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Post by mumbles on Nov 24, 2019 6:08:29 GMT
I'm thinking of buying my first katana. I want a 'real' katana and not a wall hanger. By 'real' I simply mean something is not a stainless steel wallhanger that would snap if i attempted to use it, i.e. I want a sword that is made out of carbon or spring steel, properly heat treated, full tang, etc, that I could use for backyard cutting, though it is not necessary that the sword be 100% historically accurate with differential heat treatment. I have read on here and elsewhere that a monotempered katana is recommended for beginners anyway. Anyway, this brings me to my next point. I live in Australia, and out here, when I look at the websites of most sword vendors, the vast majority of products that are not stainless steel wallhangers are either Cold Steel or Hanwei and they are extremely expensive compared to their cost on American/European websites. (I presume due to import fees and taxes, etc) I found the following website: wickedblades.com.au/collections/armoury This appears to belong to a vendor/swordsmith who make their katanas here in Australia, as they are much cheaper than the Hanwei or Cold Steel options I see on other websites, seriously most Hanwei or Cold Steel swords I see advertised by Australian vendors are quadruple the price. Does anyone here have any experience with this vendor? Would I be better off buying a cheaper katana from them or just buying a Cold Steel or Hanwei at quadruple the price if I want quality? Any advice or tips? Particularly from any sword enthusiasts in Australia.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Nov 24, 2019 7:22:27 GMT
Looks they're selling Hanbon Forge and Ryan Swords stuff. Cheaper if you buy them directly, or from one of the many ebay sellers of them. That would be my choice - I'd rather pay AUD$220 rather than $350, for the same sword (and if I was spending $350, I'd go for something from Huawei rather than Hanbon/Ryan). Compare: wickedblades.com.au/collections/armoury/products/hand-forged-japanese-samurai-sword-ninja-kiriha-zukuri-blackwww.hanbonforge.com/Japanese-Swords/Katana/Japanese-Ninjato-Sword-Samurai-Black-Carbon-Steel-Blade-Kiriha-Zukuri-Katana-Full-Tangand wickedblades.com.au/collections/armoury/products/hand-forged-tactical-wakizashi-survival-samurai-swordwww.ryansword.com/Tactical-Sword-Outdoor-Survival-1095-High-Carbon-Steel-Full-Tang-Sharp--Ryan1156-p-843.htmlHanwei and CS tend to be expensive here. But there are cheap options. Global Gear has some 1060 katana for under $100, and Warsword has 1045 katana for $99 and some not bad looking swords for $150. Both have physical stores you can visit and check their stuff out, so are good options if you're in Melbourne or Brisbane. Extac on the Gold Coast has katana, unspecified steel, for $150. Alas, if you're in Sydney, Lawrance Ordnance only has Hanwei as far as katana go, so nothing cheap.
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Post by mumbles on Nov 25, 2019 6:41:27 GMT
Is Hanbon forge bad? are you saying I should not buy from this vendor?
I have seen that extac sell katana with 1045 and 1095 steel, but Im not sure who forges them
Any particular models from Global Gear you would recommend? I have had a a look at their site, but alot of their models seemed to be marked as out of stock.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Nov 25, 2019 9:18:09 GMT
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Post by mumbles on Nov 26, 2019 6:55:13 GMT
Thank you for the response.
I notice the Global Gear katana is described as 'folded' steel and the pictures of the blade make it look like it has that damascus style pattern.
I know some love this, but I have heard that damascus or folded steel when not done correctly can cause the blade to be weaker and more likely to fail, would I be correct to be apprehensive?
I also note the ebay sword you linked to is from LongQuan, is there any reason you recommend it over the the site I linked to in my OP? apart from price?
Sorry to ask so many questions, I am just making sure I do all my research before I make a choice.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Nov 26, 2019 8:58:06 GMT
I notice the Global Gear katana is described as 'folded' steel and the pictures of the blade make it look like it has that damascus style pattern. I know some love this, but I have heard that damascus or folded steel when not done correctly can cause the blade to be weaker and more likely to fail, would I be correct to be apprehensive? It would need to be pretty bad before it would be a problem. Welding flaws are not unusual in antique folded steel blades (and provide a way of recognising them as folded without needing to polish and etch), and as long as they not too big or too numerous, aren't a real problem. All of the modern folded blades I've seen are better done that such antiques. Poor heat treatment is much more likely to be a problem. Buying from a maker with a good reputation for excellent heat treatment is a good idea if you fear this, but then you're likely to be paying more. I also note the ebay sword you linked to is from LongQuan, is there any reason you recommend it over the the site I linked to in my OP? apart from price? Price, mainly. Personally, I don't place any importance on things like fancy coloured scabbards, bright-coloured wrap, coloured rayskin. I prefer iron/steel or brass fittings over zinc-aluminium (which is what they usually mean by "alloy"). I'm happy with a plain tsuba (and if I want a fancy one, I have a boxful of my own). I dislike artificial hamon. The one I linked ticks all my boxes for a cheap basic sword, and doesn't have anything that would annoy me. The Global Gear sword looks OK, but this one looks better (and appears to have real rayskin vs plastic imitation rayskin on the GG). (More likely, I'd pay more and get something like www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hand-Forged-Oil-Quenched-9260-Shinogi-Zukuri-Hishi-Gami-Shinken-Mat-Cutter/282738639221 - nice looking sword with a very nice blade, from a maker known for really good heat treatment.) If you do like the fancy scabbards and colour options from the site in your OP, as already said you can get the same swords direct without the 60% markup. The Global Gear sword is probably also from some Longquan maker.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Nov 26, 2019 9:02:54 GMT
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Post by mumbles on Dec 2, 2019 4:47:37 GMT
Thank you for all your help Timo, I have one more question, I notice a few of the katanas in the site I linked (as well as on other site I have looked at) state that the blade is "laminated in the maru style" what does this actually mean?
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Dec 2, 2019 5:10:37 GMT
That's been a long source of amusement for sword folks. "Maru style lamination" means that it is built of one piece of steel, therefor is not laminated(lamination being the fusing of different kinds of steel). So in other words, just a bit of keyword hype. Lots of vendors and stores will try that trying to make it sound more exotic. Nothing wrong with a monosteel "maru" blade as long as you know what you're getting.
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