I'll share the links I picked and do a running total of what I *thought* they'd charge, and finish with actual cost. NOTE: Pricing was in Euros.
We started with Color option C, Length option 26cm, from this listing:
www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803161671058.htmlNOTE: The tsuka in that listing come with fake, plastic same by default according to the seller. It was a $10 EU upcharge to use real same, which is what made me ask if other things could be changed, too.
Running total of $26.84 EU (including real same upcharge).
Then, I said I wanted the following changed:
Set S fuchi/kashira from this link:
www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805654852455.htmlThose are $8.16 EU, so now I'm thinking $35.00 EU (They only had one set of these, so I chose set Y for my 2nd tsuka when I saw the real final price).
Menuki "color C" from this set:
www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803151547895.html(Note that "Color C" includes menuki, fuchi, kashira, and black seppa.I figured they'd make me buy the whole set just for the menuki)
Menuki set cost is $19.36 EU, so my grand total is $54.36 EU for one tsuka, right?
Nope. When they created a (now expired) custom product link, total cost for one tsuka was $25.68 EU (look familiar? Scroll up). They did not charge me for any parts or custom work beyond the real same upgrade, even when some components broke up sets of products they were selling (like the menuki).
I was already accepting my estimate of about $55 EU for one so, "semprini" I thought to myself, why not ask for 2? Sure, they said, we can make 2 for the same price each.
They did not have more than one set of the fuchi/kashira I liked so I picked my second favorite from the same set to keep it simple. Note that they do offer iron fittings as well. If I order again, I may try those out, but the design of the bat alloy fuchi/kashira has sentimental value, so I went with that.
So yeah, in MY case, the total for the two was 54.48 Euros, with tax and shipping. That's $58.18 US, shipped to my door.
As they arrived 1 day late, I now have a $1 coupon. So, are they cheap? Yep. Are they perfect? Far from it. Are they worth it? For a cosmetic-only (wallhanger use-case) change, I say yes. Until I install them and test them out in kata or cutting, I can't honestly say more.
I may install the spare on my Musashi Bamboo, just to test it out. Will update when that's done.