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Post by senchi on Apr 28, 2017 16:01:58 GMT
I finally got a quote back from Huawei for a custom sword. I know they make amazing swords but I was a bit surprised by the price they quoted - $680 for a custom sword. I didn't think I asked for anything too fancy (expensive steel, laminations, fancy ito). I'll post the specs I requested here, if anyone has an idea what in my specs might have driven the cost so high I would appreciate your thoughts . I was expecting them to quote something in the 400 to 500 range. Thanks!
Specs for custom sword quote:
Shinogi - Zukuri style
Nagasa / blade length - 77cm
Motohaba - 3.5 cm
Motokasane - .82 cm
Sakihaba - 2.4
Sakikasane - .5cm
Nakago Length - 29cm
Sori/curvature - tori sori 1.95cm
Chu Kissaki - 5cm
Tsuka Length - 30cm
Mekugi-ana - 2
Geometric Yokote
Bohi - geometric, Full
Hand forged
Clay Tempered
T10 Steel
Water Quenched
DH
Hand Polished full length
Visible Natural Prominent Hamon
Full Tang
Very tight, Alternate Black Leather with Hishi-Gami Tsukamaki
White Same
Saya - Black Full Rattan with Black and White Sageo
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Post by Faldarin on Apr 28, 2017 17:32:18 GMT
... I'm not sure at a quick look why this would be so costly. Unless they're charging a lot more for geometric yokote, geometric bo-hi, and full hand polish. The polish is the only thing I'd imagine that might bump it up that far... or maybe the hishigami wrap. But still, I would think that considering Huawei's normal prices, that it wouldn't go up that far. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
(This is partially why I would stay away from custom with Huawei - the other being that I've heard horror stories about their delivery times for custom pieces.)
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Post by Richard Arias on Apr 28, 2017 17:49:03 GMT
Sounds about right. As they get more work the price goes up. Walter sorrells sold blades for $1000 12 or so years ago... Now it's double to triple that with a 2 year back log.
Just buy a stock blade that is close and have a custom shop do the rest.
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Apr 28, 2017 18:09:15 GMT
Well it would be a custom sword so I am not sure if the price would be that bad. Don't know what HuaWei charges these days from their base models but their prices have been slowly going up. Which is only reasonable. Many Chinese/Indian/Eastern European made swords have been underpriced for many years.
I think polish is the major thing and motohaba, length and minor things adding price.
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Post by Richard Arias on Apr 28, 2017 18:20:55 GMT
Well he has very specific measurements and I think they will charge extra for that (the attempt to match) then miss most of them claiming "there are variations with hand made swords".
Go to one of the other longquan eBay forces. There are a few that sell from the same source. Jacky from Huawei is not special.
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Post by senchi on Apr 28, 2017 19:49:24 GMT
Richard - Do you recommend any eBay stores that have blades of a similar quality/polish as Huawei? I'd definitely go with another vendor if it has a decent reputation like Huawei but most eBay stores seem kinda risky. Based on browsing this and other forums, huawei seemed to be the best for the eBay price range - though clearly they may not be in that price range anymore
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Post by vermithrax on Apr 29, 2017 1:01:47 GMT
I am not experienced with this process, but a really long and wide blade, with all those features? $680 seems like a very nice deal to me.
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Post by Verity on Apr 29, 2017 1:03:10 GMT
It's the hand polish. Pretty sure of it.
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Post by Robert in California on Apr 29, 2017 1:34:12 GMT
"hand polish" would also be my guess (I'm only guessing but Jackie's English is ESL and he may be seeing "hand polish" and thinking Japanese style hand polish. Which is extra time and thus more money. RinC (takes me est. 35 hours to take a std Huawei polish and do a so-so non-pro hazuya polish on it....no nugui, and little Jizuya work at that...)
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Post by vermithrax on Apr 29, 2017 1:51:19 GMT
Folks, if you ask for the hand polish, they are always gonna charge extra........
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Post by Lonely Wolf Forge on Apr 29, 2017 2:16:45 GMT
i remember when you could get a folded choji hamon katana from them for 180$ boy times have changed.
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kaiyo
Member
Posts: 1,201
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Post by kaiyo on Apr 30, 2017 8:55:03 GMT
i remember when you could get a folded choji hamon katana from them for 180$ boy times have changed. yeah but those blades sucked ;)
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Apr 30, 2017 23:23:44 GMT
That is a hefty price tag... I'm also getting a custom sword in T10 steel from Huawei (shirasaya since I'm going to customize it anyway) for $360. I'm sure the increased prices over standard already made katanas have to do with the specificity of the custom blade itself.
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Post by senchi on May 8, 2017 21:25:38 GMT
I got the quote lowered by a couple hundred while leaving the blade with same specs - seems like the bells and whistles of the saya, sageo, ito, etc really drove up the price.
Thanks all for feedback
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Post by LeFaust on May 8, 2017 21:53:28 GMT
The saya and the leather ito probably drove up the price by alot. Mind sharing your new price quote?
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Post by jlwilliams on May 8, 2017 22:21:48 GMT
Honestly, a hand made custom sword for about the price of an off the shelf pistol or a low end mid size tv doesn't sound out of line.
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