Hi,
my brother's birthday is coming up and he's really into this reenactment stuff :$ I want to buy him a sword (he said he needed one) :D

I don't really know much about that, so I thought you guys could help... :confused:
Where can I buy him a good quality sword? (European from around XIV century)

Thanks,
Nina

Kult of Athena website offers swords from a wide range of culture, period, quality and price. I'm sure you can find one that is suitable. ;)

http://kultofathena.com/

it would probably be useful to also say where in the world you are. Kult of Athena has a lot of good stuff, but its not much use if you're not in the US.

Likewise, budget - anything under about 200 dollars/euros is likely pretty dodgy. A good sword might well begin at about 300 dollars/euros... but you can easily add a 0 on that tag if you're sufficiently mad/wealthy.

I just bought a Hanwei/Tinker Sharp Longsword from Kukt of Athena and I LOVE it. Any of the Hanwei/Tinker line is good.

Well, I'll try to cover the bases quickly...

Very low price (up to $100): Don't even bother for Western (European) swords. You can find Chinese-made katana that are reasonable and functional below $100, though. Try to find a reputable dealer; Kult of Athena is one such. There are also some cheap 'tactical' swords made by Windlass under the 'Cobra Steel' line, some large daggers or knives from Windlass as well, that are fine-- not stellar, but fine.

Low price ($100-300): Some Windlass Steelcrafts swords are OK; check for reviews. The Hanwei Tinker swords are highly recommendable-- other Hanwei (non-Tinker) swords are of variable quality (you can check various reviews as well). Avoid the old CAS Iberia swords. Cold Steel swords are usually sharp and of OK quality, but not particularly historically accurate or well balanced (and extremely overpriced if you buy direct from them). Better quality Chinese katana can also be found in this price range. Some Asian swords such as those made by Traditional Filipino Weapons are towards the upper end of this range as well.

Medium priced ($300-600): Valiant Armoury is probably the best package deal out there. You get a decent sword with a very decent semi-custom scabbard and leather belt. Extremely reasonable for the price. Darksword Armoury... ehhh. There are a number of small European manufacturers in this range, but shipping would put the cost up there if you are in the US. Albion Swords has a 'Squire Line' of swords in this price range as well. They aren't as finely made as their Next Generation line, but they are quite functional and sound swords, if a bit plain. There may be some Arms and Armour pieces in this range; not sure. In this range you can also find some very good quality Chinese katana.

High end ($700-upwards): Arms & Armour. Albion Swords. You can start buying authentic Japanese made katana in this price range as well. Better European manufacturers as well, such as Lutel.eu.

Custom range (price varies): You get what you pay for, and there are a lot of makers out there. If you think this is what you want to go for, ask for recommendations or do some research. There are several all over this site, Sword Buyer's Guide, and other forums.

Don't forget Del Tin at the $400 - $500 mark...no scabbard though.

Since he is into reenactment, I presume that you will be looking for a blunt sword. If you want to spend less than $250.00, then look at some of the Hanwei /Tinker blunts at Kult of Athena.

It would help if we knew how your brother would use this sword.

Where are you from? If you are from europe, I could recommend you some great european smith who produce reenactment swords at affordable prices...

Hello Nina,
you're obviously a great sister. One thing though, try to clarify with your brother the type of reenactment he's into. Some have narrow definitions, while other are wider in scope. Reenactment with swords involved requires safety measures, hence blunt swords... but if your brother's activities are limited to the use of proper period costumes, and again depending on the in-house rules and regulations of the group he is involved with, then maybe a regular sword would fit the bill.

Yeah, it depends on what kind of reenactment it is...if it's just his "show" blade, then I'd go with a sharp. Any kind of combat/sparring/training you'll want a blunt.

And yes, you are a cool sister!