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Ronald M




Location: vancouver bc canada
Joined: 06 Oct 2015

Posts: 66

PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 4:42 pm    Post subject: Which one should i get         Reply with quote

so im a starting sword collector and i was just wondering which one here would be the best
https://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=923
http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=1559
http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=2020

smiley face 123? no? lol yeah well im here cause i like...swords and weapons and stuff obv
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Craig Peters




PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 5:16 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Ronald,

To help answer your question, we need to know more. Best in what way? Quality? Also, you've said you are going to start collecting swords; do you intend to simply display them? Or will you cut things with them and practice with them?

The first and third sword are long swords, while the second is a single handed sword, so it's worth figuring out for yourself: "Do I want a long sword (with a grip big enough to hold with two hands) or a single handed sword?"

Third, before buying any swords, it's worth spending time doing research on antique medieval swords. If you haven't done so already, spend time reading the features section of myArmoury and looking at the various Oakeshott Types and the pictures of antique swords shown in the articles. The more you look at real medieval swords and read about them, the better informed you will be. I also recommend Ewart Oakeshott's Records of the Medieval Sword if you don't already have it.
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Greg Ballantyne




Location: Maryland USA
Joined: 14 Feb 2011
Likes: 1 page

Posts: 235

PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 5:27 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Depends on which one you like the looks of the best. They're all Windlass, and should be of comparable quality one to the other. Also depends on what you plan to do with it - do you plan to cut anything, or just display, handle, admire? If you're like me, you'll use your first sword to figure out what direction your interest and your collection will take. If you're unsure, this price point isn'the a bad way to answer some of those questions. One sure way to realize you want a higher quality sword is to buy and handle a lower quality sword. At the same time, if your interest moves away from the direction you initially were attracted, a lower price sword isn't a bad way to find out.
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Michael Beeching





Joined: 22 Jan 2014
Reading list: 2 books

Posts: 270

PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 8:12 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I will not scoff at Windlass - you do get what you pay for, but you also get a lot of bang for your buck, if you will. If I may offer up a few more suggestions, consider these:

http://www.museumreplicas.com/p-263-oakeshott-type-xiv.aspx

Of all the Windlass swords I've seen reviewed, this one seems to get the highest praise. The construction is traditional and solid, and thus terminates with the blade being peened into the pommel of the sword.

If you do not want to spend much at all, and would like a weapon which is of good quality and build which you can strike with, I would recommend one of the following:

http://www.atlantacutlery.com/p-1059-qama.aspx

I personally have one of these and love it. I'm not as inclined to be as rough with it against a pell / swinging target as I used to be, but considering that it cost me only $40 USD when I bought it, taking a few risks is no real concern if I ever change my mind.

My experience in buying weapons imparts to me this: it is better to know what you're getting, and if you're not getting what you want, it generally will not hurt to wait a little longer and save up for what you do want. As Craig noted, it also helps to know what you want to do with a sword. I would not strike a pell with my Arms & Armor swords, but I would have no reservations of doing so with my qama. If you need to learn about using a sword, you need a sword which can be put through some abuse. Windlass swords are good for that - just don't expect to get some sort of masterpiece when you buy one. And, if you want some sort of masterpiece, you'll have to live with the consequences if you do abuse it.
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Ronald M




Location: vancouver bc canada
Joined: 06 Oct 2015

Posts: 66

PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 8:38 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

thanks all im pretty sure ill cut stuff with em and the 1st and 2nd ones seem to be one handers as they both have like 6 in hndles and the 3rd 1 is a longsword
smiley face 123? no? lol yeah well im here cause i like...swords and weapons and stuff obv
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Craig Peters




PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 8:54 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

My mistake about the first sword.

Have you considered Albion's Squire Line? http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/sw...squire.htm
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Ronald M




Location: vancouver bc canada
Joined: 06 Oct 2015

Posts: 66

PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 10:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Craig Peters wrote:
My mistake about the first sword.

Have you considered Albion's Squire Line? http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/sw...squire.htm


i did then i realized... im poor lol

smiley face 123? no? lol yeah well im here cause i like...swords and weapons and stuff obv
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Henry R. Gower




Location: United States
Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Likes: 7 pages

Posts: 124

PostPosted: Tue 06 Oct, 2015 11:06 pm    Post subject: Which one should I get/         Reply with quote

Aesthetically, the first one has, by far, the cleanest lines, and since they are all from the same manufacturer, I would go on aesthetics to decide. Of course, that is a matter of individual taste. De gustibus non disputandum est-old Roman proverb.
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Edward Lee




Location: New York
Joined: 05 Jul 2013

Posts: 393

PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 1:27 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Have you considered Del tin? Some of their models has pretty decent handling. But if you can go a little higher than del tin you can get either Albion squire line or Arms and armor sword.
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Mikko Kuusirati




Location: Finland
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Reading list: 13 books

Posts: 1,080

PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 4:25 am    Post subject: Re: Which one should I get/         Reply with quote

Henry R. Gower wrote:
Aesthetically, the first one has, by far, the cleanest lines, and since they are all from the same manufacturer, I would go on aesthetics to decide.

That line of thought doesn't really hold true with Windlass. Their products can be of wildly varying quality, some models being really good (like the aforementioned Type XIV), while some are just crap even for their relatively low price. They don't seem to actually know anything about sword design and most of their historical replicas are clearly based only on photographs, so they can be total failures or epic home runs by pure random luck.

Some of them are genuinely great, though, and many more are merely decent but still good value for the money. In this case, I'd say all three swords in the opening post belong to the latter category, the "European Sword" being probably the best in terms of handling.

"And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
— Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
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Craig Peters




PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 4:28 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Ronald M wrote:
Craig Peters wrote:
My mistake about the first sword.

Have you considered Albion's Squire Line? http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/sw...squire.htm


i did then i realized... im poor lol


You could place a Wanted post in the Marketplace forum to see if anyone has a used Squire Line sword that they are willing to part with. You might be able to get a decent discount if you do.

Personally, I prefer to save money and to buy fewer swords, but swords that are higher quality. Albion's Squire Line are superb swords and are a much better choice, in my view, than the Windlass swords.

But that's just my view.


Last edited by Craig Peters on Wed 07 Oct, 2015 4:34 am; edited 1 time in total
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Mikko Kuusirati




Location: Finland
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Reading list: 13 books

Posts: 1,080

PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 4:33 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

You should also keep an eye on Kult of Athena's Dent & Scratch and Pre-Owned categories (right now the latter has several good Del Tins that I'd say are seriously worth considering).
"And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
— Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
Joined: 08 Mar 2004
Reading list: 3 books

Posts: 864

PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 4:44 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

... For what it's worth ...

And that would be my lone point. I understand some can't afford to spend a " little more "
to " quite a lot " for quality and durability. But, as the saying goes, ... if I knew now what
I didn't know then ...
I'd have saved some $$$, etc etc etc ...

Maybe not ALL $ 275 sharp things are just that, but I'd suggest erring on the side of
avoidance and take the time to save a bit more; and while doing so think and educate
yourself as well ...
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Scott S.




Location: Central North Carolina
Joined: 28 May 2009
Likes: 1 page
Reading list: 8 books

Posts: 108

PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 7:01 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hello Ronald and welcome!

Bear in mind that I am but an Acolyte of this great forum and am not too far down the road from yourself as a new collector, yet I've learned a tremendous amount over the years here. As Craig Peters suggests, one day I hope to own an Albion Squire line sword but like you, I am poor.

I purchased a couple of Windlass swords a few years back (Classic and River Ouse) then I bought a Tinker Longsword and experienced what I consider a "real sword" for the first time. (The blade is far superior and as I understand it, features all of the aspects of a real sword including distal taper etc. that Windlass swords do not.) Consequently, I will likely never buy a Windlass again. I would urge you to consider The Hanwei/Tinker line for not much more than what you're looking at now, (plus already sharp) and at the very least, I would try to dissuade you from buying the Classic Medieval sword. IMHO It's a heavy, awkward thing to swing, and after one cutting session I deemed it too dangerous for a novice like myself. Since then I have stuck with longswords/two-handers and have become much more proficient at cutting over the past couple of years.

http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=4301
http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=4371
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Roger Hooper




Location: Northern California
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Likes: 1 page

Spotlight topics: 4
Posts: 4,393

PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 10:45 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I second what Scott says about the Hanwei Tinkers - http://kultofathena.com/s_results.asp?search=...mit=Search - very good swords For The Money. If you want to step up to the next level, look at the swords from Valiant armory - http://www.valiant-armoury.com/ - practical, signature, and special edition lines. I know, more than you want to spend, but they are good swords with good scabbards. the practical line may be within your means. All of them are consistently much better than Windlass.
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Henry R. Gower




Location: United States
Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Likes: 7 pages

Posts: 124

PostPosted: Wed 07 Oct, 2015 2:15 pm    Post subject: Which one should I get?         Reply with quote

Ronald, as you can see by the replies, you have happened upon a connoisseur's website (some will deny they are- from modesty, but the collective knowledge on here is awesome-and sometimes totally above my head). So people in-the-know are always urging you to upgrade, as has happened here. I can totally empathize with your frugality however, since I also started back in the 80's with modestly priced offerings. Of course, the choices available then were very limited, compared to today. In time, I upgraded. I was helped out by inflation, since the prices I paid increased so that I broke even when I resold. My "profit" was the pleasure of ownership (mainly based on aesthetic considerations) and reading the background history (highly recommended). If you have really caught the bug, you will also upgrade in time.Only you can be the judge of your own circumstances, but the idea of getting the highest quality item you can afford is sage advice-which you are receiving here. Of course you shouldn't have to go into debt to fund your hobby, either. I don't know if that helps, any?
Henry
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