SBG Sword Store News
First off, welcome to the new look SBG Sword Store..!
It's not 100% completed cosmetically yet, but is actually more robust and (I think) much better looking than it was before - hope you like it too..!
Anyway, other than the new look it is business as usual - the SBG exclusive swords - primarily Torakami and SBG custom blades ordered late last year have been arriving and many of you have received tracking numbers or your swords already (though if you haven't, don't panic, they take a while to sort out and ship, and we have a few here and there still clearing customs or in transit, so please bear with me).
This of course means that another batch of the SBG $330 Custom Katana is about to open, and if you have a gander over there you'll notice that there have been some changes, notably new tsubas and 3 basic blade geometry options (with a few more things to add before the launch).
There really are some very unqiue new alloy tsuba to choose from, so check them out and see what you think!
And of course, the Malatesta swords are in the final stages of leatherwork at the Valiant workshop and should be shipping out next week - we still have a few spots left, but not many - so reserve yours now!!
Anyway, have to get back to some tweaking and should have another update on this page again soon, so talk to you all again soon.
Thanks,
Paul Southren
24th February 2010
It seemed to take forever to finish - but the year of the Tiger celebrations in China are finally over and both the SBG entry level Katana and Professional Grade Katana forges are back on the job again playing catch up..
As usual, it has been a while between updates - so here is a complete breakdown of the current situation, plus some news on a store wide upgrade to better service the needs of SBG sword store customers, starting with:
My agent in Canada has recently received a large batch of Torakami Katana (that seemed to take forever to arrive and clear customs). These are all for orders placed in November/December and he is currently in the process of doing QC checks, sorting and preparing to ship them out to customers in order of when they reserved one. So for anyone who is waiting on their Torakami order, while it is not the fastest process in the world, I should be sending you tracking information on these shortly.
Almost all the custom orders are finished, and those not finished are not far off, but as they keep on getting a second priority to the production blades (i.e. Kuramono)I am still holding off on taking any new orders for these until everyone who has already ordered have had their swords shipped out or have received photos of their completed sword before it leaves the forge for final approval.
So for those of you waiting on these swords, please bear with me just a little longer while we sort it all out..
Finally, the Kuramono (which of course have all been pre-sold at this point) is in the final stages of completion and should be shipping out from the forge shortly along with some of the completed and approved customs.
If all goes to plan, we should be opening up on another round of Kuramono in March, with a few interesting variations.. (more on this in another update!).
I am pleased to tell you that the vast majority of custom Katana orders from November have arrived and are with my other agent being quality checked, sorted and the first few should be shipping out any day now.
This of course means that it is NEARLY time to open up on another batch of these early next month - with a few nice little tweaks and additional options in store..! Definitely worth staying tuned for that..
Due to a delay getting the Malatesta swords through US customs (only because they did not have a country of origin sticker not being present when they were shipped - but this is being done in their quarantined area) it is looking like pre-orders placed for the Malatesta sword are going to be arriving in early March instead of late february - but behind the scenes the Valiant team are making the sword belts and preparing the leatherwork so they can hit the ground running as soon as they finally clear to minimize the delay as much as possible.
With still a few places available for this long anticipated and magnificent long sword, if you have been sitting on the fence with this one now is definitely the time to get your order in for one (they are listed at the bottom of this post for convenience).
FINALLY
(Phew, what a long post - but serves me right for not being able to update it more frequently I guess) - behind the scenes the sword store is about to receive a nice fresh 'coat of paint' that will not only make it match the general look and feel of the main site, but will also add several new levels of utility - especially with regards to sending out updates to customers waiting on pre-orders, custom swords, etc.
The current system I have tried to use to update everyone over the last couple of years is simply outdated and extremely time conusming, and I apologize that updates have been so few and far between (though of course, I respond as quickly as possible to email update requests, but really need a more 'pro active' update system, which is what this upgrade promises to deliver).
Anyway, for anyone interested in a sneak preview before it goes live - you can check out a sample page here - much cleaner, neater and easier to navigate I think..! (and that is just the cosmetic improvements you see on the surface)
Anyway, I think that should probably be enough of an update for now - but if I have missed anything or you have any questions at all please just let me know.
In the meantime, if you've been waiting for the right time to pounce on it - now is definitely time to secure one of the Malatesta swords before they are all sold out!
Thanks guys,
Paul Southren 5th February 2010
Ok, it has been a couple of weeks between updates and ther are about 300 things going on, so I'll do my best to cut to the chase and just update the REAL important things..!
As most people know, just about every good quality production Katana these days is made in China, and with Chinese New Year just around the corner, the whole country will be closing down to Celebrate the year of the Tiger - which does mean that it's going to be a bit hard to get any updates for a little while of course...
However, the good news is that a large batch of Official SBG Katana (which includes Torakami and a large number of custom orders) is in transit already, so the only thing we are waiting on now is for it to land and clear customs.
While we have paused taking new orders for the custom Katana option until we sort out the current backlog of orders, I thought I might share a couple of pics of some completed designs to whet your appetite..!
(While you might not be able to order these for a few weeks until we get everything cleared up, there are still around 6 or 7 pre-orders still available on the Kuramono Katana, so get in quick on those before EVERYTHING is sold out or unavailable there!)
Talking of custom Katana (I told you this was going to be a long news flash!) - I am pleased to advise to everyone who ordered one of our Entry level $330 Custom Katana in November that the swords have all been completed and shipped out late last month from the forge, so as soon as they have landed and cleared customs (in approx 2 weeks time) they will be sorted, inspected and shipped out accordingly.
PLUS, as an unexpected bonus - as it is likely that they will exceed the 90 day turnaround time we aim for by a week or two, I instructed the forge to UPGRADE each and every kissaki from the usual run of the mill polish you are used to seeing on entry level blades to something just a little more polished...
Looks a lot better, no?!
The even better news is that I have made this upgraded Kissaki STANDARD now, and plan to open up on a new round of custom orders soon after Chinese New Year Finishes, so if you like what you see, then hop on over to the Entry level $330 Custom Katana page and sign up for the notification list..!
Medieval sword enthusiasts need not feel left out either.. Indeed, they are in for a very, very special treat!
Because we have also just started taking pre-orders on what is almost certain to be the most POPULAR sword in the Signature Series line up, the stunningly beautiful Malatesta Sword!
Since the prototype was first unveiled in January 2009, medieval sword enthusiasts all across the world have been drooling over this stunning Gus Trim/Christian Fletcher Designed piece..!
And right at this moment, the swords are on their way over to Valiant Armoury to have the leatherwork done, so they should be shipping out to customers late this month or early March...
But this is the snag, demand is so insanely high for these swords, that look like something you would easily pay up to $1,000 for (but are available for less than half that price) that it will be almost impossible to get one before they are all snatched up..!
So to be fair, we have pre-purchased a small quantity of these swords from Valiant that will be shipped out direct from their warehouse, ensuring you not only get the very best price possible (MAP and FREE SHIPPING, it can't get better than that!) but you will also get them FIRST, up to a week earlier than if you pre-ordered them somewhere else!
Anyway, we don't have a lot of spaces for these, so if you have been drooling over one and want to get one before they are all snatched up, the time to get your pre-order in is most definitely NOW!!!
16th January 2010
Just a quick note to everyone who has been waiting, we are starting a new batch of the extremely popular Kuramono Katana series, this time 20 in the standard (no-hi) blade configuration and 10 with a bo-hi..
As last time, they aren't going to be available for very long, so pre-order yours NOW!
13th January 2010
Just some more news on the Official SBG Professional Grade Katana series - the first 10 Torakami and 8 Kuramono have been shipped out last week, and we have another 6 Kuramono just touched down and the last 6 more in transit from the forge, all being shipped out to customers in the order that they paid for them.
I should also have some photos of the first batch of custom swords, which are making their way over to my agent now, so we should have it all wrapped up very (very soon).
By the way, we still have around 3 spaces left for the last batch of Torakami Katana, and as this will be the last production run for now while we concentrate on the base line Kuramono, if you want to secure one at the pre-order price, now is definitely the time..!
3rd January 2010
It looks like the first batch of SBG Professional Grade Katana are falling a little further behind schedule, and for that I wish to offer my most sincere apologies...
The Christmas and New Year holiday period have really thrown a spanner in the works all around, and at the same time my agent in Canada who is shipping them had some complications moving home, which further slowed down the intended shipments.
However he assures me that it should all be sorted out within 2 weeks at the most..
I really do apologize that we have fallen so far behind on this first batch and will certainly try to avoid trying to arrange shipping so close to Christmas again, that is for sure!
In other news, the Dojo Pro line released on the 29th of December by Ronin Katana have been extremely well received, especially the limited edition designs being sold exclusively at the SBG Sword Store (see below).
More information can be found on these swords and on Ronin Katana in general in my latest write up here so if you are wondering what all the fuss is about, I strongly recommend you check it out before they are all sold out!
Thanks again to everyone who is patiently waiting for their Torakami, Kuramono and custom designs. Hopefully we will come in ahead of the new delayed schedule, but I would now rather overestimate how long it will take until they ship rather than underestimate..!
29th December 2009
Last news post I mentioned that another 'secret, behind the scenes SBG project' was about to be unveiled...
And here it is..!!
INTRODUCING:
In association with Chris from Ronin Katana, we are pleased to offer a range of high quality, super tough 1060 carbon steel Katana designated the 'Dojo Pro' line..
These no-nonense blades are monotempered and feature all IRON fitting, silk ito wrap and are true POWER CUTTERS..!
Exclusively available here at the SBG Sword Store, and ready to ship FREE to the USA and Canada, with only limited quantities available (around 20 per design!) if you are a fan of tough, carefully inspected high quality cutters, you won't want to miss out on these!
Click here to see the exclusive Dojo Pro line at the SBG sword Store
27th December 2009
Just another update here on the delayed Torakami and Kuramono orders – around 18 out of the 30 first batch of orders are scheduled to be shipped out before the new year, and by January 1st we should have all of the 30 swords good to go (which also includes all custom orders placed in October).
I’ll be posting most updates about these swords up until the point of sending you the tracking number here for the time being, as there are still a few variables that may delay things by a few more days, but on the whole no matter which way it goes there is definitely not much longer to wait now!!
In other store news, pre-orders of the currently in production run of Torakami swords are rapidly approaching maximum order capacity, especially the 10 no-hi blades which are almost entirely sold out (only around 2 spots left at the time of writing this update!).
I should also mention for the Katana crazy sword buyers that visit SBG (you know who you are!) to keep an eye out at the store and news section in the next few days, as another ‘secret’ SBG project is about to be released onto the market – and I am pretty sure that for anyone who loves a good super tough monotempered Katana will be pretty excited! (I know I am).
For the time being though, for anyone who has been thinking about getting one, now is definitely the time to secure one of the last Torakami pre-orders before they are all snatched up..!
17 December 2009
12 December 2009: TORAKAMI AND KURAMONO, 2 WEEK DELAY
I regret to advise that we are a little behind schedule on shipping out the completed Kuramono and Torakami Katana orders from the Official SBG Professional Grade Katana - and some early custom Katana orders are also slightly delayed too (mostly delayed because we needed to have some upgrades at the forge to handle the increased volume of swords we need to make to try to keep up with demand for these blades - but without in any way compromising the quality we aim for)...
While some Kuramono have arrived and will be shipped out to the customers who ordered them first (naturally), the remaining 15 or so Kuramono and 10 limited edition Torakami will not be with my shipper in Canada until the end of the month...
This puts us a couple of weeks behind schedule (we originally started taking orders for these swords in October with a 8-10 week turnaround time, and week 10 would be sometime this week), and for this delay I really do extend my sincere apologies - however please rest assured that we are doing our best to minimize the delay and ask that your bear with us..
Because of this delay, we have held off on accepting new orders for this line - even though they are a few weeks into making a batch of 30 Torakami. However, to keep things moving along smoothly we will still proceed with opening up on accepting new pre-orders for this new batch within the next couple of days (the unofficial waiting list is pretty big!).
Apologies again to everyone who is excitedly waiting on their swords, but now has to wait a little longer than expected - I assure you we are doing our best but really do feel bad that we will be exceeding the original wait time...
Sincerely,
Paul Southren
RECENT PHOTOS FROM THE FORGE OF ONE OF THE 10 LIMITED EDITION TORAKAMI KATANA IN THE CURRENT SHIPMNENT
Torakami in Saya
Tsuba, tsuka and habaki (plus premium sageo)
Tiger Themed Fittings
30 more Torakami will be available soon, and after that we will be concentrating more on the base line Kuramono with only occasional limited edition releases (we do reserve the right to bring back the Torakami down the track from time to time if enough people ask for it).
28th November 2009
Official SBG Katana Update
Well, a few hours ago we closed off on our final batch of $330 custom Katana for 2009 - but as one door opens, another one is soon to open..
Our first batch of Official SBG Professional Grade Katana have been completed and are about to be shipped from the forge to my friend in Canada for QC inspection and final shipping.
While there are not many swords in the first batch (we are taking it nice and slow with these to ensure that the QC we subject these swords to is maintained) and all of them have been spoken for, within the next couple of weeks we intend to open up for a final round of pre-orders for the Limited Edition Torakami sword (around 30 spots will be available, and are bound to sell out extremely quick!).
In the meantime though, I wanted to share a couple of pictures direct from the forge of the base line 'Kuramono' sword that they snapped before packing them away for final shipping.
Below is a picture of the tsuba, blade and tsuka assembly:
And here is a pic of the very prominent hamon these swords are famous for:
I'll be in touch with everyone who has a pre-order with us in a week or so once the swords come in (which includes quite a few of the earliest custom option orders as well) so for anyone waiting for their sword and for everyone else who wants to pre-order one of the last Torakami orders, stay tuned!
I really am proud of these swords and love the way they have turned out!
24th November 2009: LAST CALL ON THE $330 CUSTOM KATANA!
If you want to get in your order for our exclusive Design your own $330 Custom Katana you had better get cracking - because at Midnight this Thursday the 26th, we will be turning into a pumpkin and shutting the doors on new commissions again until 2010!
Click here to create your own design before it is too late!
18th November 2009
It's been a busy month so far - not only with a site and store wide upgrade, but as many of you will know we have opened up for another round of the extremely popular $330 Custom Katana and rapidly approaching maximum capacity for these..
We have also added some new pics of previous customer submitted photos showing off their designs in the custom Katana Gallery on the main site that are worth checking out to see exactly what these swords look like when they are finished...
More recent news though is that the long awaited Valiant Armory restock has arrived - including the Kriegschwert, Practical long sword and a brand new addition to the signature line, the Hedermark Viking Sword...
Click here to see the full Valiant Armory Range of available swords
13th November 2009 Welcome to the first official 'SBG Sword Store News Post'!
First time visitors obviously will not have noticed, but sword store regulars will know already that the store has just finished some major upgrades that I hope will make naviation easier and give it a fresher, cleaner look and feel!
Anyway, the purpose of this particular page is to provide store visitors with an easy way to see what is new at the store, get updates on incoming shipments, new products, specials and the like without having to hunt all over the place! Hope that you enjoy it! Paul
