quality of shinwa swords


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quality of shinwa swords

by yagami
(cooperstown ny)

exaple of a shinwa model

QUESTION:I recently have been looking for a good japanese katana, and have found several that look to be good quality, made from a company called shinwa. what is the story behind the sword? are they as good as they are said to be, and fully functional?

ANSWER: Hi Yagami,

I've never personally bothered with them as they seem to be a feature of Bud-K, who generally only sell swords with extremely high margins... So I am straight off the bad nervous of the quality of these swords...

That and the fact they overhype them too much...

Sorry, but if I were you I would be hesitant about spending my hard earned on them...

Kind Regards,

- Paul

Comments for
quality of shinwa swords

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Jan 24, 2012

shinwa blades NEW
by: Anonymous

I recently purchased one of these supposed high quality fully functional nodachi swords. I am out raged that i spent 120 dollars on this piece of garbage. firstly none of them are hand forged or damascus, they use a stamping process with layers of cheap ass metal to make a look that resembles damascus blades. I went out to test its strength today and discovered that the blade is so weak it bent forward over a young sappling. being the sword enthusiast i am, i was disgusted with shinwa and will never make another purchase from them again. And to think that in this day and age anyone would actually tell the truth about their product. Please someone refer me to a real sword maker, preferably in the style of ancient Japan

Jan 13, 2012

Comment on Highball NEW
by: Daniel V.

Absolute nonsense!!!your saying all information is ignorant.When truth is not acknowledged what is left is ignorance.

Jan 12, 2012

contempt prior to investigation NEW
by: highball

there is a principle which is a bar against all information,which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance

Jan 07, 2012

spelling NEW
by: Daniel V.

I see what you mean,not steal,steel.sorry DV

Jan 07, 2012

spelling NEW
by: Daniel V.

Sorry I don't spell better.DV

Jan 07, 2012

SPELLING!!!!!!!!! @ Daniel. V. NEW
by: Anonymous

I hate to pulverize your comments Daniel, but your spelling makes me weep.

Dec 10, 2011

Japanese swords NEW
by: Daniel V.

By the way Japanese swords have been illegal in Japan sinse the end of WWII.All Japanese swords are made elswhere.D V.

Dec 10, 2011

Shinwa swords NEW
by: Daniel V.

I have sevral shinwas two regals black dragon,dragon lord zatiochie black.nodachie,and a pearl katana.I have many other Japanese swords I don't use any of my swords for chopping wood or wire.I do slice through melons,plastic bottles filled with water,and sometimes rope.Mostly I use my shinwa's for working out to releive stress.Swords are not for chopping wood.Historicly there for killing the enemy.Sinse we don't use swords in battle anymore It's kind of funny how important our swords are to us.Shinwa swords are a good quallity sword and also beautiful.No matter what kind of sword you have always use caution when useing it.When it comes to steal our steal today,whether it's stainless,or carbon steal it's better steal than at any other time in history Know your sword.Know the differance between battle ready and display swords.Never swing display swords.Thank you.Daniel V. spambot

Dec 10, 2011

Your sword and you. NEW
by: Daniel V.

I think some of you don't know what a sword is for.Thay are not for chopping wood or cutting through wire.I have many swords cheap and expensive, stainless steal,damascus,and very good steal like 1065.I love them all I work out with a sword to keep my mind and spirit as one. though out histoy most swords were quickly pounded out,not good steal,they broke easy on the battle field.that's why we have legendary swords in history they didn't break. No matter what kind of sword you have,stainless,damascus,or the highest quallity steal,It's far better than any steal in histoy.Swords are for killing the enemy we no longer use swords for this in these modern times.but we still love our swords and knifes.as we should.For me it's an ancient rite my heradage is Saxon,and I stronglly embrace my ancient background.I'm a disabled vet.and I use my swords and knifes to keep my mind and body in tune,I'm an avid knife thrower,It's fun and a skill that help me in many way's. Anyway stop abuseing and start embracing your sword as part of yourself.Like I said It's not important how good the quallity of your sword is It's how you feal about your sword and your self.Swing your sword with pride and respect,use it to shake off the tension of work,kid's,the media and other problems that come with the every shackels that come with every day humdrum of life.And it's always true you get what you pay for.Sorry this was'nt better writen.With respect.Daniel V.spambot

Dec 10, 2011

you get what ya pay for NEW
by: griffin

i saw some bashing of the shinwa's here and i couldent help but try to debunk that.

im mostly a firearms collector and have no knowledge what so ever when it comes to swords. i decided to purchase a shinwa some time ago because it seemed like one of the best "cheap swords" money could buy. i paid 165 buck for mine, well over the price i could have paid online. took a practice swing for the first time and accidently thrusted the blade into the pavement! as my heart sank i looked at the tip of the blade and not a scratch! i mean holly S#$T! i really swung that thing! took it to the woods and i had no trouble chopping through skinny aspens. only thing i noticed is after trying on a thiker aspen the blade started to cant or bend to the left, so i bent it back. the blades dont seem to keep an edge on harder targets but they are durable. i overpaid for mine and im happy with it. i probably would have been willing to pay 200 for it but no more! so in my humble opinion, if you paid under 125 for one of these "beginner" blades you really have nothing to cry about, you really get more than what these swords are selling for. considering you could spend the same amount of money and get total crap!

Sep 29, 2011

Shiwa Swords
by: Daniel V.

I own six Shinwa swords and use every one.They are not only very good quality,their the most beautiful swords in my collection.

Sep 20, 2011

suck it
by: Anonymous

cold steel sucks they make every thing with shit qulity the knives dull faster then plastic.

Sep 16, 2011

shinwa niadochi sword
by: Anonymous

they are great swords i think u should get it. the only reason mine broke was becuse i hit it into a sheat of plywood lying on a gravel drive way then hit it into the side of a 4 by 4 . they have great balance and stay sharp .get one , just not the red one it sucks acording to revews

Sep 16, 2011

Aug 20, 2011

Shina Sword Stamps
by: Aaron Winchester

If someone could email me this answer that would be much appreciated:

I was wondering, do all Shinwa swords have the company stamp on the blade?

Aaron Winchester - Touketsu_Tenshi@yahoo.com
Thanks

Jun 26, 2011

Hmmm..
by: Anonymous

I bought one of their swords a while ago and i have given it a few swings to test the durability.....it's as stable as can be with not to many flaws, although i will agree most the stuff on budk is cheap...but some of their items are great pieces and totally worth getting....i have had my katana for about almost 2 years and as many times as i have swung that thing nothing happened whatsoever....please actually test one of their swords before you go off the deep end and say it's crap.

May 21, 2011

Devil in the Details
by: Niccolo Bella-Isla

Shinwa may be a subsidiary of BudK, but that in itself is not a good reason to dismiss them entirely. I own one myself and have yet to find anything wrong with it, aside from the fact that the logo is etched onto the blade. Of course some flaws are going to slip through the cracks given BudK's policy of quantity over quality, but for every unhappy customer speaking out there are hundreds (if not thousands) who are content with their purchases.

As for Cold Steel, their knives and swords seem to be of acceptable if not exceptional quality. Granted, they seem to put more effort into some items than others, but overall they're good weapons. The fact that BudK sells Cold Steel does not mean that CS is a brand to be dismissed, as Kult of Athena also sells them and is one of the more universally respected websites I've come across. Cold Steel is simply very widespread in its marketing tactics and attempts to make their product as accessible as possible.

Apr 29, 2011

you all just confuse others
by: Daniel

I Hate to say it but all of you just seem to confuse everyone looking at this site on Shinwa swords. Cause some of you hate them simply because budk sells them. Few seem to have actually tested one of their swords and those who claim they have them actually seem to like them. I am going to go ahead and purchase one simply because if it does turn out it is bad, the price isnt so bad am going to feel ripped off. Who knows it might actually be a good piece. I dont have a collection of swords and this will be mostly a display piece for my sitting room. I will comment back later as a novice sword buy and my opinion on the piece soon

Dec 17, 2010

Shinwa
by: Odin

I own Shinwa that is no longer even produced. Had two years of solid abuse in it and even a few hogs taken with it and it just recently had to have the tsuka replaced. Know how uch I paid for it? A whoppin $90, and it worth much more than that.

Oct 03, 2010

Really?
by: Anonymous

So... you guys are saying that just because the swords come from Budk, they must be bad? You should probably do some research. I mean, of course if you buy a 6 dollar knife or sword it's gonna suck. However, there's a reason the price is where it's at. Before you go around saying that everything that comes from Budk is terrible, look at the things they sell on there. Stuff from Gil Hibben generally isn't crap, and the same can be said for stuff from Cold Steel. So your condemnations of Shinwa simply because they are sold at Budk are just highly opinionated comments from people who don't know much about what they're talking about.

Jan 23, 2010

Worth the money...
by: Anonymous

I recently purchased what BudK called "Shinwa purple knight damascus katana"... its a hira zukuri styled blade with good quality parts on the koshirae.

More importantly, I've tested it out (abusive use) on a tree stump, and have confirmed it to be more than durable enough. (nearly 1/4 inch gashes on the stump without any visible damage to the blade)

With the price they ask, its a steal.

Nov 23, 2009

why dis Budk?
by: Jim Engwall

I am disappointed by the outright condemnations of Bud K merely because of their profit margin, hype or because they sell some poor quality items, by the way Cold Steel is NOT junk!
First off their profit margin is not out of line. As a former retail store owner myself, profit is determined by many factors, but most retailers charge "keystone", a formula that usually equals a 50%-100% markup. I highly doubt Bud K is anywhere near that. I have seen both local and online stores that charge double of what Bud K is asking for the exact same item. I'm not saying they offer the lowest prices anywhere, but they ARE reasonable. I have purchased many items from them and have been very pleased with the results.
Obviously they do sell some items of inferior quality but they don't claim otherwise; you get what you pay for. Most of those swords are under $60, usually in the $20 - $40 range.
As far as Shinwa, they are an exceptional value. Any damascus blade with real stingray skin for under $200 is a good deal, period! Yes I know there is better quality damascus out there, but for those prices? Also Bud K's low shipping costs blow most ebayers out of the running.
I was very interested in purchasing a sword from this website, but harshly cutting down the competition for such trivial reasons has lit a bad light in my mind. However the quality claims made here may one day change my opinion.

Nov 23, 2009

Oct 26, 2009

bud k shinwa
by: Anonymous

gota agree with paul if bud k sells them they can't be good....just look at the other crap they sell like cold steel,wouldn't buy that junk either just because it is sold at bud k.
but on the other hand some may say its its just plain assanine to condem a swords quality without ever have even picked one up!
just in fun paul,we all trust your judgement as you are one of the few that actualy do real testing on swords and have probably tested more than most have ever owned.

Feb 17, 2008

Shinwa? or is it?
by: shaithis

By doing a little comparison research, I began noticing that 'Shinwa' swords are available on sites other than BudK under different names. It is looking more like they may be a house brand manufacturer that allowsyou to stamp your name to it and sell it as your own. one such name is the 'zatachi' nodichi which I have seen on trueswords.com, Budk.com and others listed as 'Shinwa' brand, 'Zatachi'brand and with no'brand' name at all. All that being said, I own 2 'shinwa's (a 'royal' and a 'noble') and they are both full tang and I am happy with them.

Jan 30, 2008

on target and to the point
by: Anonymous

very honest answer that addresses the swords lacking in a diplomatic and truthful manner

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