[K. Horton]

Hello Gentlemen,
I wanted to ask everyone who their favorite maker is for swords, other than "The Big Three" as I refer to them,
(Albion, Arms&Armor, and Gus Trim). Many have showed up on this forum lately, but I'm sure that everybody
that has a collection has a favorite or has dealt with others than those listed above. I don't have any swords yet, due
to family life and economic woes, it is hard to have any extra...I'm sure all can relate in some way.

I am always looking for designs and ideas for the day that I can purchase my sword. That is the point, I would like to
hear from anyone willing to share. Things that would be nice to know about swords and makers for me are:

-I'm am interested in a functional sword for test cutting
- Historical accuracy is a plus, or at least based on a type. I love history...fantasy..not so much. Swords of the typology I am
interested in are: XVa, XVII, XVIIb, XIIa.
- What type of steel used
- Of course price
- Location is nice, I live in Ohio

I do love a lot of swords by the three and will purchase on eventually, but price is an issue, not that I expect a huge difference between a custom sword and one from the above, but I really don't know what to expect.

Any help and info is appreciated,

Ken

[Sean Flynt]

Arma Bohemia does impressive work on a custom/semi-custom/stock basis:

http://www.armabohemia.cz/Novestr/homeA.htm

With currencies bouncing around now it's worth keeping an eye on exchange rates and buying from AB's current stock when conditions are favorable. Prices are in Euros and the Euro is at $1.37 as of this post. Probably has further to fall. Or does it?l

[Stephanie Maks]

I'd suggest taking some time and reading through the Reviews section here - I've found them invaluable, myself. Not just from the viewpoint of a prospective buyer, but just from general knowledge, and to get a feel for what else is out there beyond the 'big three' as you called them.

My own experience outside of those three is somewhat limited. I've had some 'wall hangers' / decorative swords by Hanwei, CAS Iberia, and United Cutlery. And although they sell some of them sharp, I'd strongly suggest staying clear of all of them. Some of the better / pricier Hanwei stuff might be ok but the reviews I've read (here and elsewhere) are mixed - and at the price of some of their higher-end stuff, I don't think you'd really be saving much.

Personally, if price is an issue but you want something historical and a good safe cutter, I'd suggest looking at Angus Trim's "Makers Mark" line or Albion's Squire Line. IMHO the ATrims are priced very competitively for what you get, and most of what I've heard / read about ATrim is very favorable. I've also heard a lot of good things about Albion's Squire Line, which you can get sharpened right from Albion; the quality is still very good but the price about half what you'd pay for a Next Gen.

I'm no expert, but both the ATrim Makers Mark or the Albion Squire Line are less than $500 and both have very good reviews as far as the points you are interested in. The Squire Line might come out slightly 'ahead' in that it will be slightly more historically accurate in its construction and probably available to you faster.

Cheers!

-Stephanie

[Sean Flynt]

By the way, you can find bargains among the Windlass Steelcrafts offerings. I'm seeing ever-fewer historically authentic designs from WS, but there are always a few pieces in their catalog that can be significantly improved by rebuilding or something as simple as a new grip. Usually, within a year of seeing something interesting from WS, it'll be discounted somewhere for under $200.

[K. Horton]

---I'm caught up on the Trims and Albions and actually had a 1415 on order and had to cancel, on a previous thread there was a big discussion about the differences between the two, based on what somebody is looking for in a sword.
After the thread and cancellation, not the reason for the cancellation by the way, is when I again began to search for
more ideas.
I guess I forgot to include other custom makers, maybe on a much smaller scale somewhere in between
the others mentioned. Guys that might do some good work and are reasonable. Makers that do not have a website
and rely on word of mouth. Know any of those guys?


Ken

[Jean Thibodeau]

Well I like these guys: http://www.ollinsworddesign.com/

Here is the one I had made by them: http://www.ollinsworddesign.com/osd-custom-RW.html

You can read a huge 14 page Topic about the design and making of it here:
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=8131

[K. Horton]

Jean,
Beautiful sword, I noticed the wolf on the scabbard and your Doge with the same design, personal
logo? I came across this site on my own last night and was happy to find it , although, there is no
talk of cost, unless I missed it? What does a custom sword like that run compared to the the other
leaders of the industry? Don't get me wrong, I understand you can't get something for nothing and
a good sword maker is well worth the penny, I just wanted to explore all the options available to a
consumer. Gus seems to be the best purchase, price wise, Albion is the best for historical accuracy
and A&A falls in the middle somewhere, in my mind. Is it possible to find a sword maker in Gus's price
range, with the historical accuracy ,to an extent, as Albion and A&A?

Ken

[D. Austin]

Hi Ken,

I recently purchased a sword from Pavel Moc, one of the makers reviewed in the myArmoury reviews section. After studying the available swords from a number of makers, and having similar criteria to yourself, I finally chose this one and was not disappointed. It suits my purposes perfectly and was well within the expected price range. He was great to deal with and I would not hesitate to recommend his work to those who want a functional sword which is really quite accurate historically. My only disclaimer is that I have not as yet tried test cutting with it but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't perform well.

Darren.

[Jean Thibodeau]