Here's a real deal!
I'm selling an authentic Sword Buyers Guide Project X Forge Direct Four Beasts Jian, which are no longer being offered! The blade is made out of Damascus steel which was hand forged and sharpened out of 1095 high carbon steel. The blade is absolutely beautiful and a beast, no pun intended. It is designed to cut, no question. See pics below.
It features a beautiful ebony hilt and solid brass fittings featuring the Four Beasts motif. I'm selling this one because I have commissioned a custom blade for myself, and the significant other has required me to reduce my collection to offset my costs. Plus, to be fully transparent, this blade is too heavy for my particular daily usage.
While perfectly balanced at about 4in out from the guard and thus nimble, the blade tips the scale at around 3lbs and very thick close to the guard. I practice internal Chinese arts which generally use blades between 1 and 2lbs. My fast and evasive form practice and the fact that I'm a shorter guy doesn't match too well with this blade unfortunately. And I do not cut enough to justify keeping it around for just that purpose.
If you are predominantly a backyard cutter, this is the jian for you! And it is very beautiful, as described by SBG on their storefront. Here is a link to the archived SBG store description for this jian:
http://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/product545.html
Full disclosure here, the blade and direct fittings are perfect. There are no dents, scuffs or marks on the blade, and I keep all my blades clean and oiled with pure Camellia oil. Definitely heirloom quality.
BUT the scabbard and tassel need some TLC though. I got a great deal from the owner of SBG on this jian because he got the jian from the forge with a hairline crack running up the sides of the scabbard. The ebony at the bottom third of the jian has a hairline crack on both sides. It is almost invisible if you aren't looking for it, but can feel the slight ridge when you run your hand over it. There also appears to be a similar hairline crack at the top third of the scabbard, but only one one side. I was intending to use the same method that a string instrument luthier uses to repair ebony fret boards found at the link below, but never found the time to do it:
http://avhguitarrepair.com/repair-blog/fingerboard-crack-repairs
One of the beads on the tassel for the hanger coming off the scabbard is missing. Plus the tassel off the hilt is not holding up well. The wrap that goes horizontally around the tassel strings keeps coming off. I just did another repair and admittedly used a little tape under the wrap to hold the starting end down. That said, this exact tassel can be found on Amazon for $10 to $15:
www.amazon.com/Shijian-Tassel-Chinese-Japanes...ord+tassel
Asking price is $400 plus shipping OBO. This is half off the MSRP, so get this deal today! Rough shipping estimate is $32, but will vary with your location. PayPal payment preferred.
