[Damien Lachat]

Hi,
I'm kind of new at the whole sword thing, but was looking into buying something within my price range. So far two swords have caught my eye. The Swiss Warsword from Museum Replica and the Knights Templar sword from Valiant Armory. From what I've heard MRL are not always reliable, but I haven't heard a thing about Valiant Armory. Could anyone give me some insight on which would be a better buy? Or should I just start saving for a sword made by a more renowned company? ie. Albion. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
D. Lachat

[Scott Byler]

Hi Damien... Well, I think that *if* you can stand the wait and can save the money, that a piece from Albion or Arms and Armor, or Angus Trim, or any number of others would really make you a ton happier than the others you mentioned. Those pieces certainly serve a purpose and have their place in the market heirarchy, but there are a lot of really top notch swords out there well above those... Take a look around the forum and you'll get a lot of info on various makes and makers and can make a well informed purchase. Education is what it is all about, and the understanding that comes with it. Just my humble opinion.

[Bill Grandy]

Hi Damien and welcome to myArmoury.

I'm sure you realize that you get what you pay for, and that companies like the ones Scott mentioned will be FAR better choices... but there's nothing wrong with starting with less expensive swords at first, especially so that you get a better feel for what styles you prefer.

Out of the two swords you mentioned, I would definately go with the MRL one. I haven't handled either, but I've seen a few Valiant Armory pieces, and they generally are poorly finished, feel hefty and dead in the hand, and have poor edge geometry. MRL, on the other hand, tends to be a decent value for the price IF you get a good one. The quality control seems to be the major issue with MRL.

My advice is to look over some of the reviews here to get an idea of some different makers. And I second Scott's advice to cruise the forums and educate yourself. You'll pick up a lot in just a short amount of time.

[William Goodwin]

A thousand welcomes to ya'.

Have to agree with Scott & Bill about taking time and doing some research. Considering
the type/style/time period/price range of sword your looking at, the Squire Line from Albion or
(if I may suggest another great company) Armour Class could be good places to start.


Bill
aka William

[Alexi Goranov]

Hi Damien,

I second the opinions voiced so far. I just want to add that I own a Valiant armoury sword (the mercenary sword), and have handled few others, so I have personal experience with the company. To put it bluntly, do NOT waste your money on Valiant, it is absolutely not worth it. The ProCut people (who own Valiant sword line) think that if a sword is made of high carbon steel is enough to call it "functional" or "battle-ready". Poor edge geometry is the least of the problems of their swords.

Rat-tail tangs, and round and very uncomfortable grips are much more of an immediate issue. That makes the swords basically useless, as a cut into any medium with some resistance (2L Coke bottle) might be enough to bent the tang and break the grip. I speak from personal experience. I am not even going to go into the quality of the finishing and the evenness of the blade geometry.

Save a hundred bucks more and go for MRL or Del Tin if you are on tight budget. If you can put together ~$400, Albion's Squire line and ATrims are within a reach.

The more money you put in to your purchase, the more of a sword you are going to get.

Welcome to a wonderful hobby,

Alexi

[Nathan Robinson]

For an overview of the various things to consider when purchasing replicas, I highly suggest reading our article, The Evolution and Evaluation of the Modern Replica.

[Damien Lachat]

Thank all of you for your help. I'll do my best to educate myself on the subject. I look forwards to learning on this site and from all you sword vets. Thanks again.

Damien