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Post by nddave on Nov 21, 2021 19:32:40 GMT
Hi Everybody,
Finally got around to posting one of the Follow up reviews, this one on the Dragon King Hana. Let me know what you guys think!
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Post by jester on Feb 15, 2024 23:26:14 GMT
Got a follow up too about this sword. I handled three of them from the same vendor and maybe potential buyers might find useful what I've found comparing them.
| Hana-1 | Hana-2 | Hana-3 | Condition: | brand new | brand new | used | Sharpness: | good | completely dull | ok | Fittings: | great | extremely worn | patina removed by previous owner, kashira was glued | Ito: | tight | tight | tight | Scratches: | several on blade and habaki | none | one on kurigata | Saya Rattle: | yes | a lot | very minor | Koiguchi Retention*: | only a chopstick could shim it | way too loose | needed shimming, easily done | Hamon: | invisible | ok | ok | Sageo**: | shoelace | shoelace | better, thick and serviceable | Samegawa: | cheapest possible | cheapest possible | cheapest possible | Tsuka Core***: | N/A | N/A | has two cracks, top mekugi-ana is broken, wood had signs of rot. Unserviceable |
*: apparently the Hana tends to have a very loose koiguchi in general.
**: sageo seems to be factory random. The one on Hana-3 was definitely thicker and better than usual.
***: due to returning the first two, I didn't remove the tsuka but I have seen several DK ones. While the shape tends to be ok, the wood is abysmal and is often cracked. The holes to accommodate the end knots are useful but tend to break the samegawa in that spot, possibly due to the skin they use is painfully horrible. It's literally transparent. It looks white only because of the glue underneath, at least on all the under $500 models.
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Post by blairbob on Feb 23, 2024 21:25:32 GMT
Ouch, the used shouldn't really count depending on how old it was and how much it was used.
I mean the samegawa is just panels anyways, which means it's just for decoration though it should provide some texture for the itomaki.
Doesn't sound like CAS really is doing much for QC. Probably just storing them once received and hoping DK did their job on their end.
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Post by jester on Feb 24, 2024 9:27:41 GMT
Ouch, the used shouldn't really count depending on how old it was and how much it was used. I mean the samegawa is just panels anyways, which means it's just for decoration though it should provide some texture for the itomaki. Doesn't sound like CAS really is doing much for QC. Probably just storing them once received and hoping DK did their job on their end. Previous owner said the sword was bought in 2022/2023 and been left untouched except for one session of soft target cutting (which actually didn't leave scratches on the blade) and the repolishing of the fittings that has been done without cutting the ito, thus the tsuka was factory standard when in my hands. I am rebuilding the full tsuka at the moment. I also had all fittings recoated in black powder and polished the flowers. How it was How it is now
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Post by blairbob on Feb 25, 2024 1:13:30 GMT
you can definitely see one knot by the lower mekugi is coming undone.
it's a bit disappointing to hear of these less than stellar pieces because I've pretty much only heard good things besides something along the lines of "the tsuka is too much like old bugei/hanwei tsuka with no taper on one or both sides).
as well, I've pretty much only read reviews where they were excellent cutters though a lot of times a blade shouldn't be shaving sharp (unlike how many enthusiasts think they should be so they can go cut noodles and plastic bottles and milk cartons)
It really cements the fact, that you should buy from a seller who is inspecting them before sending them your way or you just have to hope and gamble you don't get a lemon slipping past QC that is drop shipping from CAS.
it doesn't worry me too much at the end of the day because none of the themes and colors are what i want. they look nice and pretty and may be fine as dojo cutters rather than anything I'd want with some personal flair after 20yrs (with nearly a 10yr break where I didn't buy any swords or was looking)
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Post by nddave on Feb 25, 2024 8:32:47 GMT
Yea definitely sad to here of consistent lemons. Unfortunately there's always going to be bad batches here and there. Overall though Dragon King has shown a pretty good track record for offering quality katana at all their price tiers. But as it says above going through a reputable vendor and asking for pre inspection does help, I always ask for specific things to be checked before shipping and it seems to have been followed through as I've always recieved well made models.
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Post by jester on Feb 25, 2024 8:56:44 GMT
Yea definitely sad to here of consistent lemons. Unfortunately there's always going to be bad batches here and there. Overall though Dragon King has shown a pretty good track record for offering quality katana at all their price tiers. But as it says above going through a reputable vendor and asking for pre inspection does help, I always ask for specific things to be checked before shipping and it seems to have been followed through as I've always recieved well made models. Could it be something like "UK and Europe receive factory seconds from DK?" I have reasons to believe it might be the case as you (and other people in the States I've asked to) confirm DK pieces are mostly in good order and well made. In Europe, especially UK, it looks like the opposite. You can see every now and again one decent piece but most of the times there is a common theme with DK: flaws over flaws, and the tsuka core tends to be cracked. HERE's a link to the UK distributor for example. Have a look at the faults.
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Post by nddave on Feb 26, 2024 0:07:53 GMT
Yea definitely sad to here of consistent lemons. Unfortunately there's always going to be bad batches here and there. Overall though Dragon King has shown a pretty good track record for offering quality katana at all their price tiers. But as it says above going through a reputable vendor and asking for pre inspection does help, I always ask for specific things to be checked before shipping and it seems to have been followed through as I've always recieved well made models. Could it be something like "UK and Europe receive factory seconds from DK?" I have reasons to believe it might be the case as you (and other people in the States I've asked to) confirm DK pieces are mostly in good order and well made. In Europe, especially UK, it looks like the opposite. You can see every now and again one decent piece but most of the times there is a common theme with DK: flaws over flaws, and the tsuka core tends to be cracked. HERE's a link to the UK distributor for example. Have a look at the faults. Damm, kinda suspect that too. I remember Holg and even AndiTheBarvarian mentioning such happenstance in Germany as well. Maybe they look at the US as their prime market and you guys are getting second rate swords in Europe. Which definitely sucks for you all because of the laws and shipping regulations as is. It's seems it'd be almost safer to buy from the US if they'll ship to you. More expensive but better chance of not getting a lemon.
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Post by blairbob on Feb 26, 2024 0:49:16 GMT
or maybe the Europeans aren't busting their balls about sub quality product?
especially if they don't inspect them upon receiving them and just put them in storage (pure conjecture)
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Feb 26, 2024 2:15:39 GMT
It was Holg who claimed he always gets lemons. I can't say that for me. I disassemble my kats and if possible my Euros, mostly Hanwei kats. The biggest problem I have is that some swords are heavier than advertised.
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Post by jester on Feb 26, 2024 7:32:03 GMT
or maybe the Europeans aren't busting their balls about sub quality product? especially if they don't inspect them upon receiving them and just put them in storage (pure conjecture) Yes and no. Yes as in "it seems almost nobody complains" (probably due to less people here being sword educated). No as in "in my case, the vendor added a document with boxes ticked by QC related to sharpness, scratches, various, etc" obviously either filling it without even looking at the sword or just lying through their teeth. See it for yourself: these pics belong to the second one I returned, "brand new" according to vendor.
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Post by nddave on Feb 26, 2024 15:30:46 GMT
It was Holg who claimed he always gets lemons. I can't say that for me. I disassemble my kats and if possible my Euros, mostly Hanwei kats. The biggest problem I have is that some swords are heavier than advertised. Gotcha, sorry for the misunderstanding. I forget sometimes who's who over the years. Do you remember who it was that used to go to Swigger's home and also hung out with Holg? I thought it was you.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Feb 26, 2024 16:12:06 GMT
No that wasn't me, perhaps Lukas Maestle-Goer / LukasMG / chenessfan?
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