Hanwei lugu
Katana konstruktsioon
Hanwei mõõkade terastest
Katanade võrdlus
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Hanwei: A Brief History
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Today, the names Hanwei and its founder, Paul Chen, engender an image
of fine functional swords and historical weaponry. Based in Dalian,
China, Hanwei manages to combine traditional craftsmanship with modern
tooling and metallurgy, in a way that enables it to supply a world-wide
market while meeting or exceeding the quality of custom-made products. |
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Paul Chen grew up in Taiwan where, as a young man, he developed an
ongoing fascination for swords and knives. Largely unable to afford
antique and custom-made pieces he became a custom maker himself,
enjoying success in this field in both Asia and the U.S. In 1991 he
decided to become a full-time manufacturer and moved to Dalian, the
“Steel City” of northern China, where he knew that he could find
talented artisans capable of being trained as first-class sword and
knife makers.
Early endeavors largely took the
form of making knives and components for major knife companies, but by
1993 the company was ready to start trading under its own banner and
Dalian Hanwei Metal Co. Ltd. (Hanwei) was formed. The early trainees
became team leaders and then departmental managers as the company grew,
forming a strong team at the core of operations.
Hanwei’s early sword experience
was with Samurai swords, which still remain the cornerstone of the
product range. A little-known facet of the company’s business is its
Samurai sword restoration facility, where, over the years, many damaged
and neglected pieces from the old masters have been restored to their
former glory. The company has gained a tremendous base of knowledge in
construction and metallurgical techniques from these historical pieces,
and has employed this knowledge to consistently enhance the quality and
authenticity of its own swords. Hanwei’s Samurai swords are now
regarded as state of the art, and offer the martial artist and
collector an unparalleled opportunity to own a fine quality sword.
With assistance from its
distribution partners, Hanwei started to introduce European-style
swords into its line in the mid-1990’s. These swords rapidly gained
popularity with collectors, re-enactors and historical fencers
throughout the world and the line expanded rapidly to cover the diverse
needs of this market. At the same time Hanwei started to expand its
line of knives which also have a historical flavor; as evidenced by the
popular line of antique Bowie knife replicas.
A move to a large, purpose-built
facility in 2002 provided much-needed space and improvements in
efficiency. Today, Hanwei’s three hundred plus employees produce over
six hundred items in the sword, knife and historical weaponry fields
and are continuously developing new products involving more complex
techniques and advanced metallurgy.
Today Paul Chen’s son Ron is
following in his father’s footsteps and becoming very much a part of
the Hanwei story. Ron, who has studied under Japanese legend Yoshindo
Yoshihara, is the driving force behind Hanwei’s Tamahagane and Bainite
blade development. Ron’s own blades illustrate his deep appreciation
for the art of the Japanese sword and are sure to become collector
pieces. |
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