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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Oct 19, 2017 22:04:40 GMT
Hi there, first post (though I've been lurking a lot) and first Katana, that I decided to offer myself for my mid-life crisis (I guess - wife approves). So, ordered a t10 Ryujin Custom with bo-hi - maybe a bit light for me, but my wife is certainly interested to try the thing, so that's it for a first. Waiting impatiently for delivery, hoping saya and tsuka color choices will match well in real life. That being said, we're looking to re-decorate our bedroom and are looking for some good and functional looking blades to add to it. I fumbled on these on Amazon, Auwiy (or Auway in Canada, same thing) but can't for the life of Zorg find any reviews on the products, though I speculate they may be a subsidiate from LQ-swords. Linky: www.amazon.com/Auwiy/b/ref=w_bl_hsx_s_sp_web_15996625011?ie=UTF8&node=15996625011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=AuwiyEdit: Brand seems to have its own dedicated website: amazingsamuraiswords.com/category/japanese-swords/Anyone have any experience with these?
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stormmaster
Member
I like viking/migration era swords
Posts: 7,649
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Post by stormmaster on Oct 19, 2017 22:27:48 GMT
would not recommend, looks cheap, stick with the known brands of cheaper katanas like musashi and munetoshi, or let us know your budget so we can see what your willing to spend, currently im just keeping it under $150
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pgandy
Moderator
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Posts: 10,296
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Post by pgandy on Oct 20, 2017 1:00:09 GMT
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Post by Faldarin on Oct 20, 2017 1:12:29 GMT
Hey! Welcome. I'm with the two above... I've never heard of those guys, but they don't exactly give me a good feeling.
The Ryujin though - I've got no complaints about Ryujin blades - just their fit and finish could be much better for the ones I've seen.
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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Oct 20, 2017 2:11:54 GMT
Thank you for the input and the welcome gentlemen. Yes, Auwiy seems a bit fishy to me, Katanas looks way too good for the price, maybe a couple as display pieces but I also want mine to be functional. I chose the Ryujin mostly because there's a sale and honestly, couldn't wait anymore - To be honest I justified myself to buy right now by telling my wife: 'Hey, it's a lighter blade that what I plan to get eventually, I assume you're interested in trying those when I get them right, right?' Anyway, in the future I plan to get something heavier, possibly the RK Dojo Pro No.8 29 inches No-hi blade. And I just like the brown on black tsuki, make it look both sober and meaning business in a somber way, while avoiding the generic black tsuki you see on many other brands: sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/product199.htmlI am just sad there seems to be no matching Wakisashi to go with it - Tsuba matching can be dealt with easily, though I am not sure what to do to get a black ray skinned/brown tsuka-ito.
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Post by Robert in California on Oct 20, 2017 4:24:22 GMT
Ask if the sword in the photos is the sword for sale. Good photos take time and if farmed out, money. Some dealers take pics of a better than usual sword and use those pics. But the actual swords sold are not the sword(s) pictured on the site. Happened to me. RinC
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Post by Robert in California on Oct 20, 2017 4:26:41 GMT
p.s. Those Amazon katanas look like non-DH swords and IMO decent quality starts around $300.
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Post by Faldarin on Oct 20, 2017 13:34:41 GMT
Also, some of the Amazon reviews mention that they don't have proper tangs, and are decorative only. I'd beware there.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Oct 20, 2017 14:40:57 GMT
Midlifecrazy I failed to welcome you on my previous post here is a belated welcome. You might want to consider a Musashi. They come in various grades and each should be equal to, if not exceeding, any other at the same price. I’ve never heard anything bad about the Musashi brand. My first sword was a Musashi Bamboo that I purchased years ago and it’s still in great shape. These can be had at several sources and below are two, both are reliable with a good reputation. Kult of Athena: www.kultofathena.com/japanese.asp True Swords: swords.trueswords.com/search?w=musashi%20katana Go to their home page for more. I hope this helps.
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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Oct 20, 2017 15:06:59 GMT
Also, some of the Amazon reviews mention that they don't have proper tangs, and are decorative only. I'd beware there. Yes, after reading your comment I got to read the reviews on Amazon - '.com' mind you, on Amazon '.ca' the reviews are quite fewer (sale volumes I expect). So, from some comments Auwiy lies about real ray skin, and from what I gather some of the blades DO have full tangs, some don't, also some are stated as mer 'carbon steel' likely 1045, some are stated as spring steel 1060, some high quality 1045, some pattern steel, on their website it says that the Golden Katana is 1095. Also, on their dedicated website when you go on descriptions, one of them is stainless steel. So... my guess is they use warehouse leftovers to build a mess of medium to low quality blades and call them 'collectible series'. Considering I want my blades functional, then no, won't touch that brand with a 10' pole, unless is willing to pay for purely cosmetic blades, as they look pretty enough.
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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Oct 20, 2017 15:10:07 GMT
Midlifecrazy I failed to welcome you on my previous post here is a belated welcome. You might want to consider a Musashi. They come in various grades and each should be equal to, if not exceeding, any other at the same price. I’ve never heard anything bad about the Musashi brand. My first sword was a Musashi Bamboo that I purchased years ago and it’s still in great shape. These can be had at several sources and below are two, both are reliable with a good reputation. Kult of Athena: www.kultofathena.com/japanese.asp True Swords: swords.trueswords.com/search?w=musashi%20katana Go to their home page for more. I hope this helps. Thank you for the welcome. I will definitely keep your advice in mind (heard good stuff about Musashi) and as I plan to get more blades in the future I will certainly try different types and styles amongst the good brands. Thank you for your time.
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Post by treeslicer on Oct 20, 2017 15:25:14 GMT
A belated welcome to you. The Ryujin Custom impresses me as an excellent choice for a first katana in the current market. Now start saving for a good nihonto. Tell the wife it's an "investment", then only cut stuff with it while she's at the supermarket, or out visiting, so she won't get the wrong idea.
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Post by Faldarin on Oct 20, 2017 15:32:33 GMT
Anyway, in the future I plan to get something heavier, possibly the RK Dojo Pro No.8 29 inches No-hi blade. And I just like the brown on black tsuki, make it look both sober and meaning business in a somber way, while avoiding the generic black tsuki you see on many other brands: sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/product199.htmlI can highly recommend through-hardened blades as a starter backyard cutter. A dojo pro, or a Huawei 9260 (non-custom) would both be really good starter blades. I'd recommend a Katsujinken from SlavEdge if he still made them wholeheartedly.
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Post by JAK85 on Oct 20, 2017 16:22:08 GMT
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Post by Faldarin on Oct 20, 2017 18:35:50 GMT
Funny, I was just going to note that JAK85 had a sale up on one of these.
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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Oct 20, 2017 21:13:54 GMT
Funny, I was just going to note that JAK85 had a sale up on one of these. Thank you for the heads up, though I kinda spent my available money on the Ryujin for now, and Christmas is coming soon so expanses are adding up against my wish to get multiple blades at once lol.
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Post by JAK85 on Oct 20, 2017 21:32:09 GMT
Funny, I was just going to note that JAK85 had a sale up on one of these. Thank you for the heads up, though I kinda spent my available money on the Ryujin for now, and Christmas is coming soon so expanses are adding up against my wish to get multiple blades at once lol. No problem. Hope you like the ryujin.
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Post by zabazagobo on Oct 21, 2017 2:50:47 GMT
Going off a first impression, those swords on Amazon look to be 'standard fare longquan production stuff', if that makes sense. Kind of like anything you'll find on Ebay and the like. Your thoughts on warehouse overstock resonate with my own, I'd look elsewhere as quality is dubious.
Huawei's really great for the price, and their DH t10 blades can have stunning hamon. Getting a choji hamon from Huawei would make an excellent display piece, and their tsuka feel great. All five of my Huawei's are very responsive and fun swords. The koshirae tend to be a bit plain though.
Back to your decorating project, for functional swords that look stunning on a stand and responsive in hand, Hanwei makes awesome folded blades of K120C steel. They're pricey ($780 and up), but totally worth it in my opinion; the koshirae are very nice and the folded blades are the best I've seen in the production market. The Bushido is my favorite production katana, and other models like the Kaeru set are on my "one day, when money isn't an issue" shortlist. I display my Hanwei's in my bedroom as well, so I may be biased with regards to this project of yours.
Another option could be Sinosword, the more I see of them the more impressed I become. They offer lots of customization options that could let you design a very nice display piece (or two or three), and probably for a fraction of what Hanwei costs.
Welcome to the forum and happy hunting!
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Post by Faldarin on Oct 21, 2017 5:13:04 GMT
Another option could be Sinosword, the more I see of them the more impressed I become. They offer lots of customization options that could let you design a very nice display piece (or two or three), and probably for a fraction of what Hanwei costs. It's really tough to beat Sinosword's prices on a budget... but I don't know I'd recommend them to a brand new collector until they really know what they want. Otherwise, 100% recommended.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2017 6:04:40 GMT
But, but ....I knew what I wanted and gave Sinosword very detailed researched specs. .....I just didn't take Vans advice about the weight. ......LOL!
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