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Post by Occult Blood on Feb 2, 2017 5:00:40 GMT
A $2000 + blade can be hand crafted by a master swordsmith out of s6 or s7 shock steel.
It is definitely worth it if you can afford it because the blade will be customised to your build, fighting style, hand size etc.
John Londemo from Longship Armoury created a beautiful luiyedao for my Chinese sabre fighting style perfectly tailored for me out of s7 shock steel.
It took a year to get perfect but my goodness it is worth every cent.
This, by the way, is completely unsolicited and I am not paid for saying this nor have I been asked to say this.
The blade handles like a dream, perfectly balanced and cuts through everything like butter.
My previous sabres are bought at SBG and if you are just beginning to fall in love with swords, I would strongly recommend buying from SBG and reading carefully Paul's stuff because these guys are really great.
Again I have no affiliation with SBG other than being a very happy customer.
Best of Luck!
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Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 2, 2017 13:47:25 GMT
An inability to go to StarBucks for two years. (Well? You asked....) P-)
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Taran
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Posts: 2,621
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Post by Taran on Feb 2, 2017 16:02:03 GMT
For $1100, I am getting a custom in 5160TH from the forge of John Lundemo with fittings and finish from Longship. Including scabbard.
For $600 more, that 5160TH becomes 1090DH.
What could I have gotten for another $300? Thrown out of the house.
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Taran
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Posts: 2,621
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Post by Taran on Feb 2, 2017 16:07:21 GMT
Also, don't neglect the quality and reliability of different forging and heat treating techniques.
The higher you go in price, the more reliable your DH, Twistcore, Pattern-welding, etc will be. Remember that these are wholly unnecessary, primarily aesthetic features that introduce significant potential points of failure to the construction.
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Post by seriouslee on Feb 2, 2017 18:07:41 GMT
Also, don't neglect the quality and reliability of different forging and heat treating techniques. The higher you go in price, the more reliable your DH, Twistcore, Pattern-welding, etc will be. Remember that these are wholly unnecessary, primarily aesthetic features that introduce significant potential points of failure to the construction. Ah, yes. Excellent!
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Ifrit
Member
More edgy than a double edge sword
Posts: 3,284
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Post by Ifrit on Feb 2, 2017 19:39:25 GMT
I can tell you what you DON'T get for a 2000$ blade: groceries
I don't anyway
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Post by seriouslee on Feb 2, 2017 20:28:44 GMT
I can tell you what you DON'T get for a 2000$ blade: groceries I don't anyway Well if you approach the clerk with the blade drawn you might get your food.
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Ifrit
Member
More edgy than a double edge sword
Posts: 3,284
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Post by Ifrit on Feb 2, 2017 20:58:21 GMT
I can tell you what you DON'T get for a 2000$ blade: groceries I don't anyway Well if you approach the clerk with the blade drawn you might get your food. I like the way you think
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Post by chopey on Feb 2, 2017 23:52:23 GMT
For over $1000 Its the metal and the tempering that's makes the difference. When this combination is exacted, the blade should cut halfway thru a side of beef or close to it depending on the wielder. Its the koshirae that would then determine the additional price. All the little pieces that make up the tsuka or handle can be made of many costly materials and raise the price by thousands. I have a second hand Bugei katana and a lower level Thaitsuki blade bought unused and I would bring the bugei into battle for reals man
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Post by Croccifixio on Feb 3, 2017 2:21:56 GMT
It also depends on the market.
For medieval euros, anything you get above the basic Albion/ATrim/A&A are mostly aesthetic differences. You can also get something no one else produces. You get advanced pattern welding, inlays, etching, engraving, etc but from pure functionality these makers are pretty much at the top already. Of course some customs might even be better but it would only be very slight. One notable maker would be Longship Armoury, specifically pieces made by John Lundemo who sometimes makes semi-custom pieces in that price range with all the additions you'd expect from a $2000 custom. That said, most of my favorite Lundemo pieces are around the $2000 mark.
For katanas, I think it will mostly come down to polish and fit and finish. Katanas are the biggest market and because of the competition, even blades worth $400 can be downright amazing (see: Huawei). So I think you can easily get a sword that you'd feel is perfect for you below $1000 (if you customize it). When you go up the price bracket, I feel that the fighting points are polish, beauty of the tsuba, menuki, fuchi, and kashira, elegance and shape of the tsuka, and proper tsukamaki. There is a world of difference, in this regard, for those who practice JSA because the handling of a katana is very specific to the use and comfort of the wielder.
For most other swords, the price often relates to improvements in the blade complexity and hilt (especially for complex hilted pieces).
These are just my observations. I could be wrong but then again these are very general statements.
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Post by seriouslee on Feb 3, 2017 3:23:19 GMT
For over $1000 Its the metal and the tempering that's makes the difference. When this combination is exacted, the blade should cut halfway thru a side of beef or close to it depending on the wielder. Its the koshirae that would then determine the additional price. All the little pieces that make up the tsuka or handle can be made of many costly materials and raise the price by thousands. I have a second hand Bugei katana and a lower level Thaitsuki blade bought unused and I would bring the bugei into battle for reals man And would you take it outside and cut things?
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Post by seriouslee on Feb 3, 2017 3:26:34 GMT
It also depends on the market. For medieval euros, anything you get above the basic Albion/ATrim/A&A are mostly aesthetic differences. You can also get something no one else produces. You get advanced pattern welding, inlays, etching, engraving, etc but from pure functionality these makers are pretty much at the top already. Of course some customs might even be better but it would only be very slight. One notable maker would be Longship Armoury, specifically pieces made by John Lundemo who sometimes makes semi-custom pieces in that price range with all the additions you'd expect from a $2000 custom. That said, most of my favorite Lundemo pieces are around the $2000 mark. For katanas, I think it will mostly come down to polish and fit and finish. Katanas are the biggest market and because of the competition, even blades worth $400 can be downright amazing (see: Huawei). So I think you can easily get a sword that you'd feel is perfect for you below $1000 (if you customize it). When you go up the price bracket, I feel that the fighting points are polish, beauty of the tsuba, menuki, fuchi, and kashira, elegance and shape of the tsuka, and proper tsukamaki. There is a world of difference, in this regard, for those who practice JSA because the handling of a katana is very specific to the use and comfort of the wielder. For most other swords, the price often relates to improvements in the blade complexity and hilt (especially for complex hilted pieces). These are just my observations. I could be wrong but then again these are very general statements. I appreciate the wisdom. I feel the blade is the item. The accouterments are very much secondary. I want something I can use without fear of unexpectedly damaging it. And to me it is much more about how it feels in my hands than how it looks to my eyes.
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Post by Croccifixio on Feb 3, 2017 4:10:45 GMT
I would agree that the blade is the most important part, but the guard, hilt, and overall fit are almost as important. You can have a beautiful blade but if you can't swing it the correct way or if its handle breaks while using it, I can't really say that it's functional. For instance, real Japanese swords in shirasaya are not fully functional weapons.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Feb 3, 2017 10:26:19 GMT
For over $1000 Its the metal and the tempering that's makes the difference. When this combination is exacted, the blade should cut halfway thru a side of beef or close to it depending on the wielder. Its the koshirae that would then determine the additional price. All the little pieces that make up the tsuka or handle can be made of many costly materials and raise the price by thousands. I have a second hand Bugei katana and a lower level Thaitsuki blade bought unused and I would bring the bugei into battle for reals man And would you take it outside and cut things? And therein lies the question, did you buy it to admire or use ?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2017 12:26:27 GMT
No one can really change your mind, but it's sad to disregard everything except the blade of a sword. Especially when various fittings are the result of someone's hard work and passion. Maybe you cannot appreciate a nice habaki and tsuba, and that's really too bad.
Even on a European sword, well-executed guard and pommel matter. Having a nicely crafted handle and scabbard makes a difference. I feel for artists who labor away and then see people effectively blow off their hard work everywhere except the blade part of a sword. I would be so discouraged taking extra time to not only make sure the measurements and shapes where what they needed to be but to go beyond that to enhance with aesthetic touches, and then see that the majority of people either don't even notice or don't care when they find it. Cheers to you guys who do it anyway.
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Post by seriouslee on Feb 3, 2017 21:57:33 GMT
No one can really change your mind, but it's sad to disregard everything except the blade of a sword. Especially when various fittings are the result of someone's hard work and passion. Maybe you cannot appreciate a nice habaki and tsuba, and that's really too bad. Even on a European sword, well-executed guard and pommel matter. Having a nicely crafted handle and scabbard makes a difference. I feel for artists who labor away and then see people effectively blow off their hard work everywhere except the blade part of a sword. I would be so discouraged taking extra time to not only make sure the measurements and shapes where what they needed to be but to go beyond that to enhance with aesthetic touches, and then see that the majority of people either don't even notice or don't care when they find it. Cheers to you guys who do it anyway. I didn't say I disregard aesthetics, I said they are secondary. I DO appreciate the work since a well made piece has balance and a fit to my hand. I get a larger rush holding it than looking at it. But what makes me smile is a blade that does what I want with a minimum of energy expended. If the handle spacing is too wide for me the sword is no good, even if everything is perfect. Kind of like a bowling ball. The finger holes are more important to me. I still use a Black Beauty.
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Post by Croccifixio on Feb 4, 2017 7:25:04 GMT
Quite often, aesthetics are somewhat related to function. A pretty looking tapered handle on a longsword, for instance will handle much better than a simple straight one. A smoothly curved hourglass tsuka will feel much much better than an axe-handled tsuka. A sinuous forward-curved sabre grip will be much more pleasing to the hand than a simple straight shafted grip.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2017 13:12:40 GMT
Right, it can't just be the blade because tangs and nakago make awful handles. I would hate a sword that consisted of an excellent blade and a phoned-in everything else.
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