Dont worry if the store looks different today and over the weekend..

Hi guys,

I am too busy doing the actual work to blog about whats been done to date (anyone paying attention may notice it looks, feels and handles a tad more modern (oxymoron - not you, my terminology - heck and me! Who collects swords in 2014?

Well, I have run this store since 2007 - and now we are investing for 2014 and beyond. Check the site in your tablet, ipad, iphone, android, robot or that thing that used to be attached to the keyboard.. (which I have been more or less non stop for the last few days) - so forgive me if things on the outside keep changing in the wee hours.

Unless we switch payment options off in the wee hours US Easter standard time, the system remains secure and running safely 100% of the time..!

Sorry for an unfamiliarity, I think it should be worth bearing with me in short term.

Will update with more info after a bit of a rest. Apologies if any emails directed at me take until Mon evening before I can personally reply - its actually a bit of a messy backlog due to the need to focus o the store so much, but after a break and some tweaking the store over the weeked, I will do my best to focus on amy emails for me that have build up by Monday night at the latest.. (sorry, its worth it I think!)..

- Paul

Another Three Dojo Pro

We have just added another 3 new Dojo Pro models to the store - stunning and very popular new designs, check them out by clicking the links below:

Dojo Pro Model 19
Dojo Pro Model 20
Dojo Pro Model 21

P.S. You may have noticed some changes in the right hand column, now the new products page is only accessible from the blog and there is a quick exit link image back to the main store page while clicking the SBG logo on any of the blogs will take you to the MAIN site home page (not store, the informational section of the site and reason why we have a store in the first place!).

Dont tease or remove the TSUBA!!!!

ANTlers or just skinny horns..?

I did, and while it is arguably an improvement, turning into a bald zombie and sprouting antlers (they look a bit like ant feelers! But they were actually cropped from some horned real life beasty) doesn't suit everyone..

The reason for the faux horror is of course to try and give the latest addition to the SBG line up, the Ronin Katana Dojo Pro "Trapped Oni Soul" Ko Katana, the evil, smaller twin of the original bad boy that added + 3 to Dexterity as just one of its special powers.. (and as you can see, one of the others can cause some monsterism - as the Oni is trapped in the actual tsuba, removing it should only be attempted by senior members of the clergy or while wearing gloves at the very least...)

Of course, all kidding and spoofing aside - the actual sword is TRULY a little terror.





Cosmetically of course it is exactly the same color scheme (red and black as every discerning Oni just will not have it any other way!), though diametrically opposed - the original design is a huge 30" blade while the Ko Katana is a mere 24", but is incredibly fast in the hands (easily usable in one hand, it comes alive when used with two) its not just mean looking - it is MEAN!!

And bad tempered too, especially if you fiddle with, remove, tease, annoy or upset the tsuba.

 

Check it out in the store here

 

I think I had entirely too much fun with photoshop on this one..!

 

OTHER STORE NEWS

Things have been VERY busy the last few days, the SBG Custom Katana flicked between batches without the usual 2-3 month downtime and so far things are going very smoothly with the Custom Katana re-release. Everyone who got in on the most recent batch should get their swords by June 5th, all orders coming in now - late July - and with plenty of time to tweak and adjust your design before it goes to the forge.

And as the store overhaul continues - both the store blog (the thing you are reading now) and the dedicated Black Dragon and SBG Custom Katana forge blog have just been given a nice overhaul, coat of paint and are laying the foundations for more frequent use and usability.

And as anyone who received the exclusive store newsletter that went out a few days ago will know, things are about to get even busier and more exciting - so stay tuned folks! Plenty more to come, with 3 new Dojo Pro hot on the heels of the Oni Ko Kat - I must admit the saya on model 21 is unique and very attractive, my favourite in the classic series thus far I think.



Should be available in the store by this time tomorrow if all goes to plan!

Lots going on behind the scenes, so I need to get back to it - but will post again here very soon!

Lots, and lots (and lots) going on!

Looks like the knights have been at it again - has been a rather busy day as the store starts getting some additional features and upgrades..

And speaking of features and upgrades..

Batch 23 of the SBG custom Katana has just had a last minute burst of new options for the elite themed sets (from the previous runs of version 3.0, we are confident it can handle this expansion without breaking a sweat - and YOU guys get access to some additional unique, top quality designs that - who knows - one of which might be the exact thing you were hoping for..

Anyway, check it all out here - the next few days will see a few more changes occur here and there but don't worry if the furniture moves a bit here and there, the store remains 100% secure at all times!!!

Talk to all of you again soon.

- Paul

New SBG Designs

Hi everyone,

Just a very quick update - we have just finished adding 3 brand new, never seen before products to the store from our very own SBG Black Dragon Forge, makers of the SBG custom Katana since 2008..

Like all the blades the forge makes for us, each sword is made from differentially hardened T10 tool steel with a natural, unenhanced hamon. But as you can see from the brief introductory pictures below, that is about the ONLY thing these three designs have in common.

THE KAGETORAKEN

Features: Iron fittings, reinforced black rattan wrapped saya. Designed to be a frequent use dojo workhorse.

THE RED BELLY BLACK SNAKES

Named after a deadly snake native to Australia, this set of two blades are some of the most unique you are likely to stumble across - with double fullered blades, snake themed copper fittings and mottled habaki, if you are tired of the run of the mill designs then you need to check these out.

THE HOBGOBLIN KOGARASU NAGAMAKI NINJATO

This is a true Ninjato - designed to be unpredictable and cause confusion to an opponent with its unfamiliar angles of attack and with a mystical "Bakemono" (Japanese Hobgoblin) theme..

More pics and info can be found at our dedicated "SBG Black Dragon Forge" blog here or click the link below to see them all in one place at the store:

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THEM ALL OUT IN ONE PLACE AT THE STORE

I hope you enjoy checking them out as much as I did designing them! Stock is limited so if you see a design you like we strongly recommend that you snatch it up while you can.

- Paul Southren

Oops, we meant the 6th - not the 4th (plus quick update)...

Hi everyone!

I just realized that the stores vacation this year has been advertised as going from the 23rd of Dec to the 4th of Jan..

Sat the 4th, not ideal to commence shipping on and not correct.. The date we had meant to publish was of course Monday the 6th of January and NOT Saturday the 4th as mistakenly advertised..

Anyway, I hope people can be patient with us just a little longer..

In all honesty, we avoid holding Christmas sales per se the last 2 weeks are the WORST for damages, problems, lost items, mix ups and all the major carriers get overheated, overstressed and all in all - its a REALLY bad time to ship vulnerable to breakage and/or non regular shaped parcels - like swords - and it not ending up something like this...

So please be patient with us until the team get back in the saddle on MONDAY the 6th.. We have quite a backlog to tackle and we need to allow a little time for everyone to settle back down from holiday mode and generally get the motor running and get a handle on the backlog, so please rest assured we will do our best to get ack to any loose ends or emails from the holiday period as quickly as we can..

WHILE WE ARE BLOGGING - QUICK UPDATE TIME..

Its going to a pretty big year for SBG as a whole. Indeed regular or semi-regular site and store visitors may well have noticed a series of rolling improvements occuring to the store since around the 15th of December, and even a cursory look at some older images of the store cached by google shows that behind the scenes at the store, there have been major
 changes to both the way it looks and fundamentally operates..

I will save more detailed explanations of what has changed and what is omgoing in another post, but in the meantime just wanted to correct the store opening typo thing and suggest that if you have not visited the store or a few days you might be somewhat surprised at some of the things showing up as the secure update continues to roll out..

To whet your appetite, we have a lot of very cool swords in stock and ready to ship right now that have or will become available to purchase over the course of the next week or so in a new section of the website called appropriately enough..

New Products..

While I think the products designated for this list are exciting, I struggled with how to sum up "new products" in the themed ackground and header.. Actually, it looks terrible - but I am fairly new to using photoshop in any serious way so while I like some of the designs, its my least favorite..

Favorite new theme - SBG Black Dragon Forge!

 I have been doing all the photoshopping nonsense over the last few weeks and am happy with the way most turned out, but this is my fav.

The fire is all from a picture of the actual forge where the SBG custom katana and later some limited edition runs of popular designs have been made since the beginning..

The Black Dragon was our most popular sword - and leading with a small batch of just under 40 swords listed for sale only a few hours previous, - well, we think the "SBG Black Dragon Forge" just sounds cool and fits for us in some way.. But I dont know..

The actual page that is currently hosting this stock of lackdragons is also the page whose top graphic I KNOW is just, well - I was just trying to drum up excitement as the theme in picture form and got, er, this..


                                                                                      
It is ridiculous I know.

My Canadian agent friend who has also been a major part of the whole success of these very popular and well received swords said of the hatching dragon in the image that maybe I really have been living in Kawaii obsesssed Japan for too long..

But I dont kmow, how can I really capture how exciting and cool this page will be

And I dont know, its I thought amusing at first, but when you have a botique run of the Black Dragon Katana appear for sale along with the last release of the last few Jian of Marquis Yi on one page as a WARM UP - this is as good as anything else..

But anyway, thats all for now - will post again soon as there is quite a lot going on and even more generally in store around the place in the next few months for you, so until then - watch this space!!!

NEW ADDITIONS AT THE SBG SWORD STORE

 

THERES THINGS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE PLACE SIR!

OH MY. Sir? Oh - The RSS!!!!