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Post by jimp on Jan 21, 2020 15:54:48 GMT
I am new to the site and wanted to thank everyone for all of the valuable information you have posted to help people like myself. After several decades of not owning any sword (Had a few cheap katanas in my 20's) I have decided to get a few pieces of "Art" for my office with one or two Chinese and/or Japanese swords. They will only be used as display but I want very nice high quality pieces. This may have been answered before but I struggle with the idea of Japanese swords being made in China by smiths. For as long as I can remember there has always been an Anti-Japanese sentiment there and I even witnessed it first hand on a business trip. So to my question, and maybe I know the answer, do you really get a good quality katana from a Chinese forge or do you need to get it from Japan? I am also open to any suggestions you may have of what to purchase. I will say I really like the look of a few of the Forge Direct Chinese Swords offered here and may pull the trigger depending on the sale they offer, but I just don't see many reviews about them so I am a little concerned. Maybe I am just over thinking this and since I won't be cutting with it I should just focus on what I like. Thanks in advance for all the great advice, you guys and gals are truly devoted to your "Hobby, Industry and Craft".
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Post by tensho on Jan 21, 2020 22:20:09 GMT
Several very nice swords coming out of China. I remember hearing that even experts in the Nihonto community couldn't distinguish some of the Chinese made blades from genuine Japanese made blades.
But of course, you will pay for these. A great polish can do lots to a blade as well.
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Post by alexkjren on Jan 22, 2020 18:04:09 GMT
I'll add a vote for Hanwei's swords. While I'm sure that some Chinese individuals and makers may be biased against Japanese style swords, Hanwei is not. Their philosophy encompasses an appreciation for all cultures' swords whether European, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, etc. Sometimes they have quality control issues (hell who doesn't?!), i.e. there was a heat treatment problem when they first released their Tinker designed European longswords that resulted in some tangs breaking. But as soon as they were made aware of the problem they got together with Tinker to resolve it as quickly as possible. I'd say Hanwei is significantly above average in quality control when compared to other Chinese makers.
They have a very good reputation for offering mid-range quality at very affordable price ranges. And some of their high-end Japanese swords are of excellent quality but you'll pay significantly more. Unfortunately I don't know enough about Japanese swords to recommend specific models other than the Practical Katana, which I plan to purchase eventually. It has a very good reputation for being an entry level sword for traditional Iaido practitioners. Though in your case, it may be a bit on the plain side since you want something more for artistic purposes.
Good luck and post pics once you've got your display put up!
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Post by Dandelion on Jan 22, 2020 18:18:43 GMT
Huawei Swords do make great stuff, though not too fancy in optics. The Hanwei Praying Matis is something to llok at for sure, but at the higher end. I have one to sell in the "items for sale and trade" though, as well as the John Lee "Tenkai", which can be called the "poor mans" Praying Mantis. Dragon King Forge has some very nice designs too, very good combinations of fittings.Ryan Sword and Hanbon Forge offer tons of customization options to create a sword
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Post by pellius on Jan 23, 2020 1:49:28 GMT
Welcome For the purposes and parameters you named, I would imagine a good Chinese production blade would meet your expectations. Since you seem interested first in the artistic aspect, you might also consider a Chinese blade customized by a craftsman such as Cottontail Customs. They (or other craftsman) could recommend a production blade and furniture customization to exactly meet your needs. You would end up with a one-of-a-kind artwork that is truly functional, suited to your tastes, and beautiful. www.cottontailcustoms.com/Not sure what your budget is, but it might be worth sending a pm. (He’s on SBG, too.) As an alternative, Citadel seems to make well respected production katana (Cambodian rather than Chinese - still a CAS product, I believe.) casiberia.com/resource/citadel-katana-making-of-a-samurai-sword/3330Whatever you choose, please share your results! Cheers.
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Post by jyamada on Jan 23, 2020 4:13:12 GMT
Get a blade that you like from Huawei, and have a craftsman remount it. A fair number of practitioners and collectors use their blades for remounts. Going this route will get you something that looks better than anything else at the same price. They're also decent cutting blades.
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Post by jimp on Jan 23, 2020 11:54:35 GMT
Thank you everyone for all the advice, I will start my search.
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reptaronice1
Member
Tell Me... Friend... When Did Saruman The Wise Abandon Reason For Madness?!
Posts: 2,360
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Post by reptaronice1 on Jan 25, 2020 5:41:20 GMT
I am new to the site and wanted to thank everyone for all of the valuable information you have posted to help people like myself. After several decades of not owning any sword (Had a few cheap katanas in my 20's) I have decided to get a few pieces of "Art" for my office with one or two Chinese and/or Japanese swords. They will only be used as display but I want very nice high quality pieces. This may have been answered before but I struggle with the idea of Japanese swords being made in China by smiths. For as long as I can remember there has always been an Anti-Japanese sentiment there and I even witnessed it first hand on a business trip. So to my question, and maybe I know the answer, do you really get a good quality katana from a Chinese forge or do you need to get it from Japan? I am also open to any suggestions you may have of what to purchase. I will say I really like the look of a few of the Forge Direct Chinese Swords offered here and may pull the trigger depending on the sale they offer, but I just don't see many reviews about them so I am a little concerned. Maybe I am just over thinking this and since I won't be cutting with it I should just focus on what I like. Thanks in advance for all the great advice, you guys and gals are truly devoted to your "Hobby, Industry and Craft". You can get gorgeous swords out of China some of which trump the prices of Japanese NihonTo. I like huawei brand for a medium priced food cutter that has plain aesthetic looks. Or a custom from Swords of Northshire which can be made to your specs and of your steel type with your own fittings you pick. But to answer your question in short, yes there are very good swords that come from China many of which will and have out perform NihonTo.
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