Custom Twist Damascus Jian from Forged in Fire Champion
Apr 7, 2017 2:40:51 GMT
Post by esuyengh on Apr 7, 2017 2:40:51 GMT
Hi all,
I'm excited to finally share with you my commissioned jian. I've had it for about a month now but have been busy due to work, but that delay has allowed me to really handle it and get a good feel for it.
To the moderators, I'm not affiliated with the forge, but please let me know and move my post to the review forum if need be!
After my first commission that I actually mentioned in an earlier thread from 2016 went awry (a post on this to follow), I regrouped and sought out a gentleman I saw on the History Channel show, Forged in Fire. Peter Burt of Dragons Breath Forge in CT kindly worked with me over the course of about 2.5 months to build me a jian to my specifications. For those interested, here's a clip from the competition he won:
The jian is built with similar specifications to the "Crusader Sword" that Peter crafted for that competition. The initial steel billet for the blade was a combination of 1095, mild steel (1075) and 15n20. The 3 steel mix added extra visual appeal. There were actually 2 billets to start, each was twisted, then they were combined. During the forging, Peter sent constant pics and even posted a video, which was awesome:
The geometry of the jian is not 100% traditional. We talked a lot about what I would be doing with the blade. I had come in with some specific specs (just over 2 lbs., balance point about 4" from the guard, 39" overall length), but due to Peter's knowledge and expertise, I left a lot of the rest of the geometry to him to get the best balance and cutting capability.
The blade starts a little wider than you normally see at the guard and tapers down to the normal tip width. The bevels are relatively flat. The blade is hand sharpened except for the final 6 inches near the guard. The taper and bevel shape keep the blade very sturdy while giving a great cutting edge.
The fittings are made of brass. Peter's partner, Michael Coffey, who has training making Japanese tsubas, crafted the inlays for the guard and pommel. Peter made the rest of the fittings. The inlays are silver wire, and represent roots on the pommel and tree branches on the guard, which have meaning related to my Chinese name.
The scabbard and hilt are made of Bubinga wood stained to look like dark Rosewood. Peter advised me that the harder woods like Ebony have a tendency to crack over time, and Bubinga quality lately has been better than the Rosewood samples available. An interesting feature to note, Peter inserted a chunk of leather into the opening of the scabbard that allows the jian to slide in and out very smoothly and keeps the jian in tight without scratching the blade; I've never seen this before, and it's great! Just another example of attention to detail on the jian.
Overall, the jian is very austere in my opinion. I view it as a modern, unique and practical take on a traditional jian. It is definitely custom and has great meaning to me.
But that's just the looks. The performance is stellar. The jian came in at about 2 lbs. 6 oz. You can feel the overall weight to some extent, but it's so well balanced that the weight basically disappears during movements. My style dictates that I hold my jian with two fingers and the thumb "like a toothpick". It should be effortless. And despite the weight, it is mostly effortless.
Plus, the flexibility is something special. On initial handling, the steel mix makes it seem like the blade is pretty stiff. But a light tap anywhere on the jian, at the tip or even on the pommel, and you can feel the whole jian vibrate harmonically. My previous jian (mostly production jian) would vibrate, but none would outright sing like this one. If you grab the tip carefully and bend, there's a good degree of flex possible, with the blade snapping back into proper alignment easily.
Overall, I cannot say enough good things about this jian and am very happy with my commission. I plan on following up this review to talk a little about my experiences going with a custom commission, since I saw both the good and the bad, which I hope will let those of you considering going this route some insight.
I'm excited to finally share with you my commissioned jian. I've had it for about a month now but have been busy due to work, but that delay has allowed me to really handle it and get a good feel for it.
To the moderators, I'm not affiliated with the forge, but please let me know and move my post to the review forum if need be!
After my first commission that I actually mentioned in an earlier thread from 2016 went awry (a post on this to follow), I regrouped and sought out a gentleman I saw on the History Channel show, Forged in Fire. Peter Burt of Dragons Breath Forge in CT kindly worked with me over the course of about 2.5 months to build me a jian to my specifications. For those interested, here's a clip from the competition he won:
The jian is built with similar specifications to the "Crusader Sword" that Peter crafted for that competition. The initial steel billet for the blade was a combination of 1095, mild steel (1075) and 15n20. The 3 steel mix added extra visual appeal. There were actually 2 billets to start, each was twisted, then they were combined. During the forging, Peter sent constant pics and even posted a video, which was awesome:
The geometry of the jian is not 100% traditional. We talked a lot about what I would be doing with the blade. I had come in with some specific specs (just over 2 lbs., balance point about 4" from the guard, 39" overall length), but due to Peter's knowledge and expertise, I left a lot of the rest of the geometry to him to get the best balance and cutting capability.
The blade starts a little wider than you normally see at the guard and tapers down to the normal tip width. The bevels are relatively flat. The blade is hand sharpened except for the final 6 inches near the guard. The taper and bevel shape keep the blade very sturdy while giving a great cutting edge.
The fittings are made of brass. Peter's partner, Michael Coffey, who has training making Japanese tsubas, crafted the inlays for the guard and pommel. Peter made the rest of the fittings. The inlays are silver wire, and represent roots on the pommel and tree branches on the guard, which have meaning related to my Chinese name.
The scabbard and hilt are made of Bubinga wood stained to look like dark Rosewood. Peter advised me that the harder woods like Ebony have a tendency to crack over time, and Bubinga quality lately has been better than the Rosewood samples available. An interesting feature to note, Peter inserted a chunk of leather into the opening of the scabbard that allows the jian to slide in and out very smoothly and keeps the jian in tight without scratching the blade; I've never seen this before, and it's great! Just another example of attention to detail on the jian.
Overall, the jian is very austere in my opinion. I view it as a modern, unique and practical take on a traditional jian. It is definitely custom and has great meaning to me.
But that's just the looks. The performance is stellar. The jian came in at about 2 lbs. 6 oz. You can feel the overall weight to some extent, but it's so well balanced that the weight basically disappears during movements. My style dictates that I hold my jian with two fingers and the thumb "like a toothpick". It should be effortless. And despite the weight, it is mostly effortless.
Plus, the flexibility is something special. On initial handling, the steel mix makes it seem like the blade is pretty stiff. But a light tap anywhere on the jian, at the tip or even on the pommel, and you can feel the whole jian vibrate harmonically. My previous jian (mostly production jian) would vibrate, but none would outright sing like this one. If you grab the tip carefully and bend, there's a good degree of flex possible, with the blade snapping back into proper alignment easily.
Overall, I cannot say enough good things about this jian and am very happy with my commission. I plan on following up this review to talk a little about my experiences going with a custom commission, since I saw both the good and the bad, which I hope will let those of you considering going this route some insight.