It has been a very hard year to keep anything in stock – indeed, last month Ronin Katana had to actually temporarily close its doors as it had literally run out of swords to sell!
So it is great news to announce that they have just restocked almost every product in their line – however, the reprieve may be short lived. Demand for well made, good value functional swords is still unseasonably strong – so for some of the most popular swords, especially in the European sword line, are not likely to remain stocked for very long..
Almost 12 months ago one of our most popular, best selling premium sword lines – Forge Direct Chinese, ground to a screeching halt due to production and shipping issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While worldwide the pandemic continues indefinitely, in the last few months we have been working hard behind the scenes to bring both Forge Direct Chinese and our elite Japanese line from Project X back online. And we are delighted to say that with this post we announce that Project X and Forge Direct Chinese are BACK and taking new orders..!
Project X
For those of you not familiar with it, Project X was founded 10 years ago and grew out of Ronin Katana’s Elite Soshu Kitae Laminated Katana sword series with many extra tweaks and upgrades, eventually supplanting the Elite line in 2019.
With many customization options, there are 9 basic models in the series ranging from normal Katana styles to O-Katana, Gunto and a basic stripped down model known as the ‘Kihon’ – but all have several defining important characteristics.
While every aspect of this sword line is as premium as it gets, naturally the blades are a special focus for extra attention to detail and do not disappoint with a complex lamination known as ‘Soshu Kitae’ complimented by a clear and expertly polished hamon line and option to add elite folding to produce the most traditionally constructed Katana possible outside of Japan – at a fraction of the price it would cost to have it made there.
Due to our policy to providing the best quality at the lowest possible price point, and the fact that we can only make these swords one or two times a year, and it’s no surprise that when we offer the chance to have one made, available spots fill up VERY fast – and the majority are reserved for subscribers of a dedicated Project X newsletter – so that by the time we make THIS announcement, many of the available spots are already taken.
Indeed, this is where we are at in terms of the forges comfortable production capacity at the time of the general re-release of these swords to the sword buying public:
In previous batches when we reach this point and open up to the general sword buying public – it is expected that all available production slots will be used up within the next 3-5 days as demand far exceeds our ability to produce the swords (a common problem with the industry generally right now).
So long story short, if you are a fan of high end production Katana with a lot of great customization options designed to minimize bad designs or unappealing component combinations – you should give this batch serious consideration while there is still time..
At the same time we re-release Project X – it’s offshoot, Forge Direct Chinese – has also just come back online, and celebrates its return with a 20% discount on every model until midnight the 9th of June 2021.
In addition to the classic line up from Master Smith Zhangshu Ji from the Baojian Forge and Master Smith Xiaolong Jiang, Master Michael Ye has also partially returned from retirement early in the year with two new elite level ‘Wuxia’ fantasy designs of his own that he has become famous for with the Windsteel blade ‘the Sword of the Monkey King’ and the very unique, one piece forged Damascus Steel Warsword ‘the Sword of the Ancients’:
While we intend to be able to offer Forge Direct Chinese on an ongoing basis for the foreseeable future, the 20% discount sale must end on the 9th of June. So to secure the best deal possible on these swords, now is your opportunity.
As sword stock levels continue to erode down to unprecedented levels it is good to see a little ray of sunshine here and there – and that is exactly what Paul Chen’s Hanwei delivers with three brand new sword designs.
The first is a new addition to Hanwei’s selection of Wakizashi – a companion sword to the Classic Tiger Katana made from premium quality Swedish Powder Steel, allowing collectors in search of an authentic, premium quality Daisho set to be able to pick one up from a trusted and reliable supplier.
Elegant and deadly in its beauty – the MSRP retail price on this finely crafted piece is $1,050.00 but you can pick it up for just $769.99 at the SBG Sword Store:
Next up, a brand new Katana – and it looks like another winning design.
Made from T10 tool steel with simple yet elegant fittings and a relatively long handle – this is a fantastic sword optimized for Tameshigiri – and the complete package at a very reasonable price point.
Normal price on this one is $550 but it’s available for just $379.99 at the SBG Sword Store:
And finally a highly effective cutting sword that is not a Katana – and indeed represents a rare type of sword that is very hard to find outside of a custom sword making project, and that is a fully functional replica of a civilian version of the Russian Cossack Shaska Saber.
Optimized for the cut and widely in use in the Ukraine and Russia from around 1713 to the dawn of the 20th century. This civilian version has a classic Caucasian style with the hilt sunk deep into the scabbard when sheathed and is based on a high end, non-regulation piece that, instead of silver, is decked out in more practical (and affordable) stainless steel. Great value at $385 but an absolute steal at our price of $279.99:
It’s been a very, very strange time for the sword industry this year. Normally the first few months after Christmas are pretty slow, but due to the general trend worldwide towards online orders – we have seen a double whammy of a massive increase of the number of people trying to buy swords and an unprecedented inability to restock them anywhere near as fast as they are going out the door..
I have just emailed everyone on the official sword store mailing list the ins and outs of this double whammy, so rather than try to reword the same thing, here are some excepts from the newsletter to get you all up to speed as to what is going on behind the scenes.
From the SBG Sword Store Newsletter
Once again it is a mixed bag of news for the sword industry – some good, some bad – though none truly unexpected or out of the blue.
The bad news first? There are not many swords left after the ‘great sword buying frenzy’ of the last few months. Stock levels everywhere are quite dismal – to the point that two of our most important partners are about to close up shop, one temporarily – and one for good..
Ronin Katana is taking a short break from the 15th of this month until June the 9th as their shelves are more or less bare and after months or working at maximum shipping capacity – they are kind of beat.
But sadly, our friends at Cheness Cutlery have become a causality of the inability to restock – and announced late last month that they will NOT be restocking and once they have sold their existing stock – that’s it – there will be no more.. So the next few days and weeks are your LAST CHANCE to pick up what is remaining from stock at both of this suppliers – one temporarily closed and the other preparing to close its doors for the very last time..
While stock levels in the US are for the most part at the bottom of the barrel, Longquan is working overtime to try and restock everyone. And with all this activity – we are finally catching a break and preparing to relaunch Project X Japanese and Forge Direct Chinese, last available in August and June 2020 respectively..!
An early bird special offer will be made for Project X Japanese to subscribers of the Project X exclusive newsletter – so if you are finding it hard to track down a reliable source for a high quality Katana at the moment, your golden opportunity is looming on the horizon – and it will be happening sooner rather than later..
And lovers of high quality traditional Chinese swords will also get an opportunity to secure a master smith forged blade from two premier forges – have a look now to see what is about to be re-released:
The re-release of all these swords is scheduled to occur around or before this time next week, so stay tuned..! It’s great to be able to bring back as many of these awesome swords as possible – especially in a time when many of the best ‘stocked’ swords are all sold out, so it makes sense to have something made to order.
The only caveat – delays are to be expected. But we have prepared and positioned ourselves to minimize any delays as much as possible – but in these all too ‘interesting’ times, a spanner may appear in the works at any time slowing things down – and people need to be aware that the environment is challenging and unpredictable. But we would not offer these again now if we did not think we are 99% clear of the worst of it..
If you have been even casually following this blog recently you will notice that a lot of our favorite sword suppliers (and indeed, it’s an industry wide thing) have been running out of stock recently – ESPECIALLY Cas Iberia, one of the worlds largest sword distributors and who supply us with our lines of blades from the Hanwei Forge, A.P.O.C. Tactical, Dragon King, Kingston Arms and others.
So we are very pleased to see that the restock that was first expected in November of 2020 (yup, it was supposed to be there for Christmas – that is how badly supply chains are screwed up right now) has finally arrived and we have restocked all of the above mentioned brands – some of them partially, others almost back to 100%.
44% stocked – considering we stock over 50 Hanwei swords and that previously we had only 3 models left in stock, 44% stocked is lot better than it sounds!
76% stocked – almost a full restock, blunts 90% restocked.
Of course, as there is still something of a sword buying frenzy happening at the moment – mostly because there are more people than ever before buying things online generally, and many are discovering the wonderful world of swords for the first time. And while this will probably not help, the raw truth is that it’s really hard to know when the NEXT restock will be after this one and just how long stocks will last, especially for the most popular items..
So here’s what I would buy from the recent restock – based on popularity, how likely it is to sell out very fast, and my own personal favorite/top recommended picks! So let’s take a look:
Cream of the Crop – Paul’s Picks from the Restock
SWORDS BOUND TO SELL OUT FAST
Iga Ninja-to $406.98: It is rarely in stock, and when it is, not for very long. But considering it is almost an exact replica of the sword featured in the Iga museum in Japan (not to mention, a fantastic sword in its own right) it and the slightly cheaper $362. 98 Kouga Ninja-to are a must to round out a collection and highly recommended to grab them while you can.
Tinker Pearce Norman Sword $239.98: Great distal tapered and perfectly heat treated with handling and cutting ability first and foremost in mind, it’s an exceptional almost textbook example of an Oakeshott Type Xa – but what else would you expect for a sword designed and approved by Michael ‘Tinker’ Pearce? Simply one of the best bang for your buck arming swords around.
A.P.O.C. Wasteland Gladius $175.95: Monotempered 9260 Spring Steel leaf blade sword with tactical one piece design? What is not to love about this truly ‘apocalypse ready’ – super versatile sword? Apparently, it’s loved too much – expect it to sell out first in second place only to the $164.95 A.P.O.C. Survival Katana which has been (not surprisingly) a solid seller and popular choice ever since it was first released.
Dragon King Tatsumaki Katana $879.98: At the high end price wise perhaps, but it is such a gorgeous piece that the sword market vote with their $$$ and it is rarely in stock as long as any other piece in Dragon Kings now very well rounded and beautifully made Japanese Sword Series.
Kingston Arms Cutlass $349.98: This one sold out super fast after it was only just recently introducted – and when you consider it is the brainchild of none other than Angus Trim given free reign to design a fighting Cutlass HIS way – for under $350 – yeah, it’s no wonder..
Nothing new uncovered in the restock yet – but ‘treasure seekers’ will enjoy looking through all the swords that haven’t been around for at least the last 6 months or so and snapping up their own ‘cream of the crop’ before they are sold out for another 6 months or so..
