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[deleted]
Jan 30, 2019 22:34:58 GMT
via mobile
Post by shepherd214 on Jan 30, 2019 22:34:58 GMT
Check out Hunton Custom Knives on facebook. He makes a variety of wakizashi, katana and knives that use a very simple, durable and comfortable paracord wrap that isn't as complicated as a traditional sword. I have one and it floats in your hands. He also includes a kydex sheath. Pick your colors, length, styles, etc. Great guy to work with
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Post by shepherd214 on Jan 30, 2019 22:25:02 GMT
If you buy from an experienced, individual, custom maker then you can guarantee your blade will have a superior heat treat. You'll pay more, but it'll be worth it, far more than the Chinese forges because time and attention will be put into just your blade instead of a large batch.
If you plan on abusing the sword, as mentioned above go with a TH 9260 sword from a known vendor like Huawei, St Nihonto or Sinosword.
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Post by shepherd214 on Jan 30, 2019 22:15:49 GMT
Just do yourself a favor and grab the Huawei. I'm telling you I've owned like 5 of them. They are worth the double the price and you can always get the fittings changed later
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Post by shepherd214 on Dec 20, 2018 2:58:51 GMT
I emailed cas iberia a few weeks ago about the wasteland gladius and they said they were in pre production and should be rolling out sometime soon, maybe in the next few months.
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Post by shepherd214 on Dec 9, 2018 6:38:03 GMT
I also recommend Josh at Cottontail Customs. I have personal experience with his work and it is gorgeous. If a simple rewrap is all you need it shouldn't cost too much.
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Post by shepherd214 on Nov 8, 2018 0:48:15 GMT
Idk, the review above could have had a bad experience on a blade, but for the most part Sinosword is really solid. The blades aren't bad. For the most part they have good polishes. Some of their lines can be a little off centered. None of their tsubas should break. They are either solid brass, iron, or copper. No zinc alloy fittings. I have two myself and really like them. The mountings are also done well for the most part. Not 100% right but they are sturdy and serviceable. Utter garbage might be pushing it. There's tons of good reviews out there for them. They aren't the best, but aren't the worst, and they even excel in some areas.
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Post by shepherd214 on Nov 8, 2018 0:33:31 GMT
I'd like to see people cutting with them. Testing the heat treat. Looking at grain structure. I've never seen anyone use them. Only post hamon pictures.
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Post by shepherd214 on Oct 14, 2018 1:35:23 GMT
I actually have been seriously considering a blunt sword to practice with around my kids. It's very hard to go anywhere to practice without them making their way towards me. Bokken are nice but feel nothing like real swords.
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Post by shepherd214 on Sept 28, 2018 1:23:27 GMT
I personally wouldn't go cheness or ronin. Their quality control is lacking. I would go with the dynasty forge musha ko katana, or the Sinosword golden tsunami ko katana. Email them and ask them to change the fittings if you don't like the brass look.
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Post by shepherd214 on Sept 22, 2018 1:48:50 GMT
What groups are you talking about?
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Post by shepherd214 on Sept 20, 2018 6:14:48 GMT
My two cents: Shinogi zukuri without Bo hi will have less tip control and feel forward heavy, but would cut easier. Still very manageable weight wise, unless you have joint issues.
Unokubi, which is my favorite, will feel more like a lightsaber. You'll have better tip control/blade recovery, faster direction changes, and more overall control over the blade. You might not have the sheer cutting power of the shinogi zukuri though. It would be a great sword for a one on one duel because of its nimbleness.
Ive had several of both of these, and I keep going back to unokubi. It just feels much better when doing kata or practicing swings in the air. If you want to cut medium to hard targets a bunch, you may want to get a heavier cutter like shinogi zukuri.
On the topic of the wrapping style, my first sword was the usual hinerimaki. Ever since then, every sword I have has the katatemaki battle wrap style, and I notice zero difference in how much grip I have. I don't think it makes a difference. Just pick which looks best to you.
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Post by shepherd214 on Sept 4, 2018 14:51:10 GMT
It is great to see Huawei doing such nice nakago finishing now. My Huawei's have nakago's about the same as my Wang-katana2011's...not bad, mekugi ana's were rough on the side of the nakago that the drill bit emerged from. The edges of the nakago's were fairly rough finished with sharp edges I smoothed a bit with a file. Of course my Huawei's were all about $300usa, so maybe back then they didn't rate better nakago finishing. It would be great if JKOO also offered nice nakago finishing like that Huawei katana. Of course, maybe better if an optional item since perhaps not all owners take their swords apart. Nice to see JKOO coming up to (and better in the case of saya fit now) Huawei standards. Personally, I'm a believer in full rayskin wraps....for tradition and strengthening the tsuka. RinC I also agree that for me jkoo mountings have always been better than Huawei. Tighter wraps, better transitions, better saya fits, etc. But the blades on huawei are almost always better
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Post by shepherd214 on Sept 4, 2018 3:45:08 GMT
Cottontail Customs do you wrap sinosword blades if approached by someone with one?
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Post by shepherd214 on Aug 29, 2018 4:34:03 GMT
Matthew Jensen brought up a good point in one of his sinosword videos. A lot of people never take their katanas apart. The file markings even if they take less than an hour to do, still saves on labor and production time. If they can skip that part and slash off a little extra on the sword price, why not? They are not crucial to the function of the sword.
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Post by shepherd214 on Aug 29, 2018 4:30:19 GMT
What is wangkatana2011? Never heard of them
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Post by shepherd214 on Aug 26, 2018 4:45:16 GMT
Very nice. I've order two from them and I'm very happy. I plan to order a ko katana with a "midnight" cool little theme I've planned out, just need to make some more money. Looks like they did well by you.
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Post by shepherd214 on Aug 25, 2018 0:06:24 GMT
Anyone wanna post some pictures of unique hamons they own or have seen? Need some ideas for a hamon for my next order, and just don't want a basic wave pattern.
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Post by shepherd214 on Aug 1, 2018 1:54:27 GMT
Do you have to specially request this? It's not listed on their website. It was offered to me in place of the black leather they normally use, but I kinda prefer it now over the kind of leather Hanwei and other swordmakers use. You can definitely request it, just ask Van. You prefer the suede leather more now than the hard leather?
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Post by shepherd214 on Jul 31, 2018 16:04:18 GMT
They have a suede-like “leather” that’s on my O-Katana, and it’s soft yet durable for Iaido or display. It hasn’t dried out or cracked at all, and I’ve handled it plenty. Not sure if that helps, but it’s another option if you didn’t want to take your chances with a stiffer leather. Do you have to specially request this? It's not listed on their website.
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Post by shepherd214 on Jul 29, 2018 0:33:20 GMT
Wrapping completely in leather sounds like a great idea actually, I just may do that
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