Richard wrote: |
Still wondering - what makes the cheaper swords so bad? |
Overall lack of quality in design and manufacture.
Lower end swords will not be as carefully made as higher quality examples, nor will the materials from which they're made be as carefully chosen. A sword is a subtly complex thing. Outwardly it may appear to be nothing more than a sharpened piece of metal with a handle on one end. In reality there are many features in play, such as blade geometry, edge geometry, distal and profile taper, nodes of vibration, distribution of mass, etc. All of these things must be understood and even more importantly, how they work in conjunction with each other must also be understood. None of these factors are taken into account in the manufacturing of lower-end swords. Most of them are manufactured by using a photo in a book as an example, if any example is used. They will typically lack all of the finer aspects that separate a so-so replica from a true recreation. If such an item is desired that's fine, this is a hobby not a religion and different people have different priorities. However, if one chooses a lower-end sword they shouldn't fool themselves into thinking they're getting a quality piece of work.