Hi

Im new to the forums and the hobby, and ended up here through "albion-swords" page.

I havent owned swords in the past (only souvenir priced ones), but have decided that I would very much start a minor collection. I do want the swords I buy to have a certain level of quality to them, so that they might stay in my family in the future, and not end up as garage-junk.

I have have no special preferences yet, as my knowledge of the hobby/materials and so on is at an minimum.
To get started I did decide to order the Cold Steel Chinese war sword, simply because I enjoyed its unique appearance. It also seems that cold steel isnt the worst sword making brand. My first question is therefore what you guys think of cold steel and if possible, about the sword in question.

I have also been able to obtain an Albion sword; "the Baron" for a decent price, through a private collector.

Do you have any advice on how to select swords for my collection in the future. I would really like to work up some knowledge that might make my choices a bit more thought through. From the ones mentioned you can see the rough price range of interest.

I understand that this post is quite messy/unclear, but I hope someone out there can give me some advice :)

Firest off, welcome to the forums! Secondary, to select the possible items for your collection, you ought to decide yourself what sort of collection is it going to be? Will it be centered on specific territory, specific time frame, weapon type or, perharps, simply whatever strikes your fancy? There is no "right" or "wrong" choices in this - you just have to decide what do you really want to achewe, as sooner or later you will be faced with tough decisions - to purchase this sword or that? or, possibly, choose something you have to let go to rise funds for another piece or something else entirely. Once you decide in what direction you plan t go, it would be much simplier to assist you.

I actually own the cold steel chinese war sword. I really like it. Most of my collection now consists of higher end swords, by Rick Barrett, Jody Samson and Arms and Armor.

Like you, I am drawn to unique looking swords, and the CS War Sword has those attributes. When I ordered mine I envisioned it hitting armor like an axe, capable of causing blunt trauma through armor. However, mine arrived super-sharp, with a fine, but chip-prone edge.

The sword handles well, but a super sharp sword makes me think that it was designed for unarmored combat, and if my opponent was unarmored, why do I need that big, wide blade. Either way, the sword is fearsome, and unique. I am confident that you will enjoy it.

Welcome to a great study of ancient weapons. Swords that are historically accurate are wonderful, but do not forget to have fun, and get peices that are unique, and appeal to you visually.

Thank you both for the kind welcome :)

Im happy to hear that my first purchase will most likely be an succesful one. I have read that some cold steel swords arrive bad (unsharpened), apparently some slip through becausse of the quantity of their products. Hopefully mine wont be one of those.

I can see your points regarding the practical "errors" of the sword, but as im mostly in this for collecting and simply appreciating the beauty of different swords, it wont be a detail that bothers me.Talking about visually stunning swords ive set my eyes on "the sovereign" by albion, I do think that will be my next piece.

I will indeed enjoy the hobby and the great community myArmoury has to offer