SBG Scratch and Dent Katana..

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Technically speaking, they aren’t scratched and they aren’t dented.. The only issue with these 6 swords is that you cannot disassemble them because we had to permanently attach the tsuka.. But when they are priced like this and don’t need any modifications to look any better, I don’t really see why you would need to..

The six swords you see below are all from batches 36 to 39 of the SBG Custom Katana – which I am pleased to say we are aiming to bring back as soon as we have the final swords from batch 40 cleared from a bit of a customs tangle and out into the hands of the customers..

Each of these swords had that issue we experienced on the Black Dragon line and the SBG custom katana series in 2016 – that is to say the wood had shifted during the summer months and shifted slightly inside the handle when swung. Not an uncommon thing, and something we have taken many steps to avoid a repeat of, but enough for us to fail them with the stringent level of QC we apply to this line..

So while we have already either refunded the customers who originally ordered them or made them a replacement, we need to try and minimize the losses – and our misfortune is again your opportunity to snap up a bargain..!

Here are the 6 designs in all their glory with a brief description. They are available on a first come first served basis and of course, this is not something we plan or hope to repeat, so if you like one of them be sure to grab it before someone else does..!

FOLDED BLADES

Unlike cheap folded blades, which are often much worse than an unfolded one, the folded models below are all folded professionally and provide that traditional hada aesthetic without losing anything in the way of structural integrity. Most also have other upgrades such as leather ito with hisigami and/or rayskin wrap on the saya and would normally cost around $550 at SBG, considerably more if we followed standard industry pricing..

Leather Ito, Rayskin Saya – Folded Blade. Sold for $564.99. Now $329.99.

Folded Blade, bo-hi – work hardened copper fittings. Sold for $489.99 now $269.99..

Upgraded Saya with Rayskin Wrap, Folded Blade – bo-hi, work hardened copper fittings. Sold for $564.99, now available for $329.99..

Folded Blade, Black Tiger Iron Fittings, textured saya. Sold for $489.99, now just $269.99..

NON FOLDED BLADES

Only two here, crazy pricing..

Black on blacketey black with Oni Matsuri work hardened copper fittings.. The blade is not blood red, just the lighting in the pic – click on the pic of any of these swords to see more images.. Sold for $429.99, now being sacrified for $229.99..

And an Iron Tiger themed tanto – just $149.99..

Each of these swords has otherwise passed QC testing, and indeed they actually cost us more to repair than the stupid $100-$250 discounts we are applying to them..

But we need to at least recover some of the losses – so insane as it is – best get them before someone else does or I come to my senses and realize I should not be discounting them by this much.. (I am not kidding, as I write this post I am thinking – no way I should be selling them this low – and that is NOT some kind of marketing gimmick!).

Well, hope they go to a good home.

– Paul

Project X – Forge Direct Chinese New Year Super Sale!

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Chinese New Year is coming very soon – and that means that the Forge and the Master Smiths who make our Forge Direct Series swords will shortly be downing tools and taking a break for 2-3 weeks to visit family, recharge their batteries and otherwise do everything we in the West did over the Christmas/New Years period (but for longer and on an even grander scale!).

The bad news for us is that of course any orders placed from now until they get back to work in early February on our Forge Direct Line will not have anything done on them until they get back to work. The good news is that when they do get back to work, they will be rather refreshed and keen to put hammer to anvil – and the period immediately following Chinese New Year is when the forges tend to do their best work!

And the BEST news is – to make up for the delay – any orders placed from now until the 18th of January are not only going to be the very best quality of any swords ordered this year.. But you can also save yourself 20% off the price to make up for having to wait a couple of weeks longer!

ANNOUNCING..

As mentioned in a previous post – we were about to and have just added THREE NEW SWORDS to the Forge Direct Line Up – and they are hitting the ground running at the best price you will see them for with the 20% off discount.

Check out the full Forge Direct Chinese line up HERE

And be sure to grab yourself a bargain while you can to start of the year of the Fire Rooster in the most auspicious way – with 2500 years of living Chinese history in your hand!

Sneak Previews of Was and What is Next..

By | |
Leave a comment

This should be the last post when I mention the site overhaul – it has been pretty all consuming for the last few weeks, and took a LOT longer to complete that I first expected and completely changed the look and feel of the main site and the store when it was not really supposed to be that dramatic..

That’s the way it goes with websites these days though I guess – what looks good on a desktop is often unreadable on a mobile or tablet, so in many ways it is like creating not one but around a dozen websites at the same time..

Anyway, over the last couple of weeks the site has gone from this format, which we introduced early last year but I was never fully satisfied with (too many navigation bars, top, left, right, center and bottom is just confusing – plus it all just jumbled up at the bottom when you look at it with mobile)..

The overhaul began in earnest just before Christmas, and as you will know from the previous blog posts, had a bit of a false victory..

It started off looking like this..

Same basic theme but simplified. So I thought..

Unfortunately, it was a complete mess in mobile – and the store especially so. Several days over the holiday period were spent pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to make the site, the store and the blog compliment each other and keep a kind of central theme and I had to strip it all back to the basics.

The end result?

At least, this is how it looks on a desktop or sideways held tablet.. 😉

The format is much cleaner – just one navigation bar that stays in place on the left hand side as you scroll down the page. A page width that works with pages built from 2005 to 2016 and beyond – and a nod to recurring themes that have appeared in previous incarnations of the site – scrolls, parchments, a white background – some black, some red and some grey – and – of course – a picture of a sword of some type that is not a wallhanger featured prominently (in this case, the prototype Forge Direct Custom Katana I had made for myself reviewed here).

There will probably need to be a few more minor tweaks over the course of the year, but the basic theme should not change all that much. Whats next is content – the most important thing. And lots of it..

In the meantime, this month will see a focus on two main product lines – Longship Armoury and Forge Direct..

Right now we are in the final month of taking pre-orders of the final run of the last 10 of 20 Furia swords made in the USA by John Lundemo – so securing the final pre-orders will be a priority for January. But at the same time, with Chinese New Year about to shut down all production of swords in a few weeks for over a month – we will be offering a special deal on our entire Forge Direct line – including three new swords..

Here is a preview of the three swords (click for a larger image)..

As the wait time will go up significantly, the price will come down signficantly to make up for it.. So stay tuned..

Speaking of sneak previews and swords made in the USA – here is a pic of a brand new prototype we are having commissioned. An incredibly mean, and affordable (will be sub $300!) Tactical style Ko Katana blade that is currently being prepared for some heavy destructive testing by our friend Jason Woodard..

Just a cursory look and I think you will agree, this one looks like it will be a lot of fun!

And this is just what is in store for the first couple of months of 2017 – if all goes well we will be taking some new orders on the monthballed SBG Custom Katana, introducing even more products and brands and much, much more..!

Next post will be on the pending Forge Direct Chinese New Year Sale – so talk to you all again very soon!!

-Paul

Happy New Year!

By | |
Leave a comment

Happy New Year everyone..!

Our holiday period is officially over, though as it is the weekend there is no shipping taking place until early next week.

In the meantime, I will be going over the small mountain of emails and correspondence so we can get back up to date and continue some tweaking of the overhaul we began a week or so ago.

Will update you all again soon – hope you have a fantastic start to 2017!

– Paul

2016 Holiday Schedule

By | |
Leave a comment

As mentioned several days ago before the marathon overhaul started, I will be taking about a week off from today (Merry Christmas all!) to Monday the 2nd of January.

During this time, my assistant Sara will still be checking our ticketing system and doing her bit to help out any customers having issues over the holiday period, but there will be some tasks that she will not be able to do much with until I get back into the swing of things on the 2nd of January.

So until then, time to sign off and spend some time with family. Hope you all do the same and have a great Christmas and a fantastic start to 2017!

Talk to you all again then..

Seasons Greetings,

– Paul