http://www.wilkinson-swords.com/

Then click on the company logo in the top left hand corner ...

FACTORY CLOSURE

Wilkinson Sword Ltd regrets that after very careful consideration of all alternative options the Company has made the difficult decision to announce that it intends to close its specialist sword-making division in Acton, West London. As a result of falling demand over many years, we have been left with no option but to consider ceasing production of the high quality specialist sword and knife products made by Wilkinson Sword at the end of September 2005. If you have any queries before this date please phone +44 208 749 1061 or for US Callers 1-866 THE SWORD (1-866 843 7967).

Thank you for your interest in Wilkinson Sword.

Whadya know!!

http://www.windlass.com/militaryswords.htm

Crap! Now I have to shift my priorities around. Very quickly. There's no way in hell I'm going to own a dress sabre with a plastic hilt.

You may be too late Sam. I just called them after seeing this email to see if they were still making or had any surplus items for sale. 'No' to both questions. They are just finishing up the orders to date and then switching off the lights. No more orders and no stock for sale. Tell me if you have any better luck.


The end a great British firm (as far as swords go anyway). Sad really.


Daniel

Got an update from Wilkinson. No surplus stock. Military swords just filling out current orders. May possibly produce presentation swords to order. No knives as all Fairburn Sykes models have stopped and just sold last RBD for £1,100 standard list price).

I completely agree with you about the strategic point, Steve. Working in mergers & acquisitions and corporate restructuring as i do, it was bound for a fall on commercial bases. But just so sad. Personally I would have had to delegate the bad news to another member of staff not interested in fencing or swords. I wouldn't have wanted to give that news to the Board of Wilkinson Sword. They become just another safety razor manufacturer.

Thinking about it , they may be the last major commercial company producing swords. Don't know of any others.. maybe in Europe... don't know. In which case it would be a landmark in the history of the sword I suppose.

Daniel

While its a shame to see things like this happen, it really seemed like the company got lost long ago.

Thinking about it , they may be the last major commercial company producing swords. Don't know of any others.. maybe in Europe... don't know. In which case it would be a landmark in the history of the sword I suppose.

Daniel[/quote]

Well there are other manufacturers, but not all at the quality level in military pattern that Wilkinson had:

In Britain:

http://www.fattorini.co.uk/
http://www.firmin.co.uk/
http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/ma...index.html

In Germany:

http://www.wkc-solingen.de/
http://www.solinger-blankwaffen.de/
http://www.blankwaffen-ulrich.de/Wir/wir.html

In France:

http://www.chevalierdauvergne.fr/

In Russia:

http://www.zlatoust.com/

In Spain:

http://www.bermejoswords.com/
http://www.armasdondiego.com/index.html

In Italy:

http://www.fratelliturco.com/

And in the US:

http://www.amessword.com/
http://www.ussword.com/

Um... It doesn't look like they made real swords, just dress swords. The Real sword market is growing, pity they couldn't have gotten in on that.

Patrick,

Speaking of back in the day, Wilkinson Sword custom made a four foot sabre for Lieutenant Alexander Roberts Dunn of the 11th Hussars who, "For having in the Light Cavalry Charge on the 25th October, 1854, saved the life of Sergeant Bentley, 11th Hussars by cutting down two or three Russian Hussars, who were attacking him from the rear, and afterwards cutting down a Russian Hussar, who was attacking Private Levett, 11th Hussars." was awarded the first Victoria Cross to go to a Canadian. Apparently they used to do very good work.

My feeling is as Patrick's, that the historical connections of Wilkinson passing into history is a sad thing.

They did predominantly produce dress swords but those swords were only 'not real' in as far as they would be provided unsharpened. The ones I've seen were immaculately made and of very functional materials and of patterns which had been issued as functional swords in prior eras. In that sense they are I think as real as reproductions, though they were not made with the intention of being used. That said, some patterns were pure dress swords.

I agree as noted above that there are still companies producing swords, but not all of them are of an age where they used to produce swords in the era when they were still functional weapons. And not of the size of company that Wilkinson's is. I think it's the continuity from that era of military provision to the present day that makes Wilkinson of substantial historical importance. And quality, as Peter said - some of those makers above produce what appear to be pretty poor replicas, not authentic dress or functional swords.

Hope you have luck Sam.

Daniel

The answer is no. Denied. Shot down like a dog. C’est la vie. Many thanks to Peter for posting the links of alternate vendors.

I’m not sure it’s fair to say that they lost their way or that they didn’t make “real” swords. A dress sword may be masculine jewelry, but it also fulfils an important role in the modern military, even if that role is purely ceremonial. I think part of Wilkinson’s downfall might have been that they wanted to continue supplying the needs of the military, as their government appointments required them to, and in this age that meant making swords and armor intended entirely for drill, parade and ceremonial use. I dislike impractical wall hangers as much as the next guy, but I’m not sure that it’s right to classify most of their swords as such. The blades serve their purpose well, as did their ancestors. The fact that they’re ill suited for tameshigiri takes nothing from that.

That said, it would have been great if they could have dusted off their old records and factory specifications and started a line of reproduction swords based on their own company’s history. That would have been neat, and that era seems a bit neglected.

Although I note some at least have the sense to use a British 1822 pattern light cavalry sabre:

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http://gardiens.traditions.free.fr/Monde/USA/Troopers04.jpg

That is a real shame. When my brother Thomas graduated from the US Naval Academy in '02, the other three of us got together and bought an officer's sword from Wilkinson for him, and he has been very pleased with it. I know that Wilkinson were considered the best of the swordmakers (the German being inferior, and the Spanish being inferior still. It's terribly sad that their history is now over.

Weren't they the official providers of swords to various members of the Royal Family as well as the British military? One would have thought that they could have subsisted on that.

What a shame.