Future of Forge Direct..

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As you will know already, Forge Direct as we know it ends at midnight the 10th of April and there is now less than 48 hours before all the previously available models are permanently archived, discontinued and never available again..

And until the final hour, you get one last chance to secure one of these stunning blades at a whopping 25% off..

But after they are all gone, it does NOT mean the Project itself is at an end.. While the smiths we worked with before have pulled the plug, Master Xianlong who made the famous Jian of Marquis Yi and original Dragon Dao with Project X Chinese has agreed to continue to work with us, and a new master and our personal friend, Master Michael Ye, has also agreed to produce some swords for us – so while the original Smiths we started the Project with will finish taking new commissions from the 10th of April, like a Phoenix, the Project rises again and will continue and grow over the coming months, stronger than ever..

Two swords we briefly released and then archived once we heard the Project was suddenly forced to change direction will be coming back once the currently selection is locked away – and that is the stunning Red Ebony Jian and the Haiyantang Zodiac sword.

Red Ebony Jian

Red Ebony Jian

Haiyangtang Zodiac Sword

Haiyangtang Zodiac Sword

But here are two others that will be made available after the current selection closes..

COMING SOON!!

The first is truly unique, fully sharpened, fully functional double butterfly swords for the most discerning Wing Chun Practitioners..

Wing Chun Butterfly Swords

Wing Chun Butterfly Swords

Dragon Flame Jian

Dragon Flame Jian

More swords will be added as we go, indeed behind the scenes quite a few new designs are being negotiated, so while the current models are indeed going away, new ones are slowly lining up to take their place and whether you grab one of the closeout models before they are gone or wait to see what is next, Forge Direct will go on..

Forge Direct Mega Sale – It ALL Ends For Good April 10th 2016..

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forge-direct-final

It’s funny how quickly things can change when you are dealing with proud types like Master Smiths..

They have argued from day one that our prices on these swords were too low.. But we wanted to be able to offer these swords to people who otherwise could not afford the full retail price or the trip to the forge in Longquan to buy them directly..

I am not sure which sword did it (though I can guess) but they found our low markup devalues their work, and just a few hours ago I was told in no uncertain terms that we have until April the 10th to wind up the Project once and for all..

It is a shame it came to this.. I should have known as I saw it happen years ago with Chris Zhou and Musashi Swords. The Master Smiths are proud people, and even prouder when it comes to swords that are symbols of their lineage and heritage..

They have been gentlemen about it, make no mistake. Our conversation on this line was civil and polite. But the end result was that from April the 10th the main smiths we work with on Forge Direct will no longer accept new orders from us..

It does not mean that the entire project will end. Two of the Swords are actually a new collaboration with Master Xianlong who made the original Jian of Marquis and the Dragon Dao for Project X and he is still willing to work with us and we will expand on the two designs he currently has agreed to make for us. But the vast majority of the designs we have offered from the beginning will be off the table starting the 10th of April..

So Here is the Deal

The Smiths have agreed to one FINAL run. And they have also offered us a price amnesty, as we were able to argue that at such short notice, it is not always possible to pay even our relatively low prices that so upset the Master Smiths (you may have seen it before, but the typical price of these is TWICE what we offer them for..)

So what we are willing to do is forgo our share of the profits and give YOU all one last chance before they are all gone for good..

Almost ALL the old Archives designs are back for one last time. After the 10th of April, they will all be archived permanently – never to be sold again.

It is a shame it came to this – and we will try to keep Forge Direct rolling with Master Xiaolong, but it will take some time.. For the time being, we have archived the Spring Collection and brought back all 8 classic Forge Direct Designs at 25% off for the very last time..

What more can I say. If you want to own your own piece of Chinese and SBG History, you have until April 10th..

Check the Final Selection Here

Forge Direct – The Spring Selection

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Forge-direct-spring2016

That is right, this month we add 4 new swords to the Forge Direct line up bringing the Spring Selection to a total of 7 Master Smith Forged Traditional Chinese Swords spanning a time period of nearly 2000 years..

The first one adds a new element, limited customization – with the option to select one of 12 bronze cast pommels representing the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac based on designs that once adorned the Garden of Eternal Spring in Beijing..

The second is also the most affordable but surprisingly spectacular considering the price tag, and that is the Early Han Dynasty Red Ebony Jian..

This sword gets its name from the red ebony scabbard, but it is the unique cutting tip and beautifully leather wrapped handle and traditional ancient style ring pommel that I feel really make this sword stand out. That and its quite amazing speed and handling, weighing only 0.75kg (about 1.65lbs) makes this a must have addition to any collector of antique styled Chinese swords.

The next sword is the most ornate and unique, however – and that is the elite version of the previously popular Kiangxi Horsebane sword.

These powerful blades, more Glaive than sword in many respects, were designed to slay horses and their riders on the battlefield and is a forceful, terrifyingly effective chopping and slicing sword. But this one is truly in a league of its own, with a fully covered rayskin scabbard, gold inlay on the folded and differentially hardened blade, highly detailed fittings and mother of pearl handle..

And finally, a sword that is seemingly straight out of ancient myth and legend, the titanium infused blade of the Fenghuang Phoenix Sword..

The blade is truly unique, differentially hardened edges and prominent folding with crimson titanium coating, reinforcing the blade and protecting its surface against rust and subdued Dragon Phoenix themed fittings and a flash or red tassel, all designed to highlight the beauty of this unique blade.

Do not be fooled by cheap and nasty imitations, these are the best of the best Chinese swords from Longquan, with a rich history as the premier sword forging town for nearly 2,500 years..

Check out the full Spring Line Up Here

Project X – Now Taking Orders!

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Project-X-Now-Taking-OrdersIt has been over a year since we added a new product to the Project X line up – but not only have we just opened up new pre-orders for Project X – but we are pleased to bring you 3 brand new designs..!

The first of these three is model #004 – The Gunto, which is based on a type 98 Shin Gunto. This Master Smith forged Soshu Kitae blade evokes the rare and greatly treasured antique blades that were remounted for use by officers of the Japanese Imperial Army. The Gunto features historically accurate fittings up to and including the tassel which signifies rank and the steel lined, wood core saya.

X-Gunto-mainThe second was made by popular demand, model #005 – The O-Katana with 33″ inches of Soshu Kitae goodness and a 12″ handle.  With a bo-hi to lighten the load and create a terrifyingly loud Tachi Kaze, this is a whole lot of sword for just an additional $100. Size does matter, look no further than this intimidating all black themed giant of a sword for confirmation..

x-o-katana-mainAnd the third, is model #006 – the Dragon which is based on the most popular Katana theme there is, the Eastern Dragon. The work hardened copper and gold plated fittings are a detailed copy of an actual antique and are powerful enough in their own right that the rest of the swords theme is subdued and traditional. Easily the centerpiece of any quality collection.

x-dragon-mainI realized that we didn’t include any direct pics of the tsubas for these in the product listings, so here are some pics of each tsuba as follows:

The Sakura Style Gunto Tsuba

The Sakura Style Gunto Tsuba

Lion Dog Tsuba of Model 5

Lion Dog Tsuba of Model 5

Dragon Tsuba of Model 6

Dragon Tsuba of Model 6

And finally, Project X Chinese also makes a comeback with the stunningly beautiful Dragon Dao..

dragon-dao1What more need I say..?

Naturally, the pre-order window of opportunity that guarantees you a chance to pick up one of these stunning heirloom quality swords is for a very limited time only.. So don’t miss out..

CHECK THEM ALL OUT HERE

New Look Store – Final Modification..!

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Over the years we have changed the look and feel of the SBG Sword Store quite a few times, both to adjust it as it has grown in size and scope, but also just because – as with any website – it is never quite “finished” and always something of a work in progress..

We have done the same with the main site, what you see today is nothing like when it first started – though as always, the essence remains the same..

In the last few weeks we have tried several different approaches and have finally settled on a new look that matches that of the main website. With this new look, the images of the swords we offer are bigger, clearer and the whole layout I think is easier on the eye. But there are still quite a few cosmetic tweaks we need to do – with hundreds upon hundreds of different sword pictures of different sizes it is going to take some time before we update each image to the largest, clearest pictures possible to match the new look. And right now, there are some cosmetic issues with the way some products are displaying – i.e. items on sale just cross out the original price without showing the on sale price unless you click through to the “more info” page, and not everything is lining up the way it should..

We will be getting these issues fixed in short order and then working hard to update the various sword pictures and add some additional functionality, so for the time being, please bear with us if things don’t display exactly how you might expect.

As always, the site itself remains 100% secure and the only changes are cosmetic, so it is business as usual. In the meantime, let’s take a quite trip down memory lane with some pics of the store as it appeared over the years..

SBG Sword Store Over the Years..

November 2006 - Started as a retail store stocking Cheness Cutlery

November 2006 – Started as a retail store stocking Cheness Cutlery (only).

November 2007 - attempting to match the look of the main site..

November 2007 – attempting to match the look of the main site.. Hanwei and Darksword join the line up.

Continuing to evolve, Valiant Armoury and the first generation of the SBG Custom Katana!

November 2007 – continuing to evolve, Valiant Armoury and the first generation of the SBG Custom Katana!

November 2009 - stabilizing and searching for a new look..

November 2009 – stabilizing and searching for a new look..

2010-2013 - We hire a pro to design a new site that matches the main site. Just like what we are doing now.. This look and feel persisted until late 2013..

2010-2013 – We hire a pro to design a new site that matches the main site. Just like what we are doing now.. This look and feel persisted until late 2013..

November 2013 - different browsers meant that we needed to strip it back to basics..

November 2013 – different browsers meant that we needed to strip it back to basics..

November 2014 - we go with a basic "red stripe" and logo style on all SBG sites.

November 2014 – we go with a basic “red stripe” and logo style on all SBG sites.

November 2015 - a temporary style as we search for a new unified theme..

November 2015 – a temporary style as we search for a new unified theme..

Current theme as of today - professionally designed and matching the main site, we will be using this format as our new base for at least the next 3 years..!

Current theme as of today – professionally designed and matching the main site, we will be using this format as our new base for at least the next 3 years..!

It is still early days for this new format – we will continue to tweak it, expanding the right hand column, working on the navigation, graphics, etc. But this is the new base that, if the previous professionally done version from 2010-2013 is any indication, is going to be our look for the foreseeable future..!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE STORE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF