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Post by themuffinslayer on Aug 19, 2020 22:04:21 GMT
Hi all, copy of the email I sent to lk chen earlier today after I got the sword free from its tomb. Lol.
Grip:
The shape is exceptional, i honestly find this to be the most well shaped grip I've seen from you. Whatever under wrap there is under the white twine I believe is gonna keep it rock solid. The pommel is excellent in detail. On the grip side, there is a little adhesive(?) Stain, and some casting flaws in minor pitting. Nothing serious. The guard is the same in this regard, with some minor pitting and a few scratches. However I like the look of them.
Blade:
Guard fit to blade is excellent. The planes of the blade are excellent. Very smooth, all even. The sharpness is excellent. There is one flaw I've seen in that it appears in finishing the blade got a touch burned towards the tip as though it was held too long on the wheel or belt used in final shaping. I dont believe it will be a functional issue and I'll see if I cant clean it up myself. I'm hoping the temper wasnt effected but I'll know with a quick file test before I clean it up.
Scabbard:
The scabbard is exquisite. Honestly. In looks it's fantastic. I found a single pinhead bubble in the lacquer on the backside, other than that it's basically immaculate. I'm a huge fan of these decoration styles and the central rib in the upper third is very well done. I do have to ask, are these designs painted or are they applied through some type sticker? They're raised, but not so much I can clearly tell at a glance.
As to the function of the scabbard, it's slightly looser than I've seen on the Roaring Dragon and Flying Phoenix examples I have. However it is still perfectly acceptable. It doesnt fall out without some serious shaking. And theres no serious rattle when sheathed.
All in all, this Jian makes a fantastic first impression. I'm excited to see how it performs. It feels a bit more punchy than the Flying Phoenix, but not at all uncomfortable in hand.
I'll update when I get some time with it and I try to post photos tomorrow.
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Post by naue on Aug 25, 2020 18:38:29 GMT
Thanks for the first impression! Looking forward to the next part, been eyeing LK Chen's swords for a while now.
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Post by compusted on Aug 30, 2020 17:54:15 GMT
after a few days, what do you think of it now? does the blade feel like it could take a set, as narrow and thin as it is?
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Post by themuffinslayer on Aug 30, 2020 18:03:01 GMT
after a few days, what do you think of it now? does the blade feel like it could take a set, as narrow and thin as it is? My apologies I havent been on top of this like I wanted to be. Work has been taxing here lately. After spending some time with it, I've ended up Wilson wrapping the grip. I love the feel of the cord, but find it to be just on the thin side. Caused me to have to squeeze harder than usual to maintain a grip on it and really wore my hand out. I'll say that any sword can take a set on a particularly bad cut, or overly heavy target. I feel so far that this is a really solid sword. I havent had a chance to take it to tatami yet, but on flex test it's quite a stiff piece of steel. I imagine it could be compared to a tankier version of white arc, but I've never handled that piece and cant comment on it honeslty. Steel quality is very good from what I've seen, and what I thought was a burn spot on the edge actually ended up just being an oddly colored smudge or the remnants of something that had gotten on the blade. When I get home later I'll get some pics up and get some more thoughts to paper. |
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Post by themuffinslayer on Aug 30, 2020 19:48:46 GMT
Lk chen Soaring Sky imgur.com/gallery/viZR4V8Gotta say there are only two things in this sword I really dont like. First is the grip thickness, but given that these are done by hand, I'd expect some variation on this front. The other is regarding the scabbard. While I like the look of it, the material that's banded through the belt...loop...thing. feels really cheesy and blatantly modern on this piece. Far as handling is concerned it's a joy in hand. Slightly punchier than the Flying phoenix but not by much. It's only readily apparent when going between them. Cutting I've only done lightly on jugs until I get more familiar with it and have time to soak some tatami, regarding this though it did surprisingly well to me. I thought with the geometry of the blade it would suffer slightly on smaller bottles but it seems the edge is well shaped enough to make up for this. I ended up touching it up in the last 3rd of the blade on a strop, which wasnt really necessary but I can't not screw around with something when I get it in hand. Lol. It took a frightening edge when I did, and I'll have to see how it holds up. Regarding the finish of the blade itself that discoloration of the tip went away with the first few passes with the strop, so I cant for sure say what it was. There doesnt seem to be any flaw in the material of the blade here I can see with the naked eye. The other thing to note was just how smooth and even the planes of the blade are. My roaring dragon has quite a few ripples along the planes of the blade, and I've seen and heard this mentioned in the Eagle and Magnificent Chu. it seems either whoever was polishing this one either took it personally and saw to this one being as smooth as possible or LK has taken steps to see this process refined. I suppose further examples of their work will show which it is. |
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Post by MOK on Aug 31, 2020 15:21:08 GMT
Lk chen Soaring Sky imgur.com/gallery/viZR4V8Gotta say there are only two things in this sword I really dont like. First is the grip thickness, but given that these are done by hand, I'd expect some variation on this front. The other is regarding the scabbard. While I like the look of it, the material that's banded through the belt...loop...thing. feels really cheesy and blatantly modern on this piece. Belt slide. I think the fabric is meant to provide a little more friction so the scabbard, worn between the belt and your body, stays put where you want it without sliding around on its own. And of course it lessens the wear on the scabbard, too. |
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Post by themuffinslayer on Aug 31, 2020 16:16:18 GMT
Lk chen Soaring Sky imgur.com/gallery/viZR4V8Gotta say there are only two things in this sword I really dont like. First is the grip thickness, but given that these are done by hand, I'd expect some variation on this front. The other is regarding the scabbard. While I like the look of it, the material that's banded through the belt...loop...thing. feels really cheesy and blatantly modern on this piece. Belt slide. I think the fabric is meant to provide a little more friction so the scabbard, worn between the belt and your body, stays put where you want it without sliding around on its own. And of course it lessens the wear on the scabbard, too. Ah ok, that makes sense. I was more criticizing the material it's made from than the implementation  |
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Post by compusted on Aug 31, 2020 20:01:04 GMT
Thanks for the thoughts. Seems like every next sword they put out tops the last. Really respect how they make minuscule adjustments and fixes in response to criticism that really just puts their blades at another level. I asked the folks over at LK Chen about the belt loop wrap, and they claimed it was made of silk and to be historically accurate. Did you wrap the hilt with electrical tape to thicken it? Seems like a good fix if you have larger hands, but I wonder how the cotton will hold up to the adhesive if you attempt to remove it in the future. On another note, in regards to your height, what's your opinion on the length of the blade? I've heard comments of it being good if you are tall, but perhaps too cumbersome for shorter folk. Also, from the stats on the LK Chen it seems that the POB is further from the hilt, so perhaps that could be the reasoning for feeling more punchy. What are your thoughts on that? |
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Post by themuffinslayer on Aug 31, 2020 21:03:22 GMT
Thanks for the thoughts. Seems like every next sword they put out tops the last. Really respect how they make minuscule adjustments and fixes in response to criticism that really just puts their blades at another level. I asked the folks over at LK Chen about the belt loop wrap, and they claimed it was made of silk and to be historically accurate. Did you wrap the hilt with electrical tape to thicken it? Seems like a good fix if you have larger hands, but I wonder how the cotton will hold up to the adhesive if you attempt to remove it in the future. On another note, in regards to your height, what's your opinion on the length of the blade? I've heard comments of it being good if you are tall, but perhaps too cumbersome for shorter folk. Also, from the stats on the LK Chen it seems that the POB is further from the hilt, so perhaps that could be the reasoning for feeling more punchy. What are your thoughts on that? They're a very responsive company, and I do think they're trying to get a good product to market. The grip is wrapped in wilson wrap, there is electrical tape but that's only over the rubberized wrap itself at the top and isnt touching the cord. I took it off after a couple days to check that actually and the wilson wrap doesnt pull any fibers as it comes off. My hands aren't very large, I wear a medium sized glove. As far as height is concerned I'm a designated manlet at 5'11" lol. For my height I find the blade length works well, but most of my background is in European longsword. For traditional chinese sword forms it may be too long depending on your style. I find it comfortable in hand, and far from cumbersome. I'm sure the pob does attribute to the blade presence, but I also dont think the thinner grip does it any favors. Dont get me wrong, it's no crowbar. Compared to a lot of swords I've handled its stellar, I've just been spoiled by a Flying Phoenix before hand. When it comes to the blade length it depends on your application. I'm no student of JSA but I see it brought up time and again how important blade length is. In CMA I havent really heard much, but it isnt a community I frequent all too often unfortunately. In HEMA I've seen a general trend of people using a blade as long as they're comfortable handling. My range is the 35-37in mark for what I prefer. If you study a purely single hand style, I feel youd get more out of the Magnificent Chu, or even the Flying Phoenix if you're comfortable with a blade just over 34in. If you switch between single and double hand forms, the Phoenix and Sky both work well, though I feel the Sky would tire you out more quickly. Regards |
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