[P. Cha]

At this price point, I'm looking at 3 things when I decide to buy or not.

1) proper balance for sword type.

2) proper weight for sword type.

3) proper heat treatment.

If it has a good fit and finish, thats a bonus. A nice scabbard. bonus. Nice anything else is a bonus, but without those three, it's not a contender for me, at all. So I think focus on the basics and then see what else you can fit in .

[Joel Chesser]

The Henry V does look fantastic. Im very impressed.

[Lafayette C Curtis]

I'd really love to see the Dagesse designed into a more historical and practical model of short sword. The current market of production-line swords doesn't really have enough choices to choose from in the short sword category....

[Raymond Deancona]

Sonny, I realize you need to look at cost and practicality in production, but any plans for a Celtic style sword?
As for a new Viking sword (excluding technical wants - fit and finish) what about a style that is not normally covered: Type A or type K? Type H is done by alot of makers, and soemthing "new" I feel is needed on the market.
Ray

[James King]

Period Seaxes. both migration and later period "broken back" seaxes would be very well recieved.

[R D Moore]

Hi Sonny

I appreciate what you're doing here. I think soliciting input from the sword community is a smart process. And you've received a lot of great input-both good and bad, but I'm sure that 's what you were looking for. You mentioned earlier that one of your concerns was to change the negative commentary about your products, and I thought it'd be a great idea to send one of these swords- right off of the production line - to Chad Arnow, or Patrick Kelly, or any of the other individuals who have published sword reviews on this forum. All of us would get an unbiased and informative review to study. I rely on these reviews heavily, and I'm sure others do, too. I think there's certainly a market for for the best quality swords that can be offered in your targeted price point. Good reviews could only help you, I believe. Thanks again for the oportunity to voice my opinion.

[Hugo Voisine]

A couple of good daggers will be a nice addition to your current offerings. A nice rondel dagger under 200 $ would be extremely nice. It doesn't have to be fancy like the A&A rondel, or a custom dagger from Tods Stuff, just a plain rondel with a wood grip and two plain rondels for the "pommel" and guard, and a stiff blade with a triangular cross-section.

Another thing... you need to get rid of the double-headed battle axe and the ninja-to.

Also, I think it would be nice if you were to change your medieval falchion... the blade looks like the knife of John Rambo on steroids, and the guard is too bulky.

[Morgan Butler]

I would like to see some nice light sabres, hunting swords and cut and thrust weapons. I would also like to see semi-complex hilted swords that are uni-handed. Also all the swords I see usually have huge hilts. But when ever I handle actual period pieces, they have smaller grips and hilts. I would like that to be reflected in your newer pieces.

[Sean Flynt]

Whatever comprises must be made--by any manufacturer--I think it would be revolutionary to offer sword kits in addition to complete weapons. These would be the same blades and furniture as sold complete (not mix-n-match as with ATrim weapons). Finish would be smooth and matte. No grip (neither core nor wrap). Just blade, pommel and cross.

Those who might gripe about the compromises of the finished off-the-rack pieces would have the option of assembling and finishing a weapon to their own personal standards, thus heading off the best-informed complaints. You could even have a gallery of customer-assembled weapons to show the variety of ways the kits can be finished. That could build good will among the most critical among us without undermining your business model.

More and more of us are taking these matters into our own hands anyway--refinishing and reassembling swords at this price point. It would be nice if we had that option up front so we wouldn't have to pay extra for work and materials we're just going to undo and discard.

Oh, and if you or any other manufacturers want to knock my socks off, you should offer a simple, unmounted halberd head of ca. 1450-1500 for $200 USD. Nobody does affordable (and reasonably accurate) polearms!

[Gavin Kisebach]

Sean that's a brilliant Idea. I've got the tools, but funds are an issue. If I could get better steel for a lower price, I'd gladly save a manufacturer some labor costs.

[W. R. Reynolds]

All messers great and small.

[Ed Toton]

[Bob Burns]

Hi Sonny, the Signature Line would potentially apply to me. I live less than a half hour from Kult of Athena, a First Rate First Class vendor who has started carrying your products and has been in business for more than 10 years with a formal showroom of some 1500 square feet.
I am in there quite often, at least once a month, so far being quite honest with you, I have not yet really taken a look at your products, I mean no offense I am just being 100% honest and I can't give any better feedback than that!
What I look for in a sword is superior steel correctly tempered, full tang construction with a tang that is not brittle nor any rat tail tang construction. I have zero interest in swords that are only made for show, they must be reality swords in their construction. Balance, proper weight is vital, though I can and have ground heavy swords down to where they are supposed to be in proper proximal to distal thinning of the blade. I am no bladesmith, this grinding process just somehow came to me like second nature, not sure why or how, it just is!
I won't take overweight swords seriously, there are a couple of companies out there that make what I consider to be nothing more than dead steel boat anchors! I won't mention those companies nor will I hint to who they are. Nor am I saying your swords fit that category, as I've said, I have not "yet" checked your swords out.
I've seen a couple of mass production sword companies make wonderful improvements in their swords.
I openly invite myArmoury forum members to ask me to check swords out that they are seriously considering for purchase and I am very straight forward in my evaluations.
The next time I go to Kult of Athena I promise that I will give a thorough look at your swords and daggers!
I am real enthusiastic with Arms & Armor and Albion Swords, while they are more expensive swords, the quality is just awesome! I've never handled a Gus Trim sword but I've heard nothing but excellent things about his swords!
I am delighted to see your post and that you are seeking feedback from potential customers as to what they want in a sword or dagger and that makes me take you very seriously as a future company to buy from!

Best of Luck in your Ambitions!

Bob

[Gary A. Chelette]

Type XIV swords has always been a favorite of mine. Del Tin's, Windlass, Albion all make type XIV's and I think they sell well also.

Daggers? Rhondel is a good one.
Looking forward to seeing more of you and your wares.

[Julien M]

Hi Sonny,

I completely second Sean's idea. I'm buying swords in that price point, ready to spend up to 300$ but reluctant to spend more. I can cope relatively easily with wood and leather work, but like most, I can't afford to try any metalwork (I don't have the space, knowledge nor tools). So by default I tap into windlass swords, because they have improved the quality of their blades to decent standards and are featuring more subtle hilts now. But I'm buying those knowing that I'll customize them as soon as I get them, which basicly consists of getting rid of most compromises made by the manufacturer in the first place (cheap leather grips, glossy varnish etc). Half of the work consist of basicly going backwards from what was badly done, and most home improvements you can see on this forum are not much more than this. I'd rather buy a better blade, with proper blade geometry, historicly (and aesthetically) accurate cross guard and pommel. I can take care of the rest myself (not providing any grip at all might shrink your market on this product though, but a very basic wood core may not). Furthermore, most swords in that price range are originaly blunts, often sharpened afterwards, showing obvious and rather ugly secondary bevel (I had my Towton sharpened that way and I deeply regret it). If you could produce that kind of sword kits focusing primarily on a proper blade geometry, cross guard and pommel, I'd be the first to buy one. Such an approach would really be unheard of.

Cheers,

J.

[Chad Arnow]

The kit idea is interesting, but I've heard of other makers turning not going that route due to liability and reputation concerns.

Let's say someone takes a Valiant Armoury kit and assembles it incorrectly so that it falls apart in some disastrous way. The rumour will be more likely to spread that a Valiant Armoury sword fell apart, not that it was a kit sword put together incorrectly so that it failed. We've seen similar things in this community before. Such rumors are easy to disprove but spread virally and it takes forever to undo the damage they cause.

Or, say someone takes the kit and alters the appearance in an unattractive or ahistorical way. When that sword shows up for sale on Ebay or something, it may simply be listed as a Valiant Armoury piece, not as something put together by some joker at their own home. People may look at it and say "Valiant's stuff is ugly."

Kits are nice, but remove control of the final product from the maker's hand, while not removing potential damage caused to the maker's reputation.

I think kits would be a great addition, but I would totally understand reasons why a maker would choose to say no to that idea.

My 2 cents.

[Jean Thibodeau]

[Chad Arnow]

[Jean Thibodeau]

Makes sense Chad and a good rebuttal as the potentiel for improper assembly is greater with a kit and someone taking a finished sword apart is really taking the full responsibility if they don't or can't put it back together properly: Just thought it would be good to look at the counter arguments.

[Chad Arnow]