From:	hivemind hivemind@********.rr.com
Subject:	Blades
Date:	Mon, 15 Feb 1999 08:10:51 -0600

From: Marc Renouf <renouf@********.com>
>On Sun, 14 Feb 1999, hivemind wrote:
>
>> Ever notice how expensive blades are in SR? Swords-500¥; Katanas 1000¥,
>> Cougar Fineblade knives 800¥ & 1500¥. Double for customization. And
that's
>> before street index [2 for katana, 3 for fineblades]. Almost all of the
>> Heavy Pistols are less than 500¥ AFTER street index. If this seems
>> unrealistic to you, check out this URL:
>> http://www.bugei.com
>
> You think that's bad; check out some of the prices that Japanese
>smiths charge for their services. We're talking many 1000's of
>dollars, as well as a wait time of several months. But then again,
>swordsmithing is verging on a lost art and quality never comes cheaply.
>
>Marc
>
Check the link for "investment quality blades" on the bugei site. They have
a Japanese smith who'll make you a blade. Six month wait, and $12,000 for
a TANTO [IIRC]! Bigger blades go up from there. I guess that you get what
you pay for. Beretta makes some O/U shotguns that retail for $48,000 new,
FYI. Quality ain't cheap.

hivemind