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So, I mentioned we would look at the Paul Chen Raptor Sword Series, so the first sword we will look at is the Moroha Zukuri (SH2413). The sword is believed to have originated in the Heian Period which is from 794-1185. The originating design is said to come from the Tachi style blade by a legendary sword smith known as Amakuni. The style is seen as a link between the old Ken straight swords and the curved Tachi (and later Katana).
What really stands out about the Moroha Zukuri is that it has some unusual characteristics. For starters, it has a back edge on the top half of the blade, with fullers starting where this edge finishes and continuing to the hilt. This edge however, is deliberately left unsharpened for the benefit of Iaido practitioners used to working with more conventional blade styles. The blade itself is hand forged from 5160 high carbon steel and is mar quenched to an edge hardness of 57HRC.
The great thing about this Katana Sword is that the blade length is only 26 3/8" and the sword only weighs 2lbs 7oz. So, for functional purposes, this sword is very quick, and ideal for multiple cuts in light targets. Hanwei has really made an effort with the Raptor Series to make a sword that is versatile for many different types of users. The Raptor line harnesses the fact that we are not all the best cutters. Some are just starting, while others are perfecting their techniques. With the Paul Chen Raptor Series you get a lot of bang for your buck as this sword can handle a lot of abuse, and misdirected cuts while staying razor sharp.
If you are looking for a great cutting sword, check out our Paul Chen Raptors and buy yours today! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@samuraisupply.com.
We all know the importance of a name. This is why many katana swords are named what they are. It is a symbol of respect, or sometimes, to just show from which period the design came from or what it was influenced by. Many people believe that the soul of the Samurai lives in the blade. This is all the more reason to take special care when naming a sword.
So, let's take a look at a wonderful group of swords brought to us by none other then Paul Chen. The Raptor designs area all based off of some historically important periods where forging technology and designs were really improving. The Raptor lines focused around making a very versatile, wide ranged sword line and that is what was accomplished. These Raptor swords can be used for a wide choice of targets rather then just mats. Hanwei Paul Chen has given careful thought to the way they name their swords and we should always remember that when we are choosing the sword that best fits us. We will look at each sword in the Raptor Series much closer in the next few blogs to come.
To add a Paul Chen Raptor to your collection, go to our site at SamuraiSupply.com and if you have any further questions, please feel free to email us at info@samuraisupply.com
SamuraiSupply.com would like to give you a brief overview of just who Hanwei Paul Chen is because the Hanwei Paul Chen Swords are very popular and very much in demand. Who makes these amazing swords? Where did they get started? Where did they come from?
Hanwei started with a man by the name of Paul Chen. Paul was born and raised in Taiwan and while he was young Paul developed a passion for knives and swords. Paul especially loved Samurai Swords and his passion for them grew strong.
There was a high cost for custom made pieces and antiques so Paul pursued an education into the making of knives and swords and he started to perfect his custom designs. He gained a very good reputation because of his unique designs and is quite successful.
When the demand for swords began to take off, he moved to Dailan, China which is known as the "steel city". He decided to become a manufacturer and he was able to employ many talented workers to bring the designs he created to life.
Hanwei employs over one hundred employees that produce over six hundred items in the sword, knife and weaponry fields. They are always developing new products and coming up with new concepts which keeps them the leader in their field.
Paul Chen's son, Ron Chen has now followed in his fathers footsteps and has studied under the Japanese legend Yoshindo Yoshihara. Ron Chen is responsible for the Tamahagane and the Banitie blades that are being developed by Hanwei and are very popular with sword collectors. There are many great things in store for Hanwei Paul Chen and we are looking forward to adding more of their new swords in our store so that we can bring them to you!
Go and look at the beautiful swords offered by Hanwei Paul Chen and add one to your collection today!
Let's talk about Hanwei Paul Chen and a couple of their Katana Swords that they have used this Tamahagane Steel on. Tamahagane Steel is a type of Japanese Steel translated as "jewel steel" which is mainly used to make Samurai Swords and Katana Swords. (SH2294 Paper Crane Katana Sword shown)
Tamahagane Steel is made by building and firing a Tatara, the traditional Japanese sword steel smelter. This charcoal fired furnace produces a very pure steel from iron sand and this steel "kera" or bloom can be broken and separated into high and low carbon pieces. These will form the "skin" steel and the "core" steel of the blade. The skin steel is forged and folded repeatedly. Careful heat treating, shaping and polishing reveals the tight "hada" or layer pattern of the blade and the white particles of the "hamon" or temper line. It takes about one week to build the tatara and complete the iron conversion to steel.
While this vigorous process results in the beautiful qualities much admired by collectors, it also produces a very functional blade as the high carbon content of the skin steel makes a very hard edge possible while the softer core steel gives the blade its resilience and ability to absorb shock.
The Paul Chen Paper Crane Katana Sword (SH2294) and the Paul Chen Paper Crane Wakizashi Sword (SH2328) are both made with the Tamahagane Steel and are without a doubt some of the greatest achievements in sword making artistry available from Hanwei.
The swords offer a Paper Crane motif tsuba with Nanako (stippled background) and an incredible hada and prominent hamon. They both also have a black lacquered saya with hand woven silk sageos.
These are fully functional and beautiful swords and are a MUST have to your current collection or a great way to start off your collection. They are priced right now at over 10% off the regular price and when you sign up to become a Samurai Supply Member on our home page, we will take an extra 7% off the price! Order yours now securely on our site and take advantage of this great price and this amazing sword!
