Swords Of Might- Samurai Swords

The Moose

The Moose

Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
376
I'm thinking about getting one.... My friend has a Bushido one, awesome fit and finish very sharp blade... But am i being deceived is this the best samurai sword i can get for this price 220-250?
 
You can get very good swords in that price range nowadays. I got one on eBay that is hand forged and clay tempered with rayskin wrap on the handle. Easily handles bamboos

If you want something that's proven, check out Paul Chen or Cheness in that price range
 
johnu2 said:
You can get very good swords in that price range nowadays. I got one on eBay that is hand forged and clay tempered with rayskin wrap on the handle. Easily handles bamboos

If you want something that's proven, check out Paul Chen or Cheness in that price range
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Sigh, I'm doubt wasting the key strokes, but I'm going to throw the question out there again anyway. Why do you (and I mean that generically not just aimed at johnu2) think that there is such a price differential between say a 250 dollar sword and an 800-1000 dollar sword? Why is there such a price differential between an 800-1000 dollar sword and a 6000 dollar custom sword?
 
At the cheaper end of the spectrum, there is very good economies of scale. China makes thousands of these swords. Over 90% of katana swords sold in America are from there. They are handforged but might use generic or cheaper fittings (such as tsubas that are mass produced and shared by a lot of manufacturers). Another example might be using panels of rayskin instead of entirely wrapping the handle. The large majority of these (not all) are structurally sound. There are many youtube videos that prove this.

The more expensive ones obivously have better steel (such as L6 steel), better fit and finish and more attention paid to each one. They'll never rattle in their sayas, the mirror polish will be done much better, the ito and sageo will be much higher in quality and have a better feel to it. They might use a more time consuming process such as being differentially hardened or using folded steel. Japanese shinken would cost even more as they are restricted by their government on how much they are allowed to produce each month which keeps their price high. Also, compare the cost being charged by a custom maker vs a Chinese blue collar worker.

These $200 swords obviously don't compare to a $1000+ sword but they are far from being junk either. They will not be suitable for everyone but for someone looking for a "beater" it might be the perfect choice :)
 
johnu2 said:
At the cheaper end of the spectrum, there is very good economies of scale. China makes thousands of these swords. Over 90% of katana swords sold in America are from there. They are handforged but might use generic or cheaper fittings (such as tsubas that are mass produced and shared by a lot of manufacturers). Another example might be using panels of rayskin instead of entirely wrapping the handle. The large majority of these (not all) are structurally sound. There are many youtube videos that prove this.

The more expensive ones obivously have better steel (such as L6 steel), better fit and finish and more attention paid to each one. They'll never rattle in their sayas, the mirror polish will be done much better, the ito and sageo will be much higher in quality and have a better feel to it. They might use a more time consuming process such as being differentially hardened or using folded steel. Japanese shinken would cost even more as they are restricted by their government on how much they are allowed to produce each month which keeps their price high. Also, compare the cost being charged by a custom maker vs a Chinese blue collar worker.

These $200 swords obviously don't compare to a $1000+ sword but they are far from being junk either. They will not be suitable for everyone but for someone looking for a "beater" it might be the perfect choice :)
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Excellent. You seem to have a firm grasp of what's going on here. The cliff's notes version, if you will forgive my paraphrasing is: they are cheaper because they cut corners. That's not to say that if all one is after is some beater to hack melons in the back yard that they aren't the way to go, in that case I would suggest that they might be EXACTLY the way to go. However, I don't think that it is possible to gain a true appreciation of a Japanese sword by purchasing and using a rough approximation of a Japanese sword... and I'm not even a Katanaphile. If that is what one is after one is going to have to spend some money.
 
I agree with you Triton. Some people just can't afford or have that kind of money though.

These katana swords have come a long way. They're much better than the ones in the same price range 6 years ago partly because of the way the internet makes it so easy to purchase one, everyone wants one. Give one a chance and you might even be surprised :)
 
johnu2 said:
I agree with you Triton. Some people just can't afford or have that kind of money though.

These katana swords have come a long way. They're much better than the ones in the same price range 6 years ago partly because of the way the internet makes it so easy to purchase one, everyone wants one. Give one a chance and you might even be surprised :)
Click to expand...

I agree, they can't, or probably in most cases aren't willing to delay gratification long enough to own the more expensive swords. I mean if you can put by 250 bucks once why not just put 250 dollars by 4 times? As you say however most people don't.

I'm sure they are better then they were, but my interests generally run elsewhere...
 
IMO it isn't so much delayed gratification as it is being realistic about what you will do with it. I'll get a high-end katana one day, when finances can justify spending that kind of money on something I won't really use. I was thinking of buying a higher mid-ranged katana ($1,000.00 range) last year or so, but then realized that if I did it would just sit there and be a "safe queen," while I'd still be using my Kris Cutlery swords. Aside from occasional cutting I mostly use a bokken anyway.

I read an article some time back by a sword instructor that said that all beginners want a real shinken, especially an antique, but when they advance and actually buy one it usually ends up rarely being used compared to a bokken and iaito, if used at all. IIRC he suggested waiting until reaching higher dan ranks before making such a purchase.
 
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