Category Archives: SBG Custom Katana

Posts and news concerning the SBG custom Katana and the Black Dragon Forge

The Dragon Awakens!

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It has been several months in the making, but as we reach the tail end of 2024, the year of the Dragon, it is fateful that one of our original SBG sword brands – the Black Dragon Forge – has re-awakened!

The flagship product is of course the classic SBG custom Katana, now back with more customization options and a lower price than EVER before (indeed, we double checked with AI on this and found that there are literally nearly 24 MILLION different possible configurations (actually, there are more than this as we added a Wakizashi and Ko Katana option, but for each blade type – there are literally tens of millions of different design possibilities, ensuring that it’s extremely unlikely someone will accidentally create the exact same sword as yours).

$299.95

But the return of the custom Katana is just the beginning..

Black Dragon Japanese

In addition to the Custom Katana we have resurrected 4 classic Black Dragon designs, with more coming down the line in early 2025!

So without any further ado, here are the classic designs (and with classic, rewound pricing!).

RED BELLY BLACK SNAKE SWORD SET

$499.95 (set)

First designed in 2013 (the year of the snake) and appropriate for next year (another year of the snake) this wicked design is both attractive and supremely functional. For a blast from the past, check out Marco Saintes original evaluation and high level demonstration of exactly how these deadly swords could be theoretically used.

Marco certainly knows a trick or two about how to get the most out of these blades (sorry for the video quality, if you want to skip ahead the real action starts here).

YUKIKEN

This one is a true SBG classic and a design concept I have revisited on several occasions.

$329.95

With a solid bodied blade and sleek styling, it’s optimized for the cut and a very attractive package overall, with brass hamidashi fittings and a rayskin reinforced saya.

HOBGOBIN KOGARASU NAGAMAKI

It’s full name ‘Hobgoblin Kogarasu Nagamaki Ninjato’ is a bit of a mouthful, but it is the only way to describe this bad boy Bujinkan inspired blade.

$329.95

It’s the total package with the unique and mischievous Hobgoblin ‘Bakemono’ themed fittings, long black leather over black rayskin handle and deadly piercing and cutting Kogarasu blade geometry.

KAGETORAKEN

It’s nothing more, and nothing less, than a well balanced, clean lined T10 tool steel Katana with solid iron tiger in bamboo themed fittings, the Kagetoraken (Shadowtiger Sword) is attractive and extremely functional..

$274.95

Close up pic of the blade, engraving, tsuba, iron fittings and itomaki..

And that’s just the Japanese sword section…

Blade Dragon Japanese

Mid to High End Chinese Swords!

Since we shut down on Forge Direct Chinese in late October, we have had a blank spot where we previously had some mid to high end traditional Chinese swords. So taking it’s place – and making it next level – the Black Dragon Forge brings back some classic Forge direct designs as well as some stunning new ones that we had long sought to have made…

Amazing New Chinese Swords

Limited Edition Double Dragon Dao!

We asked our partners at the Black Dragon Forge to dig into their archives to see if they had it – and they did.. The double dao is one of my favorite personal sword types, and this is a rare fully functional set..

$999.95 set of 2

Only 15pcs are available, after which time it will be retired permanently. So if you are like me and have spent years looking for a set like this, here’s your golden opportunity. They are not cheap, and not for the faint of heart, but you will know it if they are calling you..

Double Jian “Yang and Yin” Set

Hot on the heels of the limited edition Double Dao, is a perenneial classic and another set of ‘twin’ blades, though in this case one is considered the ‘Yin’ sword and the other a ‘Yang’ sword and are optimized for two handed use..

$1,129.95 set of 2

Just be careful if you are twirling these razor sharp Jian, these are far removed from the world of flimsy Wushu blades and require the utmost skill and attention to create that whirling wall of steel effect that these blades are capable of in the right (and left) hands..

Wild Boar Jian

It is built as solidly as a boar, has a boar theme and well, it could likely take one out without too much fuss or ado..

$499.95

Despite it’s stout build and appearance, it is still easy to wield weighing a deceptively light 2.53lbs and its Damascus steel blade, a true delight to behold.

Yangling Dao

To round things off nicely, we need a solid mid level Dao – a no-nonsense martial arts grade single handed cutting sword. And here it is..

$429.95

What more need we say?

Forge Direct Classics..

Classic Peony Jian

We had this one since we started Forge Direct Chinese, and now it is back for good with the Black Dragon Forge – the aptly named Classic Peony Jian.

$599.95

Same quality, same price – and same beautiful workmanship.. Nice to see it back at SBG where it belongs.

Nine Dragon Jian

Here is another Forge Direct Chinese design that has been updated and re-imagined by the artisans at Shen Guanglong and Black Dragon.

$599.95

Cooler, and now more affordable than ever…

Black Dragon Chinese

Black Dragon Fantasy Swords

Sword of the Ancients

It’s another Forge Direct classic and back by popular request, this time more affordable than ever before and even with a custom scabbard option!

$429.95

With each one unique like a fingerprint, every sword is a one off..

Cimmerian Sword

Black Dragon dips it toe into more battle ready fantasy sword designs, this time with the Robert E. Howard inspired ‘Cimmerian’ sword, our take on a ‘common’ design found among the Cimmerian Barbarian peoples from whom Conan descended from.

$429.95

Watch this space for our version of Conan’s Atlantean sword coming soon..!

The Azure Flame Fantasy Longsword

Last but certainly not least, an ornate blue Flame battle ready fantasy sword – available in the original blue color, but also in red or black depending on your personal taste..

$529.95

Here’s what it looks like in the different color options:

Visually striking and with steel fittings and a quality monotempered 1095 carbon steel blade, it’s no mere decoration..

Black Dragon Fantasy

Quite a large announcement, and an excellent note to close 2024 out on – but just you wait to see what is in store for next year…

In the meantime, these first offerings from the re-awakended Black Dragon Forge should be enough to tide you all over for quite some time..! But stay tuned, because you ain’t seen nothing yet…

SBG Black Dragon Forge

Forge Direct Custom Katana Update

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It has been a NIGHTMARE year for Forge Direct.. By June 23rd we realized the supply chains had been DECIMATED by Covid-19 and for months and months, while halted all new orders, we did our best to work through the backlog.

We got a lot of really nice emails from people thanking us for the sword once received and saying it was worth the wait. And we also had some customers get rather nasty with us – and so as we wind up the last orders, at the end of it, we should see quite a few bargains for sale from abandoned orders (our official policy is that custom orders cannot be cancelled, but this got so bad that we had to abandon the policy for now and just keep on taking hit after hit).

Here’s a sneak preview at one of some of the unloved and abandoned swords (many actually finishing up just a week or two after the customer lost patience and lost the farm)..

In the meantime, I am tweaking the actual listing to get us to Forge Direct Custom Katana 4.0. Saya choices are a MAJOR issue now, and the folded steel option will also have to go. Additionally, we have had to raise the base price because of higher (almost double) shipping costs and much higher costs at the forges as they need to pay their workers more as they leave the industry in droves.

Aaaargh!!!

We will keep you updated as we go.. If these swords were not so well made and not so well received, and I did not get those emails from appreciate rather than impatient or angry customers – there is no way it is worth doing. But we will try one last time, and if it fails – we did our best..

SBG Custom Katana Updates

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Just a quick update, the classic SBG Custom Katana – Batch 45 – is nearing completion at the forge. The original due date on these is sometime around this time next month which means that we are more or less on track for timely delivery as expected.

In the meantime, here’s a couple of pics of four of the swords in this batch

Talking about pictures, on a slightly different but related note, we just added some huge hi resolution pics of each of the very attractive themed sword furniture sets (Koshirae) for the limited re-release of Project X Japanese showing the tsuba’s from the front and the rear.

The pics are really quite big so you can click on them and zoom in accordingly. Here is an example of the first custom set in the series, the set we used for the Torakami Katana all those years ago..

You can see the line up here – spaces are indeed filling quite quickly so if you want to get in on these, time may not be on your side..

New from the Black Dragon Forge!

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It has been quite a few years since we have had any stock of the Black Dragon Forge, the name we have given to swords made by the forge we use to create the legendary SBG Custom Katana series.

So it is with great pleasure that I announce a limited supply of new and improved designs are now available for immediate shipping.

This time around we have four models on offer – a new and improved version of the Classic Black Dragon elite, with folded T10 tool steel blade, real hamon, rayskin wrapped saya, leather ito with hishigami – you name it, it has it..

Click here for more info

This sword alone is worth the price of admission, and is complimented by its cousin, a Sanmai laminated sword with a similar classic style but with a rattan reinforced saya.

Click here for more info

The one we have the least stock of is a classic redesign of the Yakuza inspired Oyabun Shirasaya – perfect as it is, or a great way to get hold of one of the SBG T10 Black Dragon blades for a remounting project – for these blades are some of the finest around – strong, sharp, well tempered, beautiful and with real geometic yokote and highly polished kissaki normally only ever seen on swords with a four figure price tag – never mind a tad over $300…

Click here for more info

And finally, a truly original design and part of the Legendary Swords Project – the Hobgoblin Jintachi we have named the Bakemonogatana.

While the sword is functional sword art, it is based on real world designs seen in Filipino fighting swords, the Turkish Kijili and the Bujinkan Shibobigatana and is extremely versatile and has a rich backstory to accompany it as the weapon crafted and used by the brutal Hogoblins – changelings from the Harmonious Isles that have come to Eletreus and dominated the worlds last known supply of Coronatite..

Click here for more info

You can read the full backstory on this sword here at our sister site, Legendary Swords.com

Stocks are very limited – 10pcs each of the Elite Mk II and the Sanmai Katana, 4 of the Oyabun and 20 Hobgoblins. And once sold, who knows when they will be restocked (from memory, it has been at least 3 years). So at the very least have a look and see what’s on offer before they are gone. They make ideal Christmas gifts as they are new and rare, there is no danger of buying one of these and finding the recipient already has one..!

More deals coming soon as we ramp up for Christmas sales so be sure to check back often!

Custom Katana Batch 44 is closed..

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Apologies for the lack of updates, I actually had to move house in the last few days and the timing is less than ideal as of course every day I miss a day of work, it piles up into a mountain of stuff to get through – and from today my goal is to chip that mountain back into a manageable molehill..

Anyway, back to the topic at hand – we just closed off on the last batch of custom swords for 2018. Normally I would have said ‘custom katana’ but this time around for some reason about 50% of our orders for this batch are actually Wakizashi Daisho sets..! Not sure why, but its interesting to note..

So yes, over the next few days I will be confirming all the customization choices and making sure that all the details are correct before we send the order through as a batch to the forge. And trying to find which bag of stuff I put my socks in (ah, the joys of moving house.. Argh)..

Update you all again soon.

– Paul