Category Archives: SBG Custom Katana

…I’ve been busy adding quite a few options in preparation for batch 19. And I must admit, I am pretty excited by what has just been readied..

First off, the blog itself has been restructured slightly – you can sign up to be notified when there is a new post towards the top, there is a search box to the right which will search through both the site and the store for any SBG custom Katana related questions – the countdown to Batch 19 ticks away at the top of the blog, and quite a few other tweaks of one kind or another (better internal linking, a page with bigger pics of all the components, etc).

But the real meat and potatoes added is a brand new page which lists no fewer than 80 new tsubas that we can source for an additional $20! Check them all out here:

Special Order Tsuba List

If that wasn’t enough, due to frequent requests, we have added two new major options to the extras line up – blade and tsuka extensions! (though not both, as to do so creates a sword that sticks out too much from the others and cannot be batched effectively).

Tsuka’s from 12″ to 14″ long for those with big hands or who just prefer a longer handle, from $20 to $30 extra depending on length.

Blades from 30″ to 33″ long (O-Katana) for an additional $20 per inch added.

You can see both options listed at the bottom of the SBG Katana order page here.

Add all of the available options now together and I really have no idea just how many possible combinations there are! But no doubt about it, Batch 19 has more variety than ever before – I really look foward to seeing the designs people come up with!

Ok, well, that’s enough for now – plenty more behind the scenes preparation that needs to be done over the next 4 and 1/2 days to launch, and still several hundred emails to get around to, so sign up to the blog notifcation list to keep abreast of it all! 🙂

– Paul

Indeed, to be precise – a date has been set for the opening of batch 19 click on the custom Katana page to see the countdown!

In the meantime I have been updating the SBG custom Katana pages (as it kind of grew ‘organically’ over the years, it had become a bit confusing) and hopefully making some things a bit clearer, as well as providing all the various links (like to this very blog and the FAQ) all in one spot. Was actually quite interesting as I found some bad links and some information I had forgotten I had even put on there (as a webmaster, THAT is definitely a sign that an update is in order if ever there is one! Lol).

Batch 18 – the one sent to the forge on the 25th of November is going out to my agent this week, and as promised here are a few pics from the forge of some random blades! 🙂

Quite a bit of prep work from now, plus batch 18 incoming and I don’t know how many emails to get to (I prefer to deal with SBG custom enquiries shortly before a new batch opens as I want to provide the most up to date information) so if you are waiting on an email from me, please bear with me just a bit longer.

Sometimes customers of the SBG custom Katana, having waiting 3 months or more for their personalized design or having decided so at the start, decide not to actually use these blades to the full potential of the cutters that they are.

This fantastic photo sent in by one of the batch 17 custom Katana shows that many are intended for functional art or display swords (real swords behind glass, a LOT different than a purely decorative sword as any serious collector knows).

The customer that sent me this photo asked me about the other recent SBG made blades available ex stock, the blinged up SBG prototypes – but these swords again are just a little too nice to just use as a daily cutter.

So I am pleased to offer him and everyone else a solution.

It’s been on ice for a few months as I didn’t feel comfortable releasing it until batch 17 was wrapped up properly and batch 18 well underway – but here it is now:

Introducing…

The SBG “Black Dragon” Katana – a basic SBG custom Katana based on a popular design configuration, premade and in stock!

This basic design first appeared in the SBG custom Katana gallery, and since then has proven very popular – with at least 2-3 orders with every batch (and quite a few more that are similar). No real surprise actually, as they are some of the coolest fitting sets on offer.

Basically, it is a 28″ blade available with or without bo-hi with P2 brass Dragon tsuba, C10 Dragon fittings and all black ito wrap/rayskin plus a black glossy saya.

Rather than explain it all again here simply click the link below to read the full story.

SBG Black Dragon Information

Hope you like them!

– Paul