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Post by royalkaeru on Mar 9, 2023 0:33:52 GMT
Hello all,
So this is my first sword purchase, I decided to go with swords of Northshire because they offer a yellow saya! That and the quality of their website seemed the best out of all of those I could find coming from Longquan.
I placed my order on January 11th 2023. There’s been a decent back and forth since then between myself and the sales rep Hogi. I got my photos of the completed sword on February 26th 2023 and was wondering how long it usually takes for them to provide a tracking number and deliver.
Has anybody else ordered from them this year or recently, if so how was your experience?
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Post by jester on Mar 9, 2023 10:00:09 GMT
This is what LK Chen wrote me regarding my jian currently shipped:
"UPS informed us that UPS is in the process of renewing its permission to export lethal weapons with the Chinese government. The renewal process took more time than UPS expected and UPS indicates that the renewal application should be completed by next week.
Currently, all the UPS weapon packages are in their warehouse and once the permission goes through, UPS will start the shipping process.
This impact all weapon export, and we have over 20 packages with the same status and all other Longquan sword suppliers experience the same.
Hopefully, the matter will be resolved soon and we should see tracking movement in the near future and your package can arrive before April."
So, I think it't just a matter of a week or two before shippings from China will go back to normal.
On the other hand, it would be better if you asked in the forum BEFORE buying a sword. In this case for example, we could have told you that Swords of Northshire is a reseller for Ryansword and thus, ordering the same sword from Ryan, would have saved you about $200.
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Post by an_old_sbg_fan on Mar 10, 2023 1:49:00 GMT
jesterThe thing about Longquan swords is that while they may share the same fittings, the blade and the sword may be assembled by different forges. So a sword that looks "exactly the same" may come from different forge, and the quality of the assembly may vary. Unless these swords come from the same forge, SoN may or may not reseller of Ryansword. On the other hand, if one can't tell the difference between swords sold by SoN and Ryansword, then by all means go for the cheaper one. Save a few quids for another sword I am happy that retailers such as LK Chen, Art of Fire & Iron, and Zsey offer something different than "the typical Longquan swords." There are also many well-known Chinese smiths that only caters to the local market, perhaps due to language barriers and export restrictions. Some of their blade alone can fetch a few grands. These sought-after smith are not short of customers. _______________________________ On the other hand, it would be better if you asked in the forum BEFORE buying a sword. In this case for example, we could have told you that Swords of Northshire is a reseller for Ryansword and thus, ordering the same sword from Ryan, would have saved you about $200.
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Post by jester on Mar 10, 2023 10:28:11 GMT
Well, as far as I know, it's common knowledge SoN is a Ryans' reseller. It's also common knowledge there is actually no "quality of assembly that may vary" when it comes to SoN, Ryans, Hanbon, Jkoo, etc. They all tend to have the typical problems in a way or another. Like "oh, the ito is very tight; but the end knots are reversed. Oh, nice full samegawa wrap; but it's upside down. Oh, this transitions are very precise; but the habaki has huge gaps". Or the opposite. All normal stuff for swords in that price range. Sometimes one gets lucky and receives a sword with the least amount of problems or even issue-free. More often, one can get a lemon. On average, they are all the same.
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Post by an_old_sbg_fan on Mar 10, 2023 10:57:34 GMT
Fair enough, I've seen how these swords are assembled. In a typical forge, they would select a blade of a certain dimension, and pick the scabbard and handle that best fit the sword. Next they select the desired fittings, test fit onto the blade/handle, and file/shim when necessary. Each worker is responsible for a certain assembly process, and are paid depending on their skill. Forget about handmade scabbard, handle, and fittings, skilled labor cost a pretty penny even in Longquan. A production "tamahagane" katana cost quite a bit more than a typical production katana, but most of the cost goes to the blade. A traditionally made katana from a renowned smith in China might cost less than one made in Japan but not by much.
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