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Post by Anankai on Sept 30, 2014 1:16:44 GMT
Thanks guys it's been very informative to read your posts. I think you may be right about the sword being a converted yari. The tang is just to yari-ish in look. I find it somehow strange that Aoi Japan doesn't mention this. Don't you think it's an information worth mentioning or it is unimportant?
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Post by randomnobody on Oct 16, 2014 4:59:08 GMT
Bringing this thread back up because I just stumbled across this thing on eBay: www.ebay.com/itm/Very-Rare-Authe ... 2c8ed866a6 It's quite short at 53.4cm/21" but it's most definitely a proper ken, note the diamond nagako. An interesting piece, I'd say. |
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Post by Beholden on Oct 16, 2014 18:34:06 GMT
This is an osuriage Omi-no-yari turned into a moroha sword. Plain and simple. When mounted youu wouldn't be able to tell, but if it were made as a Ken to begin with, it would have a proper-width nakago. Ken in this size would probably only have been made as Hono-to, a temple offering. Beautiful piece, though!
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Post by Aleous on Dec 7, 2014 17:11:41 GMT
Though this thread is a few months old I thought I could actually add to it for any of those interested in the Tsurugi/Ken Sword which I think is a wonderful design as the precursor to the katana, becoming enamored with it when I found out about it and researched as much as I could. The legendary sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi or Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi(one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan) is thought to be a ken, the only eyewitness on record of the seeing the sword described it as such. I actually had one custom made twice by two different forges though the first time I was left disappointed but the second time I was left very pleased. Here is a link to the sword which is absolutely wonderful and to my own specs which I took from my research into the Ken. www.sinosword.com/Japanese-Tsurugi-Ken.htmlMade to my specs which I based on Kusanagi's supposed length and other dimensions I took from any specimens I could find, usually Nihonto as modern reproductions were near non-existant at the time though I am happy to find that this has changed somewhat. |
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Post by ineffableone on Dec 7, 2014 17:44:53 GMT
Hua Wei Ken  United Black Ken  United Cutlery ken www.unitedcutlery.com/ProductDetail.aspx?itemno=UC2615&cat=UCTrue swords lists a couple as double edge katana www.trueswords.com/Shinwa-Double-Edged-Katana-Sword,-Dragon-Lord-Damascus-%E2%80%93-2000-Layers For the most part production ken are not that high quality sadly. They seem to be mostly marketed to the young inexperienced sword buyers rather than the serious functional collectors. They tend to be "damascus" or called ninja swords etc. Stuff that excites the ignorant teen sword shopper. If you want a quality ken, you might need to go through a custom sword maker. Hau Wei or similar. |
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Post by Anankai on Dec 7, 2014 18:02:30 GMT
Do the Huawei Ken in the pic was a custom order or they have it for sale now? Still want one of those Ken  And Huawei makes good quality swords so I'm not worried too much about the Ken sword quality. It looks also very nice. I did some time ago a drawing of a Ken sword that I wish Huawei could make me: Attachments:
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Post by chrisperoni on Dec 7, 2014 19:04:33 GMT
Huawei will have them on sale from time to time. I ordered one a couple of years ago and it's pretty darn sweet. Once someone orders another one they will end up making several at once, that's how it usually goes with them.
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Post by Anankai on Dec 7, 2014 19:21:04 GMT
Ok thanks! Think I'll ask for one. Do you recall how much it has cost you?
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Post by chrisperoni on Dec 7, 2014 23:20:34 GMT
This is what i requested which cost $250 plus shipping.
-Ken sword
-bohi
-folded T10 steel with lots of folding pattern
-DH with prominent hamon
-plain habaki (not the kind with flower pattern)
-rosewood tsuka and saya with lots of grain pattern in wood
-yellow bull horn on tsuka and saya koiguchi and kojiri
All in all I was satisfied with the order, and the blade is terrific, but there were some issues.
The habaki was made to order for me and is fine but was made from brass even though I asked for copper. The saya is cracked along the seam due to poor packaging for shipping. The yellow bullhorn is too translucent so on the kojiri you can see the glue holding it in place right through it. The koiguchi was also cracked from shipping. They sent the sword in a pvc tube with foam on each end to keep if from banging around up and down, but it was able to shake side to side and this caused the blade to split the saya at the seam.
Be specific your request, don't ask for too many options, specify full foam packaging like they usually do, and you'll be fine.
Jacky did compensate me for the issues and 8 W's satisfied with the results.
This post sounds harsh but I just meant to point out potential issues. I truly do love the blade and it really is quite beautiful. The problems on the saya are easy for me to fix too.
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And Huawei makes good quality swords so I'm not worried too much about the Ken sword quality. It looks also very nice.
