SBG Sword Store News
8th October 2011
Well, as mentioned previously the imminent price rise on Cheness Cutlery swords has come into effect - in some cases we have managed to keep the total price rise as low as $5 by increasing the price and then absorbing the $15 shipping fee, but some swords are up to $20 more - not a lot really considering what you get, but with margins squeezed so tightly that $20 is the difference between making a loss or staying in the black..
The only good side of these adjustments is that as the store offers only one kind of shipping module, astute shoppers will see that our range of Ronin Katana are also shipped free to the USA..
This is not sustainable, but as there are only a handful of swords in stock until they come back in December, it is a good chance to pick some up at a great price before they are all sold out.
In the meantime, we are gearing up for batch 18 of the SBG custom Katana and batch 17 is in the final stages before shipping from the forge, so more news on this soon.
Thanks all,
- Paul
14 September 2011
Well, the update was a little later than expected - and there is a fair bit of stuff to report so I'll try to make it quick..
Before I get to the 'meat and pototoes' of this post, you might want to check out the Hot Specials page to see some of the crazy deals by the Hanwei forge for this month..
But the main thing I wanted to talk about was that due to the long running weakness of the US dollar vs the Chinese Yuan, Cheness Cutlery have been forced to discontinue their wholesale program..
This means that they wont be selling their swords to any other distributors anymore - but we are lucky because due to our long established relationship with Cheness, SBG will be the ONLY other place where they will be for sale..
Of course, to be able to continue they need to raise their wholesale prices - and with wholesale prices already only just under the retail price I sell them at OUR prices will need to go up from the 1st of October too..
That's not all that long from now, so I guess my message to you guys is get them at the current prices while you can..!
- Paul
30th August
Just an EXTREMELY short note to let everyone know that things are pretty much returning to normal (though there may still be delays answering some emails as I was not able to completely clear the backlog and now the monthly newsletter is nearly due to go out! Arghh!).
Delays during the last two weeks were pretty minimal, but if you are still waiting on an email reply from me please wait just another day or two until the newsletter goes out..
In the meantime, meander over to our HOT Specials Page there are some pretty sweet deals for September, so if you want to get in early feel free to scoop one or two of them up as you please..!
Got to go, will post again soon!
- Paul
2nd August 2011
Ok, well I'm back - and boy am I busy! There are a lot of orders to go out and these are being processed and shipped right now - however due to the backlog of emails and orders that need to be addressed combined with some issues with internet access (I am currently in the process of moving to a different apartment and there was a mistake in getting the internet connected there properly, so I need to operate from the old apartment on my laptop to process everything - and that thing is SLOW) - while the previous orders are going out ok until I can get the internet up to speed again and make sure all orders and emails have been addressed from my vacation period (see the archived post below this one) there will be further delays of several days to a week or two at the ABSOLUTE most, so I thought I should extend the discount code offer again to make up for the inconvenience to you all.
Apologies for the trouble, I had better get to taking care of the previous orders right now, so thanks for bearing with me (things will be back to normal soon, I promise! But in the meantime if you wish to take advantage of the discount offer in exchange for slower than usual shipping feel free to do so).
Thanks all,
- Paul
2nd August 2011
Ok, well - batch 17 of the custom Katana closed a few days ago and I have been working hard to present them to the forge along with everyone's payment so that work will commence this week.
So with this out of the way I'm finally going to take a couple of weeks off and go and visit my friends and family in Australia.
Of course, the downside is that I will not have proper internet access during this time, so will not be able to process orders or take any email enquiries until I get back around on around the 16th.
To make up for this I am offering all store visitors a 5% discount on any and all orders placed during this time and that will be shipped out soon after my return. With our already low prices, this is a pretty significant saving - to take advantage of this offer simply enter the coupon code Australia 2011 in the checkout when you order and it will be applied accordingly in exchange for your patience with the shipping delay.
If you are an existing customer with an urgent problem you can contact me via my usual email address that you already have as I will endevour to check my email every 3-4 days just to make sure there are no emergency situations, but otherwise I'll do my best to get back to you when I get back myself!
Thanks for bearing with me and sorry for any inconvenience (orders placed prior to this announcement are not effected and will ship as normal, though I may not be able to send shipment notification emails even though the orders will still go out on schedule as normal).
- Paul
24th July 2011
How time flies when you are busy as heck..!
Anyway, time for another belated post - we've been open for new orders for the SBG Custom Katana for around 3-4 days now and have already passed the 50% mark of the forges maximum production capacity, so at this rate we will almost certainly be closing off on accepting new orders by the end of the month if not within the next 3-4 days..
I'm doing my best to singlehandedly answer every enquiry about the custom Katana to make sure that everyone has the necessary information they need to decide if it is right for them or not, but in the meantime if you've been thinking of getting one now is definitely the right time as once we close off on accepting new commissions we will not be taking new orders again until sometime in November!
I'll TRY to keep the news page here updated - plenty going on, so much so that it is hard to even find the time to update this page - but I'll do my best!
Talk again soon.
- Paul
3rd July
Just a quick update as promised - we have just listed 7 brand new, limited edition models of the acclaimed Ronin Katana Dojo Pro Series and I think that this may be their best quality batch yet.
Plus you'll also find a few new surprise bargains in our Hot Specials section so be sure to have a quick look.
Still working on trying to finalize things for batch 17 of the SBG custom Katana but things may happen quite quickly with those soon, so please bear with me - shouldn't be too much longer (I'll post again when we are ready!).
Thanks all, Paul.
30th June 2011
It's been a while since the last update, mostly because my personal workload has been so intense this month that I simply haven't had time to keep on top of everything of late - but with so much going on behind the scenes the time for a new post is more than a little overdue!
Apart from the Cheness Cutlery restock, which happened early in the month, we are now gearing up for the much anticipated opening on a new batch of SBG custom Katana as batch 16 (pictured below) has left the forge and while we are still pretty intensely involved making sure each sword arrives safely, many swords have already been delivered and the forge is just sitting around waiting, so it won't be long now.
At the same time, a new batch of limited edition Ronin Katana has just landed and these will be available for sale VERY soon too, so with all of this going on - I had better wrap up this post and get straight back into it again!
I'll post again (quickly) as soon as either the new Ronin swords or the customs are available to purchase, so in the meantime please bear with me for a bit!
Thanks all,
Paul Southren
P.S. I have a backlog of approx 200 emails with questions about the SBG custom Katana that I will be attempting to clear this weekend, so if you have asked me a question and I have not replied yet, please hold on just a little longer. ^_^
22nd May 2011
Just a very quick update - unfortunately our much anticipated restock of both our range of Cheness Cutlery and Ronin Katana swords has been pushed back from mid May to early and late June respectively..
It's a pain I know, but we do still have some stock left here and there for these popular brands, so from now until June the 11th you can buy any of the remaining stock with a 5% discount - simply enter the coupon code SBG-VIP when you order for the discount to be applied to any and all swords in your order (due to our low margins, this discount cannot be applied to orders placed prior to the 22nd of May, nor can it be requested AFTER an order is placed - sorry for any inconvenience).
- Paul
30th April 2011
Okay, update time - and we do have some pretty exciting stuff to report this time.
First off, Darksword Armory has come out with several new models to their medieval and fantasy sword line up, and I have added my two personal favorites so far to the store - the first being the stunningly beautiful and very unqiue German Executioners Sword
Katana fans are in for a very special treat too - with a very special offer on the Hanwei Lion Dog Katana - a highly acclaimed sword available this month only for BELOW WHOLESALE pricing..
I'll update everyone again later in May when the restock starts to occur.
Bye for now,
- Paul
17th March 2011
Some good news and some bad news here...
First the bad news, Darksword have been resisting it for YEARS - but the cost of materials, the low value of the US dollar compared to the Canadian dollar dragging on for the last 7 months+ and with no end in sight, plus NUMEROUS improvements (better hilt materials, peened pommels, upgraded scabbards, you name it - they have done it) has meant that the price had to go up - both the wholesale and the retail prices, and with the last few orders at my old prices now COSTING me money, the choice was either raise my prices to the new MAP (which is about $30-$40 more) or drop the line from the store..
Not much of a choice really, as the SBG Sword Store without Darksword swords would be like, well - I can't think of a metaphor off the top of my head but you get the idea!
So what about the good news?
Well, the good news is that due to popular demand we are again offering a limited number of Darkswords Hattori Katana, lovely folded blades with silk ito and very unique fittings and tons of extras at the lowest price possible!
Talk to you all again soon.
- Paul
3rd March 2011
A very, very quick udpate - we have literally been flooded with orders for the SBG Custom katana and while we initially anticipated they would be open for 2-3 weeks, at this stage we have pretty much hit maximum capacity in one week and can only hold new commissions open for the next 24-48 hours at best..
I am trying as best as I can to address all email enquiries about these before the final close off so that hopefully no--one misses out, so if you wanted to get in on this batch, you really do need to act now before it is too late (I wish we could hold them open longer, but there are only so many orders that we can comfortably handle!).
Sorry in advance to anyone who might miss out.
- Paul
21st February 2011
Well I'm officially back from Japan, it was a great trip - but right now I'm a little backlogged trying to tackle a mountain of e-mails that need to be addressed, coordinating shipments for the SBG professional range and the incoming custom katana, as well as preparing for the next lot of custom katana orders - so if you are waiting for an e-mail response from me, please bear with me - there are still several hundred that I'm trying to get through I never like to give short, clipped answers some working day and night to try and address everyone as best as I can..!
I'll update again soon, but in the meantime - I need to get typing!
- Paul
8th February 2011
Hey all,
As mentioned in the previous post, the sale on our range of Ronin Katana has ended (the base price is the same, but now we have $15 shipping to the USA, $26 to Canada and $49 to everywhere else) and I am about to head off to Japan until the 20th of February.
All orders up to this point will go out as scheduled, but from now until the 20th - while orders can be placed, they won't be processed until my return, but to try and make up for this - for those of you who can muster the patience, you can get a 5% discount on any and all orders up to the 20th by using the special discount code JAPAN in the checkout.
Got to wrap up a few more loose ends and then have to fly (literally) so will update you all soon after my return.
Apologies again for any inconvenience this may cause.
Sincerely,
- Paul Southren
4th February 2011
Just a quick note to let everyone know that from the 8th to the 20th of February I will be visiting my daughter in Japan and while the store will not be closed during this time, my email access will be limited and I will not be processing orders until my return on the 20th of February.
My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause - any orders placed over the next 4 days though will be shipped out with minimal delay as usual, though those placed on the 7th may not receive shipping notification, though the swords themselves will be shipped as normal.
And don't forget, there are only THREE more days before the imminent price rise on the Ronin Katana series, as well as the discontinuation of the exclusive offers on that page, so if you've been thinking of getting a Ronin, NOW is definitely the time to grab one..! (though not by the blade of course, that would probably end in microsurgery).
Thanks all,
- Paul
29th of January 2011
Phew, just realized that it has been one month since my last update - so we are a bit overdue for a new one..!
Things have been pretty quiet for the Sword Store since last month - and I have spent most of my time trying to coordinate the incoming batch of delayed SBG/Pro Sword orders and batch 15 of the custom Katana.
While it will not be until the first week of February until I will be able to update the SBG Pro situation again, I do have some snaps from the forge to share with everyone of some completed swords from batch 15 of the $330 Custom Katana:
And of course, with this batch coming in (everyone who is waiting should have recieved an email on this with much more info a few hours ago) - it's NEARLY time to start accepting new commissions, so if you haven't already and are interested, please visit the custom Katana page here and sign up to one of the forms on the page to be notified when we are ready to start accepting new orders (I will also be attempting to address some of the new frequently asked questions about these from numerous emails that I have simply not been able to get around to answering personally yet, but will try in the coming week).
Finally, I should also mention that the special introductory price on the Ronin Dojo Pro series Katana will be ending in the first week of February too, so if you have been sitting on the fence about these, now is your last chance to get them at the special price of $249.99 shipped before they go back up to their normal price of $264.99..
I have another update pending in a few days, so talk to you all again then.
Thanks all,
- Paul
29th December 2010
Just a quick heads up - the Ronin Katana Dojo Pro swords are ready to order - only the Seikyoku model 4 and the Miyamoto Budget sword are still in the process of being inspected and restocked, however they should ALL be availble by the end of the year (sounds like a long way away when you put it like that! I should have said 'within the next 2 days or so' but there you go! Lol).
Anyway, check them out - they also now come with a no obligation 7 day inspection period so if you have any doubts, why not see for yourself what all the fuss is about and check one out first hand!
Talk again soon.
- Paul
27th December 2010
Hope you all had a great Christmas!
Just a quick update as it has been a while and we do have some news to share with the first update on our range of Ronin Katana heavy duty Dotanuki blades..
The shipment has finally landed and is currently being inspected and sorted before we start listing them for sale again, so for everyone who has been waiting the last 2 months for these bad boys to come back into stock, the wait is ALMOST over (plus, you may notice a NEW product added to this line - the amazing Dai Ichi O-Katana - Ronin's most POWERFUL cutter to date (and that is saying something!).
NEW RONIN O-KATANA!
I'll be making another news announcment as soon as they have all been checked out and are good to start shipping, so stay tuned for that one!
In other store news, after nearly 6 months of delays and setbacks, we are still having some difficulty getting the last of the SBG Professional Grade Katana out from the forge - recently we thought we were on the right track, but the shipments were all returned back to the forge..
However, there is news that some EMS shipments are getting through from China again, so we have decided to ship out all of the completed swords individually to each customer direct from the forge (more information on this will be sent to everyone who has an order in, but for the sake of transparancy I wanted to let everyone know what is going on here).
Really looking forward to getting these swords into the hands of their rightful owners, this saga has been dragging on for far too long, that is for sure - but finally there is some light at the end of the tunnel..
Otherwise, apart from the odd day off here and there due to New Years, it is business as usual - the SBG $330 entry level custom Katana are coming along at the forge nicely (an update to everyone who has one being made will be coming in mid-January), Cheness and Darksword have refreshed their stock and I should be able to catch up to my email backlog within the next couple of days at the worst.
Anyway, will update you all as soon as the Ronin Katana are ready to order - quite excited really, especially about the O-Katana!!
Talk to you all again then.
- Paul
3rd December 2010
Just another quick update - we are pleased to advise that our extremely popular range of Cheness Cutlery swords are finally back in stock, including some classics like the 9260 Tenchi Katana (pictured below) and the powerful SGC Yamakami Katana - indeed, I am pleased to advise that ALL of the Cheness Swords are back in stock and good to go for Christmas.
BACK IN STOCK:
We are still having some trouble getting the last of the SBG Professional Grade Katana shipped from the forge, however behind the scenes some progress is being made and I hope to be sending everyone effected by this delay an email with an update on the situation as soon as possible (very annoying and stressful, but we are doing our very best).
Thanks all, any questions about anything just let me know.
- Paul
11th November 2010
Just a very (very) quick update to let everyone know that we have officially closed off on accepting new orders for batch 15 of the SBG custom Katana - it was great to see customers taking advantage of the new customization options, and we have some exceptionally interesting and imaginitive designs coming through - I'm almost looking forward to seeing them come to life as much as my customers I think!
Anyway, a few other quick updates - stock is running pretty low on both our Cheness and Ronin Katana lines, however both should be fully stocked by the end of the month or early December at the latest - I'll make another update as soon as possible after each one comes in.
And I should also mention that we recently updated all the pics for the Cheness line - instead of just a couple of snaps now each product has a much larger gallery of images, have a look and you'll see what I mean!
Anyway, got to get back to ensuring the custom Katana orders all go out smoothly as well as making sure that the last few from the previous batch are all shipped out by early next week at the latest, so will sign off for now and do a proper (less rushed!) update as soon as I am able!
Talk to you all again then.
- Paul
2nd November 2010
Sorry for the lack of updates, things have been insanely busy the last couple of weeks and I've been working around the clock trying to handle it all but finally there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel...
Probably the biggest news was that the $20 profit on the SBG Professional Grade line turned into a $20 loss due to currency fluctuations and in the end I was faced with two options - either raise the price by at least $40 per sword or cancel all orders and pass the torch to my friend Paul Mumby from Proswords.com who helped develop this line in the first place and has a closer relationship with the forge so can (just) afford to keep the prices where they are..
So rather than try to hold onto it any longer (as I did plan to eventually release this line to him one day after it had been firmly established) I went for the second option, fell on my sword (figuratively speaking) and from now on any and all enquiries for this line are to be handled by Paul Mumby directly (though of course, the last few remaining orders from previous months will still be handled by me until they are all across the line safely - just no new orders will be handled by SBG and all the ones from October have been cancelled - you can read more about this on the SBG Sword Forum here)..
While to a lesser degree this problem also effects the SBG Custom Katana they are made by a different forge and while there is virtually no profit in this line either (the sword industry is NOT a big money maker and never really has been!) I simply enjoy working with customers to create their custom blades more than I can say, so orders are secure for this line and indeed, we are in the final stages of accepting new orders for batch 15 of this line, plus we also added some exciting new customization options including folded steel blades, engraving options and many more Click here to see for yourself
SOME NEW SAYA OPTIONS
I should also mention that I had a couple of custom swords made up in the last batch that would show off these new features, and while they came in a bit late, you can check them out in the Hot Specials section of the store as they are for sale (though as only a handful of each type were made, and we have sold most of them in the first couple of days - you'd best get in quick if you want one).
Anyway, as this update is getting a bit long I'll sign off for now - but in the meantime, if you want to secure one of our new SBG custom Katana you'd best act fast as time is running out and this will be the last batch for several months, so get in while you can!
Talk to you all again soon.
Paul Southren
18th October 2010
It sure has been a busy month so far!
On the 16th we closed off on accepting new orders of the Kuramono and Kuramono Elite (man I should have put the prices up on these, when I did the maths I am making less than $20 per sword! Not all that clever - but a great deal for everyone who snapped up a pre-order..!).
And as of yesterday we opened up on new orders for our other forge for the SBG $330 Custom Katana (I should put the price up on these too! But even though I said I would, I just can't bring myself to do so..)
We also have some great deals in the Hot Specials section of the store, are accepting pre-orders for the long awaited restock of Valiant Armories Signature Series Medieval Swords and within the next week will be once again taking Cheness Cutlery Katana orders, so there has never been a better time to grab a selection of only the finest quality affordable swords at the store!
I'll be making one more update before the end of the month, so talk to you all again then.
- Paul
6th October 2010
Just a very quick update (more detailed information will be available in our general Store Newsletter in a day or two) - orders for the SBG Professional Grade Kuramono Katana and new Kuramono Elite are rapidly approaching the forges maximum capacity and we will be closing off on new orders within a week now, so if you wish to secure your pre-order, now is definitely the time to do so.
A new special by Hanwei was also offered on the 1st of October, continuing their recent trend of liquidating a large quantity of their Japanese blades - and as such now is definitely the time to snatch up some bargains for Christmas especially as stocks are starting to run out on the Tori series blades, so get in quick.
Oh, and a new special on a Darksword Fantasy Blade will be coming within the next few days too, so now is definitely a good time to be buying!
Update you all again soon.
- Paul
29 September 2010
Ok, as mentioned in the last update – the Hanwei 2 for 1 deal is about to finish on the first of October, Cheness Cutlery has indeed shut down until around the 22nd of October and the Kuramono is about to start taking new orders from the 1st of October – plus we have added a new product to the Kuramono line – the Kuramono Elite (pictured below)!
So be sure to check back on the 1st of October, it’s going to be a busy month I think!
Update you all again soon.
- Paul
15th September 2010
Just a quick update on the SBG Professional Grade Kuramono swords - these have been pushed back to late September/early October due to the need to concentrate on existing orders for the SBG Pro Grade Custom Option swords and limited edition semi-custom swords that are running slightly behind schedule.
This situation may change at any time, so to stay informed please sign up to our Store Newsletter under the SBG Professional Grade Option.
In other store news, Cheness Cutlery will be shutting down for a month long vacation starting on the 25th of September, so if there is something you want from this line now is definitely the time to get your order in.
And finally, the 2 for 1 Raptor deal on the front page of the store is still available for another week or so, so if you wish to take advantage of this super special offer don't miss out, get your order in now!
- Paul
3 September 2010
Just a quick note to let everyone know that we are working as hard as we can to fulfil all recent orders for the 2 for 1 Hanwei Raptor special offer, which was extended by Hanwei into September.
While we are somewhat behind in the processing of these orders, rest assured that we are working closely with the Hanwei warehouse to ensure that any delays or stock shortages are dealt with in the most effecient manner possible - but apologize for the inconvenience.
I should also point out that while there are only two models of Katana available, it is now possible to order a Katana and get either a matching Raptor Series Wakizashi or Tanto in place of a second full length Katana!
Check them out below:
Wakizashi
Tanto
Anyway, please bear with us while we work through fulfilling the orders in the sequence that they were received and if there are any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to Contact me accordingly.
Thanks all,
- Paul
26th August 2010
Well, the sale of the raptors is nearly at an end - and I must admit it's been even more intense than what I was expecting!
On the flip side, the only problem has been that these swords have been so popular that the Hanwei warehouse is having some trouble getting them all out in their usual fast and efficient manner, so we're facing a bit of a backlog here and probably will never have more shipped out until early next week..!
My apologies to everyone who is waiting for them to ship, I assure you the Hanwei are doing their best and I'll be sending you tracking numbers as soon as your swords go out, so please bear with us just a little bit longer..
Thanks folks,
- Paul
21 August 2010
But anyway, that isn't what I wanted to talk about in this post - instead I wanted to make you aware of a truly AMAZING deal being offered by the Hanwei Forge and currently featured on the front page of the store - TWO HANWEI RAPTOR KATANA FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!!
While I don't usually sell the Raptors at SBG, this deal is simply too good NOT to pass on to you guys, so as it expires on the 30th of August, you'd better grab these while you can.
And just for fun, the SBG Professional Grade Forge has been sending me some pics of some recently completed custom designs ordered in June - so I thought I'd share a couple of random designs, the first one featuring TOT080 Snake fittings with red ito and black rayskin:
And how about this blue ito and a cool 'Dragon Musashi' style tsuba and Koshirae?
Don't worry if you haven't received yours yet, more pics and updates will be on their way soon!
But in the meantime, have a look a those raptors - 5 different unique designs at a price that you'll never see again, that is for sure..
Another update soon... (on price rises unfortunately, so NOW is definitely the time to get some August bargains!)
- Paul
15th August 2010
While the SBG custom Katana and the most recent batch of Pro Grade Katana are all chugging away and being forged quite nicely, it does unfortunately mean that we won’t be able to take any orders for a while as the forges ‘digest’ what they have on their plate in front of them..
So while things are quiet, I’ve been spending a bit of time working to try and update product descriptions and pictures, as well as making main page of the site a little easier to navigate and to make choosing your perfect sword just that little bit easier – starting with a brief overview of what is on offer in the stores homepage.
In the meantime, I should point out that there is an extremely strong chance that by the end of this month there will be some inevitable price increases…
With our margins already as low as they can go, we cannot absorb recent price increases by our suppliers – so something will have to give.
For the time being, while I calculate how much of a margin I need to shift things up by to stay in business – prices will stay as they are, so if you are in the market for a good sword, now is definitely a good time to secure them at their current prices before the adjustment.
More news on this again soon…
Paul
24th July 2010
A very quick note to let everyone know that there are only 2 more days to secure your design for the next batch of SBG $330 Custom Katana - plus if you check the page you'll also notice we added a cool Tanto option..! (plus the option of a slim, tanto style tsuba for both the Katana and the Wakizashi!).
So it's official, with only a few more spaces left, either way we will be closing off on accepting new orders for our custom Katana on Monday the 26th of July - so don't miss out, get your design in asap..
3rd July 2010
It's that time of year again!
As of the 1st of July we have started accepting a limited number of new commissions for our ever popular SBG $330 Custom Katana - and as anyone who has been following the site for the last 2+ years we have been offering them will know, we can only hold this narrow window of opportunity open for 2-3 weeks at best..
So if you want to secure a spot for your own unique design, now is the time to get your order in!
Talk to you all again soon.
- Paul
21st June 2010
Hey everyone,
Just a very quick update to let you all know that the long awaited Cheness Cutlery Restock has finally cleared customs and that many of their most popular, classic swords such as the Kaze Katana, the Tenchi and the Oniyuri are finally ready to order again after having been MIA for nearly 3 months or so...
While shipping on these is slightly delayed, demand is not surprisingly very high so if you have been waiting you had best grab yours now in case they run out of stock again!
In other store news, we are only a few days away from taking new commissions on our entry level SBG Custom Katana, and are rapidly reaching maximum capacity for our Professional Grade swords.
I'll be sending out an update to everyone who has signed up to our store newsletter first, so if you haven't signed up already, be sure to sign up to the top 'SBG Custom Katana Orders' list to be notified when the time comes..
Talk to you all again soon.
- Paul
12th June 2010
It's official, we are now taking orders on the Official SBG Professional Grade Swords!
Subscribers to our store newsletter have been given the first opportunity to secure theirs and almost 50% of the available spots have been taken, so if you want to secure one before we are forced to close off on accepting new commissions, you will need to be quick!
Official SBG Professional Grade Katana Pre-orders
In other store news, our other line of custom Katana, made by a different forge will be accepting new commissions very soon also - below I have attached a pic of three swords showing the different blade geometries this line has available: standard shinogi zukuri, karasu and chokuto (ninja) blade configurations.
So by the end of the month, Katana lovers will all have had the opportunity to create their own blade according to their budget and their own personal sense of aesthetics!
Anyway, just wanted to let all store visitors know what is going on and available at the moment as these windows of opportunity are never open for long!
- Paul
7th June 2010
As you may well know, Katana lovers are about to be spoiled for choice!
While we still have some Kuramono and around 3 Pro Grade Custom Katana to ship out, the forge itself is pretty much empty at the moment - and we can't have guys that make swords like these just twidding their thumbs, so we will be opening up on new commissions for our semi-custom Torakami Katana and $499.99 pro grade custom option within the next 3-5 days (or even sooner!) - so be sure to sign up to be notified when we hit the go switch with our Store Newsletter here.
Towards the end of the month, the forge that makes the $330 custom Katana will also be thumb twiddling - so we will be opening up on new commissions for these too!
Plus, Cheness Cutlery are about to receive their long awaited restock - so its all happening!
And for medieval sword enthusiasts, we have around 30 pcs left of the amazingly good value for money Angus Trim designed Practical Longsword available!
Exciting times indeed!
28 May 2010
Quite a bit of news to get through in this update, so I'll try to get to it as quickly as possible:
First up, the SBG Pro Grade Custom and Kuramono Katana orders from Jan-Feb this year have finally arrived with my agent and are in the final stages of the intensive 17 stage inspection process per sword (approx 30-45 mins is spent Quality checking each sword before dispatching) so these should all be shipped out soon, and orders from March-April are hot on their heels..
Below is a quick snap of this most recent batch as they are preparing to ship:
It will be a couple of months before we accept new orders on the Kuramono, but due to repeated requests we have decided to take comissions on the legendary Torakami (Tiger Spirit) Katana, this time with a semi custom option that allows you to choose your own ito, sageo and saya color (as well as select the standard blade with bo-hi or a solid bodied blade for extra durability and cutting power at the expense of grace).
As places will be limited, please sign up to our Store Newsletter to be notified when we open up on them again!
In other sword store news, the Cheness restock has been pushed back to mid-June, which is a bit of a shame as we don't really have that many swords available at the moment - but as soon as they are back we will be letting everyone know via our store newsletter.
The extremely popular Valiant Armoury range of medieval swords will soon see a restock of their amazing 'Practical Longsword' plus we still have one or two of their latest elite Signature Series swords for sale, and for Japanese sword art practitioners, we just listed the Hanwei Gorin Iaito in the closeout section - an unsharpened training sword that normally retails for between $300 to $416 on closeout for a ridiculous $179.99 SHIPPED!!
With all of these offers gaining momentum, now is definitely the time to keep an eye out via our newsletters - so stay tuned, what I am talking about here is just the tip of the iceberg!!
15th May 2010
Just a very quick note to let you know that I have arrived back from Japan and had a great time there seeing my daughter and also got to see some very droolworthy Japanese Nihonto Katana (if only I could afford them!! Its painful!)
Anyway, the distruption to the store during my time away was minimal, and while I still have a bit of catching up to do, we should be back to 100% within the next day or two at the most.
I will also have some good news for quite a few people waiting on their Kuramono and Custom Katana orders, but will be sending out emails to everyone involved within the next 2-3 days to let everyone know what is going on.
Talk to you all again soon, and thanks for your patience and understanding with me when I was away.
- Paul
4th May 2010
Sorry for the short notice, but I will be away in Japan visiting my half Japanese daughter Lana from the 5th of May to the 14th of May, during which time I will have limited internet access and the store will be operating at reduced capacity.
While I will endevour to do as much as possible to minimize the disruption, please understand that there may be significant delays in order processing and responding to correspondence during this time, though everything will be rapidly restored to normal upon my return.
Orders can be placed as normal during this time - and if you do not mind the possibility of a delay you can also take advantage of a 5% discount coupon code during this time by entering the coupon code JAPAN in the checkout on our entire range!*
Thanks for your understanding and my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
Paul Southren
* Discount offer valid ONLY on orders placed between the 5th and the 14th of May. Coupon code will expire on the 14th of May 2010.
26th April
Just a very quick announcement - I am pleased to say that two NEW long anticipated Valiant Armory swords have been added to the store, the Signature Series Crusader Sword and the amazing Valhalla Collection Warder designed by John Lundemo from Odinblades!
Plus, there are a couple of beautiful Valiant Arming swords have returned to stock - including the economy model Practical Arming sword and the ornate Signature Series Bristol!
Check them out on our Valiant Armoury page here (the signature series swords are all in stock, but there might be a slight delay depending on when your order is placed while they finish up the in house leatherwork, but as stocks are limited, you need to get in quick as the delay will only be a week at the most and it is first in, fisrt served!).
23rd April 2010
Just a very quick update here, as I am increasingly making the store news a little more, well, er - useful - by sending emails when there is something new to report instead of you guys having to check in here and wonder if there is something new posted here or not..
(Click HERE to sign up to the store newsletters btw!)
As you may have noticed, we are starting to run a bit low on stock and of course the Proffessional Grade Katana and the custom Katana are both closed for taking new orders as our forges work away on existing customer comissions and pre-orders – however if you look closely in one of those sections, you might find an interesting surprise or two over the coming weeks..
Otherwise though, we still have around 5 Malatesta available and ready to ship (after which, I am pretty sure are going to be very hard to source) a couple of serious workhorse Ronin Katana on special on the main page, and – well, as mentioned, a very limited number of special edition swords kind of hidden somewhere (sorry to be so cryptic with these, but for what they are and the price I am selling them at, plus the fact that there are so few of them available – I want to give everyone a chance to at least have an opportunity at them before they are sold, so don’t want to point out their presense too clearly in case there is a virtual stampede).
4th April 2010
Just a quick update to let everyone know that we are less than 24 hours away from closing off on accepting new commissions for the $330 SBG Custom Katana swords, so if you have been trying to decide what configuration to get - you had best get cracking on the final design (we will not be accepting new commsissions on these again until sometime in July).
Speaking of custom swords, I wish to make a public apology to everyone who has been waiting on delivery of their Professional Grade Custom Option swords (which are made by a different forge than the entry level custom Katana).
We have run into quite a few unexpected logistical issues with these swords, and am rather embarrassed to say that out of around 30 orders we have only managed to ship 6 of them to date..
We are doing our best to rectify this situation - most of the swords are either in the final stages of completion (we were waiting on a few of the Koshirae suppliers to deliver some of the component sets) and are just waiting on a few more to cross the line before we ship the majority of them out together as one shipment to be inspected by my agent in Canada before shipping.
I will be contacting everyone who has been effected by these unexpected delays individually to let you know exactly what stage your sword is up to - but in the meantime please ask for your patience as we really are doing our best to sort them all out, and even though I hate to say it, I assure you they will be worth the wait...
One more very quick update before I get back to it - you may have noticed a new link in the top left hand corner of the store page to our store specific Store Newsletters which give you three seperate newsletters you can sign up for to receive updates - one for the SBG Custom Katana, one for the Professional Grade swords and a general newsletter.
Simply sign up to the newsletters that take your fancy and you will be notified when there are any significant developments, special offers or new products added to the store (don't worry, I won't be sending a slew of emails, probably around 1 or 2 a month depending on what is happening, but it is an easy way to keep your finger on the pulse of what is happening at the store without having to check back on this page every few days).
Talk to you all again soon.
- Paul
15th March 2010
Time to get your orders in!! We are firing up both our forges and accepting new orders for the Kuramono and the Custom Katana - effective immediately, so if you want to get in on these, now is definitely the time!
14th March 2010
Just a very quick update for everyone who has been waiting for the news - we are LESS THAN 24-48 HOURS AWAY from opening up on new orders on both the SBG custom Katana and the Professional Grade Kuramono Katana!!
The Custom Katana (version 2.0) has seen some major upgrades and changes in the last few weeks, including a larger range of better quality alloy tsuba, 16 new Fuchi and Kashira sets and of course, 2 new geometries, Kogarasu and a Ninjato!
So stay tuned guys, not long to go now..!
7th March 2010
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!