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Daryl G





Joined: 11 Feb 2017

Posts: 7

PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 8:02 am    Post subject: Museum Replicas Ltd         Reply with quote

I'm new to collecting medieval pieces and am looking for a certain level of authenticity, quality, and even sharpness in the historic replicas I am interested in. I purchased my first piece from them and found it a bit disappointing in the 3 aforementioned categories. I have browsed several reviews and vendors found on this site and am still uncertain which vendor(s) would best suit what I'm seeking. Looking to collect mostly hammers, maces, axes and polearms with perhaps a smattering of helmets and a sword or two. I would prefer authentic recreations that are properly balanced, weighted and edged. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance and I'm quite glad that I stumbled upon this site and forum. Great resource!
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Mark Moore




Location: East backwoods-assed Texas
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 8:18 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

You might consider Arms & Armor. They are known for fabulous quality reproduction weapons. Big Grin ..... McM
''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump
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Mark Moore




Location: East backwoods-assed Texas
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Likes: 6 pages
Reading list: 1 book

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PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 9:03 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

As far as MRL goes, their authenticity and quality is often hit-n-miss at best. Most all of their swords and other edged weapons are sold un-sharpened, unless you order them sharpened for extra money. They are *decent* entry-level swords, but not really every collectors cup o' tea. Happy ......McM
''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump
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Sam Barris




Location: San Diego, California
Joined: 29 Apr 2004
Likes: 4 pages

Posts: 630

PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 10:10 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I picked up one or two MRL pieces back when I was just getting into this stuff. Even with my lack of knowledge in those days I found them strangely unsatisfying, like my subconscious mind knew just by holding them that they were not particularly faithful to the geometries of the originals. Sounds like we had similar experiences there. These days, my collection overwhelmingly consists of work by Albion and A&A, with one custom falchion by Michael Pikula. I love them all, and each maker is a pleasure to work with. A&A seems particularly strong in the polearm department if that's something you want to focus on, and I've never held an Albion longsword that didn't amaze me. I have no experience with Valiant Armoury, but I've heard good things about them and it might give you the authenticity you seek while being a bit easier on your budget. You might also consider looking into Christian Fletcher. I've gone to him for scabbards on many occasions, but he does a lot of other cool stuff.
Pax,
Sam Barris

"Any nation that draws too great a distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools." —Thucydides
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Daryl G





Joined: 11 Feb 2017

Posts: 7

PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 10:26 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thank you very much for the input! I have A&A bookmarked and have been browsing their site quite a bit. I've been looking at TherionArms quite a bit recently as well. Does anyone happen to have any experience with them?
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Mark Moore




Location: East backwoods-assed Texas
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Likes: 6 pages
Reading list: 1 book

Posts: 2,294

PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 10:44 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I think two questions remain: Where are you located? US? Overseas? And...What will your budget allow? Happy ....McM
''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump
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Ian Hutchison




Location: Louisiana / Nordrhein-Westholland
Joined: 27 Nov 2007

Posts: 625

PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 10:59 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Daryl G wrote:
Thank you very much for the input! I have A&A bookmarked and have been browsing their site quite a bit. I've been looking at TherionArms quite a bit recently as well. Does anyone happen to have any experience with them?


Hi Daryl,

Therion is a vendor, just like Kult of Athena, By The Sword, and so on. They don't manufacture products themselves but sell Windlass (MRL), Hanwei, Coldsteel etc. That said, Hal seems like a good guy and I've had encouraging experiences there.

If you want something production/semi-production that is more accurate I would suggest: Albion, A&A, Del Tin.

You might also look into some of the Eastern European makers. A number are represented through Arma Bohemia and Wulflund. Not everything on those sites is of equal quality though.

'We are told that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I know which of these weapons I would choose.' - Adrian Carton de Wiart
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin


myArmoury Admin

PostPosted: Sat 11 Feb, 2017 11:27 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Museum Replicas sells items made by a few different vendors. Windlass Steelcrafts comprises most of their catalog.

You can read hundreds of opinions about this subject all throughout this site, both in forum topics and in our reviews.

The upshot is that Museum Replicas items are not historically accurate in any way. Nothing at that price point is going to be.

Having said that, Museum Replicas makes a good product that is often a good value. Many folks consider their offerings to be a good base for an upgrade project. There are several products that they sell that are good candidates for even easy upgrades such as grip replacement that will produce a final product that's pretty good as far as history goes. It just takes the right base product and then some time and knowledge to get it there.

To get your stated criteria met, you'll have to move to a completely different budget. Historical accuracy comes at a cost because it requires research, hands-on knowledge of antiques, and the ability to execute that knowledge into a final product. Like all things in life, this takes more time and expertise and so will cost more money.

myArmoury.com has an entire hands-on review section. Read them all. Follow the links to the featured articles and to the makers' own Web sites. These reviews are probably the best way to get a sense of the makers out there and their offerings.

We also have this forum; which is filled with all kinds of knowledge. Take the time to read through it. Use all the features to browse for what you might want.

There's a lot here and it doesn't cost anything to read and learn.

.:. Visit my Collection Gallery :: View my Reading List :: View my Wish List :: See Pages I Like :: Find me on Facebook .:.
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Richard Miller




Location: Santa Barbara
Joined: 16 Jun 2014
Likes: 26 pages

Posts: 88

PostPosted: Sun 12 Feb, 2017 4:55 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hey, Daryl! You got a great bit of advice from some very knowledgeable people, especially from Nate. This is hobby that will always keep you searching for "Ideal" swords that are historically accurate, well made and as sturdy as they are beautiful. There are those manufacturers out there, but you have to be willing to pay for the quality and wait for the pleasure of having a fine sword.
I have spent way too much money buying lower end products that just don't flip my switch. I always end up selling them at a loss, and finally end up spending the money on the expensive (A&A, Albion, ATrim, etc.) The best advice I can offer is to spend a lot of time on this site, read, ask questions, talk to manufacturers and learn.
There are the occasional windbags here, but even the least of us has something to offer... even if it's just talking about some of the crappy sword-like-objects that we wasted money on!

Skol!
-Rick
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Mark Moore




Location: East backwoods-assed Texas
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
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Reading list: 1 book

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PostPosted: Mon 13 Feb, 2017 5:33 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Richard....Most of those 'windbags' are the ones who made this site what it is today. Sometimes, it's good to just sit and listen to the wind blow..........McM
''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team


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PostPosted: Mon 13 Feb, 2017 8:17 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Some of the first pieces I bought were from MRL about 20 years ago. (Aside: I'm getting old) MRL is a decent introduction to medieval styled swords from a visual perspective, and is generally better than many things in its price bracket. Going up a bracket or two changes things considerably, though. MRL sports some historical designs not seen elsewhere in the market. More recently, they seem to have been using pics on this site for R&D. Their pieces are affordable enough and somewhat historical enough for someone who is a casual collector. If one studies historical pieces more and gets to see any in person (museums and such), MRL pieces often cease to fit the bill and come up lacking. It was that way for me. But I learned a lot from those early pieces even though they were all later sold off to make room for better pieces.

I'm not always in line with the "save your money and get something better" crowd. Perhaps you'll get a decent MRL piece and it will scratch the itch. You may also decide collecting medieval stuff isn't your bag; if so, you're not out much $$$. If a cheaper piece ignites your imagination and gets you hooked, at least you'll be able to see the differences firsthand between MRL pieces and more expensive things when you upgrade because you'll have experienced both.

As others have said, reading the many resources we've put together here takes no money, only time. It might help inform your early purchases. if you get way into this, you'll save money from skipping lower level pieces and selling them at a loss. But maybe you'll discover you're not as into it as we whackos are. Happy Who knows?

But do some reading first so whatever purchase you make is as informed as it can be.

Happy

ChadA

http://chadarnow.com/
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Dan Howard




Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
Joined: 08 Dec 2004

Spotlight topics: 2
Posts: 3,636

PostPosted: Mon 13 Feb, 2017 10:38 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Museum Replicas aren't.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen and Sword Books
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Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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Spotlight topics: 7
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PostPosted: Tue 14 Feb, 2017 12:13 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Patience is a virtue with MRL. Check the Deal of the Day listing every weekday until a sword appears among the steampunk corsets and such. Then quickly research that sword type. If it has any historical foundation, it will probably be a decent project piece. I look for Type XVIII blades, straight guards and simple pommels of all types. Every now and again I'll see something I would recommend to others near the $150 mark. Probably wouldn't buy anymore for myself unless I saw a good complex hilt. Then I'd most likely sell the blade and use the modified hilt on a Hanwei-Tinker blade.
-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
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