|
|
Post by Turok on Jan 30, 2013 7:33:43 GMT
Hey everyone! With a new year, comes a new jian from KOA! Has anyone seen this yet, and what do you guys think? I'm not sure if its a wushu whippy SLO or the real deal...It's marked "battle-ready" but also described as being "flexible?" kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=BB0403&name=Lion%2DDog+JianIf it is a really sharp sword then it's a pretty fair deal! The fittings look like junk though imho, too much zinc like a Chinatown wallhanger :lol:  |
|
|
|
Post by junon on Jan 30, 2013 8:25:31 GMT
Looks decent... don't like the scabbard and zinc fittings though...
Folded steel for that price? Hmmm... It would be nice to look but I would think twice to use it... cutting small bottle might be ok, not sure about more demanding task though...
I don't think this is a wushu floppy thing... It seems to be stiff enough to resemble a real jian
|
|
|
|
Post by Turok on Jan 30, 2013 8:36:58 GMT
yeah but according to its discription "The blade is folded high carbon steel of 1045 and 1065, it contains 3,800 layers. Folded steel was a common blademaking method in China as it minimized impurities and melded hard and flexible steels together for a compromise containing both qualities." This can mean either its folded monosteel, a flexy sword (shudder), or a decent monosteel with a nasty acid treatment. I also just noticed this, a corporate trademark on the blade...crap why do these manufacturers always gotta stamp things like this!?  |
|
|
|
Post by Timo Nieminen on Jan 30, 2013 8:53:03 GMT
It isn't described as "flexible"; it's folded steel which is "melded hard and flexible steels together". Not a monosteel, but two different steels folded together. Just under 8mm to 4mm thick, not exactly whippy.
I'd worry about excess space in the grip. Fill any excess space there with epoxy, and it should be OK as long as it's 2-nut construction (a large nut holding the grip, with the little nut only holding the pommel on). Rather heavy if 2lb 9oz for the sword alone.
Fittings are zinc alloy and IMO ugly. Bah! I'd go for a $150-$200 jian from Zhisword with brass fittings and tubular rivet through the grip instead.
|
|
|
|
Post by Nox on Jan 30, 2013 13:08:22 GMT
Wonder what the tang looks like...
someone (not me) should buy it and review.
|
|
|
|
Post by Daishikaze on Jan 30, 2013 18:25:39 GMT
Its shocking how different Longquan swords are from the high end stuff. I look at the Cold Steel Jians and compare them with these new additions and there is no contests, the Huanuo built Cold Steel swords are by far superior, same with the high end Hanwei swords, miles above the Longquan stuff.
Did you see the new Han Jian? 1,000 plus dollars and I don't see why, unless is was made by a master smith? And its damn heavy for a jian.
|
|
|
|
Post by Turok on Jan 30, 2013 21:41:22 GMT
Agreed, but what really bothers me is that all their swords seem to have serial numbers with arabic numerals! Seriously! Look at how awful it looks engraved onto the blade like an overpriced wallhanger.   At the time when I first posted this thread, I only saw the Lion Dog Jian but now they have released a whole series of Chinese weapons kultofathena.com/new_items.asp |
|
|
|
Post by Springs on Jan 30, 2013 21:55:15 GMT
It looks...alright. Nothing seems to be really special about it, although I'm not a fan of the zinc fittings and the general style of that jian, I'm more of a Han dynasty jian type guy.
|
|
|
|
Post by junon on Jan 31, 2013 0:49:34 GMT
The Han Jian is quite nice with octagonal cross section... but for that price, I would rather get a tried-and-true Jin Shi Han Jian rather than some unknown Longquan forge... Or maybe trying my luck with Sinosword... which probably only set me $500 or so...
|
|
|
|
Post by Daishikaze on Jan 31, 2013 6:41:47 GMT
At least with Jin Shi or Sinoswords you could get it however you want it, with T10 or a Sanmai constructed blade. This one, I Just don't understand why its so expensive
|
|
|
|
Post by Rafael on Jan 31, 2013 16:26:22 GMT
W T F
I guess I should be happy that they have the ugly Arabic numerals stamped on them or else I might be tempted to buy one of these. For real though, what the $&@ sort of thought process goes into manufacturing a semi-reproduction 1000$ msrp ancient chinese sword and then stamping it across the blade with huge numbers. It's a sword not a MF battleship! I just hope KOA got a really good deal on these, I like the guy hate to see him ripped off.
The other problem is that if they made the decision to stamp the numbers, you kind of have to wonder what other bad decisions they made during the design and forging process.
For 1000$ i also don't appreciate 1045 steel being used.
sure okay, maybe someone out there is making an awesome sword out of 1045 but I have not heard about him yet. I have had real crappy experiences with eBay swords made of folded steel supposedly including 1045 with another harder steel. Trying to cut .5 inch branches let me with awesome rounded v's dented into the edge.
|
|
|
|
Post by Daishikaze on Jan 31, 2013 17:54:34 GMT
These swords looks similar to the ones from the company that screwed Lancelot Chan over with the cylindrical handle grip. I remember seeing some of these designs on their site (when it could be accessed)
|
|
|
|
Post by Rafael on Feb 1, 2013 4:33:15 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by junon on Feb 1, 2013 5:54:58 GMT
hmm...
that's the supplier/forge of Ronin Katana...
Should be decent then?
Considering the weird and odd design, I somehow think it's from a different forge...
|
|
|
|
Post by Rafael on Feb 1, 2013 6:02:29 GMT
Dunno maybe different. Looks like maybe the same based on comparing the Chinese han style daggers that also recently appeared in KoA. Found the identical ones on this jssword site. I'll hunt for the URLs and post them later  . The daggers seem like a better risk proposition than the swords at only 150 bucks, but I don't know..for that price I can pay only a little more and get some nice differential harden Japanese stuff in o-tanto. Still.. the fittings are pretty cool looking. |
|
|
|
Post by Rafael on Feb 2, 2013 6:36:52 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by junon on Feb 3, 2013 13:27:00 GMT
Rafael,
You are right! I does looks like a twin...
So most likely you are right about the source of these new chinese swords...
|
|
|
|
Post by Turok on Feb 4, 2013 4:31:50 GMT
LOL you're thinking of a battleship? I was thinking more of a prison inmate number, you know the one were they take a mugshot of ya and make you hold a card hahaha! I was seriously goning to get this dao, but it looks like they're all sold out...Wierd, I guess someone else is eager to get a liuyedao?  Oh well, I've changed my mind and at least it saved me the trouble from wasting my money being disappointed with QC. Has anyone bought any of these swords yet?  |
|
. 
