What do you think of K-K Art replicas (http://www.armouronline.com)?
I own of of their swords, but being totally new to this, dont really know how it qualifies quality wise.
Any comments would be welcome. Thanks

One glance at their designs and my opinion was "non-historical and not particularly appealing anyway."
But then I found this gem:

Quote:

Specification of The Eagle Swords: Vickers hardness rating - blade 490, end of blade 503, balance point is under the guard.One hand swords: 2-02.3 kg, the sword 101 - 103 cm, blade 80cm. One and half hand swords: 2.6-02.8 kg, the sword 122 - 124 cm, blade 94cm.

2.8 kg for a 94 cm blade?? Balance point under guard??

Proper stats would be closer to ~1.7 kg, balance point ~5" from guard. These blades are extremely heavy and improperly balanced.

Sorry; although their blades show much more similarity to authentic pieces than 95% of "wallhanger" (i.e. cheap decorative nonfunctional replica) swords, these are still neither historical nor functional. And in terms of quality of fit, finish, geometry, lines, proportion, etc., they miss all of the details. Basically they capture a casual impression of a sword without showing any profound or even intermediate understanding of real swords.

They're not by any means the worst example of decorative modern mass-produced swords I've ever seen, but they don't qualify as "real." I would strongly recommend against even swinging them, too - despite what they say about hardness I'm almost certain that they're not properly heat treated or mounted. Doing such things correctly requires very advanced skilled handwork and specific knowledge of proper bladesmithing skills, things which these people have not illustrated on their website. Sorry to be so blunt with this, but I'm just calling it as I see it.

Thanks a lot. This is exactly the kind of things I wanted to hear. An honest impression. Very appreciated.

VERY glad to hear you took it in the best spirit. After all, there is nothing wrong with owning such pieces - the only thing possibly wrong with them is if they are sold deceptively. In this case, I don't see K+K Art replicas as being deliberately deceptive as much as a bit unknowledgeable and possibly a bit too aggressive in their marketing. But even there, you should hear the absolute crap that is spewed by some people peddling some truly impressive junk - I've seen slabs of steel sold as "antique master samurai swords made by folding 1,000,000 times, by a real master swordsmith." Trust me, the examples you posted are nowhere near that bad.

But If you're looking for real swords, or even just nicer-looking swords, I'd say hold off on buying anything else from them. Simply hanging around these forums will reveal a world of higher-quality pieces out there to appreciate. :)

EDIT: BTW, I just did a search to see what kind of things you've been posting, and saw your pic of the western-style sword you posted. I'll simply say that it really does not look too bad as far as "replica" swords go, although as I said, neither finely crafted nor functional. Stick around and learn a bit before dropping money again, and you'll get to see how a similar piece can be much higher quality. Although I'd also point out that quality and $$ go hand-in-hand; although some very good swords can be had for very little in cost, they're still relatively expensive compared to what people might expect when they start out.

Here is an excellent starter sword for you to check out, Albion Armorer's "Squire:"
http://albion-swords.com/swords/albion/squire...ightly.htm
[ Linked Image ]
[ Linked Image ]
Specifications
Overall length: 37.625" (96 cm)
Blade length: 31.375" (80 cm)
Blade width: 2.0625" (5.24 cm)
CoG: 4.75" (11.43 cm)
CoP: 21" (53.34 cm)
Weight: 2 lbs 8.2 oz (1.14 kilos)

Note the well-defined geometry and light weight. The heat-treatment of Albion's swords is top-notch and the construction methods are all excellent - this is a very very good sword for not too much money (USD $300).

That's just one example. Keep researching before making any decisions - you have many good options.

Good luck! :)

There are a couple reviews in the review section of this website.


http://www.myArmoury.com/review_kk_ra43.html

http://www.myArmoury.com/review_kk_kp12.html

Hey, thanks for all the advice.
And while you are all in such a generous mood, can anyone suggest any interesting shops I should check out in Manhattan when I will be there in a few days?