Additional thoughts, information and hints for our sword lines and products, including detailed introductions of new swords as they come in, special discounts and more.
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.
In the Viking Sagas, Ragnarok was the day of reckoning – in the time of the axe age, the sword age – time without mercy..
And while we aren’t quite there yet, this old legend of a much harsher time is reborn – Sword # 6 in Jason Woodard’s Doomsday Series: the Ragnarok
As with all of the swords in the series – it started with Jason’s 1:1 scale blueprint
Then Chris got to work taking the design from paper to 1095 carbon steel, cutting out the blank
It is then ground to shape – and 11 holes are drilled into it, into which fixing pins shall later be placed.
The blade is then heated to approximately 1500 degrees, until it becomes non magnetic and then quenched in brine (salt water). The 2nd step is Heat Tempering, which consists of heating the steel to 500 degrees for 2 hours, and letting it air cool. This makes for a Rockwell Hardness of approximately 57 HRC.
The pins are inserted into the hand shaped Walnut wood handle and then epoxied into place, giving the sword the durability that Scorpion Swords are famous for.
Finally, everything is finished up and the handle wrapped with deerskin leather with the end result, one heck of a powerful blade that we think does justice to its legendary name..
Hand made to last with pride in the USA – just $289.99
We were not certain if it would be unloaded in time – after all, with the global supply chain shortage issues crunching at this time of year like never before and having been stuck in limbo for nearly 6 weeks, the shipment finally became unstuck – and just in time to offer you a restock of practically every Ronin Katana sword in both the Japanese Dojo Pro and European Sword lines.
Here are some of the most popular items in the restock:
POPULAR EURO LINE SWORDS
With 11 awesome models to choose from – all made from expertly tempered 1075 carbon steel with premium quality fittings and free scabbard.
So many different variations of their classic Dojo Pro Dotanuki series are available that for the most part it is simply a question of picking out which design appeals to you the most based purely on its looks (all of the swords that state a ‘standard Dotanuki blade’ have the same blade, only the fittings are different.
But they do have a few cool variations – all of which have been restocked. Here are some of the most popular:
The blade geometry is the same as the other swords in the series, but is a whopping 33″ blade and 12″ tsuka – the biggest in the series and with some SERIOUS cutting force behind it. $344.99
The concept behind it was a bit of a tongue and cheek joke about how over the top some sword sellers were in describing their products. But the sword born from this idea is no laughing matter – and is one of the most distinctive and coolest looking entry level dojo swords around. 30″ blade, $314.99
While it has a standard blade from the Dojo Pro series, it is easily one of the most popular designs among our customers – and the attractive finish of the saya combined with classic Katana elements make it easy to understand why. Priced the same as every other Dojo Pro standard blade – just $294.99
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!
It has taken us quite a few month to get there, but with the redesign and re-release of the 4th sword in the Doomsday Series, the ‘Sword of the Daywalker’ inspired by the Wesley Snipes hit ‘Blade’ Franchise – the overhaul is complete and once again Jason Woodard is freed up turn his attention to creating even more swords and blades for the series..
But in the meantime, here it is – version 2.0 of the $279.99 Daywalker Sword:
First the redesign was submitted as a 1:1 scale blueprint by the designer of the original Doomsday Daywalker Sword, Jason Woodard.
And below, the completed sword:There are some subtle differences that came out as Chris Palmer brought the design from paper and turned it into steel, and some not so subtle improvements, like the deerskin leather wrapped handle.
Here is how it got from paper to steel – starting with the basic blank and template for all future orders of this model:
The first rough grind before heat treatment:
And of course, the bare blade after heat treatment:
8 strategically placed pins are then inserted and the handle firmly epoxied in place:
Then the handle is contoured and shaped before three additional brass pins are inserted, ensuring the handle is as sturdy as is humanly possible and contributing greatly to the swords overall durability.
Then after some final finishing touches, it is done!
