Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Sept 26, 2013 8:48:48 GMT -5
uProject X Jian of Marquis Yi Review
Marc Kaden Ridgeway
Atlanta, GA
26 September 2013
For years I have wanted a Chinese sword. I have looked high and low, at products like miaodao and dadao and tang jian... but the one that ALWAYS caught my eye was the Han Jian. I have wanted to pick one up for at least 5 years now. Here's the problem... so many of the jian on the market are wushu or tai-chi swords , not meant for cutting. So many of the Han Dynasty Swords are also cheaply made , si my search for the proper Han Jian was frustrating. Only Jin-Shi seemed to offer what I wanted , but I always kept putting it off because of the preorder issue... there was always something to get NOW.
Along came Project X. Project X is a collaboration between Chris Scoggin and Paul Southren ;two friends of mine , and honorable men ,both. Chris owns Ronin Katana , and Paul is the owner of Sword Buyer's Guide. Project X started with katana , of which I did not get one... but when the Han-Jian offer came up, I knew I had to participate.
It did not hurt that I was familiar with the work done by the Certified Master Smiths that Chris worked with on the Elite line.
So I bought one.
Historic Overview
The photo above and the opening photo were borrowed by permission from the British Museum. I contacted them regarding usage rights and they emailed me the picture. I did not retouch it , but did crop it and change the focus to emphasize different areas.
This sword is from Warring States Period (475-221 BC) , and was found in a tomb belonging to the Marquis of a small province known as Zeng. Zheng was one of many states subordinate to Chu , a real force in this period. The tomb was dated to around 430 BC ... over 2400 years ago.
At this time, China already had a rich artistry in bronze castings , and a sophisticated culture. New innovations in weaponry at this time were swords made from folded steel , where previous ones had been cast bronze. About 200 or so years later differential hardening began , and in another 200 years lamination techniques became known. but at its time , this jian represented possibly the most sophisticated sword-smithing techniques in the world .
Underscoring this is the fact that 4777 weapons were found in the tomb... most were cast bronze.
Other findings in the tomb include:
124 musical instruments, including bells, chimes, drums, zithers, pipes, and flutes
134 bronze vessels and other bronze household items
4,777 weapons, mostly made of bronze
1,127 bronze chariot parts
25 pieces of leather armor
5,012 pieces of lacquer ware
26 bamboo articles
5 gold objects and 4 gold belt hooks
528 jade and stone objects
6,696 Chinese characters written in ink on slips of
source : Washington.edu
The Marquis was also entombed with a dog and eight young women as companions , and in the servants quarters of the tomb, another thirteen young women.
Amongst all of these treasures was found this jian of cast bronze and folded steel , and was regarded a culturally significant find. The original piece is found in the British Museum.
The piece for this review is a recreation by Master Smith Xiaolong Jiang.
What is a Master Smith?
In the Longquan region of China the swordsmithing traditions reach back 2600 years , to the period of the Warring States. Swordsmithing is not only a time honored craft , it is a major industry .
Longquan is known to many for the hordes of poorly to moderately made swords that are churned out of the factories there and flood the markets of ebay, mall cutlery stores..maybe even the counter of your local gas station. However , Longquan is rich with the tradition of craft and artistry and they take it very seriously.
I don't have all the specifics of it , but this is my understanding. Master Smiths are University Trained. The Chinese Sword Association is closely involved with registering and ranking smiths. There are National Folk Art Contests which the smiths compete in . Ranking ceremonies are held in which Government Officials present rank to registered smiths. They are a big deal.
Of these ranking Masters , Zheng Zhou Wu is perhaps the most well known. Xiaolong Jiang is another.
The Master Smiths operate large forges , where their apprentices oversee workers turning out $300 swords by the thousands. Those apprentices themselves forge higher end swords. The Masters turn out one-off pieces , as do Western Custom smiths. But if you have enough horsepower... meaning you buy thousands of swords a year... you get the attention of the master smiths... and if you're willing to pay, they pick up the hammer.
This sword is the result of the craft of Master Smith Xiaolong Jiang and his signature is hot-stamped on the blade. There was a limited run of 26 swords , which took 4.5 months to complete . That is over 5 days per sword. Master Jiang ran the forge and oversaw the rest of the production by his team .
Full Disclosure
I bought this sword with my own money , and was not coerced to do a review. In fact I was asked not to... I did anyway
.
Although I bought this with my own money I do have a business relationship with Ronin Katana . I have a small , hobby website where I offer the dojo pro line for sale ... and only the dojo-pro line. I do not promote that site here ... and since opening the site , the total profit off Dojo-Pro sales would not pay for this sword.
I also sell swords on a very limited basis for Angus Trim , with whom I negotiated a contract with Ronin Katana , but that contract has yet to come to fruition... likely will not this year.
I DO NOT have a business relationship with Project X , nor do I have a business relationship with SBG. I am a Global Moderator on SBG , which is a volunteer job. I do not receive pay , nor swords to serve in that capacity. I have never been asked to push swords sold at SBG , nor to degrade swords not sold by SBG ... nor would I if I were asked , which I would not be. Paul has a fair use policy for vendors on the forum and allows vendors to advertise there far more than he does himself.
Actually , I was asked to be a section mod at SBG despite being a very vocal detractor of Cheness , which is a brand championed by Paul. Despite my continued position on Cheness ,and indeed other brands in the SBG store , I rose through the ranks from section mod to become the Global Moderator . Paul does not play favorites , nor ask the staff to.
Some might say that I write reviews to try to help companies or smiths sell swords ... to those people I say : "You're right."
I don't review bad swords... I will not write a review unless I feel a sword is an asset to the community due to its quality, artistry and or accessibility with an acceptable level of quality. So when I do review a sword , it means I llike the sword , and think it represents a quality offering to our community ... so why wouldn't I want to help the companies and artists sell these swords? That's the point of reviews right? To help with purchasing decisions. If companies and craftsmen that are making sword that are a good value , I would love for them to be successful. A rich array of healthy companies and craftsmen provides for a diverse collecting environment... and that is the end-goal of most in the community , I think.
So all that is a long way to go to say " I bought this sword and I like it , and I think you might too, so I'm reviewing it."
Specifications
jianti (length) - 31 in
jianba (grip) - 9 in
jiangen(forte) width - 1.5 in
jianfeng (tip) width - .75 in one inch from tip
hushou (guard) - 3.25 in
jiantan (pommel) - 2 in diameter
weight - 2 lbs. 15.4 oz
POB - @ 7 in from end of grip
Construction ; Fit and Finish
The Marquis Jian arrived well packed in beautiful wooden box inside a large cardboard box . The wooden box was wrapped in a golden silk bag. Inside the box was a separate sword bag, some educational materials about sword appreciation , a cleaning kit , a pair of white linen gloves... oh , and of course , the sword.
Blade (jianti)
The jianti (blade) is 31 inches of folded 1095 steel. It is 1.5 inches wide at the base and tapers to about .75 in the jianfeng (tipward portion ) near the jian jian'er(point. ) The jian jian'er is a strongly reinforced awl-shaped tip.
The blade is polished by hand , using stones, as I understand it... quite difficult I'd think considering the curved surfaces. Nevertheless , the polish is bright , smoooth and even , and among the best I've seen. The down side to this exquisite polish is the scratches that are quite evidient after cutting just a few bottle. Not that I mind scratches... iits just that the stand out in contrast to the silky sheen of the polished steel.
The folded pattern swirls in the center of the blade , and though it is hard (impossible) to photograph, transitions to wavy lines parallel to the jianren (edges) in the beveled part of the blade. When studied under lights the folded pattern is quite beautiful.
The blade has a hexagonal crossection ... that is six-sided. The center of the blade is strongly and perfectly lenticular , and the bevels angle to a blended edge on both the xiaren and shangren (finger edge and thumb edge.) The blade is quite stiff , like a katana .
Fittings (Hushou & Jiantan)
The fittings are cast in brass from hand-carved originals. The fittings are an example of an innovation in casting from around 400 AD ... lacework.
The hushou , and jiantan (guard and pommel) are intertwined dragons . Each casting was cleaned up by hand to insure a proper fit on each grip and scabbard ... as the handcarved wood pieces would vary. Therefore the fittings had to be delicately finished to ensure a proper fit on each sword.
The hushou is a open work and completely encompasses the mouth of the jianqiao when the sword is scabbarded.
The jiantan seems to be two pieced , and under the upper "dome" is what appears to be a peen , holding the sword and hilt assembly together. I have not beeen able to assertain how the two parts of the jiantan are joined ... but nothing screws on or off of this sword , as far as I can assertain.
Before publishing the review , I sent a professional artist pictures of the fittings for review. Though they were small photos , he said that from what he could see , the casting work was decent. I simply wanted extra confirmation , as my experience with ornate castings is limited , and this sword is priced up there with some custom work... that makes reviewing or reccomending it pretty serious business.
The Handle (Jianba )
The handle is 9 inches long on the grippable area . It is made of hardwood , and tightly (read immovably) wrapped with black , flat leathe cord. The handle is round , and tapers in thickness from the guard to the pommel.
Scabbard (Jianqiao)
The jianqiao (scabbard) is a rich dark wood , accented with cast brass hardware , and black leather cord. The scabbard is carves from Tanwood, a Chinese hardwood . The inner scabbard is line with a soft wood , to protect the sword and provide a secure fit.
The sword seats snugly in the scabbard , does not fall out if turned upside down and shaken , and has no rattle or vibration at all.
Handling Characteristics
The handling of the Marquis Jian is a bit of an enigma to me . I know that I have said this before... the A&A GBS comes to mind... but no... this jian is really quite a puzzlement.
At just a hair under 3 lbs it isn't light ... yet handles in one hand rather easily . With a balance about 7 inches from the guard , but doesnt seem tip heavy at all.
Also , though I am not much experienced with the balance back, late period thrusters , I do know that a close COG tends to lend itself to point control . Even still , the Marquis Jian thrusts well ... point control is awesome.
So here again we see the importance of mass distribution as it applies to polar moment. A sword is not a long knife... A sword needs profile and distal taper . Why?
A "sharpened crowbar" , despite having a reasonable center of gravity due to a heavy pommel , still has a proportionately large amount of mass in the tipward area. This makes the sword "dead" in the hands.
A sword with profile and distal taper will have more mass centered at the point of rotation , and less at the poles. This is because the taper means less material at the tip... and the mass distribution means the sword needs less pommel for counterweight. When we see these things , then most of the mass is centered around the point of rotation and the sword sings!
That is the magic of a good sword smith ... that is why knifemakers seldom acheive good swords (in my experience) that is why a sword is not just a long knife.
Despite its weight and POB , the Marquis Jian dances in the hands!
Cutting
I was worried that the round handle would lead to poor edge allignment but I didnt have any problems in this area. I did not do any heavy cutting , as this is an expensive blade , and I want to get to know it better before I take her on a date to the bamboo patch.
I did cut some bottles...
This is a thick, stiff blade ... not exactly made for static finesse cuts. Still , it cut well ... I was actually surprised by its performance on water bottles.
Conclusion
Reviewing the Jian of Marquis Yi was a daunting task for me . For a myriad of reasons. I studied Chinese swords for several days before attempting the review... because I have never owned nor used any of the swords of Chinese heritage. Of course , what I eventually found was that a sword is a sword and this is a sword! I would be happy to entertain opposing viewpoints... especially from those with experience with jian, or Chinese weapons in general.
Another reason this was a daunting task was because of the pricepoint of the Marquis Jian , and my relative ignorance of the subject. At $1500 this is a pricey production sword ... in fact I have paid less for several custom swords by famous western smiths. So for me to be able to reccomend this sword I had to feel that this sword was on a custom smith level.
So I studied for days , I devoured pictures of jian reproductions , from production sources , sei custom and custom sources . I renewed my acquaintance with the work of Master Chen Rich and Master Chen Tian-Yang .
I consulted with a professional artist that works in casting.
I pretty much picked this sword apart with a led flashlight and close inspection.
After all this , these are my conclusions.
Although this is a limited run production piece , this is indeed custom level work , in my opinion .
The geometry , the polish , the shaping , the casting , the fitting ... all of this is of high quality.
I believe that this sword is indeed forged by a master smith and mounted under his supervision.
While certainly not a $6500 - $10,000 piece , at the $1500 level I believe this sword well justifies its price. Swords of this cost are not for everyone... they are beyond my grasp usually as well... I have just learned to use my collection to buy swords... in other word if I want something , I got to sell stuff to get it. That means I have to want it pretty bad, as there are no swords in my collection I wish to part with. In this case , I do not regret making room in my collection for this piece.
As a reproduction I am pretty happy with its execution. It seems to me to be a pretty historically accurate interpretation. There are concessions made , like the use of 1095 steel, the casting in brass not bronze , and others I'm sure I'm not aware of; but for the most part is seems accurate. The blade is forged in the techniques that were used at the time of the originals forging , 2400 years ago.
It is nice to have a reproduction of such a culturally significant sword , from a significant era in the history of the evolution of the Chinese sword. The Jian of Marquis Yi form 2400 years ago was made at a time when bronze was transitioning to steel. When forge-folding was developing as a method for making swords. When interlacery as seen in the fittings was being being developed in bronze casting. This highly significant sword is a great piece for reproduction. And its nice to have that reproduction made by a Chinese smith on Chinese soil.
I don't know what the availiability of these might be. As Project X pieces , I think that two were made for each one ordered. This means there may be 12 available once the initial orders are satisfied. Or maybe not...
If you , like I , are interested in a high quality Han Jian replica , this may well be the one for you . I'm quite happy with mine.
Pros
Cons
The Bottom Line: Excellent quality work , worth its price and significant enough to earn its slot in my collection.
Thanks for reading.
Marc Kaden Ridgeway
Atlanta, GA
26 September 2013
For years I have wanted a Chinese sword. I have looked high and low, at products like miaodao and dadao and tang jian... but the one that ALWAYS caught my eye was the Han Jian. I have wanted to pick one up for at least 5 years now. Here's the problem... so many of the jian on the market are wushu or tai-chi swords , not meant for cutting. So many of the Han Dynasty Swords are also cheaply made , si my search for the proper Han Jian was frustrating. Only Jin-Shi seemed to offer what I wanted , but I always kept putting it off because of the preorder issue... there was always something to get NOW.
Along came Project X. Project X is a collaboration between Chris Scoggin and Paul Southren ;two friends of mine , and honorable men ,both. Chris owns Ronin Katana , and Paul is the owner of Sword Buyer's Guide. Project X started with katana , of which I did not get one... but when the Han-Jian offer came up, I knew I had to participate.
It did not hurt that I was familiar with the work done by the Certified Master Smiths that Chris worked with on the Elite line.
So I bought one.
Historic Overview
The photo above and the opening photo were borrowed by permission from the British Museum. I contacted them regarding usage rights and they emailed me the picture. I did not retouch it , but did crop it and change the focus to emphasize different areas.
This sword is from Warring States Period (475-221 BC) , and was found in a tomb belonging to the Marquis of a small province known as Zeng. Zheng was one of many states subordinate to Chu , a real force in this period. The tomb was dated to around 430 BC ... over 2400 years ago.
At this time, China already had a rich artistry in bronze castings , and a sophisticated culture. New innovations in weaponry at this time were swords made from folded steel , where previous ones had been cast bronze. About 200 or so years later differential hardening began , and in another 200 years lamination techniques became known. but at its time , this jian represented possibly the most sophisticated sword-smithing techniques in the world .
Underscoring this is the fact that 4777 weapons were found in the tomb... most were cast bronze.
Other findings in the tomb include:
124 musical instruments, including bells, chimes, drums, zithers, pipes, and flutes
134 bronze vessels and other bronze household items
4,777 weapons, mostly made of bronze
1,127 bronze chariot parts
25 pieces of leather armor
5,012 pieces of lacquer ware
26 bamboo articles
5 gold objects and 4 gold belt hooks
528 jade and stone objects
6,696 Chinese characters written in ink on slips of
source : Washington.edu
The Marquis was also entombed with a dog and eight young women as companions , and in the servants quarters of the tomb, another thirteen young women.
Amongst all of these treasures was found this jian of cast bronze and folded steel , and was regarded a culturally significant find. The original piece is found in the British Museum.
The piece for this review is a recreation by Master Smith Xiaolong Jiang.
What is a Master Smith?
In the Longquan region of China the swordsmithing traditions reach back 2600 years , to the period of the Warring States. Swordsmithing is not only a time honored craft , it is a major industry .
Longquan is known to many for the hordes of poorly to moderately made swords that are churned out of the factories there and flood the markets of ebay, mall cutlery stores..maybe even the counter of your local gas station. However , Longquan is rich with the tradition of craft and artistry and they take it very seriously.
Longquan area is rich in raw materials for sword making, including itabirite ore, polishing stone and plenty of charcoal fuel etc. The making of a sword goes through a total of 28 procedures that include tempering, forging, smoothing, carving, embedding and polishing etc. In the long history of sword making, generations of workmen kept striving for perfection, bringing four major traditional features to the swords, which are their toughness and sharpness; strength and softness; intimidating glittering light like frost and snow; exquisite ornamentation. Meanwhile, special attention has been paid to the material selection and the duration and degree of forging to ensure the composition homogeneity and clear motifs. And the quenching and grinding methods are also special.
The sword forging techniques of Longquan contain profound cultural richness and hold an important position in Chinese weaponry, metallurgy and art histories.
]The age-old and superb sword forging techniques of Longquan have been included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage.
cultural-china.com
The sword forging techniques of Longquan contain profound cultural richness and hold an important position in Chinese weaponry, metallurgy and art histories.
]The age-old and superb sword forging techniques of Longquan have been included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage.
cultural-china.com
I don't have all the specifics of it , but this is my understanding. Master Smiths are University Trained. The Chinese Sword Association is closely involved with registering and ranking smiths. There are National Folk Art Contests which the smiths compete in . Ranking ceremonies are held in which Government Officials present rank to registered smiths. They are a big deal.
Of these ranking Masters , Zheng Zhou Wu is perhaps the most well known. Xiaolong Jiang is another.
The Master Smiths operate large forges , where their apprentices oversee workers turning out $300 swords by the thousands. Those apprentices themselves forge higher end swords. The Masters turn out one-off pieces , as do Western Custom smiths. But if you have enough horsepower... meaning you buy thousands of swords a year... you get the attention of the master smiths... and if you're willing to pay, they pick up the hammer.
This sword is the result of the craft of Master Smith Xiaolong Jiang and his signature is hot-stamped on the blade. There was a limited run of 26 swords , which took 4.5 months to complete . That is over 5 days per sword. Master Jiang ran the forge and oversaw the rest of the production by his team .
Full Disclosure
I bought this sword with my own money , and was not coerced to do a review. In fact I was asked not to... I did anyway
.Although I bought this with my own money I do have a business relationship with Ronin Katana . I have a small , hobby website where I offer the dojo pro line for sale ... and only the dojo-pro line. I do not promote that site here ... and since opening the site , the total profit off Dojo-Pro sales would not pay for this sword.
I also sell swords on a very limited basis for Angus Trim , with whom I negotiated a contract with Ronin Katana , but that contract has yet to come to fruition... likely will not this year.
I DO NOT have a business relationship with Project X , nor do I have a business relationship with SBG. I am a Global Moderator on SBG , which is a volunteer job. I do not receive pay , nor swords to serve in that capacity. I have never been asked to push swords sold at SBG , nor to degrade swords not sold by SBG ... nor would I if I were asked , which I would not be. Paul has a fair use policy for vendors on the forum and allows vendors to advertise there far more than he does himself.
Actually , I was asked to be a section mod at SBG despite being a very vocal detractor of Cheness , which is a brand championed by Paul. Despite my continued position on Cheness ,and indeed other brands in the SBG store , I rose through the ranks from section mod to become the Global Moderator . Paul does not play favorites , nor ask the staff to.
Some might say that I write reviews to try to help companies or smiths sell swords ... to those people I say : "You're right."
I don't review bad swords... I will not write a review unless I feel a sword is an asset to the community due to its quality, artistry and or accessibility with an acceptable level of quality. So when I do review a sword , it means I llike the sword , and think it represents a quality offering to our community ... so why wouldn't I want to help the companies and artists sell these swords? That's the point of reviews right? To help with purchasing decisions. If companies and craftsmen that are making sword that are a good value , I would love for them to be successful. A rich array of healthy companies and craftsmen provides for a diverse collecting environment... and that is the end-goal of most in the community , I think.
So all that is a long way to go to say " I bought this sword and I like it , and I think you might too, so I'm reviewing it."
Specifications
jianti (length) - 31 in
jianba (grip) - 9 in
jiangen(forte) width - 1.5 in
jianfeng (tip) width - .75 in one inch from tip
hushou (guard) - 3.25 in
jiantan (pommel) - 2 in diameter
weight - 2 lbs. 15.4 oz
POB - @ 7 in from end of grip
Construction ; Fit and Finish
The Marquis Jian arrived well packed in beautiful wooden box inside a large cardboard box . The wooden box was wrapped in a golden silk bag. Inside the box was a separate sword bag, some educational materials about sword appreciation , a cleaning kit , a pair of white linen gloves... oh , and of course , the sword.
Blade (jianti)
The jianti (blade) is 31 inches of folded 1095 steel. It is 1.5 inches wide at the base and tapers to about .75 in the jianfeng (tipward portion ) near the jian jian'er(point. ) The jian jian'er is a strongly reinforced awl-shaped tip.
The blade is polished by hand , using stones, as I understand it... quite difficult I'd think considering the curved surfaces. Nevertheless , the polish is bright , smoooth and even , and among the best I've seen. The down side to this exquisite polish is the scratches that are quite evidient after cutting just a few bottle. Not that I mind scratches... iits just that the stand out in contrast to the silky sheen of the polished steel.
The folded pattern swirls in the center of the blade , and though it is hard (impossible) to photograph, transitions to wavy lines parallel to the jianren (edges) in the beveled part of the blade. When studied under lights the folded pattern is quite beautiful.
The blade has a hexagonal crossection ... that is six-sided. The center of the blade is strongly and perfectly lenticular , and the bevels angle to a blended edge on both the xiaren and shangren (finger edge and thumb edge.) The blade is quite stiff , like a katana .
Fittings (Hushou & Jiantan)
The fittings are cast in brass from hand-carved originals. The fittings are an example of an innovation in casting from around 400 AD ... lacework.
The hushou , and jiantan (guard and pommel) are intertwined dragons . Each casting was cleaned up by hand to insure a proper fit on each grip and scabbard ... as the handcarved wood pieces would vary. Therefore the fittings had to be delicately finished to ensure a proper fit on each sword.
The hushou is a open work and completely encompasses the mouth of the jianqiao when the sword is scabbarded.
The jiantan seems to be two pieced , and under the upper "dome" is what appears to be a peen , holding the sword and hilt assembly together. I have not beeen able to assertain how the two parts of the jiantan are joined ... but nothing screws on or off of this sword , as far as I can assertain.
Before publishing the review , I sent a professional artist pictures of the fittings for review. Though they were small photos , he said that from what he could see , the casting work was decent. I simply wanted extra confirmation , as my experience with ornate castings is limited , and this sword is priced up there with some custom work... that makes reviewing or reccomending it pretty serious business.
The Handle (Jianba )
The handle is 9 inches long on the grippable area . It is made of hardwood , and tightly (read immovably) wrapped with black , flat leathe cord. The handle is round , and tapers in thickness from the guard to the pommel.
Scabbard (Jianqiao)
The jianqiao (scabbard) is a rich dark wood , accented with cast brass hardware , and black leather cord. The scabbard is carves from Tanwood, a Chinese hardwood . The inner scabbard is line with a soft wood , to protect the sword and provide a secure fit.
The sword seats snugly in the scabbard , does not fall out if turned upside down and shaken , and has no rattle or vibration at all.
Handling Characteristics
The handling of the Marquis Jian is a bit of an enigma to me . I know that I have said this before... the A&A GBS comes to mind... but no... this jian is really quite a puzzlement.
At just a hair under 3 lbs it isn't light ... yet handles in one hand rather easily . With a balance about 7 inches from the guard , but doesnt seem tip heavy at all.
Also , though I am not much experienced with the balance back, late period thrusters , I do know that a close COG tends to lend itself to point control . Even still , the Marquis Jian thrusts well ... point control is awesome.
So here again we see the importance of mass distribution as it applies to polar moment. A sword is not a long knife... A sword needs profile and distal taper . Why?
A "sharpened crowbar" , despite having a reasonable center of gravity due to a heavy pommel , still has a proportionately large amount of mass in the tipward area. This makes the sword "dead" in the hands.
A sword with profile and distal taper will have more mass centered at the point of rotation , and less at the poles. This is because the taper means less material at the tip... and the mass distribution means the sword needs less pommel for counterweight. When we see these things , then most of the mass is centered around the point of rotation and the sword sings!
That is the magic of a good sword smith ... that is why knifemakers seldom acheive good swords (in my experience) that is why a sword is not just a long knife.
Despite its weight and POB , the Marquis Jian dances in the hands!
Cutting
I was worried that the round handle would lead to poor edge allignment but I didnt have any problems in this area. I did not do any heavy cutting , as this is an expensive blade , and I want to get to know it better before I take her on a date to the bamboo patch.
I did cut some bottles...
This is a thick, stiff blade ... not exactly made for static finesse cuts. Still , it cut well ... I was actually surprised by its performance on water bottles.
Conclusion
Reviewing the Jian of Marquis Yi was a daunting task for me . For a myriad of reasons. I studied Chinese swords for several days before attempting the review... because I have never owned nor used any of the swords of Chinese heritage. Of course , what I eventually found was that a sword is a sword and this is a sword! I would be happy to entertain opposing viewpoints... especially from those with experience with jian, or Chinese weapons in general.
Another reason this was a daunting task was because of the pricepoint of the Marquis Jian , and my relative ignorance of the subject. At $1500 this is a pricey production sword ... in fact I have paid less for several custom swords by famous western smiths. So for me to be able to reccomend this sword I had to feel that this sword was on a custom smith level.
So I studied for days , I devoured pictures of jian reproductions , from production sources , sei custom and custom sources . I renewed my acquaintance with the work of Master Chen Rich and Master Chen Tian-Yang .
I consulted with a professional artist that works in casting.
I pretty much picked this sword apart with a led flashlight and close inspection.
After all this , these are my conclusions.
Although this is a limited run production piece , this is indeed custom level work , in my opinion .
The geometry , the polish , the shaping , the casting , the fitting ... all of this is of high quality.
I believe that this sword is indeed forged by a master smith and mounted under his supervision.
While certainly not a $6500 - $10,000 piece , at the $1500 level I believe this sword well justifies its price. Swords of this cost are not for everyone... they are beyond my grasp usually as well... I have just learned to use my collection to buy swords... in other word if I want something , I got to sell stuff to get it. That means I have to want it pretty bad, as there are no swords in my collection I wish to part with. In this case , I do not regret making room in my collection for this piece.
As a reproduction I am pretty happy with its execution. It seems to me to be a pretty historically accurate interpretation. There are concessions made , like the use of 1095 steel, the casting in brass not bronze , and others I'm sure I'm not aware of; but for the most part is seems accurate. The blade is forged in the techniques that were used at the time of the originals forging , 2400 years ago.
It is nice to have a reproduction of such a culturally significant sword , from a significant era in the history of the evolution of the Chinese sword. The Jian of Marquis Yi form 2400 years ago was made at a time when bronze was transitioning to steel. When forge-folding was developing as a method for making swords. When interlacery as seen in the fittings was being being developed in bronze casting. This highly significant sword is a great piece for reproduction. And its nice to have that reproduction made by a Chinese smith on Chinese soil.
I don't know what the availiability of these might be. As Project X pieces , I think that two were made for each one ordered. This means there may be 12 available once the initial orders are satisfied. Or maybe not...
If you , like I , are interested in a high quality Han Jian replica , this may well be the one for you . I'm quite happy with mine.
Pros
- master smith forged
- great polish
- excellent handling
- quality fittings
- unique crossection
- unique piece
Cons
- fine polish mars easily
- limited availabilty
- high pricepoint
The Bottom Line: Excellent quality work , worth its price and significant enough to earn its slot in my collection.
Thanks for reading.