Testimonials

Tomorrow never knows – Carla Azar

“Josh is a great guy to work with on developing a custom sword.  Fast and flawless commission work, with super attention to the details, using unique materials.  Josh builds swords he loves for people who love Japanese swords.  My highest personal recommendation.” – RL

                              

“Josh, It arrived yesterday, and I want you to know how happy I am with your beautiful creation— it’s all I could have wished for!!! Thank you so much. It has been great fun to have the opportunity to work with you on this project, and your creativity and artistry has given me something I will treasure.” – CS

                              

“Joshua, As for the work you did, truly amazing.  You turned a bland blade into what is certainly the pride of my collection. The Samegawa came out the perfect shade of purple, I was originally worried it might come out too “Betsy Johnson Purple”  You truly put real care into the Tsunami wrapping as well, it is tight and even.   I can’t imagine the patience one must have to do that lol.” – KR

                              

“This is indeed a new sword. It feel so much better handling. Unlike the old tsuka that I feel like the sword was going to fly from the handle anytime I swing, this new tsuka make it feel like this is a real sword.  Again thank you very much for all these. This is beyond my expectation. I love it alot.” – WG

                                                                            

“The tsuka arrived today,very well done nice and snug just like I wanted.Thank you for all your expert knowledge.” – VL

                                                                        

“I recently contracted with Cottontail Customs for tsukamaki service on my favorite katana. At every single stage of the project, from inception to final delivery, Joshua was an absolutely consummate professional, exceeding my wildest expectations at every opportunity.
His communication throughout the project was beyond generous; he worked with me to flesh out the concepts we would be executing, always providing his insight and knowledge to make sure the result was the best possible outcome, mixing my ideas and objectives with his vast experience to create an incredible work of art. He was absolutely dedicated to maximum customer satisfaction throughout the entire project, going well above and beyond to deliver work that is truly world class, and doing so in an extremely timely manner. However, impeccable communication was only the icing on the cake, as of course what really matters is the work he produced.

Josh is, in the purest sense of the term, an artist. Examining his work, it’s patently obvious the level of passion that he puts into it. It’s clear that for him, this is a labor of love.

I had loved the sword before; but now, with his work complete, it is a treasure. Josh’s attention to detail is nothing short of fanatical. Every single detail of his work shows that this is a person who is dedicated to perfection. In his tsukamaki work for me, Josh went far, far beyond a simple re-wrap. He took every opportunity to exceed expectations and perfect his craft, adding in work and detail that went well beyond what I had contracted with him to do, simply because doing so would make the final product better. He even went back and re-did the wrap after putting in hours of work; while I’m sure I would never have noticed any faults (even with my sword-OCD, an illness that I’m sure afflicts many sword aficionados) it wasn’t good enough for him, so it was re-done. In the end, the tsuka that he created is nothing short of a work of art in itself. The wrap is perfect, it looks absolutely stunning.

But the true magic comes when you hold the sword. In addition to performing the wrap. Josh re-shaped the tsuka core of my katana. Now, when I hold it, it feels like shaking hands with an old friend. The new tsuka brings the blade alive in a way that it never had been before. It’s as if his work gave the sword a massive injection of soul.

In short, I cannot recommend Joshua’s work enough. He is devoted to his art, and to his customers. His work has to be seen to be believed, I had no idea what a difference it could make in how a sword looks and handles. He delivered the project quickly, stayed absolutely true to his promised deadlines, and was incredibly communicative throughout the project. In terms of value, I don’t think Josh has a peer. He delivered far better results much more quickly than any other sword-related service that I have ever worked with, and I have worked with many. All this, for a price that now that I’ve seen his work is insanely low. I sincerely doubt there is anyone better, at any price. I cannot overstate the level of satisfaction I experienced working with him. Josh is an artist of the highest caliber and integrity, and going forward, I simply can’t see trusting my swords to anyone else, I truly hope I have the opportunity to work with him again in the future.”  – Sam Osborn