Video of my test of Zubeng Forge Knives..

Ren the devils trailboss

Ren the devils trailboss

Joined
Feb 27, 2001
Messages
12,169
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmGmAGOjo6c

This is my first video test...so pardon the amateur quality..but it wasFun to do and I would definatly get one of these knives if you can find one...I was given one at blade by Master Chen and bought another..here is me testing and playing with them...amateur video..so bear with me..

[youtube]watch?v=wmGmAGOjo6c[/youtube]
 
On Arizona Custom Knives it was claimed that he make blades out of tamahagane.

To my knowledge tamahagane is steel prepared by Tatara method

http://www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/e/tatara/index.htm

From about 30 tons mix of Japanese mountains river iron sand and charcoal which after three days of burning produce about 2 tons kera etc etc etc. This happened today in Japan twice a year and they made swords out of produced this wat tamahagane. Each sword cost about $20 000-$50 000 produced by small number of highy skilled and certified by Japan state smiths...

Now I am wondering is he somehow get that certified tamahagane from what they are doing in Japan twice a year for their Nihhon Sword Guild?
Or he prepare something himself and call it tamahagane?

Is he Japanese or Chinese craftsman?

Regards, Vassili.
 
Thanks for the video!

"Zubeng forge in China" I assume he is Chinese, but I am not totally sure. Makes a very nice knife though and hella sharp!

nozh2002 said:
Is he Japanese or Chinese craftsman?

Regards, Vassili.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
nozh2002 said:
On Arizona Custom Knives it was claimed that he make blades out of tamahagane.

To my knowledge tamahagane is steel prepared by Tatara method

http://www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/e/tatara/index.htm

From about 30 tons mix of Japanese mountains river iron sand and charcoal which after three days of burning produce about 2 tons kera etc etc etc. This happened today in Japan twice a year and they made swords out of produced this wat tamahagane. Each sword cost about $20 000-$50 000 produced by small number of highy skilled and certified by Japan state smiths...

Now I am wondering is he somehow get that certified tamahagane from what they are doing in Japan twice a year for their Nihhon Sword Guild?
Or he prepare something himself and call it tamahagane?

Is he Japanese or Chinese craftsman?

Regards, Vassili.
Click to expand...

He is a Chinese. But Zubeng happens to be a Japanese surname. So he has confused a lot of people by calling himself Zubeng and Chen.
He made his steel himself and I don't think he has any certificate to prove his steel is the same as Japanese tamahagane.
 
this thread will show part of the process it takes to make tamahagane.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=654990&page=2

Master Chen is Chinese and works in China. The tamahagane is made in china.

Master Chen and I visited Gassan San one of the most famous sword makers in Japan. He saw Master Chens tamahagane and he says it is tamahagane. I hardly know a carbon steel from stainless. But if you have any doubts about this tamahagane you can ask Gassan San in Japan. Master Chen will visit him in a few days from today. I believe that Gassan San is the president of the Sword Makers Club in Japan this year. I could be wrong.


nozh2002 said:
On Arizona Custom Knives it was claimed that he make blades out of tamahagane.

To my knowledge tamahagane is steel prepared by Tatara method

http://www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/e/tatara/index.htm

From about 30 tons mix of Japanese mountains river iron sand and charcoal which after three days of burning produce about 2 tons kera etc etc etc. This happened today in Japan twice a year and they made swords out of produced this wat tamahagane. Each sword cost about $20 000-$50 000 produced by small number of highy skilled and certified by Japan state smiths...

Now I am wondering is he somehow get that certified tamahagane from what they are doing in Japan twice a year for their Nihhon Sword Guild?
Or he prepare something himself and call it tamahagane?

Is he Japanese or Chinese craftsman?

Regards, Vassili.
Click to expand...
 
paua said:
He is a Chinese. But Zubeng happens to be a Japanese surname. So he has confused a lot of people by calling himself Zubeng and Chen.
He made his steel himself and I don't think he has any certificate to prove his steel is the same as Japanese tamahagane.
Click to expand...

Master Chen's Forge is called Zubeng.

His name in english is Rich Chen
His name in chinese is Chen jung liang
His name translated to Japanese is Takemoto Chen
 
Where can one see Master Chen's work? Website? I have never really seen rope shredded by a knife like that...
 
bear1889 said:
Where can one see Master Chen's work? Website? I have never really seen rope shredded by a knife like that...
Click to expand...

search youtube.com

use the word takamoto chen or takemoton chen i forget the spelling. then ren has posted a video i can not see from china.

thanks

bob
 
A good test Ren ... I just commented on your video review at YouTube.

I particularly liked the rope-shredding thing.:)

How heavy is that chopper? I suspect it's actually fairly light-weight for its size, seeing how it acted on that maple log.
 
Ok I should have been a little more specific, where can you purchase at. Is there a website set up for that?
 
and beautiful knives by the way... also loved how you used GSYBE "East Hastings" for the soundtrack... have that very cd at home, was featured in the movie 28 days later
cool
thanks for the excellent review
ivan
 
bear1889 said:
Ok I should have been a little more specific, where can you purchase at. Is there a website set up for that?
Click to expand...

Well, I guess you could Google "Zubeng Forge."

Maybe easier to just e-mail or PM either Ren or 3 hard boiled eggs.

Ah -- I just found Rich Chen on SwordForum (of course). Here's basic contact info, although I can't seem to locate his server:

Rich Chen

zubeng@ymail.com

tkmt7@hotmail.com

http://web.zbsword.com/en/index.asp

My name is on the Sword and my name is my steel my steel is my heart, my lifes work.

AHA! The proper address for Zubeng Forge: http://zbsword.com/en/index.asp
 
Last edited:
This is not tamahagane, then. I would say it is quite far from tamahagane, it is pretty clear, if you just read what tamahagane is.

I know that during Cultural revolution all over China they were making "steel" in every village to overpass US and USSR in steel production - is it same equipment from that era?

Thanks, Vassili.
 
bear1889 said:
Ok I should have been a little more specific, where can you purchase at. Is there a website set up for that?
Click to expand...

Master Chen paid for a web site the man took the money, standard for a Chinese business man. now the site is partly finished.

http://www.zbsword.com/en/index.asp try this for English. not many knives there not much of anything.

I can email you some photos or you can take a look on Arizona Custom Knives they have some for sale. But not all that is made.

If you contact me by email or pm we can talk about other knives.
 
Wow!

There are real science behind all this!

"As you can see from this picture taken by an electronic microscope (at 30,000 times), the folding process created millions of standing crystal cylinders. And these crystals are the key to the characteristics that are so important.

Here's how you can test these characteristics:

1. The edge does not feel extremely sharp when you touch it with your fingers, however at the same time, the sword can slice paper easily. The crystals at the edge of the blade have reached the measurement of nanometers and formed into millions of standing cylinders. This is why the edge doesn't feel sharp at a touch while remains extremely so when used properly. "

I will treasure this explanation.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
paua said:
The Chinese pronunciation of kanji of takemoto is Zubeng.
Click to expand...

sorry my translation was not correct.

My Japanese language skills are limited. I speak only a little Toyota, Nission, wasabi, Honda and Kawasaki.

But I will quote I-Got-the-Shakes-Spear:

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose ( tamahagane )
By any other name would smell as sweet ( be as sharp )
​
:
 
3_hard_boiled_eggs said:
sorry my translation was not correct.

My Japanese language skills are limited. I speak only a little Toyota, Nission, wasabi, Honda and Kawasaki.
Click to expand...

You forget to mention one more word from your Japanese vocabulary - tamahagane.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
nozh2002 said:
Wow!

There are real science behind all this!

"As you can see from this picture taken by an electronic microscope (at 30,000 times), the folding process created millions of standing crystal cylinders. And these crystals are the key to the characteristics that are so important.

Here's how you can test these characteristics:

1. The edge does not feel extremely sharp when you touch it with your fingers, however at the same time, the sword can slice paper easily. The crystals at the edge of the blade have reached the measurement of nanometers and formed into millions of standing cylinders. This is why the edge doesn't feel sharp at a touch while remains extremely so when used properly. "

I will treasure this explanation.

Thanks, Vassili.
Click to expand...

A man that studied steel and its characteristics told me that the Hard carbides will act like sharks teeth. Now from my personal experience. These knives will not be as sharp when new as when they are used a bit, reason? The man told me that the steel has a mixture of hard and soft carbides. When the knife is new they will be ground to the same level at the blades edge. In time, not a long time, but in time the soft carbides will wear away and expose the hard carbides. This separation of hard and soft will be high and low parts on the blade. When the hard carbides standing up act like sharks teeth they cut or tear. So the reason the blade does not feel sharp but cuts when used is the standing carbides when pulled or drawn will act like sharks teeth.

This was explained to me by a meteorologist, wait maybe that was the weather yesterday, metallurgist. If the truth is known I do not know my self. My personal knife was not so sharp when i first got it and i sharpen it 2 or 3 times lightly and then it was scarey how sharp it was.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top