[Steve Lewis]

My friends and I bought a couple of swords from a company called Highlander Steel at the Ohio Ren Fair some years ago. We were intrigued by these guys because their swords were far better quality than most offerings we had seen before. While their swords were not historically accurate, they were tough, flexible and fairly well balanced. The guys we bought them from were the ones who forged them and they were very up front about the swords they had for sale. They told us these were basically stock swords and they would do much more historically accurate swords as custom orders. And then they disappeared off of the planet. I would love to know if anyone else out there has heard of them or even purchased any on there swords. [/img]

[J. Padgett]

I'm pretty sure they were called Highland Steel, and not Highlander, but I know the guys you are talking about, and bought one of their swords way back in 1997, or 1998. I've been back to that faire in recent years, and where their booth used to be is a place called Badger Blades which makes very similar swords. I overheard a customer talking to the Badger Blades guy, and apparently one of the two guys who ran Highland Steel died, and the other sold the business. That's all I really know.

[Steve Lewis]

Hey thanks. My friends and I have been looking for those guys for years. I went to their website and saw my sword all over the place. Thanks again.

[Joe Fults]

I have heard, so you can immediately take this all with a healthy grain of salt, that some years back the guy running Highland committed suicide.

What survived the unfortunate mess became Badger.

In many ways one and the same outfit.

[Evan McGee]

To update this post, I simply can't leave it like this. despite the face the thread is some 2 years old.

Mike was the man who died, he lived 3 miles from me. He did not, to my knowledge, commit suicide, though his death was very sudden and quite tragic. He was due to get married in less than a month when he was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and given a life expectancy of two months or so, a serious tumor that was going to kill him, and it was going to do it fast. He declined treatment for it, as it was inoperable and would not really increase his life expectancy. He died shortly thereafter.

His partner sold off the smithy to the head apprentice, saying he didn't have the heart to make swords anymore, and thus was born Badger Blades.

There... I'm done now.
E

[Ed Toton]

Thanks for the clarifications. There's little info out there except for the rumors floating around on various forums. I bought one of his swords many years ago as well, and didn't realize that he had passed away until someone recognized the sword in a photo I had posted and asked about it.

I think he used to stick an 'e' on the end there, as "Highland Steele", didn't he? Something like that... it's been a long time now, so I forget.

[Viola D]

I don't know how many of you still access this site, I realize this is an old thread. I just happened to stumble across this today. I was related to Mike of highland steel swords. He was my mother's cousin. He would come stay at our house when I was younger, during the Peoria, Illinois ren fair. He did pass away, in 2001. Tragically, it was a suicide. He was struggling with lung cancer and could not afford treatment. He didn't want his family and friends to watch him suffer. There were some other personal issues involved, as well. He left behind a son and a wife.

I remember his swords being of greater quality than most. I'm attempting to find a sword company of similar value. It's very heartwarming to come across a thread like this and know that he and his company were remembered so fondly. I used to spend my summer days at the ren fair with him and he was one of the kindest, most honest men I've ever known. It was a very hard time for my family when he passed.