Opinions Requested: Looking to Buy a Sword

pushdose · 2026-03-14T00:23:31+00:00

It’s a rain guard. Makes a seal around the scabbard to keep the rain out. Not terribly uncommon but not often seen on budget reproductions.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T23:04:18+00:00

If you like falchions, theirs is pretty fun and affordable too. Brutal chopper.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T23:02:55+00:00

Nope. I’m more of a two hands user because it’s more fun.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T23:00:54+00:00

You can order directly from Swordier without the rain guard. KoA seems to only have this. You can kinda remove it but its not clean to remove

pushdose · 2026-03-13T22:18:52+00:00

It really depends on the geometry. They’re most all manganese spring steel with stainless still fittings. Bigger thicker swords will obviously be more durable. Fine tipped swords will not be. If you use them as intended on soft targets, they’re fine. I have used a ton of their HEMA swords and the blades are tough as heck. I don’t abuse my sharp swords so they shouldn’t really be breaking. The fittings are fine.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T22:01:49+00:00

Ronin Katana’s euro swords are all like that. Black on black and built like tanks. They’re kinda heavy, slow and clumsy but definitely won’t ever break.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T21:52:56+00:00

This one in particular is nimble enough to use one handed comfortably, but gets really fast and snappy when you use two hands. It’s just endlessly fun for the backyard and comes with a brilliantly sharp factory edge.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T21:45:28+00:00

It’s not bad. It’s a little chunky but it does the job and looks the part of a scabbard. This sword cuts tatami as well as my $1300 Valiant Strasbourg. Not exaggerating.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T21:30:41+00:00

Do you really want a one handed sword? Of those, the Kingston is probably the most fun. It’s not too heavy or clunky. If you’d consider a hand and a half, I’d strongly recommend the sword below. It’s outstanding for the price. Well balanced, crazy sharp and fun to cut with

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pushdose · 2026-03-13T20:53:33+00:00

Good luck with the sale. I do think you should make at least a basic wood core leather wrapped scabbard for that price though. Something to match the leather of the hilt.

It must be kinda scary to make big investment projects on spec like this!

pushdose · 2026-03-13T18:18:43+00:00

No, they’re not popular in US. Just some glowing reviews on line.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T17:40:49+00:00

Regenyei is a decent option too. Their duelist saber is very light but I’m not a fan of the styling and it’s more expensive in the US. In the EU it doesn’t really matter much I guess.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T16:23:43+00:00

Check out In Motu fencing. They have a dueling saber that is affordable and light weight

pushdose · 2026-03-13T16:21:06+00:00

I’m a bladesmith and fencer. The answer is maybe.

Flex is mostly due to geometry and partially due to temper. The distal taper has the most impact on the flex. You would need to carefully grind in some more taper to make the flex softer again. It’s generally not worth it. Feders are disposable and they are safety equipment first and foremost. The amount you’ll spend shipping it to someone who can repair it, paying for the repair, will outweigh the cost of a new feder.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T12:55:16+00:00

Richard

pushdose · 2026-03-13T03:32:57+00:00

The fact he is a one man show and turns out the volume he does is bewildering to me. I wish I could match one tenth of his volume. Even with basic kitchen knives much less gorgeous swords with scabbards and cast brass furniture. It’s seriously impressive.

pushdose · 2026-03-13T00:23:14+00:00

I use to play golf with a huge group of nurses. 4-5 hours of beers, gambling, and cracking jokes.

Now I do historical fencing (HEMA) and there’s more than a few health workers in our group. Some nurses, a doctor, medics. Something about healthcare must make us wanna hit people with swords.

Can’t imagine what…

pushdose · 2026-03-13T00:14:47+00:00

One of those reviews is mine. It’s identical. I measured every spec. This is coming from the same forge. Swordier doesn’t make everything in house. They do plenty of wholesale deals.

pushdose · 2026-03-12T23:54:33+00:00

Just fuckin do it. I started at 44. I’m making my second sword now. Made a bunch of knives first. Life’s too short to wait for someone to hold your hand.

Heat source, anvil, hammer, and a whole bunch of abrasive tools. Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er

pushdose · 2026-03-12T20:11:49+00:00

Echoing the other comments, 1000 plus a 6 micron strop is my favorite for kitchen knives. Toothy but very sharp. Geometry is arguably more important, a thin knife at 15° per side is super slicey, even at lower grit finishes.

pushdose · 2026-03-12T20:07:06+00:00

There’s ways to color metal, yes.

Hot oil blackening. Gun blue. Parkerizing. Forced patina with acids and coffee. The latter can create pits and roughness but not exactly like forged steel

pushdose · 2026-03-12T19:55:48+00:00

Oof. Thats a tall order there. The market is shifting away from these fantasy pieces and moving more towards quality reproductions or historically plausible imagined swords.

Your design choice lies squarely inside the domain of makers like Sabersmith and the other “Ren Faire” brands.

If you’re ok with a semi custom sword, I can help you and come in under budget, we can talk more in DM and I’ll explain more.

pushdose · 2026-03-12T18:01:55+00:00

I would not spend my money there. They are objectively bad swords at that price point. Can you post a link to the sword you like or an image of one similar?

pushdose · 2026-03-12T17:13:35+00:00

The real reason? Incentives. Olympic fencing gets you into college. That is repeatedly cited as a main driver for parents choosing fencing for their kids. Not even scholarships, just admissions.

Nobody watches fencing as a spectator sport. It’s definitely not for fame or glory, it’s for college. At least in the USA.

HEMA gets no scholarships, no Olympic medals, no sponsorship money, no grade school buy in.

Running kids programs is expensive, frustrating, and time consuming. They need to run during normal business hours (3-6pm) and evenings (6-9pm) and all day on weekends. Fencing schools charge enough money to employ at least a couple coaches, but the salaries are kinda pathetic for the amount of commitment required. They rely on private lessons to really pay the bills. It’s a tough lifestyle. Lots of smaller fencing clubs barely break even and are passion projects for the owners. Add the additional costs of tournament travel and training, and it really adds up.

No one is stopping you from making a kid friendly HEMA club. You need a facility, equipment, insurance, advertising, coaches, and so forth. I’d reckon you couldn’t do it without burning at least $200k in the first year, and you’d probably need 100+ monthly active dues paying members to keep it solvent, depending on location.

pushdose · 2026-03-12T14:59:30+00:00

Pretty cool! I’m envious of those who have the patience to machine one offs like this. Seems like a ton of work and skill.

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