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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2009 0:10:28 GMT
I need more info on this company and any reviews would be great. These 2 firms have been around a while and seem to sell mostly in the UK. They sell for well under $300 and are advertised as carbon steel and full sharpened (although some blunted models too) One firm is called John Barnett swords and are UK based. The othwer is called John Gill Singh Forge (JGS) are I think are Indian See examples below and the great prices, anyone got any info? (John Barnett Viking Broadsword with scabbard £95) (John Gill Singh Etched Gladius Sharpened Carbon steel £65) (John Barnett Medieval Broadsword no scabbard £95 LOOKS NICE!!) (Barnett Gladius w/scabbard pic is blunted but comes sharpened too, EN45 spring steel full tang £85) (Barnett Norman Sword no scabbard £85) [ (John Gill Singh Princes sword sharpened carbon steel full stang for £49!!!!! Thats less than $100!!!) They look well worthy of further attention and I see no mention of them anywhere on the sbg makers site?? At these prices me thinks they warrant further digging. There are only 2 UK websites I can see today that have them, these pics were from www.blades-uk.com, I have no expieriance with this firm either. All are advertised as carbon steel, fully sharpened with full tangs.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2009 0:41:12 GMT
Some more info... after more looking around on that website they also do clay tempered 1065 katanas with an completely natural hamon which looks very pleasing in the pics. They are desctibed as made by BUK??? A couple have nice fittings and they are all between £100-150. See pic below for an example. I am going to get one of these as living in the UK they are much more affordable and less hassle than a Kaze or Global gear which are the only ones i can think of in the same price range with such a nice natural hamon.
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Post by genocideseth on Jan 31, 2009 0:56:52 GMT
Those are nice! If they are non-functional they would make an awesome wallhanger.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2009 1:28:14 GMT
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Post by genocideseth on Jan 31, 2009 1:31:19 GMT
I cannot expect their swords to be much better than the review you showed me. I would classify it as a wallhanger.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2009 2:00:03 GMT
they are all sold as full functional sharpened carbon steel with full tangs according to the site not wallhangers.
Im taking that review with a hefty dose of salt. He used it (im hoping to god he used a blunt model) for 2 sparring sessions going edge to edge with another sword. not something im planning to do with it. Its also a review on the 'arming sword' which I cant see on the list on the site i linked to??
Will take more than one review from a historical fencing site on a blunt model used for sparring before I write them off. That site by its nature will rate swords that are historically accurate and suitable for steel on steel sparring. We have different ideals here on the main where if its sharp, cheap and safe we are interested!!!
Also still leaves the other 2 manufactorers (JGS and BUK katanas?)
Anyway for that price im not expecting much. If that Viking broadsword can do light cutting im sold as the scabbard alone can cost that!
Will be getting one of these soon, prob the cheap £49 princes sword from JGS and maybe the gladius and will report back.
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Post by genocideseth on Jan 31, 2009 2:05:08 GMT
Well, if you plan on only light cutting, I reckon it should suffice. And from what I here, stay away from BUDK (If that is what you intended on typing).
And as a warning, just because it says Carbon Steel and Full Tang, it does not mean it is functional. In time you will realize it is just a marketing gimmick.
I wouldn't trust them as they are made for sparring, yet they are unwieldy heavy and the steel is soft. Expect edge rolling.
But I must admit, they are pretty.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2009 2:41:05 GMT
hi mate, no the katanas are not BUD-K swords....seems like they are blades uk own made katanas
And Im fully clued up on the terms, no problem there (though they are described as carbon steel, sharpened, full tang and functional....if that doesnt mean they are meant to be functional then there is no hope for any of us!)
Like I say, you are going from one review from a historical fencing site on a model which I cant even find for sale anywhere? Id love to hear a view from an SBG member who has actually owned one of these. Seems like a whole range of swords is being brushed off due to heresay and very few proper reviews.
To be clear Im talking about 3 seperate manufactorers in this thread Im trying to find more opinions on:
BUK (Blades UK) Katanas (seperate company to BUDK) John Gill Singh Swords (also called JGS, likely to be crap as dirt cheap and indian made) and John Barnett swords...
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Post by genocideseth on Jan 31, 2009 2:47:02 GMT
Well, I am not going to brush them off. I would say those swords are worth the price, if even just for the nice fittings. I am just saying if that was a lemon, then I have a hard time accepting the good one's will be fantastic. They are meant to be functional, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are. They may be, but I am not too sure. I agree it may be best done by a person who owns one, but if they say they are not any good, would you actually listen? As far as the Katana goes, I think they look fantastic. I would risk it. But that is just me. (Do not take my word for it, I am quite known to be a sucker for bad deals... )
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2009 4:05:54 GMT
yeah id definately listen, but takes more than one review before i write off a whole manufactorers product line.
For example, a while back if id never heard of cheness and stumbled across this forum and all those negative reviews that popped up at that one time, i could have easily decided never to buy chenness.
But then i wouldnt have the wonderfull kaze.
A year or two ago here no-one had really heard of global gear except the aussies, and every question about them was answered with 'they are crap, look elsewhere'
Now look at some of the stunning hamons they are putting out at great prices (the chikira is way up on my wish list).
See my point? Was hoping to someone here would own one but seems not. Next time I am flush I will nab one or two and see if they are worthwhile.
(mainly for the brits out there, if swords like these are available at these prices in the UK and are functional, it would be a god-send for the brits out there, hence my curiosity and hesistance to wite them off without more evidence)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2009 1:21:19 GMT
Some more info... after more looking around on that website they also do clay tempered 1065 katanas with an completely natural hamon which looks very pleasing in the pics. They are desctibed as made by BUK??? A couple have nice fittings and they are all between £100-150. See pic below for an example. I am going to get one of these as living in the UK they are much more affordable and less hassle than a Kaze or Global gear which are the only ones i can think of in the same price range with such a nice natural hamon. the 'buk' is thier abreviation for 'blades uk' definatey not 'budk' which is american apparantly these are custom katanas made for blades uk... i think not. i have tried to discuss with the owner of blades uk these katanas, forge, fittings and fit, but to no avail, he was VERY UN-HELPFUL he wouldnt tell me a damn thing about them apart from "oh its got a real hamon therefore its quality" he even used the words "its better than a masahiro" (lol what isnt?) i decided to save my hundred quid if you do get one, please post a review, or at least a few pics. one day i might get one, and if/when it is crap, send it back, just so ive had a look. also, i wouldnt say they had nice fittings, id say they had cheap and nasty fittings. carlitobrigante, i highly reccomend rod at www.rgwhandforgedkatanas.co.ukhe can have a kaze to your door overnight. and now hes started to branch out too! (Dynasty Forge all the way!!) tell him ric sent you
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2009 3:08:13 GMT
Those euro swords look to be the same as the strongblade ones....
Anyways a site that won't list the basic stats is a huge sign of stay away.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2009 18:45:51 GMT
When reading the review from historical fencing about the arming sword they make two points which I find interesting. Firstly he mentions the weight, the reviewer indicates that he did not weigh the sword but estimates that it weighs 2.5 kg that’s a huge weight and in my mind makes the sword all but impractical.
Secondly he mentioned that after two sessions the “hilt was shaking loose”. Both would put me off
I’ve googled the John Barnett sword them and there seem to be several shops selling them. While some list the dimensions non list the weight.
Looking at these swords they remind me of the kind of thing you get in tourist shops, aimed at people who might buy a sword on a whim, who like the idea that it’s “functional” but aren’t really going to put it to any major use and if the price was any higher would be put off. So the price is low, and they are just about functional.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2009 0:15:02 GMT
hmm, on a £100 katana I wouldnt call those cheap and nasty fittings.
I dont like the sound of the response you got from them when requesting extra info though. Sounds like someone who knows nothing about what he is selling.
Tourist shops? Blimey. The ones I like the look of are the gladius (not the etched one), the viking sword at the top, and the third one down. Not sure anything about those 3 look like toursity swords to me?
Kenpachi, I was on that site about a year or two ago as they were the only UK retailer of Chenness. Im glad to see his prices are more sensible now, I think he was asking for £350 for the Kaze back then, at the time when the exchange rate was almost £1 = $2, so he was asking almost $750 for a kaze!!! Obviously he has wised up, good to know and might take a peek there next time I buy a production kat.
Im gonna get in touch with these guys, see if i can get some more info.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2009 11:42:56 GMT
i dont know what they were like when he started up... but ive tried and tested rgw's prices over the last year and i 100% garantee that if he sells it then it works out better than self-import.
now he's branced out, and im talking dynasty forge, i strongly believe that rgw is the best place to buy katanas in the uk.
as for the fittings, i s'pose i know what ya mean, $100 katanas will never have quality fittings.... but, just look at that ito wrap, it looks like it was done at 3am...
if you do find out any more about the blades uk buk katanas please let me know.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2009 19:53:54 GMT
Tourist shops? Blimey. The ones I like the look of are the gladius (not the etched one), the viking sword at the top, and the third one down. Not sure anything about those 3 look like toursity swords to me? ] Well my friend, if you like the look of them, thats all that matters .
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