While there may be some last minute frantic sales here and there elsewhere, anyone who has read our official guide to buying swords at Christmas time will know that if you want a smooth Christmas sword buying experience, you need to get in early.
Many of our customers purchased during November, and right now we are winding down for the holidays as I will be taking time off to concentrate on spending uninterrupted time with my family – something I rarely do as the time demands SBG put on me are intensive to say the least..
No more products are planned to be launched this year, and as you can see from the holiday schedule above – we are about to close down in a few days time. However, during the holiday period there WILL be a skeleton crew manning the store to process and ship orders whenever possible – but please be aware that delays are to be expected (as many of the shipping services and warehouses we use are also on holidays during this period) and email support will be very limited.
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..
From a sword sellers perspective, it is getting AWFULLY close to Christmas. As per our Official SBG Christmas Sword Buyers Guide – the earlier you get your Christmas orders in the better:
Because the sheer amount of packages going everywhichway tends to result in much rougher handling than usual, and the chances of parcels getting lost or stolen skyrockets.
If there’s a problem, it will be almost impossible to correct before its time to present the gift.
But this one comes from the Ryujin warehouse – and they are poised and ready for super fast shipping (so much so that if you change your mind and try to cancel, more often than not your order is already packed and out the door on its way to you..)
Unlike most other blades in this price range and style that are made from stainless steel, this bad boy is made from oil tempered and hardened 65MN Spring steel and combines modern tactical style blades with ancient tradition with it’s unique handle – a full wrap of synthetic black rayskin bound under black rayon ito wrap (and even brass menuki!).
It’s an excellent little modern styled sword – but even better, the special introductory price of just $59.99!
Here’s a few additional high resolution pics of the blade and fittings.
Stock is limited and it’s already proving itself to be a great selling sword, so if you want one, get in quick!
This is one of the last offers of the year, and it’s a sword I have been looking forward to for some time..
I love a well made Chinese Dao – especially those from the Ming Period onwards that are commonly seen in surviving Kung Fu styles and systems. And for the money, this is one of the best around..
There is nothing fancy about this sword – it is pure functionality. The blade is made from well tempered 65MN Spring Steel, an affordable but very tough steel and weighing in at just 1.8lbs is fast in the hand but balanced so that each cut delivers maximum force and cutting power.
Originally the Chinese Dao was a straight bladed single edged sword such as the recently introduced Forge Direct Yi-Dao (pictured below) and were more often than not double handed, though shorter single handed versions were not unheard of.
However, after ‘encounters’ with the curved Mongol blades and after the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty where the Mongols controlled all of China (1279-1368) in the early Ming Dynasty the Dao took on a curved shape, some curved only towards the tip (Goosequill saber) but most were like our version, subtly curved along the entire length of the blade and were known as Liuyedao (willow leaf, named as such for the blades resemblance to the leaf of a willow tree) such as this ornate version from the By Metropolitan Museum of Art, online collection (accession number 14.48.2a) pictured below.
Personally, what I like most about these swords is that they are exceptionally good cutters. Sure, the tip is quite lethal, but it is in the cut where this sword really excels. And when used by a skilled martial artist, they come alive like few other swords, spinning, whirling and wooshing through the air – each movement unpredictable and almost too fast for the eye to track.
While the video below is done with a lightweight Wushu training sword (which are the whippy blades designed purely for sporting purposes) it gives you some idea of how versatile a single handled Dao can be.
https://youtu.be/6xdO-NyyPNY
Here’s another couple of useful Dao related videos you might want to check out, the first one a basic introduction.
And another from forged in fire where functional Dao are put to the test..
In the meantime, here are some higher resolution pics of the sword we are offering – not $389.99 but just $149.99!
Pretty amazing bang for your buck, but as with each new product – we are never sure how fast or how well they will sell, so as stock is limited and with Christmas just around the corner, if you want one you had better act fast.. Just click the link below for all the details in our store.
A beautiful sword with a beautiful, if fanciful backstory, I was personally surprised that when we offered the Yue Maiden Sword by the Baojian Forge at a 25% discount we had no takers..
Click on the pics for higher resolution images.
(More high resolution pics available here in a Facebook Album)
So after talking it over with the forge, we decided to offer it at the absolute best price possible to get the word out about this stunning design and the Forge in general (basically, to use a marketing term, as a ‘loss leader’ – we don’t make any money from it, but we get the word out about the quality of these swords and the forge in general).
A Fascinating Backstory
The Yue Maiden is a famous character from Chinese Wuxia – a genre of storytelling with martial arts heros, the most well known in the West perhaps the movie ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’.
Originally penned by Hong Kong by Louis Cha for the Ming Pao Evening Supplement, the tale was first serialized in the 1970s and was later adapted into a movie in 1986 called “Super Swordslady”.
https://youtu.be/x0I9Vbgy4Mo
Set during the wars between the rival Kingdoms of Yue and Wu over 2500 years ago, the central character Aqing is a seemingly simple Shepard herder who has a curious secret friend, a mysterious white Gibbon, who in the course of play fighting and sparring with her, teaches her sword fighting skills above and beyond a mere mortal..
Discovered by a loyal advisor to the King of Yue, and learning of her skills, she recruits him to train the trainers – and pass on her secrets to the Yue army – and with her sword fighting methods now in their arsenal, the Yue go on to win many a victory against the Wu Kingdom.
But as with all good stories, there is a twist – the young Aqing falls in love with the royal advisor, and becomes insanely jealous when she discovers he is married to the most beautiful woman in all of China, Xi Shi (pictured left), who is rescued and re-united with the advisor after a recent victory against the Wu who had been keeping her prisoner.
Furious, the ‘Super Swordlady’ confronts the helpless young woman – thrusting her blade towards her, but catching herself before delivering the fatal blow..
Yet her internal energy was such that it continued to travel through the sword and caused the advisors beautiful wife to recoil in pain, but upon her face an expression “so beautiful that it will take away the soul of any man who looks upon her” – and Aqing is left sad and alone, yet at the same time, a celebrated hero famous among her people but heartbroken until the end of her days..
While the 1970s version of the story is the most well known, it is actually much older – where she is known not as Aqing but as Yuenü, Aliao and simply the maiden of the Southern Forest.
In the mythological version, she was first trained in swordmanship and archery by her father – but again encounters the white gibbon, this time in the form on an old man, who teaches her the deepest secrets of swordsmanship by combining Yin and Yang to produce Chi energy that no mortal fighter is able to contend with..
With a beautiful blade, intriguing backstory and now a truly amazing price – let’s see if anyone changes their mind about this blade.. The special price of $450 is available until the 18th of December. For all the details, click below:
