Sinoswords Han Jian

this is still so upsetting. Such a long history of this sword and yet they cannot give the hilt justice by doing it right. You would figure if they can at least get production katana close to done right, they would try more here with a jian

I am posting here with Sinoswords' permission, the email exchange we just had on these issues starting with their reply to my concerns listed above:

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Date: Tue, 7 May 2013 13:05:33 +0800
From: sales@sinosword.com!
To: ____________________
Subject: 回复: RE: reply from sinosword.com

Hi Alex

Many thanks for your feedback, We really appreciate for your hard work on the review.

But I have some confused on the problems of jian grip. Please forgive my poor understanding , I will describe how is our grip made first.

1.We used a soild grip for Cheng ying Jian, two piece wood and glue together, see attached.

2. under the pommel ,there have a screw cap on the end of grip,this screw cap can be used to tighten up sword when handle get loose.

3. we normal made two pins on grip and with screw cap for han style jian, see attached picture

4.For common han jian, We normal add a pin on the pommel to secure and not use glue, but this Chengying Jian with too thicker pommel, add a pin on pommel is not possible.

I agree to use glue is not a good choice for handle fixing, but han-style jian always have this problem ,pommel of han style jian can't be screwed with tang, the screw made under the pommel.

The construction which you said normal used for classical Ming and Qing Jian.

For the damaged Tang, We can see that it has risk to use. If possible, Please take some pictures for the jian grips and the tang. Thanks

If you will send back this jian to fix ,Our address as below (omitted for forum post)
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发送时间： 2013-05-07 22:54
收件人： sales
主题： RE: 回复: RE: reply from sinosword.com
From what I can see in your pics and from what you wrote, your usual way of securing the wood grip to the tang is good. It's best if you don't use a single piece of wood, however. This creates dangerous empty places inside the grip where the tang does not fill. Use 2 pieces grooved out to match the tang, then pin them together and to the tang. The string wrap will hide how you did it. You get the same look, easier manufacture, and a much stronger piece.
I have attached a Microsoft PowerPoint slide of what the wood core actually looked like with the tang in it. You can see all the empty space around the tang and where the cut leaves dangerously thin spots in the corners. This is much better than anyone else I have seen, but still not safe.

I will send you photos of how I am having my replacement grip done to show you what I mean for improving it. I do not think pinning it to the tang is really necessary, but it would certainly not hurt.

For the pommel, I have attached a Microsoft PowerPoint slide with 2 images of the pommel for another sword I have. This is the screw-on pommel I am talking about. It is a solid piece with threads in the center, so it screws onto the tang after the hexnut and washers. You can see the functional part of the assembly for this sword is the same as yours, with the washer and nut actually holding the grip together and providing the ability to tighten it over time as necessary. Then the pommel just screws on over the top of that. No glue. No worries.

I am going to keep the jian. The damage to this one isn't bad enough to be a problem for the use I will put it through. I provided that info for your quality control purposes to ensure it doesn't happen again or even worse to someone who will put it to hard use.


I would like to share your email with the SBG community to show that the Chen Ying Jian has been a different assembly than your usual Han Jian.

Thank you,
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And, most recently:

sales (sales@sinosword.com!)
1:52 AM
[Keep this message at the top of your inbox]
To: ________________
Picture of sales

Hi

Thanks for your pictures

The construction of screw-on pommel is very solid and clean, one of our old smith said that he did see this construction for hanjian handle in 10 years ago, but in these years, We don't know who develep such pommel in Longquan. We will consider to develop it.

We look forward to seeing more info for you how to improve the grip.

Thanks again for your professional opinions.You have helped a lot to us to improve our sword quatily in future.

If you need any help we can do or if you need sword replacement ,please let me know

Thanks
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These are the pictures of their typical Han Jian grip construction. They decided to do something different for the Chen Ying Jian, the one I customized.
As per their last email, they will be instituting the recommended changes to that grip to improve it. Which means pretty much using the same construction method as their other Han Jians, including the mekugi, as the Japanese call them.
Definietly a good company to work with that wants to be the best they can be.

Thats pretty good to know. I love the Han Jian, but have been turned off by the issues everyone has brought up with the hollow core of the grip.

If they are intent on fixing it, I will have to add one of the jian to my list of stuff to buy this year.

The Han Jians from Jin-Shi doesn't seem to have this problem:

www.sword-buyers-guide.com/image-files/han7.jpg

Hmm Jin-Shi seems to be the higher quality out of the two, but neither website gives prices on the swords.

It seems to me that these han jians are quite a bit thicker than what I generally see at museums. But then again the ones I have seen at museums have had incredibly elaborate fittings, which may indicate the slimmer blade is for court officials and the like.

Just got a new reply from Sinoswords...

They purchase their fittings from other manufacturers. Some they designed themselves, but others make.

For monosteel blades, they use 1050 and 1095 as they identify it. Mine was Twistcore, so custom steel by them.

Can I ask how much this Han Jian was?

This was a highly customized version of their base-model Chen Ying Jian. Twistcore, plus DH, plus ebony scabbard, plus silver-plating on the fittings. That was all the cost-increasing customizations.
Delivered, it ran just under $490.

The twistcore was the single most expensive item as it required, by their methods, they smelt their own iron and make the steel custom rather than turn to their stock, standard steels.