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Post by toddstratton1 on Mar 18, 2024 23:06:27 GMT
Modern mode differently hardened Chinese steel katanas are always something I would avoid anyways. Quality control is a lot less consistent on them. Anyways I appreciate and am learning quite a bit from Maros responses. Something else worthy of notation is the quality of modern made Tamahagene style steel. The purity in which it is in modern time is much higher quality than medieval japan. So even using the same old methods of sword making for Nihonto in Japan. The iron sand and etc they have access to and use is also containing a lot less impurities, than the quality of steel which was accessible in previous centuries for these methods in Japan. Everything from the old crowbar blades to Ryansword, etc One thing to note is a lot of people buy blades with bohi for cutting which they really shouldn't use at that stage in their experience. I'm not a big fan of Bohi myself, but I use it in training to get better audio feedback with tachikaze, practicing when not cutting, also due to the length and weight of my sword the bohi helps bring the point of balance closer to the tsuba. But my next japanese sword I'll do without it.
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Post by blairbob on Mar 18, 2024 23:11:29 GMT
quite nice.
they look nice but...too many reports of QC issues from their high end. there is probably a bias that we only hear of the issues and not the praises but it sort of depends on who is buying them in the first place
I think DragonKing has pretty much replaced them in the under $2000 sword unless someone can luck out with a Skyjiro or Huawei besides maybe Shadowdancer/Zsey (look nice, their interactions online do not do much for their reputation).
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voidec
Member
Back in the game after like 8 years
Posts: 144
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Post by voidec on Mar 19, 2024 0:00:08 GMT
quite nice. they look nice but...too many reports of QC issues from their high end. there is probably a bias that we only hear of the issues and not the praises but it sort of depends on who is buying them in the first place I think DragonKing has pretty much replaced them in the under $2000 sword unless someone can luck out with a Skyjiro or Huawei besides maybe Shadowdancer/Zsey (look nice, their interactions online do not do much for their reputation). Isn't DragonKing part of the same company as Hanwei or somehow related? I too have heard of the abysmal CS from Huawei, Zsey and Shadowdancer. I've heard SkyJiro is basically non existent at this point, can anyone confirm that?
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Post by blairbob on Mar 19, 2024 0:12:48 GMT
It looks like only 2 of the DragonKing Katana have bo-hi. My Raptor UnK does have hi though the other models do not. 3/4 Citadel models come with bo-hi, which is kind of moot since they rarely are in stock.
Only 1 model from ColdSteel seems to not have bo-hi. Dynasty Forge are roughly half and half with bo-hi and about 1/3rd of Cheness models did not have bo-hi (a few TH, a Shobu, and the specialized mat cutter). It seems like over half of the Musashi Silver and Gold line have bo-hi.
without counting all the Hanwei models, just perusing, I'd say about half come with bo-hi. Most of the 1060 Ronin line do not have hi and about 2/3rds to 3/4s of their 1045 line seem to have hi (maybe look cooler, sell more, make more swooshy sound)
no idea about the Long Quan sellers nor do I feel like going through them all right. My guess is a lot more with bo-hi.
and bo-hi probably make swords 100-200grams lighter. that's what I see off Tozando and most steel swords are thicker and heavier though some Long Quan katana are under 1kg or even 2lbs.
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Post by blairbob on Mar 19, 2024 0:18:06 GMT
basically a split off in Dalian of former Hanwei employees/craftsmen. CASIberia is their reseller.
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Post by vidar on Mar 19, 2024 12:06:51 GMT
basically a split off in Dalian of former Hanwei employees/craftsmen. CASIberia is their reseller. Is their quality control better?
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Post by crazyjons on Mar 19, 2024 14:55:30 GMT
basically a split off in Dalian of former Hanwei employees/craftsmen. CASIberia is their reseller. Is their quality control better? No, not in my experience. Jon
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voidec
Member
Back in the game after like 8 years
Posts: 144
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Post by voidec on Mar 19, 2024 15:23:48 GMT
Is their quality control better? No, not in my experience. Jon So basically about the same? I’ve never been really drawn to any of the Dragon King offerings although I am slightly interested in the Sea Wave. I like a few of the Hanwei offerings although the 50/50 in QC that I’ve heard about is making me not want to get one. I’ve been trying to find the 30th ani Musashi from Hanwei or their guntos for a while now
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Post by crazyjons on Mar 19, 2024 15:35:03 GMT
Watch the YouTube review of the sea wave by Ronin Hood. It basically bends every cut he makes.
I think the fittings look really nice so if you weren't going to cut with it you would be good right?
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Post by izzy on Mar 19, 2024 15:38:30 GMT
Modern mode differently hardened Chinese steel katanas are always something I would avoid anyways. Quality control is a lot less consistent on them. Anyways I appreciate and am learning quite a bit from Maros responses. Something else worthy of notation is the quality of modern made Tamahagene style steel. The purity in which it is in modern time is much higher quality than medieval japan. So even using the same old methods of sword making for Nihonto in Japan. The iron sand and etc they have access to and use is also containing a lot less impurities, than the quality of steel which was accessible in previous centuries for these methods in Japan. I have mostly TH Blades in general, but one would think more modern steel from some of the better Japanese smiths would be a relatively "good deal", especially 2nd hand ( I have seen a nice Katana from a Master Smith made in '77 go for 2000 U.S.D. on Japanese sites). Plenty of older swords as well, just not "Samurai Era" for a good blade at that price.
This site claims Japanese swords made after 1954 might have issues with importation into the USA:
If true, that kind of puts a dent in the post War Japanese market...at least in terms of the U.S.A.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Mar 19, 2024 15:56:56 GMT
Modern mode differently hardened Chinese steel katanas are always something I would avoid anyways. Quality control is a lot less consistent on them. Anyways I appreciate and am learning quite a bit from Maros responses. Something else worthy of notation is the quality of modern made Tamahagene style steel. The purity in which it is in modern time is much higher quality than medieval japan. So even using the same old methods of sword making for Nihonto in Japan. The iron sand and etc they have access to and use is also containing a lot less impurities, than the quality of steel which was accessible in previous centuries for these methods in Japan. I have mostly TH Blades in general, but one would think more modern steel from some of the better Japanese smiths would be a relatively "good deal", especially 2nd hand ( I have seen a nice Katana from a Master Smith made in '77 go for 2000 U.S.D. on Japanese sites). Plenty of older swords as well, just not "Samurai Era" for a good blade at that price.
This site claims Japanese swords made after 1954 might have issues with importation into the USA:
If true, that kind of puts a dent in the post War Japanese market...at least in terms of the U.S.A.
There's quite a few people who buy Nihonto with current sword makers in Japan though. Even making new commissions for custom made swords to their liking. So I wonder how that all ties in. I think if you're physically inside Japan you'll find a lot better deals organically then a lot of online auction sites and the like. Where prices reflect the international market demand.
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Post by larason2 on Mar 19, 2024 16:30:08 GMT
It's an interesting market. When I'm looking to buy an old, rusty nihonto from komonjo, I have to fight for it, and the price ends up significantly higher than what I usually see them go for. I think there's one or more buyers who have deep pockets, and just scoop them all up if they're not bought by others. I don't see them sold elsewhere though, so either they're going to a collection, or a storage locker, or they are secretly polished and sold as "traditionally polished," or they will reappear when komonjo's stock runs low at higher prices!
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Post by izzy on Mar 19, 2024 17:25:39 GMT
I have mostly TH Blades in general, but one would think more modern steel from some of the better Japanese smiths would be a relatively "good deal", especially 2nd hand ( I have seen a nice Katana from a Master Smith made in '77 go for 2000 U.S.D. on Japanese sites). Plenty of older swords as well, just not "Samurai Era" for a good blade at that price.
This site claims Japanese swords made after 1954 might have issues with importation into the USA:
If true, that kind of puts a dent in the post War Japanese market...at least in terms of the U.S.A.
There's quite a few people who buy Nihonto with current sword makers in Japan though. Even making new commissions for custom made swords to their liking. So I wonder how that all ties in. I think if you're physically inside Japan you'll find a lot better deals organically then a lot of online auction sites and the like. Where prices reflect the international market demand. I remember ( now) to have read in the past that some sellers are big enough to have done the import Paperwork for newer swords. And I'm sure others just come in style.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Mar 19, 2024 17:28:38 GMT
It's an interesting market. When I'm looking to buy an old, rusty nihonto from komonjo, I have to fight for it, and the price ends up significantly higher than what I usually see them go for. I think there's one or more buyers who have deep pockets, and just scoop them all up if they're not bought by others. I don't see them sold elsewhere though, so either they're going to a collection, or a storage locker, or they are secretly polished and sold as "traditionally polished," or they will reappear when komonjo's stock runs low at higher prices! Masa Horiuchi on facebook sells antique nihonto for the cheapest prices I ever see. Everything sells out in under 2 min after posting most of the time as well.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Mar 19, 2024 17:30:11 GMT
Really bummed I missed the timing for this one but good example.
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voidec
Member
Back in the game after like 8 years
Posts: 144
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Post by voidec on Mar 19, 2024 17:35:49 GMT
It's an interesting market. When I'm looking to buy an old, rusty nihonto from komonjo, I have to fight for it, and the price ends up significantly higher than what I usually see them go for. I think there's one or more buyers who have deep pockets, and just scoop them all up if they're not bought by others. I don't see them sold elsewhere though, so either they're going to a collection, or a storage locker, or they are secretly polished and sold as "traditionally polished," or they will reappear when komonjo's stock runs low at higher prices! I know exactly who you are talking about! I lose out on those bids every single time.
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voidec
Member
Back in the game after like 8 years
Posts: 144
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Post by voidec on Mar 19, 2024 17:37:28 GMT
It's an interesting market. When I'm looking to buy an old, rusty nihonto from komonjo, I have to fight for it, and the price ends up significantly higher than what I usually see them go for. I think there's one or more buyers who have deep pockets, and just scoop them all up if they're not bought by others. I don't see them sold elsewhere though, so either they're going to a collection, or a storage locker, or they are secretly polished and sold as "traditionally polished," or they will reappear when komonjo's stock runs low at higher prices! Masa Horiuchi on facebook sells antique nihonto for the cheapest prices I ever see. Everything sells out in under 2 min after posting most of the time as well. There is also showa22 on eBay and Sohei Swords on eBay as well
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Post by vidar on Mar 19, 2024 17:56:42 GMT
Watch the YouTube review of the sea wave by Ronin Hood. It basically bends every cut he makes. I think the fittings look really nice so if you weren't going to cut with it you would be good right? I watched the video. Considering the thickness of the blade and the way he cuts, it’s not a surprise that the blade bends. The fact that he could straighten it 50 times without cracking actually proves that it’s well forged.
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Post by crazyjons on Mar 19, 2024 18:36:06 GMT
Watch the YouTube review of the sea wave by Ronin Hood. It basically bends every cut he makes. I think the fittings look really nice so if you weren't going to cut with it you would be good right? I watched the video. Considering the thickness of the blade and the way he cuts, it’s not a surprise that the blade bends. The fact that he could straighten it 50 times without cracking actually proves that it’s well forged. Maybe so but he cuts in a similar fashion with other blades that don't bend. For whatever that's worth.
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Post by vidar on Mar 19, 2024 19:22:33 GMT
It’s a relatively thin blade with bo-hi and therefore more prone to bending. Thicker blades and especially through-hardened blades are more forgiving.
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