Shinwa Blade Quality

by Clayton Mast (Nendo-Ton)
(Denton,Texas, USA)

QUESTION: Are Folded (2000?) Damascus Blades by Shinwa worth Buying? I want to be a serious buyer of functional swords. This is a Tool that should never perish.

ANSWER: The short answer is no... ;-)

Folded swords are not necessary these days (it was a technique done to try and minimize impurities in the steel, which is a mute point for modern steel) and indeed, for swords at this price point, they actually tend to create more problems when folded, including air pockets and weld flaws.

I'm not a big fan of Shinwa per se, but I would recommend having a good look over the reviews and info on my Japanese swords page to find something that best suits your requirements.

Sorry to put a dampner on things. But I don't think this particular piece would serve your requirements at all...

Kind Regards,

- Paul