[Zach Gordon]

Does anyone have any experience with Balaur Arms? They are in the news at the moment, sadly, because an asshat used one to attack someone. In the photos of the sword however, it looks suspiciously nice. Albion-style grip wrap, smooth satin finish, etc.. for sub-$200 USD.

I searched here and don’t see any posts, has anyone handled one?

Cheers,
Z

[Edward Lee]

This brand was discussed about on SBG.

https://sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/55050/info-balaur-arms

https://sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/55468/received-balaur-arms-sword?page=1&scrollTo=753732

[J.D. Crawford]

Thanks for posting on this topic. I've been looking at these as well. I have not seen or handled any in real life, but according to the stats and pictures at KoH they seem to have features well beyond their price point or most comparables. For example grips with both risers and overwap impression (like Albion), two-piece pommels with wire on the Viking sword, decent scabbards, distal taper on the blade, and overall more historical accuracy than one sees in typical Asian-built European swords. No doubt they are lacking in some details, but be honest, if you saw that picture of the XII with type N hilt, and were told it was an A&A, wouldn't you believe it?

[John Dunn]

I owned one of their Type XVIIIs for a while


it was a good sword better than a windlass in my opinion.


I would call them a good starter sword since the quality is good, etc.

I bought one on a whim since I have mostly higher end swords.


Sold it because I wanted funds for another project and to down size my collection. But nothing wrong with it. Excellent sword for the money.

[Kenton Spaulding]

I have the 12th Century Tutonic. I've owned it now for about 4 months. I like it and I'm glad I gave it a chance. It's certainly not perfect, but at the price point ($99 from KoA) I can not possibly imagine a better sword for the money. The design is very simple. There is not much nuance. It's handling is ok. It's quite light and balanced light. I'd say, in my opinion for the type it is too light, or maybe just balanced a bit too close to the hilt. It doesn't have a ton of authority, but it is certainly handy and easy to swing around. Definitely not a clunker. There isn't a ton of mass in the blade I think the stock is a little thin to start as the entire blade is quite thin and borderline whippy. Not a ton of distal taper. It starts thin and ends thin. The pommel is misaligned on mine which I think is what got it knocked into KoA's bargain bin, but that doesn't bother me and I knew there was some issue with it when I bought it. The scabbard is a bonus but it's not much to look at. I do like the grip it's comfortable and good looking for the price. Yeah it's a cheap sword and it looks upon closer inspection like a cheap sword but over all I'd definitely recommend it for someone on a strict budget. At $500 it'd be a bit disappointing, but at $150? It's a bargain, especially when KoA will give you a reasonable assurance of extra quality control.

[Kai Lawson]

I just got one of the 12th Century Teutonic (as in, maybe 2 hours ago), and I have to agree with everything Kenton Spaulding said. I think it's an ok sword, with some things being surprisingly good and being something I would expect for swords maybe 2-3 times the price, and somethings being 'worse.' It definitely feels a bit too light. I have a shortened Albion Gaddhjalt blade, and they're both about the same length with similar POBs. However, I think the Balaur Arms sword has a linear distal taper, and the Gaddhjalt does not, so it is stiffer and feels more powerful in hand. The Balaur Arms sword has waviness and uneven components, even though I bought the non-second version, but it does feel like it's within actual historical bounds.

I think the Balaur Arms sword is a fantastic starting point for a medium quality project sword, which is exactly what I got it for.