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 time around, they didn’t get them quite right..
For the goal to create an affordable custom Daisho set (the classic Samurai sword set of the Katana and the shorter companion sword, the Wakizashi) was messed up when it was discovered that instead of the entry level blades the Wakizashi made turned out to match the $430 Ryujin Elites..
It took a while to liquidate the stock below cost price and lick the associated financial wounds this mistake had caused. But since so many people kept asking for it, Ryujin listened – and we are delighted to announce that the companion Wakizashi for both the solid bodied and bo-hi versions of the custom Katana is now available for immediate purchase!
First off, some pics of the standard solid bodied blade with a surprisingly active and very prominent hamon temper line.
And next, some pics of the bo-hi version. Note the termination of the bo-hi above the habaki rather than under it.
No matter which way you cut it, at $199.99 each these are a fantastic deal. And what is more, until the end of the month, they also come with a Wakizashi display and storage box that we usually sell separately for an additional $22.99.
But from now until the end of the month they are completely and genuinely free (most other places that offer them build them into the price and call it free. We prefer to set a low price and let you decide what extras, if any you need. But this time around, it is GENUINELY FREE and was NOT built into the final price)..
The blades are strong – 1045 monotempered carbon steel – always the best choice for an entry level blade (keeping it simple).
The fittings, visually stunning – original, and not your standard run of the mill stuff for swords at this price point – but not over the top and overpowering.
In short, when it comes to attractive display swords that don’t cut corners where it counts and have a sturdy blade that is strong enough for frequent cutting (the fancier you get with a low priced blade, the higher chance it is rendered useless and non functional or has numerous unseen fatal flaws) – Ryujin Swords are the brand you need to take a close and serious look at.
Here is the first of the two new Art Sword designs that have just now become available to purchase – the first, the stunning Blue Sakura
A nice subtle choice of colors on this one, with blue sageo and itomaki in a ‘Battle wrap’ style (also rarely seen on swords below $100) and a highly detailed saya with Red Sakura cherry blossoms.
Another close up picture of the hilt:
And the second one, slightly cheaper (by $5) – it’s brighter cousin, the Green Battle Dragon Art Sword which has the same kind of style and theme but with different colors that make it more lively than the Sakura.
Once again, it has the distinctive battle wrap common to these two new designs. Here is a close up:
Both these two new designs, and the existing 7 swords in the series bringing the total to 9 different unique styles.
Every sword collector has their personal preferences in swords – and for me personally, the Chinese Dao has to be one of my top 5 sword types of all time (my top five tends to vary over time, but tends to always come back to Japanese Katana, Longswords, Functional Fantasy Swords, Viking Swords and – of course – the Chinese Dao).
Why?
Well, quite simply, they are incredibly good fun – profiled and optimized for a shearing one handed cut, and I had an absolute ball with their original entry level Dao, the Practical Kung Fu Sword (reviewed here) – but this one takes it all to a whole new level..
Here’s a video from forged in fire showing exactly what a well made Dao is capable of:
And there is no doubt in my mind that this is a very well made Dao indeed – designed by none other than Scott Rodell from the great river Taoist Center, who also designed the first sword in this series, the Scott Rodell cutting JIAN..
At $490 at Cas Iberia, it is a little on the expensive side, but made available at the special price of just $362.98 at SBG ($347.68 if you use the 5% off SALE2020 coupon code running until the 17th of January!).
This brings the total number of available quality Dao at the SBG Store up to 3 models available right now, the new cutting Dao (above) – the Hanwei Oxtail Dao (pictured left and available for $219.98)..
And of course, for those for whom only the best will do, we have the Duan Dao by Forge Direct – that beautiful laminated blade here for $779.99
But a word to the wise, hold off on that one as the FORGE DIRECT CHINESE NEW YEAR SALE is coming by the end of the month, and will see a large discount on ALL the Forge Direct Chinese Swords, plus two new stunning Qin Dynasty Dao..
Here’s a sneak preview:
COMING SOON TO FORGE DIRECT
Stay tuned on these. In the meantime..
The Latest HOT SPECIAL
Themed for each of the four seasons, the heavy duty 5160 Spring Steel Tameshigiri ready Summer Lotus Katana by Dragon King is now on special – down from our already heavily discounted everyday price of $329.99 to just $249.99 until the end of the month and while stocks last..
SPECS: 5160 high-carbon steel sharpened blade, marquenched and monotempered to an edge hardness of 57HRC. Cotton black colored ito over authentic rayskin. Steel fittings, silver habaki and menuki. Green textured ishime style saya with buffalo horn rimmed koiguchi (scabbard mouth), wood kurikata and hard wearing black sageo. Traditional Construction with Exceptional Attention to Detail. Now Just $249.99 (normally $329.99) until the end of the month and while stocks last. Makes for a great long lasting beater sword for the Dojo or the backyard.
Plus Some Sneak Peaks at what is planned for the first couple of months…
Hey everyone,
Thanks for bearing with us while we took some time off during the holidays. As of today we are officially back to work, though personally I am still in transit back and there might be some minor delays with personal correspondence until the end of the week as there is a ton of stuff to catch up with, and as you will see in this blog post, a ton of new projects and ideas that need to be addressed..
So in the meantime, we are pleased to advise that the 5% coupon code will remain active until the 17th of January!
Simply click the coupon code to automatically add it to any and all products in your cart.
CONDITIONS: Please note that this coupon MUST be used at the time of purchase to qualify. It cannot be retroactively applied to an order, so please ensure you double check it has been applied BEFORE you pay for your order. The coupon code will become inactive at midnight the 17th of January 2020.
What is planned for Jan-Feb 2020..
A sneak peak…
First off, January is the lunar new year – and so as it has become something of a tradition over the previous years, stay tuned for the CHINESE NEW YEAR MEGA-SALE on Forge Direct Chinese..
But another HUGE new project planned that will dominate the early part of 2020 (and continue to expand and grow over the course of the whole year) is related to my current trip to Japan – our first offering of genuine ANTIQUE and GENDAITO Nihonto (Katana made in Japan!).
More on this will be released on the blog, social media and our various newsletters over the course of the coming days and weeks, but in the meantme, here are a few sneak previews..
First off, the Japanese Sword Smith who has made all of this possible as we took a stroll around the Masumida-jinja Shrine in Aichi province, a relatively short distance from his forge on the outskirts of Seki City.
Yours truly inspecting one of the many Nihonto antique swords that we will be making availble to collectors and enthuisiasts over the following weeks right here at the SBG sword store (and yes, it is hard to disguise my feeling of AWE looking at these blades, almost all of which are several hundred years old..)
And just a sneak peak at two of the actual antiques that we will be offering at the most reasonable price possible.. (though naturally, being the real deal – they will be more than most swords we usually offer at SBG, but as always, sold with the fairest and best margins we can muster to give collectors the world over a fighting chance to own one).
Naturally this ‘working holiday’ was extremely educational, and I will be doing my best to share what I learned with all of you as many questions I had about Japanese swords were clarified, and I have necer seen or handled as many genuine antiques at one time as I have during this incredibly eye opening trip.
So I hope that you will all bear with me over the coming days as I catch up and prepare to share everything I have learned and everything that we can offer you!
If you have been thinking about buying one of the beautiful traditional Chinese swords from Forge Direct, you may wish to hold off a little bit..
During Chinese New Year, the entire country pretty much grinds to a halt for a one full month – no shipping, no sword production – nothing. But when they come back from the long holiday, the Master Smiths come back re-energized, the weather is perfect for sword making – AND it’s during this time we collate as many orders for them as possible by negotiating and offering steep discounts (typically around 25%!) on each and every sword in Forge Direct Chinese.
But with the new Baojian forge now on board, even MORE swords will be joining the line up. So here is a sneak preview of some of the swords that may well be joining the line up for the mega-sale..
A really thick bladed Ming Dynasty DaoAnother Dao, this one a classic willow leaf styleWarring States Period Two Handed SwordA truly beautiful Kiangxi Horse Killing DaoA beautiful example of a Octagonal blade profile late period JianA highly ornate Tang DaoA much simpler, more common Tang DaoAnother beautiful Ming Dynasty JianOne of the meanest, coolest looking Warring States swords I have seen.. (this one is my personal favorite)And a simple looking but beautiful two hander
Hope this whets your appetite for what is to come..! In the meantime, we still have a few more days left on the Yue Maiden Sword with a massive 50% discount (expires on the 18th) – so unless it’s the Yue maiden calling you (as this is the best price it will EVER be listed for) – then keep your eye’s open for the mega-sale starting in mid to late January 2020.
Last Call: 50% discount on the Yue Maiden
The Yue Maiden – Down from $900 to $450 – but only for two more days..
