I wrote in in July asking if anyone had any experience with Starfire Swords, and got some very gratifying responses. Thanks for all the advice. Let me tell you how it turned out: I plunked down my $600.00 with a certain amount of pre-buyer's remorse as the kilt clad Starfire person lifted my beast down and handed it to me. I hefted it and could barely get that mother off the ground. My immediate thought was "Oh, No. What have I gotten into?" Then I looked deep into it's shiny pommel and fell in love...

It's huge, it's too heavy, it's unwieldy (at first) and it was expensive, but it's great!! It balances nicely, and once I got used to the weight I can swing it around like Conan! It clangs musically against other weapons, and after 4 months of practice I can actually hold my own against people from our (rank, green amatuer) D&D and fake combat group. It's not for everybody, and when I carry it on my back I get more than my share of "overcompensation" jokes, but it's a wonderful blade for an extrovert, and it looks really menacing hanging on the wall.

Thanks for all the advice and responses. I can tell this is a forum that is probably a lot more serious than I am about certain things in sword collecting and mock-combat, but I hope that I can carve a niche in your web-world. Y'all are great!

Welcome aboard! I predict that if you stick with this within 3 years you will sell that sword. ;)

Congrats on acquiring a great piece of gym equipment! ;) Seriously, my first swords were crap, and your Starfire seems to be a bit better. Anything that gets you hooked on this hobby cannot be wrong. And BTW: welcome (back) to myArmoury!

Congratulations on your new piece! It's a lot better than what my first sword was, which was a cheap decorative stainless steel katana when I was a teenager.

But these guys are right! Stick with swords a little while longer, and you'll get rid of that Starfire and upgrade. Happens to us all. This is coming from a guy who once upon a time LIKED Starfire swords.

I should add (confess?) that my very first sword was a stainless "ninja-to" complete with black painted blade and plastic tsuka. We all live and learn.

Ha-Ha! Thanks for the responses, I really do like my new "gym equipment". I'm almost afraid to ask for more advice (I don't want to look like a fool), but here goes...

I'm looking for a blade for my pirate garb. I already have a cheap side hanger that looks ok (but is held together with it's peace-binding) and I'm not looking for the Museum Reps cutlass. I have about $200-250 to spend, and I'm thinking about the MRL Schiavona or the Hanwei practical Mortuary. My question is: Am I on the complete wrong track with these chioices? I'm still new at this, and I'm not sure of my options yet. I love the look of the hilts, and it would be for a lot of costume and a little combat. Any web searches for "cutlass", "schiavona" or anything like that brings up the $75.00 brass hilted cutlass or the MRL schiavona and really nothing else. Any suggestions?
By the way, if this is not the appropriate forum for this type of question, I apologize. I'm still new to this whole "web forum" thing.
Thanks,
Koz :D

How about http://www.armourclass.com/Data/Pages/17Century_Main3.htm ?

Hi Mark,

Try Cold Steel, they might have something. Also try searching for "hanger" as well as "cutlass". here are a few links courtesy of Google.

look about halfway down this page
the first part of this page has a few
Cold Steel's site you can probably find these cheaper other places. I haven't had any dealings with these companies, others might be able to help with that end of things. Here is another link to a MRL cutlass that's in the Axes, Hammers And Maces section (go figure :wtf: ).

Good Luck,

I have to ask.

How in the world did you manage to pay $600 for a Starfire?

I do not think I have seen any off their stuff offered at the two faires I usually go to selling for anywhere near that much. Did you buy direct from them or from sombody reselling them? Is it a special edition or something?

I know nothing about the subject, but here is what looks to be a nice site:
http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/weapons.htm

Nathan, isn't that shell guard hanger featured the one you said you liked from Old Dominion Forge?

Gordon

WIth your logic, why not carry a blender on your hip and say that you're a time traveler who carried it from the future? Or carry a stone mounted on a wooden club and say it's your caveman ancestor's weapon.


This, actually, is quite common RenFaire logic when it comes to costuming. Most use the "barbarian" argument -- "Barbarians (or pirates or Vikings or ninjas or whoever) just went around killing people and taking their stuff, so they probably DID use this sword."

As a fashion columnist, I know I've made more than a few such people at RenFaires angry by telling them they lacked both good fashion sense and historical knowledge. After having to repeat myself so many times, I ended up just making a webpage about it. :cool:

My Fashion Clinic: http://weaponspage.homestead.com/fashionclinic.html

Welcome to the forums.

Really, there's nothing wrong with wearing what you like on your costume... anyone who is going to be ultra-critical of you should probably lighten up a bit. :eek: If you like it, Starfire "beater" or not, and you're having fun... more power to ya! :cool:

That said, if you want to be historically accurate... there's a lot of details you'll need to get down. The information on this site will help you - just look around, you won't be disappointed. It's a big step going from wallhanger-type swords to 'semi-real' swords to fully accurate reproductions... just be careful you don't get hooked, your wallet will scream :) And no, you do not need fully hand-made reproduction swords (ala Albion or AT) for your renfest costume, although the quality doesn't hurt. If I wear a weapon to a faire, I try to use a wallhanger simply for the fact that I will not mind it getting dinked up should I bump against something. As long as it has the right LOOK... historic or whatever I'm going for... I am content.

I personally do not attend renfaires in 'period' garb. Heavy cloak and capelet, split tunic, a good heavy belt, quaterstaff and a nice pair of studded bracers suit me well, color-coordinated for gold/brass and black. Pinning my character down, he'd be from stories I have written, not actual history :) That may change as I try to pull off a 'highlander' costume some year, but that's something for the future.

My problem with such people is that they want it both ways -- they want to dress however they feel like, logic or accuracy notwithstanding, yet they also want to be taken seriously, as if they were genuine history buffs. These are invariably the same people who think they speak authentic Tudor English (they don't) and are competent historical fencers too (they're not).

If you want to dress and act like a clown at Faire that's fine, as long as you don't expect to be taken seriously. On the other hand, if you do want to be taken seriously, you need to earn that level of respect by putting a little more thought and effort into your costume. For whatever reason, this is a concept a large proportion of Rennies I encounter can't or won't accept.