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Post by AlexC13 on Mar 3, 2013 21:06:39 GMT
Hi, I'm new here but I've been reading this forum for quiet a while, and thought I'll join and look around more. Anyway, I've been gathering information for my first high end katana purchase. It comes down a blade from Bugei Peace or Bamboo, a Ronin Dojo Elite, DF FF Bushi or Daimyo (there's not much difference between them other than polishing I think). I also considered but am wary of their performance enhanced edge as I'm not great at cutting yet. Anyway, can anyone let me know the pros and cons of each and which one is best for its value and toughness? Also, are these worth having customized or should I wait for a higher end sword? If so, who's big on customization right now cause I heard CottonTail Custom is done?
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Post by Dr. Whom on Mar 3, 2013 22:19:35 GMT
The Bugei Peace katana is an awesome choice and the best of the lot you have listed (also the most expensive). You might also want to check out the Hanwei Bushido if you want something a little cheaper.
Are you looking to cut with this one or display it? Hanwei also makes some cutting geometry folded blades like the Tiger Elite and Tori Elite which I think are top shelf.
If you are going to do a lot of cutting with the sword then I would recommend a Hung Shing True Sharp custom as Ricky can sharpen it or repolish it for a fee if you damage the edge
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Post by kingrikoraru on Mar 3, 2013 22:23:56 GMT
I would also say check out that Oni from hanwei if you want a big mean blade. Plus it's made from L6 which is real tough if done right, though I haven't seen it in action yet
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Post by AlexC13 on Mar 3, 2013 22:25:09 GMT
I'm looking for a bitof both, something that I can cut with and is also a good piece to display
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Post by AlexC13 on Mar 4, 2013 0:48:36 GMT
Also, what about MAS? I looked around and it seem they're also a good contender
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Post by stickem on Mar 4, 2013 1:33:08 GMT
All the ones you mentioned are worth having... Hanwei, Dynasty Forge, Ronin, , Bugei... all good vendors. Thing is, I'd add Kanie to your list of possible ~ $1000 katana choices: k-sword.com/
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Post by Lobster Hunter on Mar 4, 2013 1:42:06 GMT
Any Bugei katana will be hard to beat in terms of fit & finish but at a price. I'd recommend a Ronin Elite just on reputation & photos alone but it appears they might be all out of stock at the moment. You could contact them to find out. One of Paul's Project X swords might fit the bill. sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/x2.htmlI own a couple of DF Bushi and like them very much for their handling and overall aesthetics but they're far from perfect (rough kissaki polish, ever so slightly twisted blade on one, mediocre saya). Whatever you decide, just remember that every aspect of a sword is important but in the long run, a good blade is the foundation that you could always build on to suit your evolving tastes and requirements. Get the blade that appeals to you. The fittings can always get swapped out.
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Post by AlexC13 on Mar 4, 2013 2:28:23 GMT
Thank you guys. Blade wise though, what's a good, tough choice?
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Post by kingrikoraru on Mar 4, 2013 2:34:17 GMT
What do you mean by tough choice? Meat wise, I think bugei has the meatiest blade if you know what I mean. Aesthetically, I enjoy the ronin elite the most but their furniture is not very good. Hanwei and Bugei is plague with an unshaped handle that tends to be rather unwieldy too, but for both they can be fixed.
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George
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Post by George on Mar 4, 2013 4:57:50 GMT
I would steer away from MAS L6 they have a very thin profile and they are made for cutting. You said you don't want a sword for cutting yeh? Same thing with i believe...
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Post by Lobster Hunter on Mar 4, 2013 9:07:57 GMT
High end production kats are more about better shape, polish, performance, and fittings than durability but to answer your question...
Most of the mid to high end Hanweis have decent blades. Their "Elite" and XL blades are a bit more prone to damage when used on harder targets. DF Bushi, MAS, Ronin Elite, Hung Shing T.S. Budo, and Bugei are all viable choices for highly functional and good looking production swords. You could narrow your search by figuring out things like your ideal blade length preference, bo hi or no... that sort of thing. I'm 6' tall and a 29" nagasa blade feels perfect for me, for example.
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Mar 4, 2013 11:06:43 GMT
This following is just personal opinion, and I've only owned 1 of the swords in your opening post. I strongly believe you are happy with whatever sword you decide to choose from the options you have thought out, as I think each of those are good swords. Not sure what your buying priorities are, but in the end I suggest buying that sword that you like the most, even if that wouldn't be the one we recommend. As it's going to be your sword and you will be the one using it. Now these are just my opinions: Dynasty Forge/Huanuo: Those that have read my posts know that I like Fred Chen, but I can say that I'm not a huge fan of their FF blades. I just don't really like their appearance, just a personal dislike. So I would rather go for regular Bushi or if you can afford Daimyo. You can see good pics in reviews in here and by various shops all over the world. Ronin Elite: These blades seem good, and they are probably the best Longquan blades I'm aware of. However I'm not a fan of their use of lamination, fittings and tsuka/tsukamaki are not entirely to my taste. Bugei: I own a Bamboo, so I can comment on it more than I can on the others, just bear in mind that mine is old one which I bought used. It's a good sword but as I'm mainly an antique guy, brand new Bugei swords cost way too much for me. However I think they are good swords, if you can get them under their retail price. Bamboo is very sturdy sword. Mine weighs 1220 grams, nagasa 69,8cm, motokasane 8mm, sakikasane 7mm, motohaba 32mm, sakihaba 25mm with 2,1cm sori. I've only used mine for couple light cuts so I cannot comment on it's performance, but previous owner cutted with it, and Internet has a lot of Bugei cutting ability praise you can read. I know many will say it has axe handle, however it fitted my hands fairly well, and it has the highest quality rayskin I've seen on production sword and tsukamaki is still in excellent condition after years. However my biggest issue with the sword is the distance between kurikata and koiguchi, this was an issue of older Paul Chen pieces, and they've probably corrected it in newer Bugei offerings. I like K120C powder steel's appearance, especially now that the polish is worn and not overblowing. But on personal level I wouldn't buy any of them as new, because they cost more than I can afford to spend on production stuff. All of them are good swords, and I would keep an eye out for an used one to pop up for sale for a good price for me. Think if you value the dimesions of the sword or aesthetics more, or the combination of both? There is quite a bit of variance in Japanese swords, and you will have to decide what you want from a sword. The customization is always a personal thing. Customizing production swords might not be financially profitable, but that's not usually the main concern when doing/ordering it. Where are you located? There are many good customizers all over the world, but knowing you location might make it easier to recommend someone for custom work.
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Post by stickem on Mar 4, 2013 13:50:02 GMT
Alex ~ Of the ones you specifically mentioned, I own a Bugei Peace sword and a Ronin Elite. Thing is, once I pay this much for a sword, I can't bring myself to cut with 'em, so can't speak to you from cutting experience, just aesthetics. As far as high end goes, I consider these to be anything in the >$1000 range. Bugei and Kanie are good vendors for these... The Peace Sword is a magnificent thing, very subtle yet deadly. The version I got is 30" with a 12" tsuka, so it is a bit long for me to actually cut with. I'd get the shorter one if I had it to do over. Here is more on it: The Kanie have suguta and fittings which are probably the most authentically Japanese you can find at ~$1,000, and the hamon and hada are like so: so like the Peace Sword, you probably won't need to change any of the fittings or ito to be happy with a Kanie. I don't own one yet, but definitely drool whenever I go look at their site... As far as midrange goes, I consider these to be anything in the $1000 > $ x > $300 range... such as: A Ronin Elite is about half the price of the Peace Sword. The version I got has simple iron tsuba and fittings, so it is available without all the flashy ArtsFeng bling, like so: at $825, I might cut with it, but I haven't yet... In my opinion, if you specifically want to cut with something, and also want it to look nice (not needing to customize much, which is more difficult now that Josh is out of the game), the Budo might be the best union of practical and pretty available right now. At less than $700, I wouldn't be afraid to cut with one: forum.sword-buyers-guide.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15811The Hanwei Bamboo Mat is also a good choice for a mid-range sword which has both the aesthetics and cutting ability you are looking for, and is in the same price range as a Budo: forum.sword-buyers-guide.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1125Huanuo also makes some good mid-range swords, like these: www.katana-samurai-sword.com/huanuofredchen1095forgedswordshuanuo-c-111_167_185.htmlSo what I'd suggest is either get a Budo or Bamboo Mat or Huanuo or DF Bushi if you are really going to cut something with a midrange sword. If you are set on getting only one sword, these probably have the best of both aesthetics and practicality, IMO. What I'd actually recommend if you have the cabbage is get a nice looking katana in the ~$1000 range just for viewing/ aesthetics, and also get a forgiving ~ $300 sword for learning and every day cutting. Something like a Hanwei Raptor to practice with. Since I am new to the cutting part, I'd just kick my own @rse if I started whacking away with a beautiful Peace Sword or a Kanie and tore it up. Too much coin invested. On the other hand, with a $300 "beater" sword like a Raptor, Dojo Pro, KC, DF Musha, whatever, you can learn how to cut without fearing your own mistakes will cost you a lot of $.
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Post by Actionhero29 on Mar 13, 2013 8:14:23 GMT
Hi stickem, very good post there, very usefull. Do you have a link for the Kanie website that is in english? The site i find is mostly in asian and i can't read most of whats on that site, how am i supposed to know what i'm doing when i order? hehehe Thanks in advance
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George
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Post by George on Mar 13, 2013 8:58:22 GMT
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Post by WAAAA_CHAAAA on Mar 13, 2013 11:08:18 GMT
I think Bugei is your best bet. Your other option is to find a mid range blade, perhaps a Hanwei below cost price in classifieds and then have it custom mounted in the fittings and style of your choice. It will end up maybe cheaper than Bugei, but you will still have nice fittings and blade.
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Post by stickem on Mar 13, 2013 12:42:17 GMT
Right. So I can't get foreign-language websites in English when I use Firefox. So I use Google Chrome specifically for these because Google Translator automatically translates the pages of foreign websites into English for me. There is probably a way to do this with Firefox too, but when I downloaded the most popular translator add-on for Firefox, it didn't work that way; rather it was a cumbersome cut'n'paste translator. Anyway, here are a few sources for Kaneie: www.thesamuraiworkshop.com/EN/catalogue/welcome-to-the-samurai-workshop/shop_mode=homepagewww.k-sword.com/www.katana-samurai-sword.com/kaneieswordart-c-199.htmlwith varying levels of English descriptions available. I don't know of a Kaneie vendor in the US, but perhaps someone else on the board has experience with one of the above or knows of a US vendor...
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George
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Post by George on Mar 13, 2013 15:01:56 GMT
I can second Hanwei, i owned a Bamboo Mat. Love it but found it too heavy for me (not formally trained as yet) so i sold it. Sorta wish i hadn't now as i payed under $400 shipped to AUS brand new... The next sword im purchasing is from www.samurai-sword-shop.com/higher-end-katana-113-ctg.htmThey might be worth a look also.
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