You may (or may not) have noticed some cosmetic changes at SBG over the last few days..
Mostly cosmetic, with the goal to make the store (and main site) responsive, easier to navigate and a tad more modern and attractive in appearance..
We are still tweaking a few things here and there, so if things don’t look quite “right” please bear with us.
Also note, the sites security is priority number one – and no changes are being made there, so you can still order as usual without any security concerns.
Hope you like the direction we are taking. If you have any problems, questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us!
Just a quick update on the Custom Katana batches for everyone.
Currently we have two batches in production, batches 32 and 33 and just closed off on batch 34 a short time ago, so are currently cross checking with last minute orders to make sure everything is in order and preparing to send the customization instructions to the forge.
We also have around 3 or 4 blades (including tanto) from batches 30 and 31 that came in late either because we had to change the components due to unavailability and because, as stated previously, there were delays with the tanto for those batches caused by Chinese New Year. These blades are about to go out, so thanks to those customers who patiently waited and apologies for the lengthy delay..
Batches 32 and 33 are coming along well, batch 32 is due in around 6 weeks from now and so far is on schedule and if all goes well it looks like batch 33 may come in ahead of schedule. So please stay tuned for updates as we go..!
I sometimes wonder, what would swords look like in the 21st century if they continued to evolve as valid battlefield weapons?
To some degree, the humble Machete is the result of the evolution of swords and continues to see use in many conflicts across the world, from Africa, Latin America and anywhere else where hand to hand combat still plays a signficant factor in warfare.
But throughout history, and especially in Europe, the sword evolved and changed many times, from the Gladius to the Spatha, Viking single handed swords, arming sword, longswords, estoc, rapiers and finally sabers..
But, except for WWII with the Japanese Gunto, the sword pretty much stopped being widely carried on the battlefield with the 1917 saber and became mostly a dress weapon..
But what would have happened if it had not stopped there? What would the sword look like?
ENTER COLD STEEL
Love them or hate them, their is little doubt that Cold Steel is an innovative company. Not only do they produce a very wide assortment of swords of almost every major type ever used throughout history, but recently they started their own drive to “evolve” the sword – taking the best of history and combining it with modern technology to produce the next generation of swords.
It started in 2010 with their “Katana Machete”..
And continued with their highly effective re-invention of the Gladius, the aptly named Gladius Machete, which we have just added to the store (the Katana Machete has been available at our store for a while now, click here if you are interested).
But now in 2015, it continues with 3 new “evolved” swords as below.
CHINESE WAR SWORD MACHETE
Related to the two Machete above, the new Cold Steel Chinese War Sword Machete is a variation of the Chinese Daodao, or great sword.
This sword was made infamous by its use dutring the Chinese boxer rebellion circa 1899-1901 and was used again against the Japanese in the Sino-Japanese war and proved to be extremely effective in those comparitively recent times.
Training with the Dadao
Newly released in 2015, the Cold Steel Chinese War Sword Machete takes this highly effective, devestatingly powerful blade and combines it with ultra modern polypropelyne, Cor-ex and plasma cutting techniques to bring it firmly into the 21st century – and at an extremely affordable price point..
Now as mentioned, the Saber was the culmination of Western swords – and pretty much ceased to be a weapon of war in 1917 during WWI. But as Sabers have a special fascination for Cold Steel President Lynn Thompson, it should come as no surprise that he might one day decide to design his very own Saber, and this is the result..
Bringing the Saber into the 21st Century – the Thompson Saber by Cold Steel
Here is what Lynn had to say about it – in his own words:
“I wanted to make a battle sword. Not a dueling sword as such, but a true sword fighter’s sword for the modern martial artist. I believe that the edge is superior to the point when facing multiple opponents. You have more opportunities to defend, counter, riposte and move without becoming transfixed on an opponent for a vital second – therefore, while it does thrust well, the Thompson Saber is a cutting tool first and foremost, on foot or on horseback.
Its ground to my exact specifications; hair shaving sharp for the first six inches from the point, then gradually less sharp down through the rest of the blade, leaving enough material to block, parry and even bludgeon an opponent’s blade. It’s deeply blued to aid in rust resistance, but also to make the blade harder to see in the fast paced cut and thrust of combat.
It has a modified 1904 Saber guard, offering amazing hand protection and a sizeable ray skin wrapped handle that will accommodate even big modern fencer’s gloves.
I designed this sword to be able to make deep cuts even with a flick of the wrist, and it makes monstrous cuts when “drawn” through the target. If you study bladed arts and appreciate the combative potential of the sword, I’m sure you’ll love this saber!”
And finally, a zombie hunters dream – the Chaos Khukri..
The Khukri (or Khukuri, Kukkri, Kukri depending on how you wish to spell it) was made famous by the Nepalese Gorkha and is to this day a much respected, fearsome sidearm with tremendous chopping power as 40 bandits reportedly discovered for themselves as recently as 2010 when a lone, retired Indian Ghurka soldier named Bishnu Shrestha was claimed to have killed 3 of them, wounded 8 more and caused the rest to flee!
Whether or not this story is true, there is little doubting the basic designs effectiveness. And Cold Steel have brought it screaming into the 21st century by adding a comtemporary, heavy duty steel knuckle duster style trench knife guard to it that is an effective weapon in its own right..!
Definitely ultra modern looking and easy to carry, this would have to be a perfect choice for when the zombie apocalypse hits..!
Whichever way you look at it, these new designs are most certainly interesting and we are proud to offer you another option to the SBG sword store, bringing them to you at heavily discounted prices.
Well, it is offical – the discounted Raptors are all sold out.. But there are still some great deals to be had.. Indeed, a quick look at the hot specials page reveals that the Raptors were just the tip of the iceberg for getting some serious bang for your buck..
But like the Raptors, you need to act fast or you will miss out on these deals too!
For example, we have at the time of writing this post – 4 one off, heavily discounted SBG Black Dragon forge Katana with an average discount of around $200 per sword..! (and all are with FREE SHIPPING to the USA and Canada!).
Or how about the very LAST Project X Jian of Marquis Yi?
Returned by a customer who used it only for formwork but could not keep up the repayments – it in as new condition, for just $999.99 (normally $2600 if you buy in Longquan!)..
OR, for those of you crying because you missed out on the Raptors – How about a deal with the same blades (literally from the Hanwei Raptor Series) at the SAME low price ($199.99) – until April 24th..?
A small gap between the rayskin and the wood behind it is an extremely common cosmetic flaw for swords under the $300 price point. The main reason is, real rayskin is VERY expensive – a single skin costs around $70 and is only good for ONE full rayskin wrap or 3-4 panels (which is why you never see full wraps these days. Well, almost never. We do full wraps on Project X, but that is a different story – and a different price point!).
As such, the forges try to get the most out of every little piece of Rayskin they have – but it is not good enough for the Hanwei forges Raptor line..
So when they received a shipment with small gaps showing, they decided to offer them to SBG as factory seconds with a massive discount, and we are passing the discount directly to you!
There is NOTHING wrong with the blades or other fittings, just small gaps in the rayskin peeking out here and there. Something only visible if you look for it (after all, these models have battle wraps on the handle, so the middle section is covered anyway). But the savings are easy to see – $260 off the MSRP and $100 less than our usual already discounted price..!
So for anyone in the market for a serious Japanese style beater sword (and the Raptor series designed by James Williams are among the best of the best beaters out there) here is a rare opportunity to pick one up at a drastically reduced price point..
