[W Purcell]

This website is a really good site for people who have to choose between having a life and food. I am one of those. I just want people to respect what Paul is trying to do. I am not a king, nor a wealthy man, but I work hard for what little I do have.I hope that more of ALL of us learn that some of us choose between health, food , and other life events with few pleasures just to have some enjoyment. God bless paul , and all who read this and understand. Thanks as well to the myArmoury crew for keeping history alive!! For all newcomers , please visit Pauls site as well!! Lets all have fun!!

[Jean Thibodeau]

Oh, the link in the title of the Topic doesn't seem to work but my old " bookmark " for the site does:
http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/index.html

Spent a couple of hours looking at reviews and clips of cutting and destructive testing and it was very entertaining and informative.

The ratings seem fair enough but I might be a little more strict about the one about historical accuracy: For some I would give a 2 or 3 stars out of 5 instead of the 4 given for some, but this would depend a lot on expectations.

I'm sure some would rate historical accuracy even more strictly.

The site seems to have just been updated and seems easier to navigate and is attractive and well organized: Like I said, I spend a few hours browsing it in spite of originally just intending to have a look.

For cutting and durability the site gives great information and I've put it higher up in my list of " bookmarks " so that having a look there is probably going to become a regular habit.

Anyway, worth having a look.

[Mike Arledge]

I appreciate the thought behind what swordbuyersguide is doing. But I also think there is not enough knowledge going into their reviews. I myself try to review pieces and sometimes feel like the best I can do is talk to the talk around people more knowledgeable than me.

But just glancing through some reviews there are several products I have handled signifigantly that I would never dream of giving 4 out of 5's or 5 out of 5's too.

Hanwei's Hand and a Half?
ANY Darksword piece?

But that is my humble opinion, but for reviews of pieces I can't easily get ahold of myself, I go to this place right here.

[Grayson C.]

I am "Rammstein" on of the most active members over there on the forums and I've written several reviews (gen2 witham, windlass shrewsbury, winldass sword of war - incoming are the chenness tenchi-ko and *gasp* the albion ritter).

I agre with what's said on historical accuracy and I try my best to take this seriously. Unfortunately, from what I've seen on the forms, this category is rather ignored since people buy these swords because they don't care for historical accuracy - if they did, they wouldn't "really" buy at this pirce range. Why have 3 completely inacurate swords when you could save that money and have 1 albion?

Now as for darksword...

There has been a lot of bad press on them and from what we've seen NONE of it has been dereved. Paul has a handling vid up that shows just how agile one of their swords is. And no one can argue with durability and heat treat.

[Mike Arledge]

Its old old news like this that explains the reservations and complaints about darksword
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t...=darksword

Not saying anyone is wrong or right, but that is the root of the problem.

I owned a darksword long long ago. Its was not something I would care to do again.

[Grayson C.]

I've seen that too.

According to darksword, it's some other company passing their goods of as junk by selling inferior products at the same name. Not saying I believe it one way or the other of course, that's just the official scoop from darksword. They DO have a solid tang, they DO have great heat temper, and their handling is really not all that bad. Also, remember, they don't speak ggreat english - that could very well be the cause of some misunderstanding as well.

Personally, I feel their swords, today at least, are well worth their salt.

[Nathan Keysor]

If this is the company that was selling on ebay I bought one of their swords about 5 years ago. The pommel was loose, it didn't look like the photo and quality was below a Windlass Sword. I had bought it as a gift for a friend or I would have returned it, which they did offer to let me do. I fixed the pommel with epoxy ( it was threaded on) and did a bit of grinding work on the blade to make it presentable. I would say it is in the "get what you pay for" class if you want a beater sword.

[Hugo Voisine]

Honestly, I'm quite surprised by the very positive reviews given to the Darksword products. I've handled all of the models reviewed on Sword Buyers Guide a couple of times and none of them had impressed me. Agreed, some of them are still pretty (thinking about the Squire, for example) while being overbuilt, but I can't understand how someone could describe them as being well-balanced.

On the other hand, maybe Darksword improved their manufacturing and quality control over the last year, having decided to take action after earing the numerous negative comments about their products for so many years now... That would be all in their honor.

[Richard M]

Reading the thread linked above, I note that the complaint was made in 2004. I also read somewhere that Darksword has changed ownership since then , however I can't back that up with a reference offhand. From Pauls test they appear to be solid if not graceful. I know Windlass has made improvements over the years, and I hear Hanwei is working on the same.
If these guys want to compete(and it seems like they do) it's not a stretch to believe they may have improved their product.


I am confused about this:

"This website is a really good site for people who have to choose between having a life and food."
-W Purcell
Lol. I eat like a king and have a life as well. I also buy sub $300 swords.

[Paul Southren]

I think, my ears were burning...

Just saw this thread and while I don't post on myArmoury much (due to time constraints only I should add), I thought I might as well chime in with a few random thoughts and observations since my site is being discussed.

Its true that the focus of Sword Buyers Guide is not so much on historical accuracy, after all - as Grayson pointed out - most swords below the US$300 price point are rather far from being accurate. There are some exceptions, and Windlass tend to come closest - though whether it is accident or design is debatable.

And yes, there are reviews that may make mistakes with historical accuracy - some by me and others by SBG contributors who may be lacking in comparative knowledge. But the focus on SBG is that of an end users perspective. And even a review written by someone who is getting their first sword can tell you something, whether it is from the pictures or comments (for example, you don't have to be an 'expert' to identify a loose hilt or whippy blade). And for me, I love the enthusiasm of someone who gets their first 'real' sword - it is a moment I am sure all of us remember fondly, a feeling that is a 'one time only' - and for many, a stepping stone for learning more.

Now that's not to say that at in the SBG end of the market, we don't take historical accuracy seriously. Indeed, I am planning to be going through the various reviews with an eye to either revamping information that I may have omitted (in the case of my own reviews) or adding a blurb or editorial comments in user submitted reviews. But the focus is, and will always be on end user perceptions with an eye to overall appearance, fit and finish, cutting ability - and in my case - destructive/torture testing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is a 'path' to sword appreciation - from Stainless steel SLO to 'battle ready sword' (SBG focus). From 'battle ready sword' (I hate the term, but use it because that is what people search on and I try to step in at this point and provide some guideance) to performance production (Albion). From Performance Production to Custom. And from custom to antique. Not everyone will go all the way in the scale and it won't always be in that order. Some will hover around the sub US$300 entry levels for fun and diversity and occasionally make a foray into performance production for a treasure (depends on finances too, bear in mind some people have to save for a long time to get a sub US$300, so they want to know what they are getting). Others will skip the whole sub US$300 market because they want historical accuracy above all else - and if they can or want to do that, that's great.

I like to think that there is room for everyone, and people will learn at their own pace as their interest and finances dictate. Derision of someone making the leap of faith from spending $20 on a wallhanger to $200 on a Windlass (and it is a big leap for some remember) - that they shouldn't bother and to save up another $200, $500 or whatever the case may be pushes people away from learning. And yes, there are some people who really don't care about how historical a sword is or not, they just want to know if it looks good, cuts well and won't fall apart on them.

With regards to Darksword, I read the SFI posts too and stayed away from them for a long time because of it. Unfortunately, it would seem that this situation was contrived to achieve such an effect - and I bought into it for a long time too. In the end, it took one gent who was a fan of their products who kept at me to try one out to overcome by inertia...

And I am glad I did. My own first hand experience with them has been great. Yes, they sell some of their apprentice made blades on ebay, which are obviously not as good as those made by their experienced smiths. They are a bit scratchy finish wise, and there are obvious hammer marks, but I like the hammer marks.

Handling varies from model to model. Their blades are overbuilt yes, but the handling of the sword I did torture testing on 'the Medieval Knight' was surprisingly good. Not Albion good of course, but not bad for a sub US$300 (raw stats wise, side by side with a Albion Sovereign the weight is Sovereign 2lbs 11oz/Knight 2.96lbs - and COG is Sovereign 4"/Knight 4.5", though the Knight has barely any distal taper and while these two stats are similar, it is only a part of the story).

Anyway, I think this post is getting much longer than what I originally intended.

I would also like to add that if anyone from here has any comments on specific reviews with innacuracies, your advice and comments are hugely appreciated. I am no sword expert, the more I know, the more I need to find out - and that won't end. But on the totem pole, there are many people on myArmoury who I have the highest levels of respect for and if there are suggestions on how to improve specific parts of my site to facilitate learning - just let me know. It is, after all, a sword community site - not just me banging on stuff with swords.

Thanks guys,

- Paul

[Jean Thibodeau]

[Paul Southren]

Hi Jean,

No, I wasn't interpreting it in any negative way - indeed I agree with you, some of the final scores are too high for historical accuracy. In fact, not so long ago this was being discussed on the SBG Sword Forum - that when a review is submitted by someone who doesn't really know how to rate it compared to a historical model, they just select a number that 'feels' right - and as the reviews are coming from many different people these days, there isn't much consistency in this area or a simple way to cross reference the scores.

I will probably address this by adjusting the ratings of the historical accuracy scoring (and only that) myself, doing research as necessary to try and get a more consitent and accurate feel. But the general consensus on the SBG forum was that, at the end of the day, the ratings are not to be taken so seriously - it is in the body of the review, and the tangible tests and observations on weight, fittings, etc that the real 'meat' of the reviews are to be found.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words! I really do hope that folk find SBG useful and hope you'll drop in every now and again as it continues to expand and grow.

Cheers,

- Paul

[Mike Arledge]

Paul,

You can PM me to talk further.

But my honest opinion is that your site could easily be counter-productive to the very people it serves. I have had to live lean and let my collection slip from Albions and Atrims back down to windlass pieces, and everywhere in between. So I know how at times collecting has to take a back seat to life. I also review a lot of lower level pieces to get info out about them. But I am never under the illusion that these pieces are in the same league as the higher pieces. Sure, sometimes they get it really right in terms of handling, or looks... but they almost always carry the caveat "for the price". There are almost always some issues with how tight the fittings are, how well alligned the blade is in the hilt, etc. I think that this is even more noticeable when you own Albions and the like.

Back to my point. Your reviews are helpful, but at times I think they imply something stronger than "for under $300 bucks, this is a good sword" and start to imply "this under $300 sword is a great sword" all too often. And I think it goes back to education and handling/viewing of higher end pieces.

I would never try to imply that everyone can and should spend $700+ on swords. For plenty of the community, that is not an option. But what often happens is you drop $200 on your first piece, then a year or so later you look around and have 4-5 $200 pieces, and it can grow from there. What I would imply is using the community to perhaps meet others who own more varied pieces and taking note of the differences. You can use the features here to compare photos and dimensions of similar pieces.

That is probably a long ramble, but in the end I hope it was helpful. And honestly, keep doing what you are doing, you are very much on the right track.

[Paul Southren]

Hi Mike,

I think that the missing element here is that my site is dedicated to sub US$300 swords, so when I say 'this is a great sword' it has to be taken in that context. It is a great sword, compared to all the others within this same broad umbrella. I do make allusions to the 'higher levels' of more historically accurate swords towards the end of each section, and some reviews of Albions, Bugei, etc will be forthcoming to try and show the differences.

I think that I also make some reference to the price point within the body of a review, and always point out any flaws I find. A lot of swords in this price point need some minor adjustments before they are ideal - just look at what Mike 'shootermike' Harris does with his swords! I've lost count of the number of swords he has, but it is a very large cross section - from Windlass, Gen2, Cold Steel and MANY Atrims and quite a few Albions too. He finds the same thing, that the lower priced swords often need some minor adjustments or some DIY work. But there is a lot of fun in that, and not all swords at this price point have issues. Some are very nice straight out of the box as I am sure you know (I have been following your reviews on SFI and here, it's good stuff! ) - and that is the point of SBG... Just seeing whats out there and trying it out from an end users perspective.

There's a lot of variation within the sub US$300 market. Some are more historically accurate than others, some are just plain old fun swords to be taken at face value.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback - it all helps. And the most interesting thing is, it isn't just a site about me banging on things with swords. As it is a community website that welcomes all reviews and perspectives, it is what people contribute to it.

Not sure if this makes sense, this post is a bit rushed as I have a million things on the go right now. But hope it clarifies things a little. All feedback is invaluable to me because if someone perceives things in a different way than I am presenting it, it lets me know that some tweaking is in order (like all growing sites, SBG is in a state of continual refinement).

[Jean Thibodeau]

[Paul Southren]

Couldn't agree more Jean. The overall structural integrity of a piece in this price range is paramount - and is the core reason why I test them so hard. Of course, the tests aren't fool proof or hugely scientific. There are a lot of variables - especially at this end of the market...

One person might get a really great model - someone else ordering the exact same sword may get a dog. But I've found that generally speaking, with some exceptions, there are brands out there that I have had good success with on a consistent basis. QC could always be better, but some do it better than others...

Historical accuracy does indeed come in last at this price point, but well said - if a piece has all of these qualities in various degrees (and quite a few do), that is indeed very nice - and satisfying for me personally (I love finding the jewels in the junk. Though when I select a sword, I tend to do some research around the place to get an idea first - whether that is looking at brief end user reviews on forums, asking a trusted vendor or manufacturer their honest evaluation of a piece I am interested in, or simply selecting a piece from a brand I have been pleased with in the past).

Cheers,

- Paul

[Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz]

Hi guys ...

Some who've seen me post know I've been interested in a 17th or 18th century Polish
Hussar Saber. On my little quest I've looked at the Cold Steel 1796 Light Cavalry Saber
again and again -- its not quite the Polish Hussar, but I have been increasingly thinking
it might be a good starting point to get a feel for a saber's proper proportions -- with all
respect to the fact that I'm talking about a relatively inexpensive production piece -- for
when I decide to get the Polish Hussar custom-made.

Seeing this thread sparked a jump over to Mr. Southren's Sword Buyers Guide where
I found their review of this saber :

http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/british-military-swords.html

While the usual retail price is posted at $ 379.99, SBG would charge me $ 223.96
which included 3-day FedEx shipping. Okay, I said to myself, I'm not getting a custom
maker's sword, but the videos are pretty convincing, to my knowledge Cold Steel doesn't
have an ugly reputation, and Mr. Southren has taken time here to discuss his site while not
sounding all hoity-toity ... let's take a chance.

I ordered the Saber last sunday, received email notifications about the order, asked one Q
just to see about response time, got an answer within a day, then notification on tuesday
that the package shipped. Expected the package today, but got it yesterday. A big 2 Thumbs
and 2 Big Toes up on this side of things ...

Instead of going on from there with a few other details, and some nice pics, I'm going to write
a small review in the Historical Arms Talk forum ... So you all can see the sword there. B-)

The long-and-the-short of my transaction with Sword Buyers Guide ? Neat and sweet and
plenty more positives than negatives ( and there ain't but one small already corrected one, Mr.
S ! ) ...

[Paul Southren]

Thanks, Matthew - though I hate to tell you, the item wasn't ordered direct from SBG - it was through one of our recommended vendors.

But if it was that seamless, well, you can see why they are recommended.

Cheers mate - can't wait to see your review here and some new pics.

- Paul

[Tony Brass]

I really enjoyed what Paul wrote about "the Path" into sword ownership. I bought cheap swords at first, because I did not know what features were important to me in a sword. I really believe that the sub-300 market is an important education. This level permits a person to learn what type of swords they enjoy. What it means to wield a 4 pound sword vs. a 3.2 pound sword. How a pointy sword (thrust sword with a dramatic profile taper) differs from that big Albion Baron like chopper. You can experience this first hand with fairly inexpensive swords, then decide 1) how important is this hobby to you, and 2) what kind of sword do you really enjoy before dropping $800 on it.

I personally am very grateful to people like Paul who take the time to be thoughtful about the sub $300 buyer, because virtually all of us pass through that zone, and somtimes re-vist just for fun. Cheers.

[Chad Arnow]