Sword Buyers Guide

A sword buyer's guide is necessary if you wish to purchase a sword and you have no clue what to look for or no clue what terminology is used. The swords you purchase can be replicas from the ancient past or recent history, or can be real swords made for actual use. Some swords are made for decoration while others are made to practice martial arts.

There are three main differences between a real sword (one that can be used) and a decorative sword:

1. Real swords are properly treated with heat so the steel doesn't break with the slightly touch. If you can drastically bend the blade, or easily scratch it with a knife, then the blade has not been heat-treated.
2. Real swords are constructed from carbon steel, as opposed to stainless steel, which is reserved for decorative swords or cheaply made swords.
3. A Tang is a metal piece that secures the blade where it is inserted into the handle. There are full tangs and half tangs. These tangs hold the blade into the handle so they don't slide our to break on impact. A real sword uses a full tang to keep the blade inside the handle. Cheaper blades use a tang that is mounted on the front or backside of the sword. Since this area of the sword is very weak, a full tang is important.

How much should you expect to spend on a sword? This sword buyer's guide won't list specific prices because it depends on your level of expertise and commitment.

Beginners can find decently constructed swords for about $200 to $300. If your collection isn't specific, like you only collect swords from certain time periods or from certain people, then you can stick between the above price range.

As your collection gets bigger and you learn more and more about swords, your taste may change and paying $1,000 for superb swords might be what you should expect. How much you spend will be entirely up to you. Increasing your collection at a good pace means spending less on swords; getting the best swords to add to your collection means purchasing swords at a slower rate.

• If you decide to purchase online, purchase from a reputable dealer. To go along with that, make sure the sword is a brand name. That way, you can be assured that if the steel and heat treated carbon, it probably is because the manufacturer is reputable.
• Sword pricing can vary by large amounts online. Shop around online and you might find the same sword for $100 less at another dealer.
• When buying offline, do research on the dealer. Offline dealers often know the ins and outs of swords, but often have to purchase swords to stock their store. To stock their store quickly, dealers will purchase more cheaply made swords. Don't be afraid to take your time to look through the selection.

The blade is the part starting at the point going to where the handle starts. The blade has three parts itself. The forte is the part right next to the handle is one of the strong parts of the blade. This is the part you block with. The foible is the part right under the tip. Since it is weak, you mainly use this part for poking or quick slashing. Everything in between the forte and foible is the Center of Percussion. This is where you deliver the best hits. When you hit the blade against something, it should hardly vibrate.

The blade is cut with three methods. The sharp edge is the very side that can cut. Right along that is the dull portion. This part is what you sharpen to make is sharp. You basically bevel away some of the metal. If you let a sharp edge to without doing anything, then it turns into a rebated edge. This is simply the blade coming to a square. You will find decorative and reenactment swords cut with this in mind.

The crossguard is right above the handle and keeps your hand from moving onto the blade. Moving down is the hilt, which is basically the handle.

Some popular vendors are:

• Arms of Valor
• Kult of Athena
• Swords of Honor

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