Need some help pricing a sword

[Stranger]

Well if you look in the catalog for "improperly made piece of sh*t sword slapped together from old Taiwanese junk", you won't find it. If you look for "Damascus Tai Chi Sword", you will.

(So there! )

[GLW]

You are right in saying there is no TAIJI Jian. But there ARE different forms or styles of Jians. Similarly, there are different forms of Dao...like a Willow LEaf Dao...very common.

However, the Yang Shi Taiji Dao is a special Dao. It is not really clear exactly how that particular form of Dao came to be used or why...but it is peculiar and only used for the Yang family Taiji Dao.

I ran into an interview of a couple of the Yang major proponents...I believe it may have been Fu Zhongwen and possiblly one other about this. The particular saber went back before Yang Chengfu but how far was not clear.

The style of saber has a long handle and often a ring at the end of the handle. The guard is not circular or oval but instead an S shaped guard similar to butterfly knives. The blade is curved and more like a cavalry saber crossed with a Miao Dao.

Yang Family Dao is pretty much the only style that uses this particular weapon.

[taijiquan_student]

"You are right in saying there is no TAIJI Jian. But there ARE different forms or styles of Jians. Similarly, there are different forms of Dao...like a Willow LEaf Dao...very common."

Right. I agree.

I've never heard of the yang family dao before. It sounds interesting, and I'm going to ask my teacher if he knows anyhing about it. Yay, I learned something.

one question: Obviously the Yang family daos were not mass produced. Do you by any chance know how they got them or where they were made? From your description it sounds like there were more than one or two custum daos, but not a big production line either. Thanks.

[GLW]

Actually, the Yang's TaijiDao WAS not mass produced.

However, now you can get them from the MartialArtsMart here. In fact, it is the first thing shown under the Taiji sword section.

However, they only sell combat steel versions. My experience with the combat steel ones is that they are poorly balanced and really wouldn't hold up well. this is NOT a slam at this site. My combat steel one was bought from another source and it is similar...not well balanced and not sturdy.

FIST sport - Beijing Imports in Houston carries a practice steel version of the TaijiDao that is moderatley priced, well constructed, and a good deal. It will NOT hold an edge...but if that is what you REALLY want, Angel Sword in Texas has made a couple TaijiDao and they are nice, razor sharp, well balanced, and will pierce a 55 gallon oil drum...and around $1200....

[GeneChing]

Here's our Taijidao - it's from Dragon Well forge - a nice piece, very solid http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/45-60cs.html

As for jian, there is some variations like the different types of dao, but the names of the differences are not really standardized (nor are the dao variations although they seem to have more consistency - a willow leaf dao might refer to different blade shapes by different people.) For jian, you can't really have as much variation since the blade shape is, by defination, straight, but you do have variations in proportion, for example - this http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/455x50.html vs. this http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/45-36cs30.html .
For you reference, I did an article on the Taijidao back in NOV/DEC 2001 http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/maga...hp?article=142

[dedalus]

888 is a ****house distributor... go elsewhere if you want Paul Chen.

[zen_celt]

Thanks guys, I won't be buying that sword now.
Can any of you perhaps reccomend some sites or books on this subject so that this doesn't happen again?
Also, how do you tell the difference between pattern welded and acid treated blades?

thanks again, you all saved me some $$$
-ZC

[Liokault]

acid etch is just a way to bring out the pattern on damascus type materials.


If you really want a damascus blade have a look at one ofthese.

The last 2 of the dynasty serise look good.

The only thing is to remember that when you are buying damascus dont get one mail order....you need to look at it and see if there are any flaws in the weld.

[Braden]

Thanks for the heads-up about 888, Ded. I've never dealt with them, but they advertise the lowest prices I've found. I guess it makes sense if there's some issues...

Zen - the functional point of pattern welds is to create a steel with a mixture of properties along and/or throughout it's body. Since there's different sorts of metal in such blades, they will take to various kinds of polishing processes differently, and so such processes have evolved to bring out the typical 'patterns' of a pattern weld, which people find aesthetically pleasing. Because of the attractiveness and desirability of such a metal/polishing process, some people have come up with ways to make faux-pattern welds; that is, something that has the appearance of a pattern weld without the metallurgic benefits - like painting the pattern on after the fact.

There's all sorts of info, as well as links to retailers and forges, and also very knowledgable experts in a variety of related and cultural fields at www.swordforum.com. Here's the link to their list of production sword makers, with comments http://www.swordforum.com/links/productionswords/ , to see what they say about Paul Chen/Hanwei, the maker of the sword in question. There's more info on the rest of the site and in the forums as well.

BTW, you shouldn't be disuaded from buying this sword (just don't buy it for $500). If this is the sword you want, at the price you want, get it. Just don't let yourself be talked into spending more than you want or buying something you don't want under some pretense that it is somehow special.