is www.handmadesword.com a reputable company?


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is www.handmadesword.com a reputable company?

by mike DeGrazia
(p.v. n.y. u.s.a.)

shinwa 1060 emperor

QUESTION: hi, is www.handmadesword.com a reputable company? they have some awsome stuff but i am scared to get ripped off, and what do you think about tozando? also shinwa is made by masahiro, i have one (emperor) I bought for $85 us from bud k (first sword i bought before i found you guys at sbg), its 1060 mono, cuts well, super sharp. well balanced. very sturdy. sorry no footage yet. just a pic. thanks.

ANSWER:Hi Mike,

I've never had any dealings with handmadesword.com (and to be honest, am not really interested to do so - selling their hand made Gunto swords for $17,000 - when the real market price would be more like $750, well - that just doesn't inspire confidence...)

However, from what I hear, their low end swords are average quality - nothing special, nothing terrible - many would say 'typical Chinatana'...

Hope this helps.

- Paul

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is www.handmadesword.com a reputable company?

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Feb 29, 2012

I've Tried and Loved Handmadesword.com NEW
by: Remmy

I recently purchased #308, the cloud wave katana and the smoke tsuba from Handmadesword.com. i picked up my box and upon opening, i went over my katana with a fine tooth comb, so to say. i am AMAZED with how AWESOME it is. 1095 clay temped, with a FANTASTIC Hamon, which is one of the main reasons i bought it in the first place. ive trained with katana for a few years, and the blade is one of the sharpest ive ever seen and all the fittings are super tight. BEAUTIFUL case, and stand, the maintenance kit is great, and over all i'm more than pleased. the customer service was very cooperative and fast to respond to both emails and phone calls. i highly recomend handmadsword.com to everyone and i will def buy again. if you would like pics or more info, feel free to comment.

Dec 22, 2011

one more info NEW
by: brock

Shipping is free and fast so it makes even with the prices.

Dec 22, 2011

1045 Last Samurai Katana NEW
by: brock

I purchased 1045 Last Samurai Katana from this company. Sword is pretty good quality. Nice weight and full tang blade. Also tsuba is exact replica of the movie not like musashi replica (musashi tsuba has nothing to do with the movie sword) . Prices may be little bit higher than other sites but you get what you paid for nothing more nothing less. I must mention service and delivery is very good they ship mostly the same day. My opinion very trustable company. Note: Totally i purchased 3 products, delivery was always very very quick.

Jun 17, 2011

katana 1095 swords
by: lagAnonymous

I have bought e swords from hand made swords both 1095 their cust. service were very nice and im very pleased with product workmanship I would rate equal to paul chens

May 13, 2011

Taking out pegs.
by: Anonymous

"If it aint broke, dont fix it" !!!!!!

Jan 11, 2011

company is ok
by: rick

This place has swords for the cheap collector if you are interested in getting a real sword and not paying a fortune for it get a WWII oficers sword made at the tokyo armory this sword is guaranteed to be real. E-Bay has them for $150-$600 and they will not fall apart when you cut some thing the one i have was made in 1939 and will go through a 2in tree branch with ease..

Sep 23, 2010

Yes and no.
by: Saavykas

I purchased an Iaito Katana/Wak combo for about $200 from handmadesword.com as my very first sword, intending to use it regularly for practice.

As far as iaitos go, I'm sure I could do better. While the blade is sturdy enough, the hi works properly and the sword feels good overall (and is apparently well-balanced, according to my sensei). However, I've had some problems with it; the hamon is, of course, not real (unsurprising, since the blade is the usual zinc-aluminum alloy that most iaitos are made from), but it's also really unattractive. Wire-brushed, extremely regular and painfully fake-looking. It could have done with an acid-etch job to at least blend it with the metal around it. Worse, it's slowly worn away at the edge with my Iaido practice.

The Katana's saya was loose on arrival, I had to install a shim to make the fit snug enough to hold upside-down without it falling out. The ito loosened quickly, and I had to do a full rewrap (by hand, which is positively arthritic) to get it to a tightness that could withstand practice.

The fittings were tight enough at first, but upon disassembling the sword, it appears that the blade was cut down fairly roughly to form at least some of the tang; they probably use one blade size for all of their iaitos and cut them to fit various fittings and tsukas. All of the fitting were glued in place, including the tsuka. The tang under the habaki had a chunk taken out of it that actually still concerns me, though the iaito seems to be sturdy for now. I'm shopping for a replacement as we speak, although I do use it in regular Iaido practice without much issue.

I disassembled the Wak too; I have similar criticisms about it, specifically the glue and an even messier tang (the tang appears to have been a katana-sized blade that was cut down to size) with cut and grind marks all over the tang and a chunk taken out under the habaki. This tang actually made me leery about its structural integrity, and I have not reassembled the Wak yet. I might never do so, considering my sword stand has only two levels; I'll probably place my new iaito there when I select it.

There is no signature on either of the tangs; indeed, the tangs look nothing like the pictures on the site. They are very rough, a little dirty and unpolished.

Perhaps I simply got a bad pair of swords, but to have the same criticisms for both swords implies that this may not be an isolated case.

Do I recommend them? Yes, but only if you are very careful. I have not dealt with their customer service, so I can't comment on that.

Aug 05, 2010

great swords
by: mr.ninja

I looked at reviews of swords for several months. I was really nevous at first. I finally bought one for a good price, plus, it came with a 20 percent off discount. It was real fast shipment, only a week. Really, it depends on which sword you get. You should look at the specificatons first. Look at the edge sharpness,blade material, and make sure you can see the hamon (tempered line) in the photos. It is all there if you scroll down a little. And on most swords, you can watch a video of the sword and it's detail.

Feb 06, 2010

Price Expectations
by: Anonymous

Just a word on prices as a reaction to anon who feels that a samurai sword is a piece of metal in a wooden handle and should be fantastic in every way for 100 dollars.
This type of opinion can only come from somebody who has no concept of quality and what is takes to produce it. Even if you consider a medium skill laborer who you would pay $30/hour for (thats alot lower than Plumber prices BTW), this would only be about 3 hours of work. I don't believe that any one person could produce a samurai sword in 3 hours. This does not even include the cost of the materials. By the way, a samurai sword is not a piece of metal in a wooden handle. It is a blade: steel formed or cut to a shape, then sharpened and polished and drilled. Have you ever been in a shop that is capable of doing these operations? The 'handle' is wood wrapped and fastened and then specially wrapped with chord tightly and properly (don't think a machine is doing this, buddy). The guard has to be formed and finished. Then you have the sheath which could take a long time to make by itself- softwood, hardwood, fitting the sword, matching halves together, finished with chord, and laquered. And yes, a samurai sword does include a sheath- it is a package. This doesn't even address what goes into making the furniture!
There is alot to such a sword. Maybe $100 is alot to you, but it seems pretty cheap to me for such a product.
Now, if you can recommend a different product that is even better and even cheaper, I would find that useful.

Jan 05, 2010

Perfections to my eye(s)
by: P.T.

Got my (Handmade swords.com) katana "The last Samurai loyalty".Its perfections to my eyes.I unsheath the blade..traditionaly...and found no scratches on the habaki or the blade.Its mirror polish blade makes it look nice to look at.This katana not going see any action,strictly for my collection.

Dec 09, 2009

No problem with handmadesword.com
by: Andy Lanutti

Purchased a number of katana from them in the lower price range and they seem fine. I have seen katana made from other companies and you get what you pay for. The 1060 carbon steel blade is fine and is balanced well. The wrappings are leather in my case and look good, the bambo pegs are the same as any other and the handle is solid.
Customer service is excellent and they contact you for every question you have.

Andy L.

Nov 16, 2009

Near the bottom of the mediocre barrell
by: InstrumentityAudio

I purchased a katana from handmadesword.com (http://www.handmadesword.com/294l.html) and it is mediocre at best. At the time I bought it, I only wanted a sword to display that wasn't a piece of stainless garbage. It fits the role perfectly. It's shiny, it's sharp (properly sharpened), and it's 1045 carbon steel. However, A few months after buying the sword, I felt the urge that every Sword owner has: to go into the backyard and slay some pool noodles. The sword was able to cut the evil pool noodles with relative ease, and that was that. HOWEVER, after the battle, I decided to take apart the sword: "pop the hood" so to speak. After removing both mekugi, and properly removing the tsuka, what should I find but a BENT TANG! Not like a slightly crooked tang compared to the blade, but the last inch was bent at a 15 degree angle. Lovely. After this revelation, I reassembled the katana, and left it on the stand. Also, when I took it apart again, there was absolutely NO friction fit on the tsuka to the tang. It was so bad the once the mekugi were out, simply turning the sword at an angle will cause the tsuka to fall off. At best, these swords are best for LIGHT cutting. With everything else out there, there are SO much better alternatives (ex: musashi swords offer a san-Mai forged folded and clay tempered katana for the same price of one of the "clay temper" blades handmadesword offers. One cool thing however is that handmadeswords recreates hanwei's Kami katana perfectly, right down to the double habaki. Of course, the blade itself is monosteel 1045 high carbon, but hey, you get what you pay for.

Nov 06, 2009

Been dealing for almost 4 years
by: asiadragn82

Never had a problem with their swords. Customer service was never an issue with them. Excellent communication; fast delivery service. Very honest people. It may not be the real deal but the quality is pretty awesome. Masahiro bamboo katanas are decent; good quality sword. You're better off buying the $150.00 and up katanas if you're on a budget. Their 1095's are the best in their catalogue. Most I have purchased are 1095/clay tempered steel. They'll run you between $300 and $600 depending on style. Why spend so much money when you can get a better deal with them? Well, the tachi gunto is pretty much way over and I wouldn't go for that. Why don't you guys ask them? I bet they're willing to answer your questions.

Nov 06, 2009

Oct 29, 2009

question
by: purple_nurple_hd@yahoo.com

paul....i am wandering where u have found a gunto sword for 750 dollers........and realisticly the only way u r going to get the real deal for a samurai sword is if u have it hand made in japan.....which is imposable if u r white american.........or not from japan....and ur socail class has to b pretty fuckin high from what i know.....they don't hand em out...thats for shur...no matter how much money you have........and even if you do find a way to b able to buy one.....a sword made from real haganami oar will b prolly 6 figures or more.....i agree with what other ppl say about this particulare website......they are alright,,,,but don expect perfection

Oct 12, 2009

questionable
by: Anonymous

I recently bought a katana from handmadeswords.com and I thought that it was made kind of sloppy. For $100 I felt like I was being ripped off . The mekugi were crooked and bulging out of the handle and the temper line was fake (wire brushed on) and only tempered all the way on one side. Also the blade was only slightly sharp and even had a dull spot towards the top. and this sword was supposed to be 'battle ready', suitable for cutting etc.. as described. It is ridiculous what someone must pay to get a decent sword , and yes $100 is alot for a piece of steel in a wooden handle. Thats right I said it. I love collecting weapons and especially swords but the pricing is out of hand. I've seen assault rifles that are cheaper, and I have seen swords that are the same price as a car ! and thats not right.. Its just greed. plain and simple.
And yes there is some time and effort into making these swords, including materials, but it still doesn't add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Anyway I have made my point. In my opinion handmadeswords.com is a shady company. Oh, and they have a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the product, but when I contacted them about returning mine they wanted me to email them clear photos of the problems. what weasels.

Sep 13, 2009

Still happy
by: Anonymous

This is the second time ive bought from them. I am happy with both. they even sent me a 20% code, which paid for the shipping cost of the item i bought

Jun 14, 2009

Robert Pero if you think your gonna get a good practical sword for 100 then you crazy
by: Anonymous

there swords look pretty good but its all about how good there smiths are a good one can take a sword with crap carbon steel blade and make it as good as bad smith with good carbon steel blade but if you gonna get anything good for practical use your gonna have to spend around a thousand my sword was $849 and man its a beast

Apr 23, 2009

Stay Away From Chop Stick Mekugi
by: Anonymous

Mekugi should be made from bamboo. Find a Kendo club in your area and ask them if they have a broken Shinai(bamboo practice sword) you can have. Cut the Mekugi so that it tapers. You should have Mekugi to last many lifetimes. Don't use chopsticks if you value your life and those around you. Even if you don't use the sword you never know when an annoying guest or family member might pick it up and give it a swing.

Feb 13, 2009

Not impressed at all
by: Robert Pero

A buddy of mine bought one of thier 100 dollar katanas. Out of the box....very nice. Then came the cutting tests. This thing had the sharpness of a butter knife. There are many other brands out there that are a better value for your money.

Feb 08, 2009

Fantastic
by: Anonymous

I made a purchase from them about 5 months ago and I'm completely satisfied. I got a combo set which contained a katana, wakizashi, sword stand, decorative box, and cleaning kit for $180. My katana and wakizashi are both made of damascus steel and have artistic tsubas. My only complaint is that it didn't come with directions on how to clean the swords or what the different cleaning kit parts were. I was a little confused at first but eventually I figured out that they had posted instructions on the site. It completely exceeded my expectations and I couldn't ask for anything better. I'd recommend this to anybody who wants a sword that is high quality yet doesn't leave you broke.

Oct 19, 2008

Nothing to complain about...
by: Dean

I have done business with Handmadesword.com and I am happy with my purchase thus far. Though the sword that I bought was only several hundred dollars, and you get what you pay for, it is a lovely sword and quite sharp. It does have all the flaws you would expect from a sword in this price range, but since I am not planning on getting in a duel with anything tougher then a bottle or mat, I am not too worried.

Final Verdict- A good enough sword for a fair enough price. Good looking and sharp, but don't expect perfection.

Aug 04, 2008

mekugi quick fix
by: mike d

hey just a thought for a quick fix , you could use a chopstick for the peg. just cut it to length then bam! now your cooking! thanks for the reply!

Aug 03, 2008

So far so good...
by: Stryker

I have done business with handmadesword.com months ago and I am satisfied with their product (I purchased a daisho there). They do have some good 1095 carbon steel swords for about $300 (the $10,000 swords ARE insanely priced o_O), and they were very helpful when questioned via email. My swords from there are made from 1045 steel but they seem to be priced lower than most places. I don't cut with mine, but they hold up quite well. The only flaw was my mistake of taking out the mekugi (which were damaged), and now I'm stuck with having to find mekugi! I wish they sold those pegs as well....

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