CLOSED PRE-ORDER, K20 Wakizashi (the 20" Notta-Katana)

Nathan the Machinist

Nathan the Machinist

KnifeMaker / Machinist / Evil Genius
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Feb 13, 2007
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These are sold out.

It is my intention to leave this open for one week, or until 100 are spoken for, whichever comes first.

Due to limited quantities please limit your order to two swords unless you are someone like Brian (a known not-a-flipper) who is buying one for each of his boys and you have talked to me or Jo.


Please post only one time to this thread. Please do not make multiple posts or chat. If you need to change something, edit your post, don't add an additional post. This is my order list and it needs to stay simple and uncluttered or it isn't going to work.

This is a pre-order. There are no proxies in pre-orders.

Please read and understand the sword and the ordering process before ordering. I will post some disclaimers in a second post to this one. Please do not order anything until you have read those disclaimers and contemplated how they apply to you. If you're international and your sword is lost or confiscated by customs, I'm sorry but there is nothing that I can do about that and the risk for this falls on you, the buyer. If you have a problem with that, please do not buy from me.

I intend to start shipping these within about a year, but my last sword project took over two years so come into this with your eyes wide open. I'm making no hard promises on a delivery time other than you can request a refund of your "non-refundable" deposit if I haven't shipped these after two years. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Projects like this that are pushing the outer boundaries of our process and capabilities are experimental in nature and surprises sometimes do happen.


Here are some pretty cool computer pictures of what it won't really look like

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It is the size and weight of a traditional wakizashi and it more or less falls within the dimensional and kinetic windows of that kind of weapon however we are not saddled with the relatively low quality steel that traditional smiths were encumbered with and we will be able to make a sword here that will tolerate use that would destroy a historical sword. With that in mind I am pressing the primary grinds a little more narrow than normal for enhanced cutting ability, I'm giving it a little extra blade height to reduce the tendency of a long thin blade to wrap around a hard target, and I am adding a weighted pommel which moves the center of gravity back to only 3/4" ahead of the guard for excellent one handed control and the addition of a little weight in the tang translates into a little bit more cutting power in a hit (trust me, it works). If you remember the traditional sword on "Knife-or-death", it got all screwed up in that cutting competition. This sword won't be like that. This sword could probably cut that sword in half.


Specs:
Delta 3V, .190" 60.5 HRC
Total length 28.75
Blade length 20.0
Weight 1lbs 11 oz
Edge angle 20 DPS
Grippy 3D machined scales, grey or green TT

No sheath

As machined and ground, and tumbled

These are Utility Field Grade, milled and tumbled with visible tool and grind marks. You're buying a real and fully functional high performance sword built to cut stuff, not a shiny wall hanger, please don't buy this if you're looking for some flawless art piece.

Price is $1,500. Shipping is $25, so total shipped domestically for a utility field grade K20 Wakizashi Sword (no scabbard) is $1,525


The sword comes with TT scales. It is balanced with these scales. It is a high quality and high-performance material that offers grip, shock absorption, durability and it is the correct material for this sword. However, if you want to add a set of wooden scales (material of my choice, probably used popsicle sticks), you can add wooden scales to your order for $350. This is not an upgrade and I do not recommend it.



Here is the order process:

I'm going to take a 50% non-refundable deposit in advance. Once your order is confirmed there are no refunds, changes or cancellations other than accommodations for change of address.

Once your sword is out of heat treat and it is clear that the sword that you ordered will be viable I will request the second half of your balance.

International orders will need to pay 100% in advance.

These will ship as they're finished in the order that they are ordered in this thread. As I'm building them, most of them will go to this pre-order but a few will be sold in regular sales. This means you will see swords being sold while you're waiting for yours.


If you're ordering a sword in this pre-order: post in this thread first and then send an email to Jo at jocarothers (at) gmail (dot) com with this subject line: "K20 preorder" and include your post# in that subject line.

Please include the following information in your email:

1: Your post number on this pre-order thread.

2: Bladeforums name. (for example "Jo the Machinist")

3: Real Name.

4: PayPal email address so we can send a paypal invoice (or ask about other payment options)

5: Shipping address.

Once we receive this information, if everything is there, Jo will send you a PayPal invoice. If information is missing or you have additional questions, Jo will reply to your email. When your email is read and processed we will send you a reply letting you know we've received your information.

Please pay your paypal invoice within one month, otherwise we will need to cancel your order.

Jo, Bo, Mark, Dan and I appreciate all of your continued interest in our work and your support.

Thanks for looking.
 
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Massive disclaimer

Our last sword project developed a number of unforeseen challenges (it's a sword, not a knife, things happened) and it would be magical thinking for me to believe that we've learned all there is to sword making with our manufacturing process in this alloy with this heat treat. There exists a significant possibility (probability?) that some unforeseen issue will prevent this project from being successful. If we don't ship you anything, you will receive a refund.

I'm estimating it will take a year for us to start shipping. But I'm giving myself two years which will give me some leeway in case something comes up that requires us to re-think or re-work aspects of this project. So hopefully some of you guys start receiving your swords before Blade show next year, but it could be much longer. Projects like this are experimental in nature. If you don't receive your sword after 24 months you may request a refund. Please do not participate in this pre-order if this significant risk of delay is a problem for you.

I'm limiting this pre-order to 100 swords but I have material to make 145. I'm prepared for a massive failure rate but if we lose half or more of these swords then the people at the end of the pre-order will get a refund instead of a sword which is bound to make some people feel sad. Please do not participate in this pre-order if this significant risk of failure is a problem for you. You will get your money back and we can both feel sad together.

The vast majority of our sales originate here in the United States but a disproportionate amount of problems and complaints are in Europe. To the point that I really don't want to ship these outside of the United States. It is a lot of trouble and the juice isn't worth the squeeze. But we have some good customers overseas who don't deserve to be ignored just because the problems that are often associated with other foreign orders. Rob in the Netherlands, I'm looking at you buddy. So, with that said, here is a massive disclaimer for foreign orders: Please understand I mean no offense or disrespect but I honestly do not really want your order. But if this order is important to you, I want to try to accommodate you. But the limit of my liability to you ends once the product is in the box and in the hands of the shipping company. If it gets lost or damaged or misdirected or stolen anywhere in the shipping process (including, but not limited to, customs in your home country) you will get my deepest sympathies but you will not get a replacement or a refund. I will make your sword and put it in a box and ship it but beyond that, what happens to your shipment once it leaves my shop is outside of my control and I can not accept any responsibility for the additional risks associated with international shipping. Please do not participate in this pre-order if this significant risk of total and uncompensated loss is a problem for you. By participating in this pre-order you are acknowledging that 100% of this risk falls on you. There's probably a 50% chance you're going to run into trouble with a piece like this. I recommend you sit this one out, but you can make that choice for yourself. International orders will need to pay 100% in advance (not a 50% deposit) and may need to pay additional money when we go to ship to cover any additional shipping costs. If this is a problem for you, please just sit this one out.

Fit and finish and performance expectations. I believe that we make the best knives of their kind in the world. Our focus and expertise in design, manufacturing and metallurgical excellence is, in my opinion, unmatched in the knifemaking industry. We took first, second and first place in the national cutting championships this year because we're good at what we do. We sometimes have pretty good fit and finish as a side effect of being pretty good machinists, but the goal in our manufacturing process is to create the correct geometry. The process to do that happens to give us pretty decent F&F, but performance and bang-for-the-buck is the primary goal here, not F&F. This is a real sword, capable of cuts and use that would damage or destroy historical swords and it will run circles around some of the toys that pass as "real swords", it is not some flawless, shiny, under-hardened spring-steel decorative wall hanger. But it is not indestructible nor is it designed to process your firewood etc. These swords are dialed in to cut and are all field grade with tool and grinding marks and other cosmetic flaws. F&F gets progressively worse with larger pieces and this sword will be no exception. Expect a high performance ugly blighted turd and you won't be disappointed. If yours ends up being somewhat pretty, that's just a bonus. Please do not participate in this pre-order if a cosmetically imperfect sword is a problem for you. As always, I will not ship anything that I personally would be disappointed with, but we are not, and never have been, in the business of making flawless wall art.

Thank you for your understanding and your support in these kinds of projects. I believe it brings something pretty cool into the world and it makes us a better manufacturer. Regular knives are our bread-and-butter but these projects that push the boundaries help keep things interesting. So, thank you.
 
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In

I would like 2 please:

1 OD green (same as K18) terotuff with polished titanium fastners

1 bright green terotuff with polished titanium fastners please

6/14 paid

12/5 shipped
 
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