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Friday, October 24, 2008

HandmadeSwords.com - My experience

Last week I received a Tanto from HandmadeSword .com and I would like to share my review of it with all of my visitors. First I'd like to say that the website over at Handmade Swords looks great, they definitely thought out the layout and set it up right.

But...
Fancy websites aren't really what practitioners are looking for in a company that sells user blades. We're (practitioners) looking for blades that use traditional, solid construction methods. Blades that can stand up to kata and even cutting, without having to worry about the reliability of all to components. Let's face it, no one wants to cut with a time bomb.

The Verdict :

First and foremost I have to say that the price was right. I paid, in total $65 on my new tanto. Handmade Sword sells on their website and on eBay, I checked out eBay and got this piece for twenty bucks under retail. The service was extremely fast as was the shipping.


Now on to the quality. This blade arrived as stated, it does show layers in the steel, but I'm sure they're acid etched and the finish was rough. The inside of the saya was extremely rough, I can see wood putty or glue all over the inside of the koiguchi and from the way it feels during a draw I'm sure theres more within the saya. As for the fittings, the ito was low quality, the habaki has a bit of play in it, and I'm pretty sure the saya lacked any horn reinforcement where it should be.

Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that for the price I paid I can't really expect much more than I got, but I do want to give an honest opinion. Here are a few images that you might enjoy!













 
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