[David V.]

Hello there.

Could anybody suggest a decent sword for a first timer that is relatively affordable?

If i had the money, i would like a weapon that is both historically accurate and martially sound, indeed, a weapon you can depend on in combat. Aesthetically i'm not too demanding, i usually favor lean western designs with a hand made (or made to look hand made) clean finnish. The fascination lies in knowing i have a real weapon, not just something to look at. I don't plan to actually ever use the sword (i'm the clumsiest creature on the planet :P), it's only for admiration.

Right now the sword that catches my eye the most (given i had anywhere near the cash) would be The Knight, from the Albion's line, so something similar would be in order.

I know, cheap weapons are boring, but i seriously cannot spare any cash right now. I eventually plan to buy a real sword (perhaps The Knight itself if it's a still avaible), but for the moment i just want something i can enjoy owning and perhaps use as practice bait to learn how to take care of a sword and such.

[Anton de Vries]

Check the Towton review on this site.

That's only an example of course. There are many cheap swords of good quality out there.
Happy hunting!

[C.L. Miller]

What price range are you looking at? The best budget option for someone interested in Albion's Knight is of course Albion's Squire line 13th C. Knightly sword, at $300 its a real steal, and probably just about the best you can do for that kind of money, unless you happen upon a really nice bargain in a used sword.
I may be mistaken, but I think that the MRL swords are close enough to this in price ($200-250, maybe a little cheaper) to justify waiting and saving - it will be worth it.
While you're saving you can keep on eye on the classifieds here and over at SwordForum, every now and then an ArmArt Budget Knightly or some such will turn up for a very reasonable price.
Good luck!

[Eric Nower]

I would recommend the SL Knightly sword as well. More money than a MRL, but worth it.

[David Etienne]

I bought a SL Knightly sword a few months ago and I still regret I sold it (I needed cash for a NG Laird). That was my first real sword and it's worth every single dollar.

Cheers,

David

[Patrick Kelly]

Welcome to myArmoury David.

We really need more information in order to offer any advice.

Mainly how much are you willing to spend? This will largely determine what's available to you.

[Bob Burns]

Hi David and welcome! For the best prices that I have found anywhere and the great fortune of them being 17.5 miles from my house, check out this website. www.kultofathena.com

If you want a "battle ready" sword, that is to say a sword with a high carbon steel blade at the lowest possible price while still getting a very decent sword for your money check into these three. Paul Chen Hanwei, Cold Steel and Windlass Steelcraft, the latter is sold with a dull edge the first two with a very sharp edge. I checked out every "battle ready" sword in their store and I can honestly say "Do Not Let the Low Prices Scare You". Also what you see listed as being "in stock" is in fact in stock, as a matter of fact I was there yesterday. I just found Kult of Athena 2 weeks ago as a matter of fact, so as you can imagine I am in Hog Heaven!

The owner's name is Ryan, he's been in business since 1999 and has had this commercial location for a year and is one of us, a total Sword Nut!

Later, when you are ready for a sword of uncompromising quality, I strongly urge you to select something from either Arms & Armor or Albion. I myself am a dedicated Arms & Armor customer ( I have developed a relationship with the fine people at A&A, bought my first sword from them) but Albion is every bit as good! Both these companies are the best there are without getting into something custom from the legend in his own time, that person being Peter Johnsson of Sweden.

Hope this helps you and I very much welcome you to the Truly Obsessed!


Happy Collecting,

Bob

[Sam Barris]

I bought a few swords from MRL when I was much younger, and frankly, only one of them turned out to be worth the money. However, that was a long time ago, very shortly after they stopped carrying Del Tin blades, and I've heard Windlass' quality has improved since then. Everything I've heard about Cold Steel has been negative, though in fairness I come by that opinion secondhand. My advice is to take whatever money you've saved up and keep adding to it little by little until you have enough to buy one of the less expensive Albions or an A&A or something of similar quality. The instant gratification route is tempting, but from experience I can say that it will bring you limited satisfaction in the long run.

I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear, but I've been where you are and ended up spending money on weapons that could have gone towards a weapon of much higher quality.

That said, Bugei Trading Co. had a hand and a half sword (it looked Type XIVish, though I don't think James was anal about the historical accuracy on that one) that was decently priced. And I can't imagine it would fall apart in your hands given the source.

Just a thought. Happy hunting.

[Joe Fults]

Narrow down your list of possibilities, and then watch the classifieds here or at SFI. Sooner or later deals turn up. I believe there are some good deals on A&A's posted here now.

[Jean Thibodeau]

Some low cost swords can be a good buy for the price and reasonably " good " by any measure but with the A & A and Albion you are sure to have a real sword if that is what you want.

Oh, there are other good makers out there like Angus trim that are just a bit lower in price, maybe a little less historically correct but with emphasis on being very good using / cutting swords: It's all about what your main goal is and how much money you are ready to spend.

( I don't have personal experience with the Angus Trim swords but he does have a good reputation for performance swords and the quality of his finish, I have read, is better than it was some time ago: Second hand info here so don't just take my word for it. ) http://www.angustrimdirect.com/

Oh, and for about $100 more than an average MRL you get a very good Angus Trim. But there are some very decent MRL swords now as they seem to have made the effort to cross the line from wallhangers to real swords.

[David V.]

Thanks for the suggestions everybody, i'll look into those.

And yes, forgot to mention, my (meager) price range is around the 100$ to 200$, but perhaps it might be wise to save a little more and still get an Albion or equivalent, all though 300$ it's really pushing it.

[Patrick Kelly]

[Patrick Kelly]

[John Cooksey]

Some of the Cold Steel swords are very good.
But my first-hand knowledge of them is restricted to the Chinese and Japanese-styled stuff.
Their kats, jian, and Chinese-style sabers (plus a few of the Euro types) are made by Fred Chen/Huanuo, and are exactly the same as much higher-priced models sold by other importers.

The Chisa katana, in particular, while a bit "chunky", is one heck of a well-put-together weapon.

The 1796 "light cav." and the 1830 "Napoleon" sabers are also pretty darned nice.
Those Indian gentlemen can make a pretty decent sword when they put their minds to it.

For a "Knight"-like weapon in the $300 price range, ya can't go wrong with Albion's own SL Knightly sword, or even that Del Tin 2121 they still list on their site.

Kris Cutlery also offers some pretty nice weapons at budget prices, if you can find a model that tickles your fancy.
I like their new Viking sword, or at least what I have seen of it.
The gladius also looks like a very nice, functional, aesthetically pleasing (if not completely accurate) sword.

[Patrick Kelly]

[David V.]

Almost forgot to ask. Does the law require any sort of weapon license to own a sword? If so, what does that entile exactly?

I never owned a weapon before, so i have no experience with permits and such...

[Nathan Robinson]

[Felix Wang]

David: PM sent.