I can vouch for Hanbon forge. They are a very good forge who stand by their products. You can't go wrong ordering from them. I ordered the Zaitoichi shikmizue. The price was very reasonable and the custom blade lovely. It has a 1095 carbon steel blade. Strong enough to go through bone, bamboo, and wire easily. The handling and feel of the blade is very comfortable and easy to cut with. They also will stand by their products. I highly recommend Hanbon forge!
What I really like about the Asian swords the price is really nothing for the quality I’ve bought a sword that I customised for a 300$ but it’s really good T10 clay tempered high quality fittings full ray skin saya etc and most importantly really sharp unlike some European sword you have to pay above 800 for a good quality
I agree about the quality. Many functional Chinese made swords have come a very long way in terms of value for money. I love companies like LK Chen, who offer amazing swords at great prices!
Good review, man! You did a good job of covering the basics. I just got my first Hanbon Forge katana as well, also in 9260 steel. I'm a veteran knifemaker, and can tell you not only is the fit and finish very good for a mass-produced product, but the quality of the blade itself is outstanding for the price. It is well balanced and not front-heavy like other swords I have bought. This is due to the bo-hi (fuller groove) that takes some weight out of the blade but still leaves it strong. 9260 is a great choice for steel over 1045 or 1060 in my opinion, because it's a spring steel and will be very tough and break-resistant. It has been hand-honed to a VERY sharp mirror finish infinity edge, meaning that there isn't a secondary bevel at the edge. This makes it very sharp and easy to touch up when it gets dull. You can get into a lot of debates over differentially-hardened carbon steels and Damascus, but for me the 9260 is a great choice for a tameshigiri sword. Hanbon does nice work for the price. Love your backyard, it looks nice there in the Fall. A lot like Utah where I live. Thanks!
Thanks for watching and for the kind comments! I own other katanas from makers that allow you to customize your sword. This HanBon sword is better than my customized piece from Swords of Northshire, which was almost twice as much $$$! Especially when it comes to fit and finish. I liked this sword so much that I just recently ordered another custom piece from HanBon. I also like 9260!!! When heat treated correctly, it’s awesome!!
Seems like a steal for only $200 or so. I checked them out last year, but ended up buying a European style sword instead. Might just pick up something from them after seeing this. Thanks for the review!
Got my first hanbon forge katana 2 years ago and now considering another one. I used it a few times and it's still sharp and nothing came loose or broke over the years. I went all out with a kobuse blade and clay temper. It's such a beautiful work of art I really just want to make it a display piece and get another to have fun cutting stuff with. I'm also impressed with there customer service. There a good reputable forge in my opinion and personal experience.
Nice review. I was just browsing their website the other day, and saw some nice budget Chinese dao I would like to give a shot. They offer free shipping to NA, right?
Thank you bro!! I have budget jian from HanBon as well. Looks cool but I haven’t really tested it out yet. I do believe the shipping is free to NA. Which is great!! At least it was for me, and I live in Massachusetts.
Very nice cutting and katana! I knew when the noodle was cut that it was a great performing sword. It was easy looking and the noodle parts didn't move much. The smaller the chunks the harder it gets. It seems like you could cut way smaller. Well done! The way it noodled, I knew the tatami mat would be no problem. Did you soak them in water? They look rather dry and that would make them even harder to cut. Again, well done! That sword was worth the price, and you are good at using it. Did you expect that from a RU-vid commenter? I wasn't giving you instructions on how to do it!!!! :D Actually, if you would hold your hands out more and move your feet... Stay safe and happy cutting!
traditional two pegs... actually there were originally only 1 peg holding the blade the reason why old blades have 2 holes on them is beacause they sometimes remounth the blade
Thanks for the info! I ordered a custom iaito from Hanbon to use in my sword training that should get here soon and it's good to see how well yours turned out!
Yes. That is the appeal of these Chinese made swords. There are also many high end katanas made in China which are from very reputable companies. Even some of those are in the thousands of $$$
Excellent first impressions and review! You presented the katana and yourself very well. Just subbed. Although I do not own any Honbon swords i do have several Jkoo/Sinosword and kinda put them in the same bracket so to speak. I agree with everything you discussed here cept for the 2 mekugi being traditional. I don't remember seeing any Nihonto with 2. They have all been single pin. That's not to say I'm correct there very well could be. I'm wrong all the time, just ask my wife. Ha! But I have many subscribers that say even though there are minor issues here and there, you can't go wrong with Hanbon considering their prices
Yes. I collect a lot of 19th century military sabres which use shark skin (dogfish). I sometimes interchange the two by mistake, but you are right. Samegawa is ray skin. Thanks for watching!!
@@mattamathics1108 not a problem, thank you for the review. I just picked up my first Hanbon sword and I went top tier. I ended up getting the fancy $350 up charged blade… I just received my pictures yesterday and wow! Shoot me a message and I’ll share my photos with ya. I went with a Ninjato blade for personal reasons but the final product is still breath taking.
