Belly Dance Sword

ErikaOH

New member
I received my sword this week and just got out to the dance studio today to try it out. WOW. It is awesome! It's beautifully balanced. Very impressive - a real showpiece! - definitely worth the price at $139. This is NOT a cheap, dinky little sword. This is a real scimitar with real weight to it at just over 3 lbs. It's a sword worthy of every dancer, and IMHO every dancer should have one!

Also would like to mention that the customer service that I received here was fabulous. I received very prompt responses to my questions (and I had many!), and very prompt (reasonably priced) shipping with tracking number for the package. I highly recommend both the sword and the company! I will post some photos here soon, as well (hopefully this weekend!)
 

Amanda (was Aziyade)

Well-known member
I'll add my two cents.

First of all, when I ordered this, I asked about the CAS Iberia. Majidah was quick to point out that this was NOT a CAS Iberia, but a successor to that model, the Hanwei. I appreciate the honesty and the speed at which my questions were answered! **

I have to admit I was leery of ordering a sword online. Too much can go wrong. They can be improperly balanced, they can be bent, they can be made of cheap materials. But I held my breath and hit the "pay" button.

Their customer service made me relax right away. I received email confirmations all along the way, including a tracking number about 24 hours after my payment went through. I felt that shipping charges were completely reasonable and actually less than I expected. I've seen some companies charge half as much as the sword costs just to ship it!

The sword was well packed, and arrived in perfect condition. It had been pre-oiled and well padded. I wiped off the oil and held it out, THRILLED to see that it was as straight as could be, no dips or bends. It seemed to balance well on my wrist, so I stuck it on my head and it balanced perfectly. I did a trial spin, and was very happy to feel it planted quite well in my scalp -- no slipping, spinning, or wobbling.

The balance point is more centrally-located than in some cabaret swords. You can tell from the video on the site what it looks like balanced on your head. I think this look is actually a little more sophisticated than where the CAS would balance, but that's my personal prejudice.

NOTE: this thing is SHARP and HEAVY! Although it's listed as having a dull edge, it's still pretty darn sharp. And the point is ... well, pointed. lol. Also, 3 pounds may not sound like a lot, but your typical cabaret sword is about 1 pound. Now I LOVE the weight because it makes balancing the thing a lot easier, but it is something you have to get used to.

So I can honestly and fully recommend SwordWares.com as a good and honest vendor, not overcharging on shipping, and with excellent customer service. If you want a big mean Tribal-style scimitar, especially if you're like me and still mad about not being able to get a CAS, I think you should seriously consider the Hanwei from SwordWares.com


** For those of you who don't know the history, the CAS was a huge giant scimitar that started to get popular with the Tribal crowd a few years ago. Actually, maybe almost 10 years ago? Anyway, when people saw the CAS, everybody wanted one. As I understand it, the company that originally made the CAS couldn't keep up with demand so they hired another company to make them. Big mistake. The CAS Mark ii was a much lighter weight sword, and wasn't made nearly as well. People complained about it and wouldn't buy them. Another company moved in and made a similar LOOKING sword, called the Hanwei. It's slightly smaller and lighter, but it retains the same fierce look as the CAS, and is better made.
 
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ErikaOH

New member
Ditto on everything Aziyade said, too! Obviously much more experienced at writing detailed reviews than I am! LOL!
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT IT I FINALLY GOT MY SWORD TODAY!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D

This has been such a bad, horrific day at work and on the forum elsewhere ( :confused: ) today, but I'm not letting all that ruin my sheer JOY of getting my Cas Hanwei today! :D

Review, pics, and maybe even video to come! :D
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
I'm going to go ahead and write my review, and post pics later when I can get someone to help me.

Swordwares.com is a wonderful company, and extremely helpful to customers. Before I came along, they'd had only one mistake in processing an order in 30 years. XD Just call me "the Pariah of Bellydance." :lol: I guess I'm the poster child for things that can go wrong. I had trouble with my PayPal account, causing my voucher to be voided, but Majidah was wonderful in helping me get my order processed.

About three or four days later, I received---a beautiful broadsword. :rolleyes: It was a well-made, straight double-edged sword, well-packed and well-oiled, with a lovely sheath, but it wasn't the beautiful Cas Hanwei I'd ordered. I felt more like She-Ra than Shira! :lol: I immediately contacted Swordwares.com and informed them about the mistake. The gentleman who helped me, Matthew, was understanding and wonderful, and helped me to ship the wrong sword back at no cost to me, and when it took a bit too long for me to receive the right sword, he got on it right away.

Things can go wrong in just about anything, but I appreciate the prompt and friendly help from Majidah and Matthew. So if there is a rare goof-up in ordering, you can be assured they'll do all they can to help. :)

Now, for the sword itself! :D As with the broadsword, the Cas Hanwei was securely protected and packed, and the blade was well-oiled, and just like Aziyade's sword (and I'm sure ErikaOH's), it was straight with no bends or damage. It balances beautifully, although I had trouble at first balancing it on one finger (I used the wrong side of my finger, so the sword felt extremely heavy :confused: :wall: ). My teacher unknowingly showed me how to balance a sword on one finger.

I have a LOT to learn about swords...:rolleyes: :lol:

The Cas Hanwei is perfect for what I wanted in a bellydance sword, especially since I'm learning ATS. It's fierce and mean and real, a sword that commands respect, not just from an audience's point of view, but also from the dancer. If one isn't careful, someone could get hurt, because although the blade itself isn't sharp enough to dice carrots, the end is very pointy. The dancer could hurt herself, a fellow dancer, or an audience member if she doesn't take care. This is a battle-ready weapon.

I'm looking forward to get to know my new sword, and to perform with it when I'm ready. I also look forward to doing more business with Swordwares.com, because I will be needing a caberet sword some time in the future.

Thank you, Majidah and Matthew, you two are great, and you sell truly magnificent swords! ^^

Pics will be forthcoming! :D
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
I know this thread is a few months old, and I'm giving it a MAJOR bump, but thought I'd go ahead and post some pics of my Cas Hanwei:







 

Baji

New member
discount on sword

still offering discount on sword. would love to know more details, just the thing I have been looking for. depending on price of course. putting a new dance together with instructor and dancing girls. so much fun. anyway fill me in. thanks.
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
:( I'm afraid Swordwares.com is no longer offering the deep discount it gave earlier this year, but the Cas Hanwei is still available for $139 before shipping and handling:

Belly Dance Sword

It's definitely well-worth the money, though. It balances beautifully, holds up to Oklahoma winds, and is a stunning showpiece. :)
 

Majidah

New member
Hey Farasha, I shut swordwares.com down for a bit. We've made the discount permanent and swords can be purchased through:

National Sword Supply: Belly Dance Sword

:( I'm afraid Swordwares.com is no longer offering the deep discount it gave earlier this year, but the Cas Hanwei is still available for $139 before shipping and handling:

Belly Dance Sword

It's definitely well-worth the money, though. It balances beautifully, holds up to Oklahoma winds, and is a stunning showpiece. :)
 

Majidah

New member
Okay, I have the chance to offer the CAS Hanwei Scimitar at $86.54 (lowest I've ever been able to sell for) + any shipping costs... PM me for a quote on shipping. This is a limited offer I can only extend through July 4th :) Happy 4th everyone.
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
Hey Farasha, I shut swordwares.com down for a bit. We've made the discount permanent and swords can be purchased through:

National Sword Supply: Belly Dance Sword

Oh, wow, thank you for the link, Majidah! My daughter bought me your Egyptian sword for me earlier this year for my birthday, I love it! I'd love to purchase another Hanwei, but the one I have freaks my teacher out (that's why I got the cabaret sword for my birthday). Don't you sell a Turkish sword, though, that's similar-looking to the Hanwei, but with a blunted tip? That one might get my teacher's approval.

I prefer to leave the Hanwei unblunted because it has taught me a great respect for swords as weapons as well as dance props, and has helped me to learn to control it better than I think I would have had I started with a blunted sword.
 
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