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 This section of the
The HIGHLANDER Sword Shopper's Guide profiles and
manufactuers of both replica as well as
real swords. ATTENTION SWORDMAKERS! Please
click here for a special section just for
you!
Real Sword Makers
The following articles give you many possibilities. However, exercise wisdom in your purchasing. Some people use guideline like your body size and your personality to tailor weapons to you if you are a first-time collector, but there is a lot more to swords. Anyone can sharpen a piece of metal and call it a sword! There are issues raning from metallurgy to tradition that govern the toughness, sharpness, flexibility and durability of a sword. Real Swords: Costs & Estimates This section focuses more, specifically, on the masters of the forge, rather than the type of weapon, be it a claymore, a katana, boardsword, or a Chinese dao or kim in particular. However, some swordsmiths may have a specific focus on, say, katanas and some are more varied. Real swords fall into two categories: the mass-produced functional weapons, and custom-made weapons. The custom-made category also comes in two flavors: art swords (battleworthy) and functional swords (not as meticulously beautiful, but the focus is more on saving your life). Real swords typically fall in the US$1,000-1,500 range, but there are exceptions. Some well-made Japanese practice katanas are in the $500, while some true battlefield warblade quality swords that will cut through other swords may be upwards of US$6,000-10,000 depending on how much furnishing, art and aesthetics you wish to put into it. The replica-class of museum pieces that are reasonably durable for combat-re-enactment are within the $200-$400 range. Please approach these swordsmiths with politeness and respect. They are regular people like you and I, but please do not inundate them with requests for catalogs if you with to only obtain a $50 sword! Purchasing Considerations
Metallurgical Analysis - Grades of Steel - Find out what your sword is made of, and what its inherent strengths and weaknesses are as a wallhanger or as a weapon.
Howard Clark - ABS Master Bladesmith and maker of graceful high performance Japanese-style blades - an HSG "Best Buy". Highly recommended. Vince Evans - Winner of Blade Magazine's "Award For Best Forged Piece". His swords are within the US$1,000-1,500 range, and are very well made and are a beauty to behold, ranging from knights swords and Scottish weapons to traditional Chinese dao. Evans' work is true-to-traditional and is distinctive and are excellent bargains. Del Tin, Italy - Founded in 1965, Del Tin's beautiful and yet durable swords have earned its places in museums such as the Royal Armouries Museum of Leeds (UK), as well as films such as Braveheart and Robin Hood. Jose de Braga - An art knifemaker based in Canada, de Braga carved the handles and made the swords of Connor MacLeod and Kane the Sorcerer for the film Highlander 3 Arms and Armour - Founded in 1982 by Christopher Poor, and with tremendous guidance and inspiration by fine museums and by the esteemed Ewart Oakeshotte, these arms and armor makers are among the finest in replica European swords today. Fred Lohman - Working in conjunction with various bladesmiths, Fred brings his 30 years experience of Japanese sword parts in completing a blade into a fully-furnished katana or tachi. D.R. Langenbacker & Sons - A wonderful business that has one of the largest and affordable collections of tsuba, menuki, and fuchi-kashira for Japanese swords. Christopher Lau - Our HSG resident technical consultant on Japanese swords, Christopher Lau is one of three in Canada skilled in Togi - the art of Japanese sword polishing. He is also skilled in Kantei (sword appraising) and has both polished and collected Swords from modern to ancient! Kevin Cashen - Winner of a "Best Custom Straight Knife" award, Kevin Cashen creates beautiful Viking style swords in plain carbon steel as well as beautiful pattern-welded damascus that have gained a lot of attention. James Piorek - Custom-engineered high-quality and high-tech implementations of traditional Japanese-style weapons, but with means of easy-access and concealment. Phill Hartsfield - You've seen his $6,000-7,000 chisel-ground "live warblades" touted by leading martial artists. Are they worth that dollar amount? Starfire Swords - Often seen at Renaissance Faires, this article deals is a compilation of feedback of their work from various people who have evaluated their swords first hand.
Sword Dealers
Non-Reviewed Links
Dragon Fist Forge - Canadian Blade-maker Randal Graham favors L6 steel for its strength and durability in sword use. Offers Claymores, Viking Swords, and a Western interpretation of a katana. Wilkinson Sword Company - made from Sheffield high-carbon steel, Wilkinson Sword Company has been making swords since the early 1800s and is of world reknown. Espadas made by WKC in Solingen - A German-based company that makes swords for police and military groups of different countries. Antique Auctioneers and Valuers, U.K. - Militaria and Connoiseur swords available for auction. Non-reviewed link. It is hard to ascertain quality of Japanese swords without closeups of the blade, tang signatures, etc.
Sword/Knife Maker's Resources
NC Tool Company, Inc. - 1-800-446-6498 Makers of a gas forge. Renaissance Wax Damasteel AB - Based in Sweeden, this company provides bars of Damascus steel of a variety of patterns. Alternate link here.
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There has exited a chasm between the world of Highlander fans, and the
world of Japanese sword collectors, real sword smiths, Japanese sword
polishers, etc. The HIGHLANDER Sword Shopper's Guide's aim
is to bridge this gap, and to create a forum by which sword makers and
masters of the forge can bring their arts and hearts to you, the
Highlander fan, where magic, awe and reality can finally meet and
touch.