The Sword Buyers Digest - Issue # 122, March 2018
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From the Desk of Paul Southren
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Greetings Fellow Sword Enthusiast!
Welcome to a 'new look' digest..!
Some things are pretty much the same, such as the video of the month, best forum posts and what's going on over at our store, etc. And some things are a bit of how it used to be, including poking some good-natured fun at bad swords or sellers who deserve to be called out for some hardcore BS that is just too hard to ignore..
But there is also some new stuff coming down the line, so - well - I hope you like it!
In the meantime though - a quick personal note.
Another reason for the change to the digests format has a personal reason - for literally yesterday, I left my apartment in Japan that I have resided at for the last 7 years..
A lot has changed over that time - and I have learned a lot during my stay, both about swords and life, absorbed the culture, language and spent as much time as possible with my daughter from a previous marriage to a Japanese national that some old school subscribers may well remember.
I will of course be back a couple of times a year for my daughter and some close Japanese friends. But for now, a new adventure awaits - which I will talk about in another issue..
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So without any further ado, let's get into the March issue shall we?
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SBG Legendary Swords - Fantasy Sword Update
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It has been a bit of a busy, hectic and somewhat stressful month with the Legendary Swords Fantasy Sword Project.
On the one hand, all 6 commissioned designs were 'completed' in the last half of February, and for the most part, the outcome was even BETTER than expected.
For example, the Sword of Danu - a leaf bladed fantasy shortsword - blossomed from ugly duckling to a beautiful swan - and early feedback from the SBG community echoes this sentiment.
Here is what it looked like in the early 'ugly duckling' stages:
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But the bloated looking handle and somewhat 'chubby' lines ended up looking like this (the scabbard is quite amazing too!).
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Another two of the six designs also turned out great - such as the Vorpal Sword and the Modern Aelutian Gladius..
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Unfortunately though, we have hit some stumbling blocks with the remaining 3 which we are working through now - in hindsight, problems that could have been avoided - but it is a steep learning curve - and naturally any project worth doing of this scale is going to have some setbacks..
For example, the website that I am personally working on behind the scenes has all the content in place, but needs to be professionally refined - and a series of financial setbacks has meant that I either need to try and do it myself or wait until things improve..
Furthermore, our plan to help fund it by releasing some of the swords early has not really gone to plan - but they are only really just bumps in the road - my passion to make this happen is still strong, and to mix some metaphors - whatever doesn't kill a project makes it stronger, and where there is the will, a way will be found!
Indeed, in this whole process the germ of a new direction began to take shape - perhaps even MORE exciting than the project as originally planned.
So stay tuned folks, while the road is a bit rocky at the moment and nothing is happening quite as fast as I might like it to, as you can see from the pictures above - things are still moving forward!
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It is an oldie, but a goodie - a behind the scenes look at the making of the swords and the sword training involved in the original Conan the Barbarian series!
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A collection of four of the best and most recent posts and threads from the SBG Sword Forum.
Just when you think you have seen it all.. Some HUGE (probably ceremonial) antique swords from Medieval history.. (at least, we HOPE they are ceremonial..! Either that, or there WERE giants back in the day..)
They are stealing hearts - and no wonder.. Ronin really have outdone themselves with their new designs, which are coming down the line - some due in only a week or two.. Forumites discuss.
If you have read any accounts of historical battles and sword fights, you will know that they didn't end anywhere nearly as quickly as the movies might have you believe and were a rather gory and messy affair. So what techniques were used to end a sword fight as quickly as possible. Interesting historical discussion.
The Hanwei Renshu (practice) series are great candidates for customization. Here is what one forumite has done so far to his..
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Bad Sword of the Month... (And a Worse Seller)...
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Our tagline for the Forge Direct series is "Do not be fooled by cheap and nasty imitations" - and we aren't kidding..
For Chinese Swords, most forges make 3 levels of a particular design - basic, intermediate and high end - though they usually only provide the photos of the high end stuff..
Unfortunately, these are the pictures used by the sellers on eBay - along with the caveat:
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As It is handmade products, so maybe the item you receive is a little different from the photo of order listed on eBay. (the slightly error). please prevail in kind."
Now I don't really know how to prevail in kind, but I guess it means 'please suck it up' - because for our forge direct line, we only ever offer the high end versions (i.e. the actual swords in the pictures).
Some sellers are at least honest enough to show what you will actually be getting, but they are rare. Here is an example of a side by side comparison of the two levels, cheap to the one we have at Forge Direct of our 'Coronatite Energy Sword'
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It is not only the blade that is different, but also the fittings - take a close look and you will see they are the same style, but dramatically different in overall quality..
While some sellers are honest enough to price accordingly, most aren't..
Which brings us to our bad sword of the month..
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Highest grade Sword Sandwich Steel (yummy!) forging clay tempered gold silver-plated (thing)
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Okay, now sure - it is a bit gaudy.. But that is not why it is a bad sword..
One reason is because, if you look closely - the differentially tempered blade is FATALLY FLAWED.. The temper line actually RUNS OFF the edge of the blade at several points in the photo..
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But that alone is not why this is a bad sword (though it effectively makes it a 'scratch and dent'..)
US $5,697.00!!! What the.... Really?
But it gets worse - for a start, there is a listing for exactly the same sword under a different name for $2000 less (yeah, I know what you are thinking.. What a bargain, right! Hmm.. Talk about abritary pricing).
And let's forget about the fact that all the terminology such as 'Nagasa', 'Saya' etc apply only to Japanese swords - its clear that this is not one of the Master Smith made swords but basically a purely decorative piece.
From the listing..
Warm prompt:
My dear friends, Because of our swords are all 100% pure handmade, This need is about 7 days or so to complete made. I am very grateful for your understanding and wait patiently. good luck is always with you!
7 days..? Wow, okay.. Forge Direct Swords take 4-6 weeks.. And very few are over the $1,000 price point, never mind nearly $6K...
Bad sword, bad seller and total rip off price.. (should probably sell for $500 at best)..
Which is why this is most definitely the bad sword of the month for March..
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What's New at the 'Kult'?
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Kult of Athena has always been one of the best 'go to' places to buy swords. With an emphasis on speedy shipping, up to date stock levels and honest customer service, not to mention some of the lowest prices around, it is no wonder they are and have been the most popular sword seller around..
This month, they have some rare one offs for the first person to pull the trigger by none other than the legendary Tinker Pearce.. (and not just designed by Tinker, actually made by Tinker!).
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Tinker Pearce Custom Bastard Sword - one off for $1399.95
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Or this lively (1lb 15oz) arming sword - also a one off - for $1249.95
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But for those of you who have seen everything - well, this next new item has to take the cake..
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The ever-gallant Sir Beardivere is clad in a handcrafted chainmail hauberk and coif. With his knightly ensemble he is well-armored against the toothed maw of the family dog!
Ever a vigilant and chivalrous Bear-Knight, Sir Beardivere is ready to defend hearth and home from the trickery and pranks of the Garden Gnomes and House Hobgoblins.
Sir Beardivere is a plush teddy bear and his armor is of butted, aluminum chainmail links.
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Could have done with one of these when I was a kid, though with a full face helmet as for some reason I would always try to choke myself on the eyes..
Anyway, there is a lot more there than just armored bears - quite a bit of new armor overall, and some new and affordable swords (and some custom knives from Tinker too), so check it all out for yourself..
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Well, that's it for this months edition of the digest. Hope you enjoyed it and found something of interest.
Time to settle in properly to the next country of my 'international tour'.. So until next month, stay safe and happy swordening..!
Paul Southren
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