Category Archives: Industry News and Happenings

Hot Specials from Hanwei for August

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Ever since the disastrous fire well over a decade ago, the Hanwei Forge has always struggled to keep up with demand for their high quality, professionally made swords and other functional historical replica weaponry.

Recently, we have been pleased to see them restocking many of the once ‘lost’ Renaissance sword designs from the fire, and in 2024 we are going to be seeing even MORE classic reworked models from this era hitting the shelves and the newly rebuild forge, which is now going at full steam ahead, is a very modern, very serious business that is dedicated to supplying sword fans what they love at the best prices and the best quaity for years to come.

INTERLUDE: THE CURRENT FACTORY

  1. Administration Offices, Design & Development
  2. Polishing, Hand Fitting, Molding & Final Assembly
  3. Forging & Blade Grinding, Casting

After the fire of March 2011, the Hanwei factory was rebuilt over the next several years to accommodate the unique needs of a modern sword making center. The forge and casting work-shop (3 above with the blue roof) stretches to the far end and beyond of the finishing work-shop (2 above). 

Anyway, with more swords in stock than ever before, and having known and worked closely with this esteemed business pretty much since I bought by first Hanwei Katana (and fell in love with it at first cut) we are delighted to run a bunch of new hot specials this month and while stocks last.

From unusual designs like the Pudao ‘sword on an oak pole’ to some no-nonsense, bargain priced Renshu Katana (both with and without bo-hi) a super cool leaf bladed Celtic Anthropomorphic design and quite a bit more – you can find all of these cool current deals in the HOT SPECIALS section of our site:

HOT SPECIALS

PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PICK OF THE BUNCH

Leaf blade, quality stitched and riveted leather scabbard, and solid brass fittings – you just don’t see swords like this anymore. And sure as heck not for the sale price of $222… But for Katana lovers, you need to SERIOUSLY consider the Practical Pro Elite when it is at the current sale price of just under $500..

And be sure to check back often, as this month we already had an unadvertised 3 DAY FLASH SALE on the amazing APOC Longsword that was so cheap, we were practically giving it away. And it won’t be the last..

So stay tuned folks, August should be a very interesting and cool month for bargain hunters and true aficionados alike..

New Hanwei 17th century Renaissance Blades

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The 2024 Renaissance Sword bonanza continues to gain even more momentum with the return of a classic Hanwei Rapier, the Torino, along with a matching Main Gauche and another Main Gauche for the Taza Rapier (that pretty much sold out within 24-48 hours of its re-release).

TORINO RAPIER

MATCHING TORINO MAIN GAUCHE

TAZA MAIN GAUCHE

Lovers of elegant Renaissance era weaponry are truly spoiled for choice at this very moment, but as stock levels are the sword markets demand are very unpredictable at the moment, if you see a blade you like – now is the time to grab one while they are in stock and prices remain as low as they possibly can be..

Renaissance Swords at SBG

MOST ITEMS SOLD OUT

New Versions of the Spring Sakura and Autumn Leaf Katana by Popular Demand

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The tough Monotempered 5160 Spring Steel blades from Dragon King’s “4 Seasons Line” (so called because they have a blade themed in fittings reflecting each of the seasons) have often been lauded as very attractive fitting sets, but over the years since they first came out, many customers who purchased one started asking Dragon King if there would ever be a version with a more refined, differentially hardened blade..

..Well, they need ask no further – two of the 4 blades have just been released as an alternative version – the Spring Sakura and the Autumn Leaf..

DH SPRING SAKURA KATANA

DH AUTUMN LEAF

The fittings are the same, but both blades have been replaced with differentially hardened 5160 blades with bo-hi/fuller and a real hamon temper line.

Available at the MSRP of $599.00, you can pick up either of these models for just $429.99 at the SBG Sword store. Combine one with a tough ‘beater’ blade from the original monotempered series and you can now have one workhorse ‘forgiving of mistakes’ version and the new version suitable for more dedicated cutting, self defense, display or to see how much your technique has improved training with the tough versions.

Check out the full range of Dragon King Katana below:

Dragon King @ SBG

2 Cool New Renaissance Swords (and a Main Gauche) from Kingston Arms!

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The Renaissance of Renaissance Swords in 2024 continues to gain some momentum with two new affordable 17th century Renaissance blades, one a powerful sidesword originally from Italy that is balanced between thrust and cut, and a new version of the Kingston Arms Swept hilt rapier, this version with blackened antiqued finish fittings.

And the best part, they are BOTH very affordable with our SBG Special Prices and under $300!

ITALIAN SPADA DA LATO SIDE SWORD

STATS: Overall: 41″ Blade Length: 32 3/4″ Handle Length: 4 1/4″ Weight: 2lb 9oz Point of Balance: 2″ Thickness at Guard: 5.5mm Thickness at Tip: 2.8mm

$299.99

BLACK SWEPT HILT RAPIER

STATS: Overall: 42 7/8″ Blade Length: 37″ Handle Length: 3 1/2″ Weight: 2 lbs Point of Balance: 2 5/8″ Width at Guard: 0.75″ Thickness at Guard: 5.5mm Thickness at Tip: 2.5mm

$299.99

Plus, as mentioned in the title – these two swords also have available a cool off hand defensive and opportunistic shorter blade, the Main Gauche, which suits either one for the full ‘Renaissance sword’ experience.

MAIN GAUCHE

STATS: Overall: 16 1/2″ Blade Length: 11″ Handle Length: 5 1/2″ Weight: 13 oz Width at Guard: 0.85″ Thickness at Guard: 5.3mm Thickness at Tip: 2.2mm

$144.99

Check out all of these blades plus 7 other stocked Renaissance blades in the Kingston Arms Renaissance Collection below:

Kingston Arms Renaissance Blades

NEW: Doomsday Sword Number 10 by Scorpion Swords – Behind the Scenes and How It’s Made

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It is the second Ragnarok inspired Viking blade in Jason Woodards Doomdsay Sword series and the second with a curious fusion of ancient Norse design with modern materials and blade making techniques – starting as it always does with a 1:1 scale sketched design.

After careful consideration of the overall design and individual design elements, Chris Palmer then creates and has cut out a Master Template in 1095 carbon steel.

The blank has some basic edge geometry ground in and the handle is drilled in 11 places where pins and epoxy will later bind the handle to the steel.

Edges are further refined and a narrow fuller is ground along the center of the blade on both sides, providing it it’s general shape and styling.

The entire blade is then heat treated to around 1500 degrees and then quenched in brine, hardening it, before the steel is heated a second time to approx 500 degrees and allowed to temper.

The tempered blade is cleaned up and polished, and has two blocks of Black Linen Mircarta pinned and epoxied on both sides in a classic hard wearing sandwich tang construction.

From there, the handle is ground to shape and has 5 additional brass pins inserted, for one of the strongest blade to handle and overall strength swords currently on the market,

Finally it is all cleaned up, the blade is given it’s final edge, the handle gets wrapped in deer leather (and if ordered, the optional scabbard is fitted and made).

And the end result, Doomsday Sword #10 – Viking Type 8, now available at the SBG Sword Store for just $279.99

Not bad for an entirely made by hand in the USA blade!

Doomsday #10