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Post by adamthedrummer on May 9, 2013 4:30:26 GMT
Yes I almost bought one myself but decided I like a tsuba between the blade and fingers..but man are they gorgeous. :-)
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on May 9, 2013 4:31:48 GMT
I have heard from many owners of Bamboo Mats that they are one of the nicest swords in the price range. I honestly haven't followed the katana market for the last 2 years, though, so my info may be a bit out of date... hopefully someone with more knowledge can step in and confirm/deny my ideas. As for being thin, I believe that could be a myth tied to the Hanwei XL line, which has very little niku (are you familiar with that term? It refers to the curve of a blade's flat, or the appleseed shape of a durable edge. Without niku, the blade can be a really good cutter, but the edge becomes delicate.) Anyway, I seem to recall that the Bamboo Mat was regarded as rather durable.... again, I'd love for someone who owns one to chime in. Hope this helps, -Slayer
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2013 4:32:51 GMT
thanks for the suggestions everyone , im not a fan of the shirasaya. so far I have hanwei and ronin, I was looking into the ronin dojo pro, but know I have alittle more money. my total exspense is $1100 but I would like to max out at $900 but if there was a blade out there that I could get for 1100 that is the pinnacle of 1000 dollar swords, basically well worth a thousand bucks then maybe.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2013 4:35:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2013 4:39:13 GMT
now that I think about it I might go with the ronin elite. they have that donat*^*^ something blade. you know the thick blade and I like the fake hadori polish or hybrid job. (I might be wrong about the polish) but I read some where where the shinogi ji is supposed to be darker than the edge(ha) and not the other way around like most higher end polish jobs.
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on May 9, 2013 4:43:08 GMT
I've heard lots of good stuff about Ronin, especially the Elites. If you want to spend that much, go for it- I highly doubt you can go wrong, there. -Slayer P.S. Have you read the recent reviews on Ronin Elites here?
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2013 4:49:31 GMT
no but I will before I purchase it. I know I wont go wrong. I know they are well built. and sbg sells them so they have to be good
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on May 9, 2013 4:52:39 GMT
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Post by Ulrich on May 9, 2013 5:01:00 GMT
Mostly have heard the same as you, except the thin blade. Have just taken measurement and my caliper says 7mm mune at the habaki. That doesn't look thin comparing to my other katanas. And it's not a lightweight, but well to handle. The Bamboo Mat was the only sword I wanted so much that I've had one or another sleepless night about. I'm very happy with it and the reason why I've been looking so strong for it is the steel. I'd die for a metallurgy analysis of it. Maybe I can do it by myself one day (I'm working in the metal-industry, but my company hasn't the right equipment yet to do it). And I also like the outstanding sharpness of that blade
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Post by kingrikoraru on May 9, 2013 6:26:01 GMT
Hanwei shinto is also a great great sword, one of my favorite starter sword.Can't go wrong with any dynasty forge folded bushi line. I love their shobu zukiri blade and they have some really attractive swords and fittings. If you could raise a bit more money a hanwei bushido is gold. Hanwei koi just came out and it's also very attractive, though no one really did an indepth review on it yet. Hanwei Lion dog has a beautiful hamon, and it's 30' so if you're into a longer blade there's that. Wind and thunder is also another great choice. Another option you could look at is finding an old/use bugei. Feilong sword just got started and so far the reviews are great, here's an example. I'm very tempted to get this. ( www.feilongswords.com/iwa-katana-491-prd1.htm). Finally, Kaneie budget/starter line is great, as tey do have some of the best fittings (Their brand as a whole come closest to being a true nihonto) P.S: There's also these at the sbg sword store that are beautiful blades at reasonable price. ou would need to mount it to use tho (Unless you appreciate the elegantness of displaying shirasaya)or the project X scratch and dents ( sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-gui ... cials.html) with has the ronin elite blade on some better fittings. High reccommended Although again, if you're going to be doing cutting with these blades, nothing compares to a budo. Trust me, it's worth the wait. Also there's one on sale in classified ( viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16625)
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on May 9, 2013 7:03:59 GMT
WOW that Budo is awesome. I would highly recommend that, since it's wait-free... Salv, I think if you really want to spend ~$900, your best bets might include the RK Elite and that listed for sale. I've heard nothing but overwhelming praise for both of these two models from people whose opinions I highly respect, and they seem to outclass everything in their price ranges from what I've heard.... but I have to say, this is ALL second-hand, so take it with a healthy dose of salt. Tossing a few more pennies out there... won't be the last time in this thread, I suspect. :lol: -Slayer
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Post by adamthedrummer on May 9, 2013 11:01:25 GMT
Well my budo should be on the way now...waiting....waiting....waiting....grrrrrr I hate waiting!!! I'll let ya know how she cuts when she arrives guys. :-)
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Post by aussie-rabbit on May 9, 2013 11:28:32 GMT
Ok, "higher end model from a well known company" that's fine, like everyone has said, if you have your mind set on that sword, hand over your cash.
What we are trying to tell you is much of what is being sold is very over priced and/or of poor quality, In another thread I pointed out a picture of the habaki (the brass bit between the grip and the blade) - there are better habaki on $200 swords, what does that tell you ?
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Post by Judosailor on May 9, 2013 11:58:33 GMT
Man, I really don't want to be the guy that defends Skyjiro on every thread. But I find it very unfortunate that people are blindly repeating the mantra that Skyjiro swords are "overpriced" and of questionable quality when the entirety of their so-called "bad rep" comes from their advertizing tactics. There has not been a single report of a bad experience with one of their blades. I posted a thread comparing the sword I got to a KC and Hanwei at the same price point, and though people here preferred the KC and Hanwei (of course! lol) the SKyjiro wasn't out of place among them. Then I bought one, liked it, and gave what I believe was an unbiased positive review. So, all the actual evidence we have about the quality of their swords has been positive. Yet people persist in saying, "they have a bad reputation" and are "overpriced". I ask you, is that being informative? Is it helpful? Yes I get that it is people's opinion, yet it is getting to the point where people are just repeating that opinion from an uninformed point of view.
*sigh* I don't know why I care really. Just bugs me for some reason.
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Post by Onimusha on May 9, 2013 12:54:32 GMT
It's a good point. This forum had humble beginnings, but it's becoming a valuable source of information. People are actually using us as a "sword buyer's guide." Guide. No matter when I log in, there are guests on this forum. As such, we should be objective. We shouldn't fall prey to blind parroting of opinions. Besides, it's just common courtesy to give the benefit of the doubt.
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Post by kingrikoraru on May 9, 2013 13:52:12 GMT
RK elite? I totally think that should be Ricky's next great blade name haha.
@judo: I know that your recent reviews of a skyjiro but how good is it compared to...say...a Huawei or ronin dojo pro? Also let's face it, a sword is going to have to be really, really amazing to beat out the value and work that goes into a budo blade, especially with that ricky sharpened blade.
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Post by Judosailor on May 9, 2013 14:16:02 GMT
Not having owned any of those I couldnt tell you. But it seems there are a lot of people claiming skyjiro are inferior when they really dont know either. Mind you, I have no issues with people givi g an informed opinion or saying they dont know skyjiro but they do know XYZ brand. The problem as I see it is that based on the evidence we have you'd think the typical response would be "I dont know them but some of there stuff looks okay and they've had at least one positive review." Instead we are getting people advising they be avoided because... why? There hasnt been one report of someone getting a bad sword from them or being ripped off. But sometimes people talk about them as if they had. Thats my issue.
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Post by uchiha998 on May 9, 2013 14:21:41 GMT
Its not the we are saying that Skyjiro can't or doesn't produce quality swords. It just that when you compare the things you can get in a katana from other companies at a given price, you will see that it most cases Hanwei, Ronin, , and Dynasty Forge, will give you more for the price. Thats why the cross polished kissaki was brought up, because for a sword that is almost $700 you would expect to see a much better polished kissaki. That is just one feature, also. Comparing this Skyjiro Emperor to either a Bamboo Mat Katana or Budo and there is absolutely no way anyone can justify telling you that the Skyjiro Emperor is on the same playing field. Yet it is about the same price.
Also I'm not meaning to put you down when I say this, so please don't take any offense. If you can't spot a cross-polished kissaki, then it maybe fair to say some of the other, finer points of katana blades and fittings maybe hard for you to spot. With a little time and research you will come understand all of it pretty easily. However it is for this reason that many people are suggesting you go with a lower priced sword. I understand you want to step up from the swords you have. Trust me, if you spend $275 for a Ronin Dojo Pro you will be stepping up considerably from your Masahiro, Lyuesword and Ryansword. I understand you don't want to wait for the products to be in stock, so thats why I'm suggesting you go with the Ronin Dojo Pro. I know the price isn't much higher than what you paid for your Ryansword but the quality will be much better.
People around here are trying to steer you away from the Skyjiro because, ultimately we know that you will be happier if you get a good sword from a more reputable company. This site is filled with threads about finding the best sword for a given price point(mostly between $200-$1000) and so many of us have owned or do own multiple production katana in this price range. So we are just trying to use the experiences we have had to direct you to something better for the price. For the money you would spend on the Skyjiro you could have a Dynasty Forge Bushi, a Hanwei Bamboo Mat Katana, or Hanwei Wind & Thunder. All of which are in stock right at Kult of Athena and are going to be far better buys than the Skyjiro. Don't take me or anyone else the wrong way. We are only trying to help you.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on May 9, 2013 14:31:20 GMT
Yes it is helpful simply because you asked "our" collective opinion. As a collector of sharp things for 50 odd years I believe I have an "informed" point of view. You can choose to ignore my opinion or anyone on the board, I am thousands of miles away from you, it's your money, I suggest you spend it wisely, but "measure twice, cut once"
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Post by Judosailor on May 9, 2013 14:37:16 GMT
I am not the OP of this thread. In fact, I'm posting as an observer who is watching how people are responding to OP's question. And I understand that you may be quite knowledgeable about swords, but I wonder how informed your opinion can be when you haven't owned or examined a Skyjiro sword?
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