One Sword... or Many?

[appalachianranger]

As the good gentlemen said, it's all about what you plan to use the sword for!
During the Tolkien craze in the wake of Peter Jackson's films, which I confess was what got me started on the works of the Professor, I purchased a number of the hobby store- quality replicas of the Lord of the Rings swords which were obviously made for display only. While these look lovely on the wall, I am positive most would shatter the first time I tried to swing them through some brush!
Someday I hope to save enough to purchase a real blade, perhaps even have the artist of Fable Blades craft one I design, but until I win the lottery I hold onto my stainless steel overgrown trinkets and use them for the occasional photoshoot or costume party.

[caedmon]

Hey I split this out because it seems like a perfect time to have the discussion of sword quality...

[caedmon]

SO here's the question:

It seems that the starting price of a really nice, but not perfect, sword is in the $600-$800 range. I have several not so great quality swords that I could sell and buy one good one.

Good idea? Bad idea? Discuss.

[Ringulf]

Very good idea!

I concur and unfortunately I am in the same boat. I have many $100 to $200 dollar type swords and would love to put all aside for that one realy nice sword. Unfortunately the one I would like would be up in the 800 plus range. The other issue is that as a Dwarf in ME and a Norseman in SCA I am looking for the sword that will fill both purposes.
In Middle Earth, my primary melee weapons are axes with my seax as a back up, hold out weapon.
This is not an uncommon position for a Dwarven warrior and certainly common for a Dwarven Forester/Ranger type.
So I suppose the sword I may end up wuth with be a Norse model (appropriate for many cultures in middle earth) or I may try and see about looking at a well made version of Thorin's or Fili's Erebor styled swords as the Ereborian background would be appropriate for me.

[Chris Russo]

I concur--good idea.

I compare sword-collecting to guitar collecting. My father plays the guitar, and over the years gradually acquired a collection of mid-quality Taylor guitars--the 800, the 600, the Big Baby, and an Epiphone Les Paul (the misfit of the collection). But one day he took the plunge and got a high-end, a T5. And after that, he said, he almost never played anything else in his collection. Over the last decade he's been slowly giving away the other mid-quality guitars to friends or children of friends, because he has that one high-quality guitar that suits his needs.

Not counting machetes, my sword collection stands at exactly two, both high quality longswords--and if I hadn't won the Dawg Days contest a few years back, it would be at one. I had a few stainless wallhangers, but once I had Vanmoriel, the others started just sitting around collecting dust. I eventually want to trade one of my longswords for an Albion or Atrim arming sword, but still, even in my dream collection, it will stand at just two items, but two *good* items.

[Eledhwen]

By all means, consolidate if it gets you THE sword.

I have three true swords (having given away the others). They are a Gladius, a Shamshir, and my Del Tin Glamdring. None of these will ever go anywhere until I have passed. They all work very differently from one another.

I do have some sword blades...two bronze Celtic blades, one steel leaf shaped blade...which will become a Numenorean shortsword when I get around to completing it. At which point the Gladius might become a gift too. We'll see.

Hmm, I have given away four that I can think of. Norman sword, Norse sword, Archers' shortsword, and a katana-like Heron Mark sword.

For a true sword of Tolkien/European style I shall ever have my Glamdring. For my middle eastern dancing and whatnot I have my Shamshir. I used to do Roman reenactment but I love the Gladius so it stayed home.

Eledhwen

[Peter Remling]

There are pros and cons to both.

The big plus for lower end swords is that you can handle/own a lot of different blades for a reasonable amount of money. Until you've handled a variety of swords, you're not going to know what's right for you. Once you've handled a group of them, researched the different fight books, and gain some insight into handling characteristics, then maybe it's time to take the plunge.

It's like having a dream car, buying it and then taking it for a drive. Then you realize you don't really want to drive that fast and you don't like sitting that close to the ground. Experience, experience and more experience.

I have a few it the price range mentioned above as high end. I don't think of them as high end. High end to me means and Odin or one of Brennos Fableblades

[Mirimaran]

Oh man, does this open the can of worms as what constitutes what a real sword is and what is a SLO (sword like object)? A few years back I was briefly on another board that will remain nameless, but I will say that the condescension was overwhelming, especially with newer members and discussions of this type. Most of what I personally own are Windlass products, daggers mostly. I have a celtic style short sword from Ritter Steel, which may or may not be a "real" sword. I have been told that if it isn't made by ______________ it isn't a real sword, or it was machined it isn't a real sword. I have no idea, personally. I would love to own a custom sword, just to have, mostly, as I don't cut mats or waterbottles. Personally I find my coustille and handaxe more comfortable, for my tastes. But perhaps one day I will find something that just talks to me. A few years back my wife found an amazing hand-forged viking sword on Ebay for a song, which we bought. There were runes on the scabbard and after a couple of days we were able to find the name of the original owner, and about an hour of searching proved the sword to be stolen. So, we made arrangements and returned it to it's owner, a bit of food for thought, but I think I would want to find a swordmaker and have something made just for me.

Ken

[caedmon]

I have a few it the price range mentioned above as high end.

Hey I didn't say high end, I said 'nice, but not perfect'. High end is a much more emphemeral question that I don't want to go into.

What I expect in the $500-$800 price range is a sword that is built well, isn't likely to break (just by swinging it and not hitting anything), made with feel (balance, COP, blade geometry) accounted for, and perhaps some individual attention paid by the maker.

[Eledhwen]

I have none in that range. The highest quality pieces I have are the Shamshir from Cold Steel and the 'Glamdring' from DelTin. Both are worth far more than what I paid for them, both are truly combat ready swords. I have no idea what the DelTin would be priced as these days; when I got it it cost me a bit over 200 dollars and that was in 80s. The Shamshir I don't recall but it was on sale when I got it. By price they would not be considered particularly good quality....but as a bladesmith myself I can tell you they are fine pieces of work and I would rely on them without question.

As a Ranger, the Del Tin blade is the one I would carry; it has a faint leaf shape to it, has a Middle Earth 'look' to it, is extremely well balanced and the blade is seriously tough and flexible at the same time. It rings clear and true and if done with a tuning fork produces one of the clearest tones I have ever heard. The sheath it came with was just leather with a steel chape and locket; it is getting a wood core sheath soon.

I think the worth of a blade is hard to pin down. Windlass Steelcrafts gets a lot of flak..and not always undeserved either...but they do produce some good pieces now and then. Del Tin went through a low point for a time, or so I had heard, but is once again producing good steel blades. Their price is high. You can find good blades without having to pay sky high prices..but if you want custom work...well, there you are going to 'bleed' a bit.

I wish I could have gotten the 'Orcrist' blade too but at the time I couldn't. They are no longer available and I haven't even got an image to go by else I'd have a go myself.

Eledhwen

[Peter Remling]

Some folks will suggest save your money until you can afford the best. I have no problem with that as long as you have the knowledge to what is the best for you, otherwise it could be just a waste of money.

[Elemmakil]

I wish I could have gotten the 'Orcrist' blade too but at the time I couldn't. They are no longer available and I haven't even got an image to go by else I'd have a go myself.

Eledhwen

Seek and ye shall find!

[Elemmakil]

SO here's the question:

It seems that the starting price of a really nice, but not perfect, sword is in the $600-$800 range. I have several not so great quality swords that I could sell and buy one good one.

Good idea? Bad idea? Discuss.

Acutally, Kult of Athena has suitable Del Tins (i.e Viking Age, and early Medieval) for around $425, and I consider the DTs to be pretty decent quality. A&A and Albion swords are more expensive, $800 and up.

As for myself, I have quite a few swords, though many I have hilted up myself, usually based on DT blades. One of my best swords is an Albion Valkyrie. That is one I'd take to Middle Earth with me if I had the chance!

[Eledhwen]

Seek and ye shall find!

Ah! Thank you! Muwhahahaha! I shall have a go at this one once I have the forge running at full tilt. Thank you! May you be thrice blessed.

She is a thing of beauty. The ricasso is the same as the Glamdring, I recalled that part, but the blades are shaped differently, this one having a steady taper to the point where the Glamdring has a faint leaf shape to it. The guards are different, the grip on the Glamdring does not have the finger grooves, and the pommel is entirely different. If memory serves, they lengths of the blades were similar with Orcrist being perhaps a bit longer.

Ah but I will of course add my own influences...no smith can resist doing that...but when I have a go, she'll look essentially like this one, aye.

Thank you again.

Eledhwen

[Elemmakil]

Forgot to mention that I actually *have* a bare Orcrist blade, along with two Glamdrings; if I get a chance I'll compare the two.

I got the Orcrist blade several years ago from Albion; they had a bunch in stock for some reason. You might want to search online or put out inquiries on, say, Armour Archive and see if anyone has one that they would be willing to part with.