FAQQ: What kind of guarantee do you offer?
A: We guarantee all our products to be brand new and fully as described.
We also guarantee that your shopping experience will be a secure and enjoyable one. If your shopping experience is substandard in any way, please contact us through this form...
Q:What happens after I place my order? What is your shipping procedure?
A:Shortly after you have placed your order, I'll send you a confirmation that your order has been received. Should a product be out of stock, we'll notify you of the delay immediately. If that happens (not likely), we will ask if you prefer to cancel your order.
All of our products are usually shipped direct from the manufacturer or one of our trusted suppliers within 2-3 business days. Of course, preparation lead time will vary according to the current workload and may be shortened or extended by a matter of a day or two. Naturally, as soon as your order has been dispatched I'll send you a second email to let you know and give you an estimated time of arrival.
Q:What is your return policy?
A: We stand behind every product we sell.
If you are not absolutely pleased with your purchase return it to us within 30 days in the original packaging and original condition via insured parcel post or UPS and we will give you your choice of an exchange or refund (excluding shipping fees).
You must contact us using the form provided above prior to returning any item so that a Return Authorization Number (RAN) can be issued.
Returned products must be in like-new condition with original packaging and materials. A 10% re-stocking fee will be applied towards your refund.
Please allow up to 14 days for processing of returns.
Q:Do you ship outside of North America?
A: Yes we do, but not all products...
We can ship MOST Cheness Cutlery swords outside of the US by using USPS Airmail, however due to recent size restrictions, the longer swords - such as O-Katana, Oniyuri, etc simply cannot be shipped using an economical method. Cheness swords that cannot be shipped by airmail are designated in the swords description...
However, if you are outside of the USA and looking to order one of our longer Cheness swords or any of the others that cannot be shipped outside of North America, there is one option I can personally recommend...
Recommended to me by a customer in Denmark Acess USA offer an international forwarding option at rates around 1/3 of the usual UPS shipping costs and almost TWICE as fast (not to mention fully trackable and insured). Highly recommended, and MUCH more reasonable than paying the standard UPS shipping charges.
Click here for more information on this service
Q:Can I get a tracking number?
A:For most of our US shipments, a UPS tracking number is provided when your sword is dispatched.
Unfortunately, Cheness Cutlery are not as yet integrated with the various carriers they use and so a shipping number is not automatically generated when the shipment has been sent. However, if there are special circumstances or your sword has exceeded the maximum estimated wait time (10 business days in the US, 3 weeks internationally) please let us know and we will manually track it down for you.
Q: Is there a minimum age to buy one of these swords?
A:Yes, you must be 18 years old to legally buy a sword. We cannot and will not knowingly sell to minors.
Q: What are your payment options?
A:We accept Visa, Mastercard and Paypal.
Q: Why am I not getting replies to my emails from you?
A: I can assure you that they are being sent (it is a point of pride with me that I answer every single email)... Almost ALL emails are answered within a few hours, and the rest within 48 at the absolute latest...
However, I have noticed of late that aol email addresses are often very hard for me to reply to and seem to be blocked by aol for reasons unknown (I have tried contacting aol about this, but they never get back to me).
It is for this reason I recommend entering your telephone number when you order so I can give you a call if my emails aren't getting through to you and let you know what is going on.
Q: Which do you recommend out of the Cheness Japanese swords, the Kaze or the Tenchi?
A: If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me this question.. ;-)
Choosing between these swords can be pretty hard. Both are exceptional bang for the buck pieces, but they are really quite different swords...
The Tenchi is perfect for a beginner because it is probably the most forgiving sword out there. Unless you are REALLY going out of your way it is almost impossible to damage this sword.
On the other hand, the Kaze is a traditional Katana - and like all diferentially hardened blades can take a set on a (really) bad cut. While this isn't the end of the world, I recommend the Tenchi for the beginner and the Kaze for the intermediate to advanced practitioner (or the collector looking for an authentic hamon on a sub US$300 sword).
The SGC cutters are also EXTREMELY nice to cut with btw... (Hmm, decisions, decisions!).
Q: What the heck is a 'bo-hi'?
Some of the Cheness swords come with the option to select either a 'solid bodied' blade or a blade 'with bo-hi'.
A bo-hi is essentially a fuller or groove that runs down the length of the blade, lightening it and changing the balance point to make it a bit faster and easier to wield. A by product of a Katana with bo-hi is that it makes a great 'Tachi-Kaze' (sword-wind-sound) when it swings through the air, giving some nice feedback on the angle and speed of your cut.
The structure of the bo-hi is such that it minimizes any loss of durability, acting much like an 'I-beam' as used in the construction industry - and with the 9260 Monosteel Katana, it is something of a mute point (these swords are so darned tough with or without, it makes almost no difference to its durability).
At the end of the day - if you want a real 'choppper', select the solid bodied blade. For a sword with a little more finesse, go with the bo-hi.
Q: Do you have a personal favorite out of all the swords you sell?
A: Tough Question! As you know, I only sell swords that I would be proud to own. So it is VERY hard to narrow them down to just one...
That said, I try to list a few of my current favorites in the stores home page - but at the end of the day, when it comes to buying swords - do the research, listen to what others have to say about them, and then go with what your gut is telling you...
Any other questions, just use the form at this top of this page to ask them. Who knows, they might even get included in the FAQ... ;-) Thanks for reading,
Paul Southren
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