Jim Hrisoulas (Atar) $3000 Katana : Somethings Not Right 

Really strange that the fit and finish is of *that* sort of quality then. It is what it is, I suppose.

I thought it was real, just a Friday afternoon cant-be-bothered job.

So - I guess I'm the only one that thinks he bought the cheapest Longquan swords he could find, stamped his mark, and resold them to the unknowing plebe's at enormous markup. What a shame,

MATT... Knight Thomas.. YOUR DEAD ON WITH THIS REVIEW.. LIKE ME, SOMETIMES OUR HONESTY MAKES SOME MAD.. MATT: After almost 6 decades, I have learned 80% of humans like to LIE to people even themselves. Why? Because life and truth is hard.. To Quote Jack Nickolas they "CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH".. He is buying cheap sword blanks that may or may not be heat treated. Then selling them in A HUGE MARKUP.. He isnt the first.. COLD STEEL and others have been doing it for decades.. RU-vid has its faults, but youtube shines light on SO MANY WELL KEPT KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge for all human existence is POWER.. So the LACK OF KNOWLEDGE with Sword Steels AND HILT WORK, noone knew about them.. LOOKS COOL IN A BOOK, then we buy it.. Not knowing is CHEAP STEEL AND CUTTING CORNERS WITH TANG AND HILT\HANDLE CONSTRUCTION...Cold Steel now has madr the HONSHU BLADES.. They know people know steels now, so they advertise the steel & use a potentially good molded handle, but I wonder if the tangs on the Honchu Blades are CRAP.. ..Sorry long text.. Your Friend.. Knight Thomas..😉😁😎

Matt.. Your such nice guy that it actually HURT YOU TO TELL THE TRUTH...That I dont share with you. I find arrogant people that dont have a Clue and being cocky OR someone cheating people by ordering blanks and selling them at 10 times what worth, DO NOT Feel bad when THE TRUTH IS SHOWN.. Ive been wrong in life probably more than right. Although I dont get to upset when wrong.. Why? BECAUSE I WANT THE TRUTH, I DONT WANT TO LIE TO MYSELF. I Become Stronger and know more.. .Never Be Sorry Matt, by saying the truth.. Such nice guy....your Friend, Knight Thomas...

This isn't a sub 300$ katana. For 3k... The rayskin is not full wrap. No premium emperor nodes. No hishigame. Kissaki is not geometric. Insulting

Just sayin, if I were to make a forgery of a Sorrels, it would not have a Longquan hamon, Longquan sori, Longquan fittings, saya etc. Option 1 or option 2.

I’m going to be buying a howard clark blade once I have 5,000 spare in the bank. Do you know of anyone else I could send it too for fit and polishing? I’m struggling to really find anybody that can do those right now.

@@yharim180 If you need to "save up" to buy the unpolished blade it's probably better to not buy at all......a good mounting and polish will set you back another $10000. Also if you don't know the various people that will have to be involved to complete the setup you might not even get it finished. Also consider any cutting will diminish the polish instantly as will improper storage.

​@@Alex-yg5uh I planned in advance. I know what the total cost of it would be. I mean hell, I've been doing my homework on this for like the last year or so. I'm trying to find *who* would be the best to send the blade to for polish and finish. Which is why I asked. I will have the cost completely covered, I am not made out of money, but it is not something that I worry about. I only really know of one togishi, and I do not know of anybody besides the people at Motohara that can fit the blade, or make a saya for it. And from what little information I've found, a good togishi costs anywhere from ~100-150 an inch, and I'm going for a 27 inch blade. Edit: I am also aware of Patrick Hastings but I have no idea if he still makes fittings, nor do I know how to contact him if he does. Edit 2: Also, saving up for a hobby is what I'm supposed to do? Prioritize a vehicle, then my hobbies, no?

Keith was a good guy. I didn't do too many projects with him before he passed, but I'm glad to have known him at least a little bit.

I really hope I am wrong. If he is making them himself, then why does it do it this way? Why emulate Chinese made replica when you have the skill to make it your own way or like antiques.

@@Matthew_Jensen I hope it's a chinese knockoff. We've seen them make fakes for less money and use stampings and logos.....Summit just got caught selling fake auto parts cut from billet aluminum with a small shops logo and box

A $400 sword from Longquan would blow the doors off this blade in every single imaginable way.

In the single phone conversation I had with Jim, I got the impression he cares. Things do not add up, what I see is a product made in China masquerading as a Custom US made work, but Jim sounds like a smart and kind man who is proud of his work. I struggle with this but felt like kicking the can down the road anymore would be a disservice. My goal is to help people, and I feel like this is useful information to have as a perspective buyer. I hope I am wrong but there is a lot to address here even if I am.

When you buy parts bin pieces like everyone elis, your product is gana blend in. It doesn't matter how you assemble the pieces.

@@Matthew_Jensen Is it possible that it's a knock off? Like say I go to the mall buy a random "battle ready" katana, take it apart, grind off the smith's name and write 'Walter Sorrells' and sell it for $3000 on ebay or whatever? And sword friend who bought this sword just got scammed by some random scam man??? This whole thing is kinda weird joe makes good point, Jim seems pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. But then again there are knock offs of all kinds of stuff. I remember the darksword armory guy saying something to that effect. Maybe it happens all the time even?(Apologies if you already answered this in the video)

My goal was not to tear it down but watching it again, I think that may be the result.

​@@Matthew_Jensen you've been honest. The results speak for themselves.

Well in this case I agree. Value is subjective, you can spend $30,000 on a sword and it can be worth it. There are swords objectively that are very valuable, because they're very high effort and quality, months if not years of work can go into them. Is this sword worth $3000? No, I don't think so and hopefully nobody does because it seems really shady. That's what the review is all about brother 🤘

@@Matthew_Jensen To be fair, for $3000 you can get a second-hand shinsakuto. So it's very fair to tear this one down. If this one is not a forgery, then it's a scam. If it is a forgery, then it's also a scam, but from a different source.

You could take a small sliver from the tang and have it analyzed.

@@imperfectlump6070 yes, the spark test was done on the tang and ring pommel (it was a dadao).

done

You're wonderful.

​@@Matthew_Jensengreat video, I have to admit when I saw that you actually did change the description I hit that subscribe button with swift precision. Well played.

Oof...

wow, not cool at all.....with no disclosure of suspicion.....this is one the current owner should be taking up with the PO, probably. Will be interesting to see if Hrisoulas responds.

Cocaine?

That is helpful to hear. Though it still leaves questions. It is not only the furniture that looks off but everything. If he made this then why does it look just like blades from longquan? I have no doubt he makes some things but I am still unsure about this one. Does any video of him making a katana exist?

He has this sword posted on his website. I'm leaning towards scam.

Next week mucacho

@@Matthew_Jensen Matt think of me as your Info Knight.. LOL.. Like I say, Fan Of Matt. I watched years of Skall.. He was best Pioneer of Sword Talk.. I learned much from him. He Started doing to many personal issue videos for awhile. His watched video dropped, so he went back to Swords.. Anyhow, I started watching others that had more knowledge..ILLYA From "The Works" Channel is a Blacksmith Genius.. THEN I found DR. THOMAS..(Ironic because my last name is Thomas..😁😎). DR. THOMAS, blow knife makers minds, and I think intimidate them some, because there is NO B.S., Just the Scientific Evidence and Understanding of modern steels, History of Steels Etc.. Dr. Thomas blew away any SMOKE Or Mystic Bullshit that often knife & Sword makers state or twist or let EMOTION FROM MOVIES & OLD TRADITIONS THAT ARE NOT TRUE.. . sorry so long Matt.. Your Blade Journey Friend Knight Thomas.. 😁😎

@@Matthew_JensenFYI: Made this email handle over 10 years ago, Just threw out Candy Shop because 50 Cent Hit song was playing.. I never thought I would use it.. .I need to change it.. Is kinda creepy.. LOL...😄😎

looks much worse honestly

@@TONEDEAFSOUND Maybe, my experience keeping up with Ryansword ended during the whole fake Sanmai debacle some years back. I haven't seen much of their newer stuff lol

@@Intrepid_Explorer they definitely have tightened it up

I have some custom katana with factory parts from Longquan that are in the $200-250 range that have better components and construction. I would be pissed by an ito wrap that bad on a $75 Musha sword. It's totally unacceptable, but even more so at the suggested price point.

Lately (as stated above) Ryansword has really, really improved! I wouldn’t buy ‘laminated’ blades from them, tho - but I’d be wary of buying sanmai (or any other type of complex construction) blades from most budget forges (or indeed any resellers!) anyhow!

3:50. No not true. The Munetoshi Water dragon had the same set 10+ years ago. Got that little tab under the kashira, you know from the Ryujin one. Same deal.

5:58 my Huawei came with the same tsuba, too. Wtf is going here for 3k?

16:04 this one is Pakistani, by the looks of it. Have seen similar features for days on the ebays. Pakistani to the point that I would bet money on it. 16:15 yeah, just so

If Jim were just using parts from China and putting them on a blade he made, that would be something. Howard Clark sells a blank blade for $5k and you just get a bare blade. If he were to charge another $400 for furniture sourced from China that made the blade functional until a better mount could be done, that would be OK. I think that would be a good option to have rather than having a blade a person can't use. That said, honesty is not optional. Noting that a "friend hand casts" the furniture is at a minimum a misleading sales tactic. It is also less the issue, Jim did note that he does not make the furniture and a bit of hyperbole is not uncommon. The main issue is with the blade. He stated that he makes them in his shop. That these are not Chinese made blades. He does the heat treatment, lamination, ect.. I don't understand how this would look the same as soo many swords in China then. It should look like his work. But all the things are like a Lonquan katana. Not that those are bad, but they are different things. The sugata, the termination of the bohi, the thickness at and taper, the polish, the location of the machi, the imperfections in the mune, the grind and shape of the nakago.. That is just too much to be coincidence.

@@Matthew_Jensen ah, i see. its a bit more subtle than i thought initially. since you are somebody who has owned and taken apart countless katana, i trust your eye regarding those details; somebody buying their first or second sword might not notice that the blade doesn’t look like a 3k custom.

@yourhighschoolenglishteach8405 if you made a 3k Knife wouldn't you use unique or custom parts? If I pay 3K for it, I expect it to look like that. At that moment I knew this katana was a scam for 3K.

If his skill were not up to the task then it would like like what happens when other RU-vid smiths that do not make katana opt to make a katana. Each one is a little different and I would guess it would resemble his work with European style arms. I am China, Longquan specifically have a way of making these swords. I don't think it would looks the same way. With all the same pros and cons.. except more cons..

@@Matthew_Jensen After taking a quick glance over his shop, his work seems oddly inconsistent. I don't want to criticise too much with my limited knowledge about Jim and his products, but a lot of what is shown seems in line with the quality of this sword here. Uneven lines, rough handles and some questionable design choices both in functionality and historical accuracy (the former admittedly very subjective and the latter very possibly just me being wrong)

He has definitely made videos on companies that do a great job. Huawei, Z-Sey, Shadowdancer, Evolution Blades, etc. which are absolutely among the best of the modern reproduction katana. Not saying they’re all on the same level ofc course, but all companies you can be sure the blade is going to be sound at any price point they offer.

He has written books that people reference about how to make the hamons. I would imagine he has.

@@Matthew_Jensen Writing a book and doing the actual work is different. And to be honest, I don't trust anyone just because they have a PhD and have written books. Historians get things wrong and sometimes don't even admit they were wrong. I let the work speak for them. The first warning sign is the use of mass production katana parts. 3K and you can't use unique parts for your "proud work" really?... Don't forget that I can scam you and be very polite and nice about it.

I don't doubt he has or did or even does.. Just that he didn't with this one and likely others. The only explanations I have gotten so far from this video in defense of Jim have been he can make things. Or that he has a good reputation. Or that he wouldn't. The video highlights some specific traits of a katana that are somewhat unique to the katana made in Longquan China. Why do his blades have the same DNA so to speak?

@@Matthew_Jensen the man gets all his fittings from China and gets his scabbards from Amazon. Be uses crackle spray paint that he paints himself. I was looking at that makers mark and it's double stamped it it looks legit. He forges a type of way that only himself is capable of

Reminds me of the Dark Sword Armory shenanigans.

I don't know. I had a Howard Clark 1086 katana that was polished/mounted by Keith Larman and it was worth every penny for the total cost. Howard forged the blade and Keith took it from there and brought out the beauty and chose the koshirae, made the tsuka/saya, and finished it. It's fairly common for a "bespoke" piece to bear the smith's mark/signature but to be finished by someone else.

@@Moonwynd5 Keith's work was awesome! Really knew how to get the most out of that HC L6. However, I feel that's more of a "mounted HC blade by Keith Larman" kind of deal. It's a whole other thing to present something as made by oneself and then lots of parts were made by other people or off the shelf. These are not really weapons of war nowadays, more of collector or training items. This kind of "put together from a bunch of different things" should be front and center on the item description. The inference made from "made by someone" leads in the opposite direction.

@@angelosilva342 hello! Yes, Keith's work on the HC 1086 was something to behold. And HC is completely up front that he only provides bare blades in 220 finish so he doesn't present them as being fully finished, polished, mounted at all. I think everyone should be completely up front and honest in advertising, but that's not how it works unfortunately. I really don't want to believe that Jim is selling fully mounted katana under his name but getting mass produced bin furniture, says, AND a Longquan blade blank. This sword that Matthew reviewed above is something I wouldn't spend more than $300 on and one I wouldn't personally purchase at all (not knocking the current owner as tastes vary). Still hoping for the truth to come out because the sword buying/loving community really deserves the truth.

@@Moonwynd5 I've heard of Jim Hrisoulas all the way back when Sword Forum International was the place to be. I also do not want to believe this is a deliberate attempt at passing a 300$ish china made katana (which IMHO can be decent swords sometimes), as Jim's own work. I see the forgery aspect a tangible possibility here. Otherwise, the not being upfront with how the sword was "put together" will come across as deliberate misdirection to be able to charge such a premium for having his name. I think we can all agree its not a 3000$ sword. Maybe its a typo and its a legit 300$ sword from Dr. Hrisoulas?

I don't think so. The same sword was posted on his website as "new" in February 2024. I think it's absolutely telling that he posts "new" swords for sale every week or so. Can you imagine a more reputable US maker having such a schedule.

@@Kale_Kale Yes, that is concerning. But why sell anything with a ito wrap _that_ bad? Maybe a previous owner tried to fix a loose wrap and only made it worse? I just can't fathom this being sold by the maker in that godawful state, let alone at that price.

@@itskarl7575 I can't imagine what the previous owner could have done to the wrap that loosened it but kept the shape of it. I think its more likely that the maker just doesn't care or have the skill to wrap it as Matthew Jensen says and he caters to the ren faire crowd who is less knowledgeable.

I think some things would still look different if he were doing all the work himself. I could be wrong but it seems odd that it mirrors Chinese made blades.

As you might imagine sword friend Landon is not super keen on keeping this one. He has opted to sell it and is trying to get what he has into it back.

@@Matthew_Jensen Someone that doesn't know any better might buy it, then realize later on it's a bad deal like the current owner did. Unfortunate. Anyway, good on you for calling it out. You're not wrong on the assessment.

@@Matthew_Jensen I do not blame him for wanting to get rid of it...sword friend Landon should be up front about it on SBG - he does not mention loose kashira/loose tsuka ito or any other potential issues in the listing.

Your Snake Plisskin katana puts this one to shame big time! saya on this one really looks like a blotchy spray paint job for sure 🤦‍♂ even for the cheapest china made saya it looks below the usual standard, but for 3grand😦

@@joske2838 nice! That’s cool you remember my Plisskin sword⚔️👍🤘. Yeah,this one is really bad

Someone else said the saya looks much worse than standard Longquan. So someone took Longquan blade, counterfeited Atar stamp and stamped it, bought some cheapest parts from Aliexpress and half assedly put it all together into this abomination.

@@neutronshiva2498 unfortunately some people get away with stuff like that, and the poor buyer doesn’t know until they receive it 😕

Matthew specifically said as much in this video.

@@TheDancingSaxophone He didn't mention that the smiths practice on that section with a focused intension. Please do quote where timestamp and what he says specifically.

@@ssjronin3972 Sorry, you’re right in that he didn’t say that part specifically. But he did say the nakago is as a smith’s fingerprint.

@@TheDancingSaxophone All good, I was trying to reference what he said and add on to it. I am bad with grammer so I probably didn't write it properly.

Odd thing is, currently on his website, all his katana look like Lonquan swords

@@Mitcheltron I just perused his website. There certainly are similarities.

This is the subject for a while video. I really hope not too. The goal here is to arm sword buyers with more information to make purchases that will stand a better chance of meeting expectations. If anything I do is antithetical to that goal please call me out. To be fair, I can understand the alure. Generally my content is quite positive, yet this one is one of the best performing videos I have had. It focuses on something generally rather negative, and has my dumb face right on the front of it. The numbers make a compelling argument. Anyway, if you have suggestions on how not to suck, please let me know.

@@Matthew_Jensen I'm glad you made the video, and it is important for sword enthusiasts; I too would be appalled to pay for bespoke and receive made-to-measure. I hope there's more to the story, as I understand it Jim/family have been ill recently and maybe the works are gummed up over there, etc

Exactly, it's not like these people are building a name and respect for themselves in a community only abuse and scam said community. 3K for that sword is.... a..... scam...

@@schattenlaufer2191Agreed, he benefits no one but himself. Compared to youngsters like Jesse Hu, this guy is a scam artist and not even a model assembler. Forge On!!!

Alibaba

What suspicions?

@@konecho7792 ...True.

I'd like to hear more about that.

Hanwei makes some different shapes. Dragon king too.

@@Matthew_Jensen well I'm not a sword consumer anyways, if I buy a sword it's going to be for fencing and it's not going to be Sharp

@@Matthew_Jensen I used to have this badass hanger or cutless I got from my grandpa but then my ex stole that shit. It was like a real 1800s one, it was a little rusty but it was still fire

@@user-wx3wx5vy3q sue her... WTF

@@user-wx3wx5vy3q Girlfriend who likes cutlass enough to steal it? LOL, I can fix her :)