Category Archives: SBG Custom Katana

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

Custom Katana and Shipping Module

By | |
Leave a comment

Hi everyone!

I’m in a good mood because after 2 weeks of trying to get the new shipping module to work in EVERY situation it should I am pleased to say that it is now 100% operational!

Because SBG has several different shipping rates – for example, across the board free shipping in the USA, some free shipping in Canada and some at $30 per sword, and then international shipping from locations in the USA and Canada, the system had a lot of trouble adapting to our unique shipping cost needs.

But now, you don’t even have to think about it – if an item cannot be shipped to your destination, it won’t let you accidently order it and will display a message telling you as such, otherwise – it just calculates the shipping based on where you are and what you are ordering, just the way it SHOULD be (but anyone who has worked with computers for a bit will know getting a computer to do something the way it SHOULD be is like pulling teeth!).

Anyhow, I’m really glad this is working properly now – and none too soon either. Because the other reason I am in a good mood is because batch 19 of the custom Katana is about to open orders within the next 24 hours!

With new options, new tsuba and lots of people waiting in the wings to get their order in, it’s all very exciting – read about it on our dedicated Custom Katana Blog here

Thanks all! As we are really about to go into “custom Katana mode” please be sure to visit the other blog frequently because it is where all of the real action will be over the next couple of weeks or so.

– Paul

As the clock ticks away…

By | |
Leave a comment

…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

It’s nearly time!

By | |
2 Comments

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.

Batch 18 and 19 – quick update

By | |
1 Comment

Ok, just a very quick update – I’m actually waiting on some pictures from the forge of batch 18 – but in the meantime, since we are a bit overdue for an update, this quick blog update will have to suffice.

Batch 18 is running a couple of weeks behind schedule as suspected due to the Chinese New Years celebration that lasted the better chunk of January, but the forge promised 100% completion by the 21st of March at the worst.

Naturally I am waiting until the swords are completed and shipped out from the forge to my agent in Canada before opening up on new orders for batch 19. So in the meantime I will be contacting everyone who has asked a question about the custom swords as we usually prefer to answer such questions as close as possible to when we start to take new orders again to ensure we provide the most up to date information (because as anyone who has been following the SBG custom Katana over the years will know that we do add new options and improvements every few batches).

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know where we are up to – stay tuned, not long to go if you are waiting for your sword to come in or waiting to place your order.

– Paul

“Instant” SBG Custom Katana? Kind of…

By | |
2 Comments

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