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Post by divinewind on Mar 29, 2022 9:30:36 GMT
I "inherited" some high end Paul Chen katanas and I've been thinking about cutting with them. I've never done any cutting before so I'll probably buy something a bit more budget style to learn with first. Given SBG is about sub-$300 swords, and there's some quite capable cutters in that price range, I started to wonder if anyone is using the more expensive swords to cut with.
What is the most expensive sword you have cut with (brand/model/price range)? What did you cut? How did it go (performance/damage to sword/etc)? Other comments?
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Post by rannh1 on Mar 29, 2022 14:31:43 GMT
Jody Samson seaward katana - will be cutting with a Kostalensky fantasy sword once i get my stand up and running. No videos, because unlike some of the illustrious skilled cutters on this forum , I am more an amateur enthusiast.
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Post by Lancelot Chan on Mar 29, 2022 14:34:50 GMT
Howard Clark's 1086 I think, lend to me by a friend. It was sharp and smooth!
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Post by Lord Newport on Mar 29, 2022 16:11:16 GMT
My Howard Clark L6 Bainite katana...I cut with it weekly in dojo training for 10 years, in Tai Kai's all around the country and in Japan several times. It is certainly worth more today than when I originally got it and was using it. I think my total all in for the sword, polishing (Ted Tenold) and mounting of custom (Patrick Hastings) and antique fittings was about $7000. It is probably worth in excess of $12k today.
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Post by swordfriend on Mar 29, 2022 19:04:17 GMT
My Howard Clark L6 Bainite katana...I cut with it weekly in dojo training for 10 years, in Tai Kai's all around the country and in Japan several times. It is certainly worth more today than when I originally got it and was using it. I think my total all in for the sword, polishing (Ted Tenold) and mounting of custom (Patrick Hastings) and antique fittings was about $7000. It is probably worth in excess of $12k today. Such a beauty. Has the hamon started to become less prominent over the cutting area?
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Post by Lord Newport on Mar 29, 2022 19:29:26 GMT
My Howard Clark L6 Bainite katana...I cut with it weekly in dojo training for 10 years, in Tai Kai's all around the country and in Japan several times. It is certainly worth more today than when I originally got it and was using it. I think my total all in for the sword, polishing (Ted Tenold) and mounting of custom (Patrick Hastings) and antique fittings was about $7000. It is probably worth in excess of $12k today. Such a beauty. Has the hamon started to become less prominent over the cutting area? I will have to look and think about it and get back to you on that. For what its worth, I bought the L6 to be a almost indestructible tool for my JSA studies primarily. The hamon on a HC L6 is very boring from an "artistic/collecting" perspective. ALL my Howard Clark's were polished and mounted by Ted Tenold and here is what he says about the L6 Bainite sword and its hamon; Renown in the knife and sword craft community, Howard Clark pioneered the metallurgical development of “Bainite” sword blades that through his patient innovation became an icon for unrivaled performance, and simple beauty. For two decades, Howard has produced these blades which practitioners and collectors the world over have treasured. His innovation of creating a blade with a Bainite body structure, while supporting a Martinsitic edge was something many thought impossible to achieve due to the contrasting heat treating methods required to achieve either structure individually and uniformly. To my knowledge, he is the first person in the world capable uniting these two very different microstructures on a single sword blade combining both edge holding ability and incredible resilience. It is achieved through a proprietary process that took years to research, develop, and perfect. Each one is a testiment to Mr. Clark’s innovative approach as domestic contemporary smith.Bainite swords are comprised of a modern monosteel called Champalloy, which is a modern alloy used for many types of modern cutting tools, but requires skill, experience, and tenacity to work by hand. As a modern monosteel one will not see all the intricate forging features known in traditional Japanese swords like nie, sunagashi, chikei, or other lacing visual elements. The hamon are a long gentle notare, with very very thin habuchi. However, one similar feature that can often be seen in a well polished Clark Bainite is a misty “utsuri” (reflection) similar to that seen in some Nihonto. It is, as a product of modern steel, naturally a modern interpretation of it due both the composition of the alloy, and the unconventional manner it which it it heat treated.www.legacyswords.com/clark-katana.htmlI also commissioned a daisho of Howards 1086 for their beauty and collectability. They have beautiful prominent hamon's and I will probably never cut with them.
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Post by divinewind on Mar 29, 2022 23:05:49 GMT
Jody Samson seaward katana - will be cutting with a Kostalensky fantasy sword once i get my stand up and running. No videos, because unlike some of the illustrious skilled cutters on this forum , I am more an amateur enthusiast. Wow. Interesting looking sword! And those Howard Clarks! Oh my. I need a drooling smiley.
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Post by skelley on Mar 30, 2022 3:31:26 GMT
I've cut with all my swords at least once and, with the exception of one, all cut either very well or adequately . Most expensive sword I've cut with are my Albion Earl and Doge which I think were about 1300 each. Most of the time I only use milk jugs because I dink a lot of the stuff but we have an abundance of pumpkins after Thanksgiving and me and the relatives have what we call the Great Pumpkin Slaughter. The Albions went though them like hot butter. I do avoid the green ones though because those guys are tough as nails and I'd rather be safe than sorry.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Jun 21, 2022 4:20:32 GMT
My Howard Clark L6 Bainite katana...I cut with it weekly in dojo training for 10 years, in Tai Kai's all around the country and in Japan several times. It is certainly worth more today than when I originally got it and was using it. I think my total all in for the sword, polishing (Ted Tenold) and mounting of custom (Patrick Hastings) and antique fittings was about $7000. It is probably worth in excess of $12k today. Did you lose much material off the sword when resharpening it over the years youve owned it? How often was that needed?
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Post by Lord Newport on Jun 21, 2022 6:19:57 GMT
My Howard Clark L6 Bainite katana...I cut with it weekly in dojo training for 10 years, in Tai Kai's all around the country and in Japan several times. It is certainly worth more today than when I originally got it and was using it. I think my total all in for the sword, polishing (Ted Tenold) and mounting of custom (Patrick Hastings) and antique fittings was about $7000. It is probably worth in excess of $12k today. Did you lose much material off the sword when resharpening it over the years youve owned it? How often was that needed? No, it has only had a touch up to the edge twice over the course of 10 years of hard use cutting a mix of new and used tatami mats here and in Japan. Probably over a thousand mats total over those years cut by myself and fellow students who asked to borrow the blade for practice or competition. I did not notice any loss of material...both touch ups were by the togishi who originally polished the blade and set up its final geometry...Ted Tenold.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Jun 21, 2022 9:56:56 GMT
Did you lose much material off the sword when resharpening it over the years youve owned it? How often was that needed? No, it has only had a touch up to the edge twice over the course of 10 years of hard use cutting a mix of new and used tatami mats here and in Japan. Probably over a thousand mats total over those years cut by myself and fellow students who asked to borrow the blade for practice or competition. I did not notice any loss of material...both touch ups were by the togishi who originally polished the blade and set up its final geometry...Ted Tenold. Wow! that is some hell of material then. If it was only twice than indeed nothing is lost that isnt micro amount
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AndiTheBarvarian
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"Lord of the Memes"
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Posts: 10,329
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Jun 21, 2022 10:05:13 GMT
The edge of a bainite blade is normal martensite, the bainite is in the spine.
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Post by Lord Newport on Jun 21, 2022 17:10:15 GMT
No, it has only had a touch up to the edge twice over the course of 10 years of hard use cutting a mix of new and used tatami mats here and in Japan. Probably over a thousand mats total over those years cut by myself and fellow students who asked to borrow the blade for practice or competition. I did not notice any loss of material...both touch ups were by the togishi who originally polished the blade and set up its final geometry...Ted Tenold. Wow! that is some hell of material then. If it was only twice than indeed nothing is lost that isnt micro amount It speaks to not only the steel / heat treat but the geometry the togoshi put on the blade in its original polish. I have a 600 year old yorio doshi and over its life the ha has been polished / sharpened so much the Hamon is almost but not completely gone. I own the blade purely for "ceremonial/formal wear" (the mountings are superb) in "full party dress" kimono. Someone who knows what they are doing with the proper stones and a well made katana can tune up the Ha without taking much material at all.
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Post by alientude on Jun 21, 2022 23:26:25 GMT
My Howard Clark L6 Bainite katana...I cut with it weekly in dojo training for 10 years, in Tai Kai's all around the country and in Japan several times. It is certainly worth more today than when I originally got it and was using it. I think my total all in for the sword, polishing (Ted Tenold) and mounting of custom (Patrick Hastings) and antique fittings was about $7000. It is probably worth in excess of $12k today.
This is also the most expensive sword I have cut with. And I can attest that it is still very sharp.
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