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Post by Rafael on Feb 21, 2013 14:38:16 GMT
I agree with Auzzie rabbit. Also, besides a disclaimer warning to search the forums for recent threads, the single biggest change that I think would be of benefit would be to indicate on Pauls reviews what year the review was actually made. As a brand-new sword searcher, I ended up on sword buyers guide after being redirected by Google to one of these Cheness reviews. Since it was more or less on the "top" of the site I made the n00b assumption that the reviews were relatively recent. You wouldn't have needed to actually warn me to search more before buying if the date had been included. Thinking it was recent info and judging the source to seem reputable, my search ended there. had I seen 2008 or even 2010 listed on there I would have spent a bit more time looking for more recent info.
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Post by KatanaSS on Feb 21, 2013 17:18:58 GMT
I just bought a Cheness Tenchi Ko Katana about a month ago through the SBG store & it arrived in as-described / expected condition. Meaning what was stated on the Cheness site is what I got without flaws or damage. I think buying from a US vendor might yield more consistent quality as I have read that the vendors will inspect their swords & not accept the ones that are not up to snuff? Maybe buying direct will mean less quality control with what is shipped to the buyer? Just a speculation on my part.
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Post by ninjedi on Feb 21, 2013 19:33:03 GMT
I don't think Cheness is getting a fair shake around here to be honest. I love my Kaze (though it was purchased second hand). I have emailed inquiries Cheness and always received a prompt and courteous reply from Paul Chen.
However, it might not be a bad idea to prominently display the review date for ALL reviews on the site.
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Post by KatanaSS on Feb 24, 2013 1:20:03 GMT
Going along the same thoughts that Rafael had, I too luckily stumbled onto the SBG site when searching for Katana info & found the review giving Cheness a very high rating. I was fortunate to have a nice Cheness purchased through the SBG store even though the review was old & current QC seems to be an issue. I've only been a member for a month but I'd like to suggest to Paul or 2nd in charge of the forum that we maybe have a topic "sticky" regarding current QC & customer service of the sword manufacturers & vendors as experienced by the members making more recent purchases? I think Paul may have many other things he needs to take care of on a daily basis (as we all do) which is a possibility of why lots of info & reviews are a bit dated. If members can contribute their info starting from within the past year, it may stay updated as everyone adds to the topic page & new members can refer to it for recommendations of the best swords & vendors to buy from.
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Post by Ulvbane on Jul 1, 2013 19:37:29 GMT
I think now that this sword is cursed... I handed it in for sharpening at a pleace that specialices in japanese cutlery and that used to sell swords and that I've heard good things about. It was going to take a week. When I came to pick it up three weeks later it was not ready. I accidently swore because this is an hour drive away and I don't really have two hours to waste. Guy was very helpfull and said "I can fix it right now, come back in 20 minutes". I said "Are you sure?". I should have known better. He put a (dont know the right english) quite ugly "second edge" on it, like on an ordinary knife. Close to distroyed. Think I will sell it to some kid ...
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Post by Onimusha on Jul 1, 2013 19:49:34 GMT
Secondary bevel is the word.
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Post by Rafael on Jul 2, 2013 14:59:56 GMT
ugh, that blows. Maybe the way to go is to capitalize on the sword's 'cursed' status. Come up with a engaging origin story for why the sword is cursed (or watch some anime and steal a theme) and then put it on ebay as a +3str +3agi -3cha magical item.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Jul 5, 2013 3:44:36 GMT
Aarrgg - I feel for you, my nephew's sword was not as sharp as expected so I put in an evening polishing the edge, about two movies worth, say 5 hours, gave it a nice appleseed edge that will cut paper all the way along to the point. There are some forum members who may be able to salvage the edge before you hand it off to some kid (who may well swing it around and injure him/her self) If you can take some pictures perhaps we can advise you
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Post by Ulvbane on Jul 5, 2013 12:15:26 GMT
Thanks rabbit. I think there is nothing I can do on my own. The second bevel does not vary mych in angle, I imagine a skilled sharpener could fix it. The problem is finding one, and it might not be worth the cost.
The first thing I will do is actually to test it. It is absolutely razor sharp and I have a bunch of mats just waiting. Maybe it works and then I can live with it. Just have to get around to it.
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Post by shoboshi on Jul 18, 2013 0:51:31 GMT
Unfortunately, none of the issues I've read here are "NEW". I've heard the same complaints for the last five years or so. You can look through old threads on the old-old SBG site on proboards and see these same complaints.
I've seen similar threads about how things were handled by Paul Chen from Cheness from others and even received a few of them myself when I had issues. Honestly, the replies listed on the first page of this post strike me as pretty typical.
The problem is at the time the reviews on the SBG mainsite were made, Cheness was a good deal, but times have changed. The reviews haven't. And people keep buying them.
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Post by MadDogDonnieReed on Jul 18, 2013 1:01:32 GMT
I just bought a Cheness Tenchi. It is fantastic. I also had a good deal of correspondence with Paul Chen. I find him fantastic as well. His replies to me were prompt, and my issues were completely addressed. If Cheness swords used to be better than they are now, whoever got the old ones got a sword worth twice the price... because mine was worth every penny.
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Post by shoboshi on Jul 18, 2013 2:06:43 GMT
Donnie, I'm glad you got a good one and that you are happy with it. Unfortunately, unless I missed something, the concerns you had were not quality issues but concerns over heat treat. You didn't address a problem with Mr Chen, you asked questions and got prompt, satisfying answers.
The OP in this case has quality issues and did not receive satisfaction through his correspondence with Mr Chen. He is left with a sword he is not satisfied with, as you are, and has no way to correct the issue. Doesn't sound right to me.
BTW, have either of you checked your tsuka's for cracks?
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Post by MadDogDonnieReed on Jul 18, 2013 2:19:50 GMT
Yes. My sword is apart right now. I'm removing the fake hammon and polishing the seppa and habaki. No cracks in the tsuka. My correspondence with Mr. Chen was a bit more than the heart treatment question. I will not disclose the entirety of it, but I assure you that Mr. Chen was more than happy to accommodate me. I'm sorry this dude is unhappy with his purchase and did not get satisfaction. Truly. Having said that, due to my interaction with Mr. Chen and the quality of the sword that I received, I felt that I should at least throw my 2 cents into this conversation. Quite a few were willing to condemn the company, so I would appreciate the freedom to give defense. I own a Cheness sword, and I've dealt with Mr. Chen. I am completely satisfied with both.
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Post by johnwalter on Jul 18, 2013 2:24:31 GMT
...what shoboshi said. Donnie I to am glad you are happy and got one that seems good. But its pretty misleading to others and not exactly correct to gauge quality vs price with a first sword or when you have no experience with anything else in its price range.Not trying to give you a hard time but.Inexperienced speculation leads to bad advice and incorrect conclusions.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Jul 18, 2013 2:34:14 GMT
First it is good to see you are happy with your purchase, I don't believe anyone was condemning the company, I have two Cheness swords and bought a third for my nephew, what has been said is Cheness have issues with QC and value for money, -
more -
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Jul 18, 2013 2:44:29 GMT
First it is good to see you are happy with your purchase, I don't believe anyone was condemning the company, I have two Cheness swords and bought a third for my nephew, while this was some time ago and the swords were good at that time what has been said is Cheness have issues with QC and lacks value for money -
Sharpness of the blades as issued has been such a problem that they have stated their position thus;
"The sharpened blades are polished to the degree necessary for tameshigiri and will perform very well in that application. It is NOT sharpened as a razor and you cannot slice paper or shave your hair with it out of the box. (To do so would require a rather minor touch-up on the edge)."
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Post by shoboshi on Jul 18, 2013 2:51:30 GMT
Donnie, again, I'm glad you got a sword you are happy with. In that regard, no one here can argue if you consider your money well spent. It's a subjective matter. Perspective is important. I think my money well spent on a Hanwei Tiger I picked up not long ago, however my wife does not necessarily agree. Doesn't mean either one of us is wrong.
Context is also important. Yours comes from a satisfactory experience. If your tsuka had, in fact, been cracked, and you had received an answer from Mr Chen like what he gave the OP for his problems, would you still be satisfied?
For instance, I bought a bare blade from KC once. There was a portion where the hamon "may" have fallen off the edge. And may not have. I called Cecil, had a pleasant conversation, voiced my concerns and he replaced it free of charge, including shipping both ways. He built trust and ensured a repeat customer. You think the OP here is going to buy from Cheness with confidence again, or with trepidation?
That is the real issue here.
I'm also not saying they are bad blades. Their reputation for toughness is well deserved. At one time, I owned 5 of them. Still own some of them. But there are better blades, as I've stated before.
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Post by MadDogDonnieReed on Jul 18, 2013 7:39:01 GMT
Firstly, you have no idea what my level of experience with ANYTHING is. This is not my first sword. When I ask a question, I do it without imposing previous knowledge. That way I leave the door open to gain more of it. Secondly, if you think your opinion is the only one that matters...then you need to check your ego. I've been spending money for a long time. I know when it's spent well or not. I've been swinging swords for a long time. I know a piece of crap when I hold it. I've disassembled my sword and inspected it quite thoroughly. The blade, although not the best polish job in the world, is perfect. It is straight as a laser beam, sharp as a razor after just the slightest deburring, and is still just as sharp after I cut the holy crap out of all kinds of tree limbs and vines in the backyard. The tsuka is not cracked, and the geometry is the best I've ever felt. It is nice and slim like a 1911 with slim grips. It's not "baseball bat-ish" like some others I've held in the price range. (yeah dude, I've checked out others...surprise) The fuchi and kashira both fit tightly. The ito is as tight as a dolphins butthole, and the menuki don't budge a bit. The Mekugi are tight but not too tight, and nothing rattles. Now, the habaki and seppa have machining marks on them (nothing major), so I polished them a bit with some 600 to 800 to brasso. Took about 5 minutes, and they shine just fine. It honestly sounds to me like this dude didn't do enough research on what he was buying before he bought it, and therefore expected something he didn't buy. I read his correspondence with Mr. Chen, and wholly agree with Mr. Chen. If I owned Cheness, I would have said the exact same things. Why should he pay for what the shippers bent? Why should he be scolded for sending a sword just as sharp as he promised? MAYBE he could have sucked up the $10 to ship dude a new seppa, but ugly or not...it was doing it's job. If I have something to say, you can be DAMN sure that I'll say it. It would also be kind of you to not assume any more things about me, let alone try to tell what to say and not say to anyone. Thanks.
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Jul 18, 2013 8:44:59 GMT
The problem is Cheness issues have been around since the launch of the company in 2005. Over the years people have had a lot of problems with Cheness.
I will say that I'm biased against Cheness, even though I've never owned one. If I could find one at reasonable price (I've seen couple but they sell really fast), I would be willing to give them a go. For me there are just alternatives I'd rather spend my money on.
Sure Cheness blades can be tough as nails, but as a collector I don't really care about ultimate cutting weapon. Pretty much every good production sword in the same price range I've owned has been able to take a lot of cutting without any damage.
Donnie as you've been a member for 10 days, therefore it's hard to know if you've been collecting swords for a month or for 10 years. So please give members some time to get to know you. John most likely didn't mean to offend by his comment.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Jul 18, 2013 10:57:35 GMT
Well no, the sword you mention was as blunt as a butter knife, if you sell a sword as "sharp" then you expect something reasonable.
As for the seppa this is what we a talking about, lack of quality control.
What many people are trying to say is that one the basis of value for $ Cheness is failing to meet customer expectations, people reading these threads will be spending their money elsewhere, a manufacturer of anything rides on their reputation.
If you pay Toyota $ and get Yugo quality people will stop buying, it's simple business 101.
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