It has taken quite a few additional months than what we had anticipated, but once again it is a case of better late than never as we restock a large and varied assortment of swords, blades and training tools.
One extremely popular restock is the twin backmounted LARP Katana set by Sparkfoam – still amazing value and a whole lot of good clean fun for just $49.95
For REAL live bladed Japanese swords, we just refreshed our stock of the extremely popular (and still available at the special price of just $199.99) and quite historically accurate replica of the WWII Officers Gunto:
And from a much earlier time, the sword style which the Guntos styling is based upon, a Tachi – the stunning $299.99 ‘Daimyos Tachi’ with a hefty and ornately decorated brass saya that is almost solid enough to be a weapon in its own right!
For Chinese swords, we also see the return of the very affordable, meaty and solid blade of the Yong Lo Sword – still just $169.99 which is pretty insane value for a battle ready sword that looks like, well, looks like THIS:
And to round it all off, how about an ultra modern ‘claw in your pocket’ of the “Raptor” Folding Karambit by DEFCON – just $185.95:
Quite a wide variety of products back in stock with more trickling in as the year slowly begins to gather momentum..
Nothing really highlights the ongoing insanity of the global supply chain crises than when we list all the new swords that were supposed to have landed at least a couple of months ago in time for Christmas than this..
On Boxing Day, many new models have just become available for Christmas..
So without any further ado, here they are – our ‘Boxing Day’ Selection..
BLADE CULTURE INTERNATIONAL
While the Legendary Swords Project’s future remains very uncertain, at the start of 2021 there were a few swords whose prototypes showed so much promise that it would be plain wrong not to make a few into a small production. Now nearly 12 months later, we are delighted to announce a VERY LIMITED release of two new fully functional fantasy swords. Starting with:
The Brand of The Fallen
Loosely based on the German Zweihander and Scottish Two Handed Swords with a very dark twist, this has to be one of the meanest truly battle ready fantasy swords ever made. 45″ from end to end, everything about this sword is quite distinctive and unique – but nothing stands out more than the blade itself..
With 13 curves (a traditional and common style throughout South East Asia) Kris/Flamberge is very attractive but as similar swords were used by the German Landsknecht, it is not without historical precedent.
Definitely a sword you should be careful handling, as Kris blades can bite in unexpected ways..
Ever bisected a water filled bottle before? Probably..
But how about with a thrust? Well, unless you have one of these – chances are no..
With a truly acute tip optimized for a deep and very wide thrust, its a very versatile and intimidating looking piece and includes a matching high quality scabbard.
Also made by Blade Culture International, but exclusive to Clyde Hollis’s Kingdom of Arms Brand, we see quite a few underrepresented swords finally hit the market as well as some companion daggers and Viking seax knives to create matching sets.
After humble beginnings, the so called ‘Art Sword’ line by Ryujin has been expanding quite a bit in the last month or so. And it just got even bigger with four new swords with 65mn Spring Steel blades that take it all to a whole new level..
The Radiant Dragon
The Akumu (Nightmare)
Aoitsunami
Five Elements
There are more swords still stuck in supply chain hell that will be released ‘for Christmas’ in 2022.. But look on the good side, at least they should not ALL sell out crazy fast this time (though we are already seeing some of the most popular ones going quite fast regardless – so if you see something you like, don’t sit on the sidelines or you might still miss out!).
In the meantime, you can check out every new sword listed in the order it arrived HERE on our New Additions Page:
First things first, as per our official guide to the holiday season – the ideal time to order any swords or sword related products has long since passed (any orders placed after the 8th of December may well have a hard time arriving in time for Christmas, so any orders placed from today – will probably not arrive until AFTER the holiday season).
Because swords can be damaged by excessively rough handling (and with the world’s postal and courier services pretty much fed up after nearly 2 years of almost single-handedly keeping the modern world moving along with very little respect or gratitude, rough handling for Christmas 2021 will likely be the norm rather than the exception) – we will not be doing any ‘rush orders’ or anything that will more likely than not just end up with a damaged or lost product at the worst possible time..
In recent years, getting a supply of tatami mats has been a real challenge. So when we are able to get in a few boxes, it’s quite newsworthy.
Available in boxes of 20 (individually they work out to cost around $10.49 per mat) – stock is limited, so if you need some good mats at the best possible price, grab some while you can.
Post Script: Runaway inflation and shipping increases meant that the old price we sold the mats for actually cost us a small fortune (we are charging $20 shipping, but the actual cost is closer to $50-60 – and it meant we lost money with every recent order).
Not fun, but to make it viable we needed to raise the price – and for everyone who was lucky enough to get them at the old ‘pre-pandemic’ pricing, you will not see prices like that again anytime soon.
It has been a constant battle to keep the most popular and economical sword lines in stock – all the best models are almost greedily snatched up by an army of online sword buyers, and with worldwide shipping delays only getting worse as we gear up for the busiest season of the year, we will take any and all good news we can get!
So we are very pleased to see that most of our major suppliers have just restocked or are about to restock any day now – so here are some of the hottest and most notable sword models and lines that have once again become available.
A.P.O.C. SERIES TACTICAL SWORDS
RESTOCKED – A.P.O.C. SERIES TAC BRUTUS
Wildly popular, this eminently practical, Zombie Apocalypse ready Gladius has been the top seller for the Angus Trim designed A.P.O.C. series – and with its almost indestructible 9260 spring steel blade and amazing price, it really is no surprise..
RESTOCKED – A.P.O.C. SERIES TWIN BUTTERFLY SWORD SET
Defend your centerline – parry and attack the opponents arm in the same action, and overwhelm your foes while maintaining a tight defense – when used properly these tactical Butterfly Swords can be very hard to defeat!
Frenchie Jin and the team in Dailan had been busy the last few months and finally their incoming shipment of premium production Katana has hit the docks. Here are some of the best and fresh new swords just in time for the holiday season.
The Dragon is indeed back..
RESTOCKED – DRAGON KING WINTER SUN
As the months get colder and the nights get longer, the monotempered highly durable 5160 Spring Steel Winter Sun is both timely and timeless – a tough, no nonsense dojo sword that has few peers and will cut season after season, year after year..
With a finely forged 65mn spring steel blade, prominent hamon, tight cotton ito wrap and silver themed fittings, it is practical, attractive and very economical – the kind of solid entry level Katana that sets a new standard.
Want a really nice T10 tool steel blade with a super prominent and clear hamon? Look no further than the Hana Katana – a great all round complete package at a very reasonable price.
And for someone who REALLY appreciates T10 tool steel blades, the Kokahu is one of the best ever made and includes all the bells and whistles you expect for such a fine piece of craftsmanship.
If you just want bang for your buck – but don’t want stainless steel, these 3pc Katana, Wakizashi and Tanto sets pack in about as much value as you can muster.
And Just for Good Measure – A Few Cool Medieval Swords…!
RESTOCKED – TINKER PEARCE LONGSWORD (SHARP)
Just restocked and STILL available for just $249.99 – if you are into HEMA and do not have one of these yet, now is definitely the time to have a look! It is the ONLY sword from the Tinker Pearce line restocked right now, and also the most popular model, so if you like Longswords, grab this one now..
RESTOCKED – 65MN Spring Steel 13th CENTURY ARMING SWORD
Brought to us by our friend at Ryujin, there are two versions of this sturdy and attractive 13th century arming sword – one folded, one not. Both are peened with sturdy steel fittings and a free scabbard and sword belt.
A few more restocks from major suppliers, and a few surprises, are on the way too – but it is definitely good to see these new options become available once more.
Just how long they will remain in stock is of course a totally different story – so if you see something you like, grab it while you can!
As we draw close to Halloween, the sword industry is experiencing it’s own little horror show..
International shipping has been problematic for quite a few years now as carriers and customs agents across the world become increasingly paranoid and incredibly difficult to deal with, stepping up to an almost complete halt to sword shipping worldwide in 2019..
“XRAY DETECTED A SWORD”! HELP, RED ALERT! RED ALERT!
Of course, we all know what happened in 2020..
But now in late 2021, long term effects of shutdowns and lockdowns has shaken our rather fragile niche industry to its foundations. Prices are skyrocketing, shipping is jammed up, stock is out across the board and restocks are gobbled up faster than they can come in and as of the 25th of October – suddenly brings the majority of International shipping options to a complete halt with this announcement..
The Postal Service™ is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other unrelated service disruptions. Customers: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the countries listed here, until further notice.
While most the countries they listed we don’t usually ship to anyway, Australia and New Zealand certainly do effect us (we already had some idea this may be happening ahead of this announcement when we had a few shipments to New Zealand rejected and are currently dealing with the fallout -average cost to ship is $60, so it hurts a lot when we lose shipments suddenly for no good reason!).
Add this these losses extremely low stock levels across the board (heck, despite some successful restocks this year, we no longer have ANY Hanwei Swords available, have seen a couple of suppliers exit the industry, are suffering from lower sales, lower margins and higher prices – it just keeps on getting better and better!
Will definitely want to blow off some steam this Halloween – in the meantime, our apologies to our Australasian customers – we will do our best to update you as soon as this situation changes. Our little industry must be due for a break sometime soon right? (You would certainly think so, the last 3 years have been extraordinarily challenging)..
