|
Post by shepherd214 on May 14, 2020 21:22:22 GMT
On the sword I linked, if you check the specifications tab, it says "Hanbon Forge" for the manufacturer. I don't think it is general. Some swords have it, others not. May be a copy paste thing too. Worryingly, despite not responding to me on eBay, I had an answer about shipping almost immediately on Aliexpress...until I asked about the last sword I am waiting for. Now, silence. Yeah, not feeling hopeful. Yea idk what to say. I'm 100% sure they are not linked to Hanbon so it's probably some copy/paste thing. Blades are not even remotely the same, tsuka work is a very different look. Hanbon tsukas look bloated and usually double layer the ito around the kashira. They also use a ton of cheap alloy tsuba. Hamons look different, bo hi termination is different polishes are different even the way pictures are taken are different. Tsunami Katana has responded to everything I've sent them. Are you interrogating them about something? That could be why they are not responding.
|
|
|
Post by soulfromheart on May 15, 2020 17:01:11 GMT
I agree that the swords they are offering don't look the same. If anyone, Tsunami's blades look like ST-Nihonto more. Which made me think that chinese katanas resellers handle blades, fittings and assembly separately. However, the site layout of Shinken-Sword (Tsunami-Katana), Hanbon Forge, Swords of Northshire look really really similar. If I had to guess, Hanbon Forge would be the "generalist one" (they do offer dropshipping for resellers with their own custom specifications), Shinken Sword being the more "upscale" Hong Kong one (with prices to match), Swords of Northshire being the "american" Hanbon (I don't really know how to qualify it otherwise). (I am not sure if I explained my feelings clearly ) Actually, I first asked about Even's health, with the epidemic and all (as I said before, he is very amiable and personable and asked for mine and my family's too), asked for pictures of the finished sword that he informed me about in March (but he usually "forgets" to send them so I wasn't really expecting) and informed him that he could send it as my business was still open during the Coronavirus "Lockdown" because weirdly considered "essential" by the State so I could receive any parcels and packages just fine (like those from Aliexpress direct from China ). I informed him of the end of the lockdown too. At first, I thought that he was in a business trip in Thailand (as he is wont to do), then I actually feared that something happened to him but the fact that he answers just fine to others and doesn't reply to me...yeah, definitely not feeling hopeful. Ah well, shouldn't have used the Leeroy Jenkins Buying Style in the Lands of eBay Katana Resellers.
|
|
Jash
Member
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"
Posts: 297
|
Post by Jash on May 15, 2020 20:06:22 GMT
*As said before, be careful about the prices. They seem quite higher than some other offerings. If planning to buy on eBay, make use of the "make offer" button (his prices are quite inflated on his shinken-sword site too). Thank you for the extra detailed review / opinions on the blades. I 100% Agree. I really like the katana I purchased from him (and happy I upgraded the fittings). However, I bought mine during an "intro sale". I think at his current price points, there are other options out there now... and best for customers to shop around, or use the "make offer" button. Best of luck on getting that last sword from him! Keep us posted!
|
|
|
Post by shepherd214 on May 31, 2020 2:18:48 GMT
Well, quick update. The sword I ordered from them apparently arrived, but not at my address. The seller seems to have typed the wrong address. USPS call center says they delivered it to wherever was written on the box. its against the law to tell me exactly where, because of privacy. The lady was nice enough to tell me it's in my zip code, so I'm assuming the house number or street name was wrong. They fulfilled their duty, so now I have to take it up with the seller. My options are: the seller has to tell me what fudged up address they sent it to, my local post office may be nice enough to tell me on monday where it's at so I can knock on their door, they make me a replacement sword, or they refund me. So I guess I'll eventually have an answer in some shape or form. I've already contacted Tsunami Katana. I'm awaiting the response.
|
|
|
Post by MOK on May 31, 2020 10:42:26 GMT
Damn. So close, and yet...
|
|
|
Post by shepherd214 on May 31, 2020 22:59:57 GMT
Okay lol, so it seems I was tracking with the auto tracking number that ebay gives you when you order. Tsunami Katana quickly replied to my message and gave me a different tracking number for SFexpress.com, and this gives me totally different tracking history and my UPS account even emailed me to tell me I have a scheduled delivery tomorrow that started in China and has the same tracking as SFexpress. So I guess I'm getting it tomorrow. I have no idea what's going on with the ebay tracking number though. So right now it seems like Tsunami got everything right after all.
|
|
|
Post by MOK on Jun 1, 2020 9:52:29 GMT
EBay (or rather, their software) probably made some incorrect assumptions about shipping companies.
|
|
|
Post by shepherd214 on Jun 1, 2020 23:49:38 GMT
Heres the sword. I'm very pleased with it so far. Heat treat is good, wrap is tight and feels secure. Looks like they used more of a lace material for the ito, but feels nice still. And grippy. Blade is very pretty with a great hamon. Habaki fitment could be better. Fittings have some of the typical Longquan features and flaws, but its a very fast, fun sword and I like the look. For 350 I think its solid. I might post something more thorough later. Seems like a solid option though. I say go for it if you see something you like. 21 inch blade length. Just picked something on the shelf and asked to change to less gaudy fittings than the copper/silver it used to have. Looks better now.
|
|
|
Post by soulfromheart on Jun 2, 2020 7:18:51 GMT
This is great news ! Glad to see it arrived safely in the end. How is the saya ?
|
|
|
Post by shepherd214 on Jun 2, 2020 13:52:52 GMT
This is great news ! Glad to see it arrived safely in the end. How is the saya ? Theres no rattle in the saya. The buffalo horn isnt super polished, but I'm sure a little buffing would make it pop more. The wood grain is pleasing, I really like these natural dark wood sayas. There is a wood shim about 1mm thick glued inside the saya to make it a better fit. It's not ideal but doesnt bother me much since shimming a saya eventually happens anyway. The saya-habaki fit is almost perfect right now, maybe just a little snug. Could change over time once the wood settles in my climate.
|
|
|
Post by soulfromheart on Jun 2, 2020 20:16:07 GMT
This is a really tasteful combination. I really like the way the natural wood saya, colour of the tsuka and the double habaki mix together. The hamon is really beautiful too, is it a choji hamon ? (Hope mine comes as beautiful as yours. ) Edit 24/09/2020 : I have been actually "banned" by the seller on Facebook it seems. xD Actually, I used a semprini question about Real silk ito on their Shinken-Sword contact form and, finally, had an answer. When I told "Evan" (not Even anymore it seems) who I was, it was a textbook case of not remembering, not answering and ghosting again. When I asked for an answer on their Facebook and posting pictures of actual swords from them (and their issues), my comment was deleted and I can't "like" or "comment" anymore on their page. Well, to be banned by a chinese seller, I made it, alright. xD Conclusion : don't count on customer service.
|
|
|
Post by uchiha998 on Mar 9, 2021 22:20:41 GMT
Heres the sword. I'm very pleased with it so far. Heat treat is good, wrap is tight and feels secure. Looks like they used more of a lace material for the ito, but feels nice still. And grippy. Blade is very pretty with a great hamon. Habaki fitment could be better. Fittings have some of the typical Longquan features and flaws, but its a very fast, fun sword and I like the look. For 350 I think its solid. I might post something more thorough later. Seems like a solid option though. I say go for it if you see something you like. 21 inch blade length. Just picked something on the shelf and asked to change to less gaudy fittings than the copper/silver it used to have. Looks better now. This actually an old thread I started. But I was wondering since you bought a sword that is much to my taste as well. With the brown ito on black samegawa and decently polished hamon. The hamon on the katana from this company is what orginally attracted me to them. I was looking for something out there that could possibly compete with Hauwei, since there inventory is going down increasingly over the years especially at the $200-$300 price point. Still, I nice hamon doesn't necessarily make a nice katana. So now that you have this sword for a while(assuming you didn't get rid of it right away, or it broke)how do feel about it now?
|
|
|
Post by shepherd214 on Mar 12, 2021 8:00:44 GMT
Heres the sword. I'm very pleased with it so far. Heat treat is good, wrap is tight and feels secure. Looks like they used more of a lace material for the ito, but feels nice still. And grippy. Blade is very pretty with a great hamon. Habaki fitment could be better. Fittings have some of the typical Longquan features and flaws, but its a very fast, fun sword and I like the look. For 350 I think its solid. I might post something more thorough later. Seems like a solid option though. I say go for it if you see something you like. 21 inch blade length. Just picked something on the shelf and asked to change to less gaudy fittings than the copper/silver it used to have. Looks better now. This actually an old thread I started. But I was wondering since you bought a sword that is much to my taste as well. With the brown ito on black samegawa and decently polished hamon. The hamon on the katana from this company is what orginally attracted me to them. I was looking for something out there that could possibly compete with Hauwei, since there inventory is going down increasingly over the years especially at the $200-$300 price point. Still, I nice hamon doesn't necessarily make a nice katana. So now that you have this sword for a while(assuming you didn't get rid of it right away, or it broke)how do feel about it now? I feel like it was fine for the price I paid, which was about $350 I think. I have since sold it, not because anything was wrong with it but because I have so many swords that one or two needed to go. I very often buy several swords at once and only keep certain ones. It was very fast and agile, I trained with it alot and all fittings stayed tight. Once the sword adjusted to my humid climate, there were minor squeaks and creaks coming from the tsuka. No movement, just tiny noises. I think many swords would do this, so no big issue there. The fuchi and kashira were brass that were painted black, looked good from afar but up close looked cheap. The tsuba I'm not sure if it was iron or brass but whichever it was also painted black. Saya fit was good, heat treatment seemed to be good. I only cut with it to test the edge for bad heat treat and it was solid, but i did practice forms and stuff quite a bit and it held up fine. Wrap was tight and tsuka comfortable to hold. It's kinda hilarious though that I can no longer find the seller I bought it from. They either changed their name or started a new page, you cam find similar listings under other seller names now. When I try to view it under my purchase history the page doesnt work.
|
|
steveboy
Member
Measure twice, cut once.
Posts: 371
|
Post by steveboy on Mar 14, 2021 1:49:52 GMT
It's kinda hilarious though that I can no longer find the seller I bought it from. They either changed their name or started a new page, you cam find similar listings under other seller names now. When I try to view it under my purchase history the page doesnt work. I searched ebay for the exact title of the link you provided (Clay Tempered Battle Ready Japanese Samurai Katana T10 Steel Blade Sword Sharp) and this seller came up. Based on his products (those wooden saya seem fairly distinct for this seller), I think it may be the same one.
|
|
|
Post by alexeireyes on Dec 5, 2021 5:12:16 GMT
This is a really tasteful combination. I really like the way the natural wood saya, colour of the tsuka and the double habaki mix together. The hamon is really beautiful too, is it a choji hamon ? (Hope mine comes as beautiful as yours. ) Edit 24/09/2020 : I have been actually "banned" by the seller on Facebook it seems. xD Actually, I used a semprini question about Real silk ito on their Shinken-Sword contact form and, finally, had an answer. When I told "Evan" (not Even anymore it seems) who I was, it was a textbook case of not remembering, not answering and ghosting again. When I asked for an answer on their Facebook and posting pictures of actual swords from them (and their issues), my comment was deleted and I can't "like" or "comment" anymore on their page. Well, to be banned by a chinese seller, I made it, alright. xD Conclusion : don't count on customer service. I have to agree with you. I ordered a customized L6 tachi from Tsunami Dragon (same website but now called Nobunaga Sword). I ordered last June 2021 and after repeated follow-ups I was given the silent treatment even though I already paid US$690 for it. They got the length and hitatsura right but the wrapping was still leather even though I specifically asked for silk. I only got it in November 2021 after sending an operative to them and filing an international case. While I'm somewhat happy that I have the tachi with me now, I will definitely not order from them again. It goes to show that when some unscrupulous people think they can get away with something, they will. However, they behave when they see you are willing and able to use force and have them sent to their government's version of a concentration camp where they will live a miserable life. Attachments:
|
|