Paul Chen Swords
(NOTE: Paul Chen Swords are also know by their company names: CAS Iberia, Hanwei, or CAS/Hanwei - confusing, I know)If you haven't already heard of Paul Chen, you certainly will when looking around for a sword to buy. Paul Chen has become one of the leaders in quality functional samurai swords (they also produce medieval and Chinese blades). Their low cost production, and decent quality have made their swords in high demand.
Why are Paul Chen (Hanwei) swords so popular?
They give you the opportunity to own a quality, attractive, functional sword at a low cost. Their swords range in costs from the very low hundreds up to the $1000+ mark.
Paul Chen Sword Features:
- Most Paul Chen swords are heat forged from high carbon steel. Some are heat forged AND folded.
- Most of their swords are forged with clay differential treatment (click here for more on sword making).
- Most of their swords have a full tang.
- Most of their low-cost swords have a fixed handle (tsuka) for safety (this means they can't be disassembled like most Samurai swords can).
- Most tend to be just as beautiful as a decorative sword, but are in fact fully functional.
Why buy from a distributor instead of the Paul Chen official site?
Paul Chen offers their swords at wholesale prices to official dealers around the world. These dealers can then price the swords competitively in order to pass the savings onto you.
It's best to shop around and compare prices. Here are some of the cheaper dealers I've found on the web: Link Link Link
Check out this Paul Chen interview. It may answer some more detailed questions about their swords.