True Swords REALIABLE?

Posted by: NicoJM

True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/28/08 04:50 PM

I was wondering if any has ordered from this website i want to know if it is a scam or real?
Posted by: TKD_X

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/28/08 06:24 PM

where's the link?
Posted by: NicoJM

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/28/08 11:05 PM

it is TrueSwords.com
Posted by: Charles Mahan

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/29/08 01:31 AM

I wouldn't purchase anything I meant to use for training purposes from a site which carries so many stainless steel wallhangers. There are plenty of places which cater to genuine martial arts students. Leave this sort of place for cosplayers and collectors with small budgets and dubious taste in swords.
Posted by: iaibear

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/29/08 11:40 AM

The price says it all.
Posted by: NicoJM

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/29/08 06:33 PM

ok a friend ordered from it the ichigoya sword and he got it and he let me try it out
Posted by: laf7773

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/30/08 11:47 AM

Full tang? Battle ready? Ninja gear?

If you’re looking for a sword for legitimate practice i suggest you run fast and far from this site.
Posted by: MikoReklaw

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 05/30/08 06:11 PM

The SAP gloves look intersting, tho.
Posted by: He_who_is_tall

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/12/08 04:27 AM

Ah, something I DO have experience in.

I ordered from this site, and am so far satisfied with it. As far as the pricings go, I think it's a good place to start when you're looking to start a sword collection, or looking for your first sword. Their full tang section has alot of good quality swords, although I seldom look in other sections, unless I'm looking for sword cleaning / maintenance supplies.

Of course, this is just my humble opinion and I am in no way trying to advertise this site.
Posted by: Halley

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/12/08 10:20 AM

Quote:

Ah, something I DO have experience in. ... Their full tang section has alot of good quality swords.




A shibboleth is the use of a phrase or word that can identify your origins or experiences. In this case, the phrase "full tang" tries to evoke a feeling of quality construction, but does entirely the opposite. It basically puts the whole website in the category of "cheap wallhangers you should completely avoid."

If you're buying kitchen knives, then a full tang is generally indicative of strong handle construction. Not so for Japanese-styled swords. No katana is full tang: the metal of the blade does not extend to the tip of the hilt and definitely is not exposed anywhere along the hilt. It is entirely enclosed by the wood, skin, thread and furniture fittings of the hilt and handguard. The use of the term makes any further discussion of the sword's construction essentially moot: the intended audience is the gullible with money to burn, not the well-versed who care about what they buy.

I know that money can be tight while you're a kid, and the mall stores have those cool red sparkly three-sword displays that really speak to the budding warrior in you. However, starting your collection of swords with a "full tang battle ready true bushido razor sharp shinkendo katana sword" is like a search for your lifelong romantic soul-mate beginning with a "20cm nylon figurine of schoolgirl Kagome from the hit anime series InuYasha complete with poseable arms".
Posted by: fatguy

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/12/08 11:06 PM

hmm shibboleth, I learn something new every day!

In He_who_is_tall's defense though, he didn't necessarily say he actually uses those swords for swinging or cutting (and I hope you don't He). He, as long as you know that they are not safe to swing or cut, those swords or sword like objects may be good for your display collection.
Posted by: Halley

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/13/08 11:29 AM

Sure, if wallhangers are the goal, then a wallhanger site is clearly a reasonable place to search.

Now, what I *personally* think of the appearance of a cheap gold spray painted plywood saya, the plastic skull menuki, the leaded glass crystal embedded in the kashira, the Nike Air Jordan shoelace tsukaito, or the injection-moulded chinese dragons on the japanese tsuba would be entirely off-topic in either case.
Posted by: He_who_is_tall

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/13/08 12:45 PM

Actually, I do use the swords I get from this site to train. I even ran a few sharpness tests, and they check out. I also bought a bamboo sword from there that works well as a training implement, as well as an actual weapon.

Although you guys speak from experience, I still fail to see as to why trueswords.com is such a bad site to get swords from. I ordered a good 2 or 3 functional blades from this site, and for the price, they're exceptional quality and indeed functional. True, stainless steel is better for jewelry than an actual weapon, but not everything there is made from stainless steel. For a low budget individual like myself, this is a good place to go, seeing that I don't have the $200+ bucks to spend on a real martial arts grade sword.
Posted by: iaibear

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/13/08 12:47 PM

Way to go, Halley!
Posted by: fatguy

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/13/08 04:07 PM

good point Halley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsQQX_QyPU&mode=related&search=paul%20chen%20katana


He, Unless you know what your looking at and what your doing, this is what can happen.
Posted by: Charles Mahan

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/13/08 10:07 PM

Quote:

Although you guys speak from experience, I still fail to see as to why trueswords.com is such a bad site to get swords from.




http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6529

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=53083

Check the archives of any number of traditional Sword Art forums for search terms like stainless steel or wallhanger.

As you mentioned, we speak from experience. A fair amount of it in some cases. You fail to see it because you do not.
Posted by: He_who_is_tall

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/14/08 01:07 AM

Wow. Just wow. I'm glad you guys talked some sense into me about those stainless steel swords. The vid was a real eye opener, and the other 2 links just drove the point home. Now I know to hang up those stainless steel swords up. For good.

I mentioned before in my first ever post on this site, but I do have a crown jewel in my sword collection. I use it to train because it's carbon steel and full tang, and really sharp. That was the only sword that checked out as far as sharpness testing. Here's the link from where I bought it, complete with pics and details:

http://www.trueswords.com/bushido-musashi-koga-black-ninja-sword-full-tang-p-2804.html

(I know its from trueswords, but this was before you all opened my eyes)

Now, more than ever, I require your opinion on this sword, weither I should use it for pratical use or hang it up for good.

I also want to thank everyone for their patience with my ignorance. Like I said, I'm still a newbie when it comes to weapon training and such. I'm also the first to admit when I'm wrong, and boy howdy was I. If you guys can give me a link as to where I can find a good quality weapon, I'd greatly appriciate it.
Posted by: iaibear

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/14/08 11:50 AM

From your ninja sword link:

<< There is no blood groove on this sword, making each swing silent and stealth.>>

FYI That groove is called a hi, pronounced "hee". It has been advertised as a blood groove, but, I am told, serves two genuine functions: It lightens the blade and serves to make it stronger (like an I-beam). The whistle can be made without it. If the edges of the hi are sharp, the whistle will be louder.

My first practice sword was an iaito from Kiyota Co. in Baltimore. The edges of its hi were rounded making it sing softly.
Posted by: Charles Mahan

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/14/08 09:53 PM

First, it's a classic "ninja-to" which historically did not exist. Talk to the fellows who actually study ninpo, they'll be the first to tell you that the straight bladed short ninja-to is a complete work of fiction.

Second, the fittings and general craftsmanship appear to be completely worthless for regular training. The tsuka-ito is made of "nylon cloth". It claims to be "full tang". The nakago is usually only 2/3 the length of the tsuka. It claims to be handmade for $59.99. I suppose a hand probably touched the blade at some point, but that blade was almost certainly stamped out or machined to shape. The blade has been painted or stained black in some way. This is not desirable.

There is also at least one bald-faced lie on that page. They claim that the tsuba is solid copper. If that tsuba was solid copper the raw material alone would be worth more than $60. Copper is very expensive these days. It's becoming common for thieves to break into new homes under construction to steel the copper piping. Some will even steel high voltage power lines for the copper cabling inside.

I'm sorry, but while this may make a nifty cosplay prop, or a conversation piece hanging on the wall, if you were to show up at my dojo with that sword or a more traditionally shaped katana with similar characteristics you would be told in no uncertain terms that it would never be allowed on the floor as it was patently unsafe and unsuited to regular training.

On the upside, it only cost you $60. That's about a tenth of what you would have to spend on the cheapest of the cheap live blades that would be suitable for training. A suitable iaito (unsharpened practice sword) will set you back at least $250.
Posted by: cxt

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/16/08 11:59 PM

iaibear

I have always had good luck with Kiyota products...so far.

Cheap no, good quality yes....esp the bo, jo etc.
Posted by: howard

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/17/08 02:03 PM

Quote:

There is also at least one bald-faced lie on that page. They claim that the tsuba is solid copper. If that tsuba was solid copper the raw material alone would be worth more than $60.



I believe you'd better check your facts here.

The current wholesale price of raw copper is about US$3.75 per pound. Dealers in the US are paying about $3.20/lb for quality "scrap" copper (copper that is used or already formed into a shape) of the type you refer to that is frequently stolen from construction sites.

Even allowing for the retail markup a tsuba maker would most likely pay, he could still make a number of tsuba from $60 worth of copper.

Of course, this doesn't alter the fact that the sword under discussion is junk.
Posted by: iaibear

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/18/08 10:04 AM

cxt

You are preaching to the choir. All my blades have come from Kiyota including my Iaito Dodanuki.

Posted by: Charles Mahan

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/18/08 12:08 PM

Interesting. The theft of copper really is a problem, but it seems I was incorrect about the worth the tsuba. It still strikes me as very unlikely that they would use copper for the tsuba of a $60 sword, and at any rate there are plenty of other things that are dubious about that sword.
Posted by: howard

Re: True Swords REALIABLE? - 06/19/08 04:34 PM

Quote:

lIt still strikes me as very unlikely that they would use copper for the tsuba of a $60 sword...



No argument here on that point.