it.
Likewise in the hands the tachi illusion persists except, of course, for the nagasa. Mine has a 29" where a medium tachi would offer a nagasa of 34 or 35 inches. A truly impressive beast to wield in combat I would guess.
Thus Endeth the Hijack, Rob
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Nov 17, 2012 4:16:33 GMT
Still waiting for those pics
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Nov 17, 2012 4:29:37 GMT
Yeah, Hua Wei is the best of the eBay forges when it comes to the crafting quality. I think they're going to become bigger when the word about them spreads more often. They're already not answering my requests for custom work, they must be so busy with more expensive custom requests.
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Post by Rob Dorsey on Nov 17, 2012 18:53:20 GMT
I must say, I am very impressed. Truly excellent attention to detail and on a par with Friend Yao's stuff. HauWei seems to have chosen to go plain but well done rather than the earmark uber-bling style of a Longquan wall hanger. Paul seems to have found a good one there as well (I said hopefully having sunk $400 into one of his blades) - who knows, they may all be the same.
On the subject of the SBG Custom Katana, have any of you lot actually seen and handled one of Paul's swords? I am putting quite a bit of faith into the purchase and admittedly, it is somewhat of a pig in a poke now ain't it? One cheezy little picture and the usual verbiage does make buying it a leap of faith, which is most unlike me. I tend to be much more of a calculated type and generally have no faith upon which to leap. Fact is, re-reading the description, I expect to receive - in three months, and they call that fast? - pretty much an average kat, hopefully nicely turned out, somewhere near my requested specs and decently forged.
But, anybody seen one?? ( Palms getting a bit sweaty when I think that I may have paid $400 for a $200 sword). No aspersions cast on Squire Paul but...what the hell, life's an adventure anyway. Get some!
Thus Endeth the Whining, Rob
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Nov 19, 2012 13:37:42 GMT
I have yet to see one, I hope to see one in a few weeks from the previous batch.
As an aside the Windlass Henry VIII arrived today, there are upsides and downsides, one of the downsides is ripples in the blade, it looks like a babbling brook! I'm going to try to get some photo's that highlight that aspect.
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Post by Rob Dorsey on Nov 19, 2012 17:28:23 GMT
This precisely the problem with the Cheness blades, ripples. By any chance, is the steel in your sword 9260?
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Nov 20, 2012 5:13:22 GMT
I don't think so, the blurb says - The tangs are actual full tangs, not the typical rat tail that are found in most decorative swords. The high quality blades are hand forged, tempered for strength and with a polished finished. High-carbon steel
That being said whoever beat the crap out of the blade must have had a massive hangover, or the MRL "deal of the day" are seconds. :lol:
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Post by Lobster Hunter on Nov 20, 2012 10:45:06 GMT
I had one for awhile. It had a real beefy blade with a beautiful looking hamon and geometric yokote. The quality of the fittings and overall fit and finish was so-so. I really liked the way it handled, actually. A bit tip heavy and authoritative but not sluggish. In my opinion, you're basically getting a $275 sword for $330. The extra cost is for the custom options, which would end up costing you a lot more if you customized it yourself to your taste.
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Post by Rob Dorsey on Nov 20, 2012 20:10:42 GMT
Thanks for the input but a $330 sword? Try $380 or at least $379.99 on my PayPal.
Don't mind making a donation but would like to have it recognized as such. Given the descrepancy, if it is not merely a nice sword packaged in a donation friend Paul is being taken for a Chinese sleigh ride. Not surprised they make nice for him when he's in town. He should have gotten a...no, no, it's a family show and besides, we don't know that he didn't. :mrgreen:
If you are a first time reader you may not have gathered yet that I am an iveterate cynic albiet a humerous one at times. I hope that my grousing will not put you off looking up my other stuff round here abouts. Some of it's decent work. RD
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