Sword Buyers Digest - Issue 136, June 2019
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June already? Someone slow down the year a bit could you?
Still, it certainly has been a busy and bitter sweet year to date - and as always with the sword industry - we like to do our bit to help steer it along and keep it vital. So rest assured, we have a lot of new stuff coming down the pipeline...
So without any further ado, let's get into it shall we?
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But first off, a fantastic deal for our US based subscribers (as the cost of shipping makes the savings pretty much disappear).
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So Far So Good, Project X Japanese
It's Hammer Time!
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They came and sold out even faster than predicted - but the first trial run of 20 Elite Soshu Kitae laminated blades by Project X are already being struck into shape on the anvil - and it was really cool to see how people made each blade distinctly their own with the varied custom options.
The whole process should only take 4-6 weeks, and if they get time and don't get irritated by camera's poking in on them while they are sweating away at the forge (sword smiths can be a cantankerous lot) hopefully by next issue we will have some work in progress pics and even some pics of finished or nearly finished swords so you can see just how unique they can be made with only a few tweaks done in just the right places.
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Speaking of Custom Katana
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Batch 45 of the Official SBG Custom Katana is in the final stages of completion, with most of the swords now beig boxed up and preparing to ship to our inspection team in Canada who will go over each blade with a fine tooth comb.
While thanks to the influx and more aggressive than ever marketing by the 'promise everything - deliver what we feel like' eBay and Alibaba 'forges', we only promise what we know we can make properly. And after 45 batches and nearly 10 years perfecting it, I'm really proud of how far we have come.
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Here's a few pics of batch 45 being completed - the attention to detail and the multiple levels of QC really do make these swords the best choice for anyone on a budget looking to get that really one good sword rather than a collection..
Next opportunity to order will be soon after the middle of the month, so stay tuned.
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For more information on what is currently available in the world of fantasy swords, click the link below:
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Couldn't resist this one..
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Every now and again we run a 'bad sword of the month' article - usually based around over the top fantasy swords or anime swords that just leave me wondering 'why?'.
But this time I had to share with you some itomaki work - which is was just the tip of the iceberg..
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For despite it being extremely loose with pathetically shaped diamonds it also had
"Horrific fit with gaps, loose and crooked Ito, Menuki that moves about, and Maru construction when SanMai was paid for. Crooked pegs drilled sometimes straight and sometimes diagonal on the three weapon set. It was quite sad, as it was the first set I had ever purchased."
And worst part is, to get a refund a payment was required to ship it back to China - and ss we know, Shanghai customs is a blackhole for swords so we can only hope the customer didn't lose all the money they paid and the amount paid trying to get a refund..
When will people learn.. Not anytime soon apparently..
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SBG member Red Scorpion shows us in a 2:17 video how to correctly hold a Katana. If you didn't know this, try it next time you cut and notice the difference...!
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I mentioned it recently that a lot of posts about Darksword Armory (DSA) get attacked by the DSA mafia and the post quickly goes downhill. Here's a new classic example, and why enough is enough already..
The video may be in Chinese, but the content is easy to understand and the rest of the thread has some real gold nuggets. Now how many people are going to be trying that towel cutting exercise today I wonder..?
If you have more swords than steak knives.. Or keep 20 trashbags filled with empty bottles.. We warned you, it starts with with one and then you end up like this...
While this thread mostly discusses JSA, the principles apply to any sword - and as many of you know there is a rather graphic pictire of a sword cut caused on the back of the leg by a Gladius of all things.. So how to avoid it, and when to attempt a 'risky' cut...
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WIP: A Cool Custom Fantasy Piece
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Before the Legendary Swords project was canned, I requested one of my best friends since high school days to design a dream sword that I would gift to him and see it go into production.
Well, as well all know, the going into production part did not work - but a promise is a promise - and so despite it now being a custom sword, and hence much more expensive (as the costs of mold production, etc can not be offset by making more than one) I thought it is so original and cool looking that it deserves to be shared..
Here is a preview of the basic design concept:
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Called 'the Sword of the Sakkala' it is a spider themed sword, with multiple claws holding black obsidian eye clusters and a pair of viscous poisoned fangs running down both sides of the ricasso..
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And here it is as it gets closer to completion:
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Who knows, maybe instead of production runs we could have BCI concentrate on custom one of pieces. Complex ones like this that involve multiple moldings and unique approaches aren't gong to be all that much cheaper than established custom sword makers, but as they can literally make anything - and simpler designs could end up being much lower than any other custom sword maker - maybe its worth trying in the future.
Only time will tell, but for the time being, hope you like this unique but fully functional fantasy piece.
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Well, not a bad issue considering I was sick with the flue for the last part of the month and have been pushing myself night and day trying to play catch up. But finally more or less on top of things, so will take a FULL WEEKEND off and get back to work on Monday (like most small business owners, weekends are just a pain as its hard to get work done when most places are shut. But with so much to do, its a luxury few of us can afford. Like watching TV or playing video games.. Man I miss video games..)
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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