Jim Hrisoulas (Atar) $3000 Katana : Somethings Not Right

[@Matthew_Jensen]

The original owner contacted me. Meaning the person who sold the sword to sword friend Landon. They have validated that this sword was purchased from Jim directly. I am now confident that this work was sold by Jim Hrisoulas directly and is not a forgery of his work.

[@yharim180]

Really strange that the fit and finish is of *that* sort of quality then. It is what it is, I suppose.

[@johncimino3133]

So - I guess I'm the only one that thinks he bought the cheapest Longquan swords he could find, stamped his mark, and resold them to the unknowing plebe's at enormous markup. What a shame,

[@candyshop84106]

MATT... Knight Thomas.. YOUR DEAD ON WITH THIS REVIEW.. LIKE ME, SOMETIMES OUR HONESTY MAKES SOME MAD.. MATT: After almost 6 decades, I have learned 80% of humans like to LIE to people even themselves. Why? Because life and truth is hard.. To Quote Jack Nickolas they "CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH".. He is buying cheap sword blanks that may or may not be heat treated. Then selling them in A HUGE MARKUP.. He isnt the first.. COLD STEEL and others have been doing it for decades.. KZbin has its faults, but youtube shines light on SO MANY WELL KEPT KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge for all human existence is POWER.. So the LACK OF KNOWLEDGE with Sword Steels AND HILT WORK, noone knew about them.. LOOKS COOL IN A BOOK, then we buy it.. Not knowing is CHEAP STEEL AND CUTTING CORNERS WITH TANG AND HILT\HANDLE CONSTRUCTION...Cold Steel now has madr the HONSHU BLADES.. They know people know steels now, so they advertise the steel & use a potentially good molded handle, but I wonder if the tangs on the Honchu Blades are CRAP.. ..Sorry long text.. Your Friend.. Knight Thomas..😉😁😎

[@candyshop84106]

Matt.. Your such nice guy that it actually HURT YOU TO TELL THE TRUTH...That I dont share with you. I find arrogant people that dont have a Clue and being cocky OR someone cheating people by ordering blanks and selling them at 10 times what worth, DO NOT Feel bad when THE TRUTH IS SHOWN.. Ive been wrong in life probably more than right. Although I dont get to upset when wrong.. Why? BECAUSE I WANT THE TRUTH, I DONT WANT TO LIE TO MYSELF. I Become Stronger and know more.. .Never Be Sorry Matt, by saying the truth.. Such nice guy....your Friend, Knight Thomas...

[@valinn13]

Given what you were looking at, I respect and appreciate your humility and expertise on the subject. It's been 20 years since I've seen the man, but I was acquainted with Jim, familiar with his work, and I've read all his books (and still reference them regularly). Given that, I cannot believe that this sword was sold by Jim Hrisoulas. One thing that stood out to me immediately was that his logo was double stamped on the nakago. I have never seen one of Jim's blades that wasn't stamped with his logo perfectly. Everything about this sword screams forgery to me. I sincerely hope that I'm right and that someone along the chain of ownership was fooled.

[@danlonick800]

Nah mate, this is what a genuine review is about. Good on ya for being an honest bloke 👍

[@gratefulronin]

This is why I'm a sub. Thank you Matthew for keeping them honest and having the sword community and collectors back.

[@gratefulronin]

This isn't a sub 300$ katana. For 3k... The rayskin is not full wrap. No premium emperor nodes. No hishigame. Kissaki is not geometric. Insulting

[@IAMBabylonTheGreat]

Thank you Matthew for such a courageous and honest review. You do all of your viewers a service, and you should know that it is appreciated.

[@g.r.bilyeu4226]

I appreciate the way you consider cost vs quality when you're assesing the over-all value. You've saved me hundreds of dollars. At least.

[@alexwilmes9496]

I think really it’s only 3 possibilities: 1. He buys a Lonquan katana and then signs the tang as a sort of autograph that he charges $3k for 2. He buys a mostly finished sword that he puts some of his own work on and then signs it 3. This is a forgery of one of his katana The forgery route would be easy to prove if you can find an example from someone who bought one of his katana firsthand.

[@KF1]

Just sayin, if I were to make a forgery of a Sorrels, it would not have a Longquan hamon, Longquan sori, Longquan fittings, saya etc. Option 1 or option 2.

[@Moonwynd5]

Oof this is hard to see but it needed to be seen for sure. I have 26 years of owning, practicing/using swords from Howard Clark, Jim Hrisoulas, Rick Barrett, etc. and swords that were polished and fitted by Keith Larman/Ted Tenold, etc...as well having owned several from Longquan forges as well. I do not want to believe that Jim is trying to pull some shenanigans so I want to believe that his maker's mark was forged. This sword is most definitely from Longquan just from the blade geometry, hamon, bohi, and finish. The fact that the parts bin koshirae, which I too have seen before, are on this sword...along with the abysmal finish on the says and the terrible tsuka-maki, and the nakago geometry/finish...it's Occam's Razor and the most likely explanation is the most probable: This is a Longquan sword with Longquan parts bin fittings. The mystery is how Jim's mark got on there - and once that truth is known, the rest becomes clear. Thank you for your service once again to the community.

[@yharim180]

I’m going to be buying a howard clark blade once I have 5,000 spare in the bank. Do you know of anyone else I could send it too for fit and polishing? I’m struggling to really find anybody that can do those right now.

[@XVI_Legion]

@@yharim180 If you need to "save up" to buy the unpolished blade it's probably better to not buy at all......a good mounting and polish will set you back another $10000. Also if you don't know the various people that will have to be involved to complete the setup you might not even get it finished. Also consider any cutting will diminish the polish instantly as will improper storage.

[@yharim180]

​@@XVI_Legion I planned in advance. I know what the total cost of it would be. I mean hell, I've been doing my homework on this for like the last year or so. I'm trying to find *who* would be the best to send the blade to for polish and finish. Which is why I asked. I will have the cost completely covered, I am not made out of money, but it is not something that I worry about. I only really know of one togishi, and I do not know of anybody besides the people at Motohara that can fit the blade, or make a saya for it. And from what little information I've found, a good togishi costs anywhere from ~100-150 an inch, and I'm going for a 27 inch blade. Edit: I am also aware of Patrick Hastings but I have no idea if he still makes fittings, nor do I know how to contact him if he does. Edit 2: Also, saving up for a hobby is what I'm supposed to do? Prioritize a vehicle, then my hobbies, no?

[@sam_barris]

Keith was a good guy. I didn't do too many projects with him before he passed, but I'm glad to have known him at least a little bit.

[@popeye089]

I hope he sees video, as I am sure you do too, and offers an explanation to the things you noticed. That’s my only opinion. Like you, I don’t want to say guilty without someone defending or explaining themselves. Great video and explanation for your thoughts btw

[@Matthew_Jensen]

I really hope I am wrong. If he is making them himself, then why does it do it this way? Why emulate Chinese made replica when you have the skill to make it your own way or like antiques.

[@popeye089]

@@Matthew_Jensen I hope it's a chinese knockoff. We've seen them make fakes for less money and use stampings and logos.....Summit just got caught selling fake auto parts cut from billet aluminum with a small shops logo and box

[@LadyEnyalus]

@@Matthew_Jensen I have Know Jim for years and I do have a hand forge chefs knife from him. I can say to my belief it is a forged one because Jim uses a single stamp mark for his blade, he would never double stamp a blade it looks tacky.

[@mysticmarbles]

Good on you for having the integrity to call this out.

[@josephs357]

This is why I watch you channel; I respect your honesty and the knowledge you have with your hobby. When I finally get a sword I'll know what to look for and what to lookout for. Thanks.

[@dlatrexswords]

This is a very interesting sword mystery. I think you've done a very great job presenting very objective case and thanks for showing so many comparisons to help show why you have made the conclusions you have. Very interesting case.

[@jaymadden3022]

I have known Jim for 25 years and if this is not his work from start to finish (other than some of the fittings) then I am dumbfounded. Brady from Age of Chivalry can vouch for him as well as usually being a solid maker and I own a few of Jim's daggers. Brady bought several of the swords in this series because he was such a fan (especially the o-katanas). Maybe this is an outlier. I hope that is the case. Having said that, I'm probably going with a Howard Clark for a couple of grand more just because that is more his wheelhouse than it is Jim's. I appreciate your forthrightness and shedding some light on this. I almost bought the last one Jim made since he dropped it to $1500 to get the series over with, but I'm kind of disappointed by what I see on this one. Maybe he should stick with the western daggers and swords and I think he will after this. He made it pretty clear he is never making another katana. I appreciate your work, Matt.

[@ATerafinLoyalty]

Thank you for your careful analysis. Appreciate you sharing what you see based on your experience.

[@ObscureJester]

Regular questions: - what steel is it? - what exactly is the process used by this smith to end up with a finished sword? - why using cast furniture on something that should be of a considerable "value" at $2800? Concerning questions: - why spending time and effort in painting a saya to get a worse result than "just having the saya lacquered in Longquan as default?" - why are the end knots reversed and the maki is so bad? Extremely concerning questions: - how can a smith not notice the hamon being so dangerously close to the edge? - did the smith at least do the polishing? I hope not as it looks subpar at its best. Then if he didn't, what exactly makes this blade deserving a mei? - if this piece is a forgery, why the smith is not already in berserk mode?

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

YOu have enough experience and knowledge, a very good eye, and you are methodical, always proceeding in a consistent manner. I think your reviews are even and fair. Although I am not so interested in Katanas, I am learning a lot about looking and seeing, and being methodical in sword inspection or any other inspection. Thank you, Matt.

[@danielkeding3071]

Thanks Matt, not just for an excellent review of this sword but also for delivering an honest examination that tries to protect your viewers. Keep up the good work.

[@kevinc3751]

Thank you for your review. I’ve seen many of his swords of AoC and too many strange happenings in the photos made me think something was off. No reason for spare parts on a blade that doesn’t look high quality. I suspected the cost was going off his name, but not worth the price and questionable business practices. And you are not wrong. Very magnanimous of you to offer, but that is the least likely option. Even less likely than it being a custom smithed Chinese knock off.

[@tickledpinkmist]

Katanas are like wine; Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s good.

[@anasevi9456]

The big big problem is a $3k Katana made Longquan would blow the doors off this in blade and fittings. I hate to surmise it like this, but predating on new hobbyists is easier when you have a good attitude.

[@EloyBushida]

A $400 sword from Longquan would blow the doors off this blade in every single imaginable way.

[@tnvol4749]

The katana on his website are something else. Looks 💯 like the Chinese parts shop special for 3000$. Wild times.

[@JoeSteel1]

Yeah Matt, your not wrong, its so obviously not An American made product, or its a bad replica, or there were many corners cut, and not much efforts in making it, what is very disturbing to me is, that he would settle and be satisfied just to know his symbol is on it without investigation further. WTF If I was an expensive sword maker in the States? i would want to see a plethora of pictures, have a video call, do an interview... to clear my name, almost as if he doesn't care. I dont think he takes it very seriously....What an insult in pricing this. my humble opinions and observations, of course

[@Matthew_Jensen]

In the single phone conversation I had with Jim, I got the impression he cares. Things do not add up, what I see is a product made in China masquerading as a Custom US made work, but Jim sounds like a smart and kind man who is proud of his work. I struggle with this but felt like kicking the can down the road anymore would be a disservice. My goal is to help people, and I feel like this is useful information to have as a perspective buyer. I hope I am wrong but there is a lot to address here even if I am.

[@dirtyscavanger]

When you buy parts bin pieces like everyone elis, your product is gana blend in. It doesn't matter how you assemble the pieces.

[@sinisterswordsman25]

@@Matthew_Jensen Is it possible that it's a knock off? Like say I go to the mall buy a random "battle ready" katana, take it apart, grind off the smith's name and write 'Walter Sorrells' and sell it for $3000 on ebay or whatever? And sword friend who bought this sword just got scammed by some random scam man??? This whole thing is kinda weird joe makes good point, Jim seems pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. But then again there are knock offs of all kinds of stuff. I remember the darksword armory guy saying something to that effect. Maybe it happens all the time even?(Apologies if you already answered this in the video)

[@xXjOmAmMaXx]

Looks much like the sword posted on his Atar site back on the 22nd of February. Looking at his other Japanese swords that were on offer they give me the same vibe - Longquan swords offered at a 10x premium....

[@AOWGroundBeef]

damning, very damning. A very objective and well rendered presentation and argument. Thank you for your objective reviews.

[@yharim180]

Things like these are why I am very careful about what high end swords I choose to pursue or buy. Good review

[@TopLob]

I must say that I only listened to this at first, so when I started watching, I was at the part where both swords are shown simultaneously, and I couldn't tell which one was the $3000 sword. They both look like bargain-bin katana. Standardized blades smacked into standardized tsuka and saya, with standard-cast tousogu. The more of the video I see, it looks indistinguishable from any low-end Longquan katana. It's not really hard to tell, either, so I don't believe he's making these swords. At best, he's assembling them. This has really been my reaction when people ask which retailer has the best swords, but then they ask about two retailers who are both selling swords that come from the same factories. In other words, the products are the same, it's just the storefront that is different.

[@Jim58223]

Now this is an exposé I'd watch.

[@corvusscottwilliams4751]

Excellent as always mate.

[@CountOrlok22]

I would hope that this is an instance where someone was attempting to knock off Hrisoulas' work. That really seems like the best possibility, because otherwise we're looking at not only serious fraud in terms of the work itself and the sales, but also a trusted academic who is frankly full of shit. Whatever the outcome, I really appreciate your humility and integrity in making this video, and I can see on your face and hear in your voice the reluctance to arrive at this conclusion. That said, all of the things you point out are very valid, many of your observations are also obvious especially regarding the loose ito, the finish on the saya, and the clearly factory cast fittings. That's what makes this all the more surprising in a way, because one would think that someone with Hrisoulas' credentials would be selling these swords to other knowledgeable people, whether academic peers or fellow collectors, and that someone would see these apparent quality issues and red flags and address them. Is this a case of the emperor's new clothes where the name itself carried such respect that no one was willing to speak up?

[@shadiversity]

Very fair and honest, great review with true integrity.

[@JiyuKishiParn]

I have an old Onikiri that I got for $60 at a mall store that was going out of business and after nine years and a lot of handling the ito wrap is still rather tight. That thing has no excuse.

[@davidziebell8643]

Thanks for your honesty

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

Matthew, you may not be a PhD but you certainly are self trained enough that you opinion holds weight. You are no nube when looking at swords & have seen way more swords than most folks. If you feel something is off about the sword it cery well may be. Hopefully a good explanation is fourth comming but regardless you remained unbias, apologetic 8n advance & professional throughout. Regardless of what may come the community supports you & I feel we all agree you are not out of line.

[@neutronshiva2498]

Check the hardness of the edge. It might not even have been heat treated. Wouldnt surprise me at all :)

[@shaynejones5790]

That is a Chinese sword and that’s a j koo hamon I have the same one I can send pics if u need them

[@SL-ml6fy]

great review, keep them coming.

[@VeridianHerald]

Are you gonna at least send him an aloe plant for this burn-a-paloza? Joking aside, excellent lighting with the red and violet on your side for the ominous and less than favourable review. Thank you for the honest discussion. Hopefully it is as others mentioned, a forgery.

[@aaronmatheson9730]

It seems so risky to try and get away with this, in a community like this. People now days know all the caveats of a Chinese made sword. It’s not easy to come back from his, if this is indeed the case! (I am not Questioning Matthew with the last statement)

[@LancelotChan]

You may not be wrong. I have had a friend who bought a sword from him. We went so far to spark test it to try to tell the steel type, due to the sword having a very soft hardness. We ended up unable to determine that it was the steel as advertised at all. Due to the unable to determine the steel type from the spark test, we were unable to re-heat treat it to 52 to 55 HRC as we wanted.

[@imperfectlump6070]

You could take a small sliver from the tang and have it analyzed.

[@LancelotChan]

@@imperfectlump6070 yes, the spark test was done on the tang and ring pommel (it was a dadao).

[@SHAWNDAVIS-rh9ic]

No need for apologies for an honest review. Especially if the review is firsthand and from a dispassionate, uninterested third party.

[@Taurus_Skyglaive]

Same quality of Tsukamaki wrap is on some other swords (at least one) on the website....

[@sam_barris]

Well, that sucks. A while back, he did a bunch of Japanese swords and I picked one up. Directly from his website, so there was no room for third party shenanigans. It's a kodachi with a kogarasu zukuri style blade. Not a style one sees a lot of on the market. I love the blade; really nice metal work. The mounting, however, left a lot to be desired. It was like he was still figuring out the ins and outs of mounting a Japanese sword, and there's a rough spot inside the saya that likes to snag the blade when I slide it back in. The tsuba is also, as far as I can tell, just a machined brass disk flush with the fuchi. I got it for a fair price I think, but I do plan to get it remounted with nicer fittings at some point. I saw one or two more of his Japanese swords made around the same time in person and didn't think they looked like anything I'd seen from another seller before. Anyway, I hope this one isn't what it looks like, or at least, that any malfeasance isn't the maker's. Not unheard of for a mark to be forged. But it's also not unheard of for a respected person to do something regrettable.

[@shanewright344]

My only thoughts on the handle wrapping is that perhaps someone at some point unwrapped it, and then they tried to re-wrap it. That's just my theory, though.

[@candyshop84106]

Matt. I could sworn you had a streaming coming up tonight?? Dont see it on your channel now?

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Next week mucacho

[@candyshop84106]

@@Matthew_Jensen Matt think of me as your Info Knight.. LOL.. Like I say, Fan Of Matt. I watched years of Skall.. He was best Pioneer of Sword Talk.. I learned much from him. He Started doing to many personal issue videos for awhile. His watched video dropped, so he went back to Swords.. Anyhow, I started watching others that had more knowledge..ILLYA From "The Works" Channel is a Blacksmith Genius.. THEN I found DR. THOMAS..(Ironic because my last name is Thomas..😁😎). DR. THOMAS, blow knife makers minds, and I think intimidate them some, because there is NO B.S., Just the Scientific Evidence and Understanding of modern steels, History of Steels Etc.. Dr. Thomas blew away any SMOKE Or Mystic Bullshit that often knife & Sword makers state or twist or let EMOTION FROM MOVIES & OLD TRADITIONS THAT ARE NOT TRUE.. . sorry so long Matt.. Your Blade Journey Friend Knight Thomas.. 😁😎

[@candyshop84106]

@@Matthew_JensenFYI: Made this email handle over 10 years ago, Just threw out Candy Shop because 50 Cent Hit song was playing.. I never thought I would use it.. .I need to change it.. Is kinda creepy.. LOL...😄😎

[@patientmental875]

What is the absolute best katana in the $300-$400 range based on sharpness, looks & durability?

[@nickhrisoulas1749]

This is actually a cool review his work isn't the same hes old hes been doing this way before i was born. Me and my father dont talk anyone but his blades are legit

[@mariaconcepcionrodriguezhe2850]

Cocaine?

[@Matthew_Jensen]

That is helpful to hear. Though it still leaves questions. It is not only the furniture that looks off but everything. If he made this then why does it look just like blades from longquan? I have no doubt he makes some things but I am still unsure about this one. Does any video of him making a katana exist?

[@SpaceGhost182]

And..... It's already up for sale on SBG

[@Moonwynd5]

Oof...

[@AOWGroundBeef]

wow, not cool at all.....with no disclosure of suspicion.....this is one the current owner should be taking up with the PO, probably. Will be interesting to see if Hrisoulas responds.

[@sinisterswordsman25]

3:40 oooooow this gonna be a good one!

[@dank5015]

I don't know anything about Jim Hrisoulas or swords but I loved the video. It seems naive and lazy of him to say that if it has that marking he created it. So I don't think you should feel bad about anything that you are saying here. You made a very strong case as to why you believe it is a knock off. I hope that we get to see Jim's response to it as well.

[@benfraase3030]

Fuchi/kashira looks like my katana from Iron Tiger Forge.

[@Pablo668]

I'm leaning towards forgery as I don't know Mr Hrisoulas or know anything about his work. This does not look even close to a 3k sword. (my idea of what a 3k sword should be is probably not realistic). Good vid Matt.

[@Kale_Kale]

He has this sword posted on his website. I'm leaning towards scam.

[@KF1]

0:30 yeah, man. That's a standard Longquan hamon. It's like a fingerprint. Good detective work

[@KF1]

3:50. No not true. The Munetoshi Water dragon had the same set 10+ years ago. Got that little tab under the kashira, you know from the Ryujin one. Same deal.

[@KF1]

5:58 my Huawei came with the same tsuba, too. Wtf is going here for 3k?

[@KF1]

16:04 this one is Pakistani, by the looks of it. Have seen similar features for days on the ebays. Pakistani to the point that I would bet money on it. 16:15 yeah, just so

[@angelosilva342]

My concern lies elsewhere... How much of a piece has to be made *bespoke* by a smith, so it can earn the "made by" moniker? Seriously?! WTH is "I didn't make the scabbard" "or the fittings" "or the tsuka core either"...?

[@targetaps]

Reminds me of the Dark Sword Armory shenanigans.

[@Moonwynd5]

I don't know. I had a Howard Clark 1086 katana that was polished/mounted by Keith Larman and it was worth every penny for the total cost. Howard forged the blade and Keith took it from there and brought out the beauty and chose the koshirae, made the tsuka/saya, and finished it. It's fairly common for a "bespoke" piece to bear the smith's mark/signature but to be finished by someone else.

[@angelosilva342]

@@Moonwynd5 Keith's work was awesome! Really knew how to get the most out of that HC L6. However, I feel that's more of a "mounted HC blade by Keith Larman" kind of deal. It's a whole other thing to present something as made by oneself and then lots of parts were made by other people or off the shelf. These are not really weapons of war nowadays, more of collector or training items. This kind of "put together from a bunch of different things" should be front and center on the item description. The inference made from "made by someone" leads in the opposite direction.

[@Moonwynd5]

@@angelosilva342 hello! Yes, Keith's work on the HC 1086 was something to behold. And HC is completely up front that he only provides bare blades in 220 finish so he doesn't present them as being fully finished, polished, mounted at all. I think everyone should be completely up front and honest in advertising, but that's not how it works unfortunately. I really don't want to believe that Jim is selling fully mounted katana under his name but getting mass produced bin furniture, says, AND a Longquan blade blank. This sword that Matthew reviewed above is something I wouldn't spend more than $300 on and one I wouldn't personally purchase at all (not knocking the current owner as tastes vary). Still hoping for the truth to come out because the sword buying/loving community really deserves the truth.

[@angelosilva342]

@@Moonwynd5 I've heard of Jim Hrisoulas all the way back when Sword Forum International was the place to be. I also do not want to believe this is a deliberate attempt at passing a 300$ish china made katana (which IMHO can be decent swords sometimes), as Jim's own work. I see the forgery aspect a tangible possibility here. Otherwise, the not being upfront with how the sword was "put together" will come across as deliberate misdirection to be able to charge such a premium for having his name. I think we can all agree its not a 3000$ sword. Maybe its a typo and its a legit 300$ sword from Dr. Hrisoulas?

[@peterchristiansen9695]

Thank you Matt, for calling this one out! 👍🏻 Because something is very, very "fishy" about this sword...‼️

[@The_Owlbear_Jew]

I would like you to update the channel description. "I am a five headed moron that talks about swords on the internet for some reason".

[@Matthew_Jensen]

done

[@The_Owlbear_Jew]

You're wonderful.

[@BrandonPowellBlasterTown]

​@@Matthew_Jensengreat video, I have to admit when I saw that you actually did change the description I hit that subscribe button with swift precision. Well played.

[@Intrepid_Explorer]

Looks like a ~$500 Ryansword katana to me.

[@TONEDEAFSOUND]

looks much worse honestly

[@Intrepid_Explorer]

@@TONEDEAFSOUND Maybe, my experience keeping up with Ryansword ended during the whole fake Sanmai debacle some years back. I haven't seen much of their newer stuff lol

[@TONEDEAFSOUND]

@@Intrepid_Explorer they definitely have tightened it up

[@CountOrlok22]

I have some custom katana with factory parts from Longquan that are in the $200-250 range that have better components and construction. I would be pissed by an ito wrap that bad on a $75 Musha sword. It's totally unacceptable, but even more so at the suggested price point.

[@peterchristiansen9695]

Lately (as stated above) Ryansword has really, really improved! I wouldn’t buy ‘laminated’ blades from them, tho - but I’d be wary of buying sanmai (or any other type of complex construction) blades from most budget forges (or indeed any resellers!) anyhow!

[@Giant_Among_Men]

Real Talk! I like It

[@bladetasticknives5712]

Are there any videos of him forging a katana or doing stock removal ? Any video evidence at all of his process ??? If you are legitimate, you can provide this video evidence 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Matthew_Jensen]

He has written books that people reference about how to make the hamons. I would imagine he has.

[@schattenlaufer2191]

@@Matthew_Jensen Writing a book and doing the actual work is different. And to be honest, I don't trust anyone just because they have a PhD and have written books. Historians get things wrong and sometimes don't even admit they were wrong. I let the work speak for them. The first warning sign is the use of mass production katana parts. 3K and you can't use unique parts for your "proud work" really?... Don't forget that I can scam you and be very polite and nice about it.

[@johncimino3133]

I feel bad that you had to expose this Matt, and I think you do too. But you did everything you could to provide an honest review while trying your hedging best to also provide benefit of the doubt. Of course, w/o either of us actually calling JH out - it's fairly obvious to see thru the BS, invoke Occam's Razor and understand what is really going on with sword. And that is just sad.

[@BruceWSims]

As a practitioner of Korean Sword, I am ever on the lookout for a resource that is able to produce an authentic HWANDO and not some post-Yi Dynasty Japanese architecture which many Mistake for authentic Korean design. I mention this ONLY because I have watched a few of these video-s by this individual and have been patiently waiting for him to "drop the other shoe". Were I a practitioner of Japanese sword I would want an authentic well-made piece and not much of the trash I see repeatedly turning up. To accomplish that, maybe its time to start identifying the sources of sound, well-made pieces. If there are people who are producing a good piece at a good price point with good customer service, THOSE folks nbeed to be known. Thoughts?

[@TheDancingSaxophone]

He has definitely made videos on companies that do a great job. Huawei, Z-Sey, Shadowdancer, Evolution Blades, etc. which are absolutely among the best of the modern reproduction katana. Not saying they’re all on the same level ofc course, but all companies you can be sure the blade is going to be sound at any price point they offer.

[@John_Falcon]

Thanks, Matt! =3

[@Greenmahn333]

👍

[@JARCHIE1973]

This sword doesn't even compare to $300 - $500 Japanese Style Swords. I mean the $295 Ronin Dojo Pro's are finished better. For $3000 you can get something very nice. Thats Motohara range.

[@EmilianosLeonidas]

The thing about the truth is not everyone can handle it! Because its not always funny. If what you are saying is the truth . Keep making content

[@tombrown5508]

Daammmn, good job, bro.

[@yourhighschoolenglishteach8405]

i really think your investigation has turned up something, especially with the furniture/tsuba. as a knifemaker i can tell you so many “custom” knifemakers send out for their parts (although most at least design the blade themselves). it is VERY difficult to make money with knifemaking if you do everything in-house. so i wouldnt be surprised if some parts of this sword (other than the sheath) were mass-produced by somebody else. still, i have a hard time believing anybody has committed fraud (even when i should). misunderstandings and incompetence are much more common.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

If Jim were just using parts from China and putting them on a blade he made, that would be something. Howard Clark sells a blank blade for $5k and you just get a bare blade. If he were to charge another $400 for furniture sourced from China that made the blade functional until a better mount could be done, that would be OK. I think that would be a good option to have rather than having a blade a person can't use. That said, honesty is not optional. Noting that a "friend hand casts" the furniture is at a minimum a misleading sales tactic. It is also less the issue, Jim did note that he does not make the furniture and a bit of hyperbole is not uncommon. The main issue is with the blade. He stated that he makes them in his shop. That these are not Chinese made blades. He does the heat treatment, lamination, ect.. I don't understand how this would look the same as soo many swords in China then. It should look like his work. But all the things are like a Lonquan katana. Not that those are bad, but they are different things. The sugata, the termination of the bohi, the thickness at and taper, the polish, the location of the machi, the imperfections in the mune, the grind and shape of the nakago.. That is just too much to be coincidence.

[@yourhighschoolenglishteach8405]

@@Matthew_Jensen ah, i see. its a bit more subtle than i thought initially. since you are somebody who has owned and taken apart countless katana, i trust your eye regarding those details; somebody buying their first or second sword might not notice that the blade doesn’t look like a 3k custom.

[@schattenlaufer2191]

@yourhighschoolenglishteach8405 if you made a 3k Knife wouldn't you use unique or custom parts? If I pay 3K for it, I expect it to look like that. At that moment I knew this katana was a scam for 3K.

[@johndee7303]

There is a fifth possibility you didn't mention. Now, I say this with the same caveats you mentioned in your video, and I'm in no way more credible than you are on this topic, as I am merely a small time hobbyist with only one item worth mentioning in my collection (shit's expensive, yo), but it may very well be the case that Mr. Hrisoulas, in all his academic prowess, is unfortunately just not a very good craftsman. Personally, I would hope that's not the case, considering the prices he asks for. If you ever get a respnse of him to this video, I'm sure many of us would be interested in an update on what he has to say.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

If his skill were not up to the task then it would like like what happens when other KZbin smiths that do not make katana opt to make a katana. Each one is a little different and I would guess it would resemble his work with European style arms. I am China, Longquan specifically have a way of making these swords. I don't think it would looks the same way. With all the same pros and cons.. except more cons..

[@johndee7303]

@@Matthew_Jensen After taking a quick glance over his shop, his work seems oddly inconsistent. I don't want to criticise too much with my limited knowledge about Jim and his products, but a lot of what is shown seems in line with the quality of this sword here. Uneven lines, rough handles and some questionable design choices both in functionality and historical accuracy (the former admittedly very subjective and the latter very possibly just me being wrong)

[@Davidcharrod]

I legit have $100 swords that would blow this thing away. Even second or fourth hand this is unacceptable.

[@candyshop84106]

Matt is Honest and Humble.. To Humble sometimes I think.. With that said. TYPE OF STEEL MATTERS....

[@itskarl7575]

That assembly is so atrocious that I can't imagine anyone being dumb enough to put their own maker's mark on it and sell it for $3000. Maybe this is one of his early works, which he sold for a couple of hundred, but a reseller put a significant markup on it because of the name?

[@Kale_Kale]

I don't think so. The same sword was posted on his website as "new" in February 2024. I think it's absolutely telling that he posts "new" swords for sale every week or so. Can you imagine a more reputable US maker having such a schedule.

[@itskarl7575]

@@Kale_Kale Yes, that is concerning. But why sell anything with a ito wrap _that_ bad? Maybe a previous owner tried to fix a loose wrap and only made it worse? I just can't fathom this being sold by the maker in that godawful state, let alone at that price.

[@Kale_Kale]

@@itskarl7575 I can't imagine what the previous owner could have done to the wrap that loosened it but kept the shape of it. I think its more likely that the maker just doesn't care or have the skill to wrap it as Matthew Jensen says and he caters to the ren faire crowd who is less knowledgeable.

[@oubliette862]

there's only a limited amount of possibilities here. the guy is either ripping people off or someone has made a fake one and you ended up with it.

[@nickhrisoulas1749]

He forged a 6 foot odachi he had to dig a trench to quench it hes not the same as he was but i have seen with my own eyes him do some crazy shit

[@Matthew_Jensen]

I don't doubt he has or did or even does.. Just that he didn't with this one and likely others. The only explanations I have gotten so far from this video in defense of Jim have been he can make things. Or that he has a good reputation. Or that he wouldn't. The video highlights some specific traits of a katana that are somewhat unique to the katana made in Longquan China. Why do his blades have the same DNA so to speak?

[@nickhrisoulas1749]

@@Matthew_Jensen the man gets all his fittings from China and gets his scabbards from Amazon. Be uses crackle spray paint that he paints himself. I was looking at that makers mark and it's double stamped it it looks legit. He forges a type of way that only himself is capable of

[@nickhrisoulas1749]

I've watched this man forge n he does I almost killed the both of us blowing up his forge

[@voterfraud4creepyjoe60]

$This is not worth $3000 The Skijiro swords you have reviewed are worth a fraction of this. And the transitions align. This sword blade looks like something from Ryansword or Dragon Forge. This is obviously grossly overpriced, or the reputation of Jim is grossly overblown

[@Kale_Kale]

Wow, that is such a scam for $2500-3000... Cheap fuchi kashira same as the ones on my $100 munetoshi, ito wrap looks horrible and isn't even alternating, and cheap mirror polish that you can find on $150-200 longquan swords. Guessing Atar sells his stuff to less knowledgeable ren faire goers? I think it's absolutely telling that he posts "new" swords for sale every week or so. Can you imagine a more reputable US maker having such a schedule. I saw that Landon has listed the sword on sbg forums. Hoping he can recoup some of the costs. Thanks for being honest, Matthew!

[@naruomi9477]

W

[@voterfraud4creepyjoe60]

If this is a genuine piece… we got some scammers in the community

[@Snarlacc]

Yes, you should not attribute malice to things where ineptitude is a good explanation, but here is just too much wrong.

[@nickmarcotti8167]

No matter what the deal is, I just honestly can’t believe someone saw this sword and spent $3,000 on it. For Jim’s sake, I hope it’s a forgery.

[@serpnta1267]

Way too many problems with the sword. Doesn't matter who made it to me; not worth $3k. Hopefully it is a fake. Great review!

[@andreashartmann3900]

Omg terrible im soooo happy with my Citadel

[@EloyBushida]

Wow, yes this is absolutely a scam. You could get this exact sword for $300 shipped from any number of online sword retailers, and as you mentioned the quality on the chinese made sword would be better in some spots than on the scam sword. Especially the wrap, holy crap that is the worst I've ever seen in my nearly 30 years of katana collecting.

[@garrettmarshall9740]

Blade, mount, koshirae all indicate Chinatana. Doesn't even look like a "good" Chinese made kat. It's listed for sale on SBG forum for $1K. Buyer beware.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

As you might imagine sword friend Landon is not super keen on keeping this one. He has opted to sell it and is trying to get what he has into it back.

[@garrettmarshall9740]

@@Matthew_Jensen Someone that doesn't know any better might buy it, then realize later on it's a bad deal like the current owner did. Unfortunate. Anyway, good on you for calling it out. You're not wrong on the assessment.

[@Moonwynd5]

@@Matthew_Jensen I do not blame him for wanting to get rid of it...sword friend Landon should be up front about it on SBG - he does not mention loose kashira/loose tsuka ito or any other potential issues in the listing.

[@patrickkelly1070]

Jim is one of the old grand masters of the craft. I've seen Katanas made by him in years past, and none of them looked like this. I can't believe he's responsible for this one. If so, that's more than upsetting.

[@Mitcheltron]

Odd thing is, currently on his website, all his katana look like Lonquan swords

[@patrickkelly1070]

@@Mitcheltron I just perused his website. There certainly are similarities.

[@tcup3946]

I have not gone higher quality than Cold Steel Dragonfly simply because I don't want to get taken, and I trust Lynn Thompson's product

[@cottontailcustoms]

I don't know his work but based on what I've seen in your video I personally would not value this sword anywhere near $3k. beside the horrible quality of the tsukamaki, the wrap is completely backwards, the furniture is awful and there is nothing about that blade that seems impressive at all... unless it's proven to be able to chop iron without taking damage. I feel very bad for anyone who has spent that kind of money on swords like this :(

[@samuraibyrd]

That’s got Longquan all over it. I can paint a saya better with finger paint 🤪. At least Longquan uses lacquer,that looks like spray paint (rattle can,we call it in the industry,lol)

[@joske2838]

Your Snake Plisskin katana puts this one to shame big time! saya on this one really looks like a blotchy spray paint job for sure 🤦‍♂ even for the cheapest china made saya it looks below the usual standard, but for 3grand😦

[@samuraibyrd]

@@joske2838 nice! That’s cool you remember my Plisskin sword⚔️👍🤘. Yeah,this one is really bad

[@ssjronin3972]

What's worse you hurt someones feelings by speaking facts or that person stealing thousands of dollars for subpar work..? The latter every time, never be afraid to tell the truth. You are protecting people from losing hard earned money and you are helping craftsman who actually care about their products step up their quality by showing them their weak points specifically.

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

Either made half ass and he simply put his stamp on it, or a villain from Longquan has half assed copied his work and stamp. The astronomical price is simply madness, no offense Langdon!!

[@neutronshiva2498]

Someone else said the saya looks much worse than standard Longquan. So someone took Longquan blade, counterfeited Atar stamp and stamped it, bought some cheapest parts from Aliexpress and half assedly put it all together into this abomination.

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

@@neutronshiva2498 unfortunately some people get away with stuff like that, and the poor buyer doesn’t know until they receive it 😕

[@henrymrowicki7004]

I have a $130 Musashi katana, and it is better than that sword in every way. It's sad to see a sword friend get screwed.

[@belishp]

I know that atar was selling some bare blades a few years ago and he was making imperfect blades to show how things could go wrong for his upcoming book on katanas. Perhaps that blade was perchesed from atar then fitted by someone else. If that is not the case then I am disappointed in atar.

[@southerndime333]

straight for the kidney shot..

[@jmbstudio6873]

Good on you! Dood is a fraud. I dont care what any community says about him. I make all my own parts from raw materials. If you do not then it is almost impossible to achieve the perfection of a handmade Japanese edged weapon. I have much respect for the craft and try to pay homage to the original style while adding my own flair. I also made tools for the handle and scabbard that are the original style, like the Saya Nomi which I made out of 240 layer Damascus high carbon steel. Jim is a model assembler at best. I would challenge him to up his game or get out of the industry, he gives it a bad name. Thanks Forged In Fire. Forge On!!!

[@schattenlaufer2191]

Exactly, it's not like these people are building a name and respect for themselves in a community only abuse and scam said community. 3K for that sword is.... a..... scam...

[@jmbstudio6873]

@@schattenlaufer2191Agreed, he benefits no one but himself. Compared to youngsters like Jesse Hu, this guy is a scam artist and not even a model assembler. Forge On!!!

[@ssjronin3972]

The "tang" or rather the nakago is like a fingerprint to the smith. They practice that section like a signature. Just sharing more knowledge on the subject.

[@TheDancingSaxophone]

Matthew specifically said as much in this video.

[@ssjronin3972]

@@TheDancingSaxophone He didn't mention that the smiths practice on that section with a focused intension. Please do quote where timestamp and what he says specifically.

[@TheDancingSaxophone]

@@ssjronin3972 Sorry, you’re right in that he didn’t say that part specifically. But he did say the nakago is as a smith’s fingerprint.

[@ssjronin3972]

@@TheDancingSaxophone All good, I was trying to reference what he said and add on to it. I am bad with grammer so I probably didn't write it properly.

[@ismael_capital]

Hi anyone knows a supplier for katana anime and katana samurai and other katanas i run a new e-commerce store and i need the supplier

[@mariaconcepcionrodriguezhe2850]

Alibaba

[@FiliiMartis]

I'm not a katana collector, but I was watching "Let's ask Shogo" and the katanas he uses look nice, simple, classical, and match what I saw as antiques. On the other hand, while I tend to skip Matthew's reviews of katanas, most of the katanas presented look like scams to me. They look either cheap, or not worth the money, of full-blown scams. This video reinforces that view. With European swords, the distinction between good and bad is quite obvious to me. But with katanas, even the ones that people would deem to be good look bad to me as a result of the negative baseline. I'm kinda curious if my view is biased due to my personal interest, or if indeed the bad to good ratio of katanas is larger than with European swords. Btw, I view glow in the dark purple anime katanas as katanas, but I don't see Zelda master sword, zombie swords and the like as European swords.

[@MrCarlbrooks]

I really enjoy your videos. No shade on this one either, but as a memento mori I really hope you don't slide down the Content Creators' Antlion Sand Trap of controversy and bait titles/thumbnails

[@Matthew_Jensen]

This is the subject for a while video. I really hope not too. The goal here is to arm sword buyers with more information to make purchases that will stand a better chance of meeting expectations. If anything I do is antithetical to that goal please call me out. To be fair, I can understand the alure. Generally my content is quite positive, yet this one is one of the best performing videos I have had. It focuses on something generally rather negative, and has my dumb face right on the front of it. The numbers make a compelling argument. Anyway, if you have suggestions on how not to suck, please let me know.

[@MrCarlbrooks]

@@Matthew_Jensen I'm glad you made the video, and it is important for sword enthusiasts; I too would be appalled to pay for bespoke and receive made-to-measure. I hope there's more to the story, as I understand it Jim/family have been ill recently and maybe the works are gummed up over there, etc

[@felldir]

Oh man this looks awful. Definitely a chinese made cheap katana.

[@nickhrisoulas1749]

I'm his son he forges the blade but he gets the fittings from his sources. He's old and he's not producing the same as be was when I was a kid

[@user-bm3ts2ql6s]

Absolute disaster

[@V3RTIGO222]

Unless we can verify or compare this piece with other katana produced by Jim, it would be hard to truly make a determination. We have a sample of one sold second hand... from that and the whole conversation were hearing by proxy its hard to say if simply having the mark makes it his sword, as simply recreating the mark in a stamp could be easy... I think that for Jim he may have worked off blanks and otherwise hand assembled an entirely chinese sourced blade.