MOVIE & TV SERIES SWORD ARTICLES When Highlander-style swords flooded the market, fans bought them like hot cakes. However, some Taiwanese companies began to put fake versions and cheap copies of the original Spanish-made products on the market. They cost less, but the quality was extremely poor. Thus, thousands of fans were ripped of by these flashy products that not only fell apart or broke later on, but were dangerous to wield. The mail order houses were not helping either. Some used deceptive advertising and close-up photographs to present the swords as the Spanish-made originals Highlander swords, but were in actuality the cheap imitations. Thus, the The HIGHLANDER Sword Shopper's Guide was born, as an information center to help people purchase the real swords, and to show them how to distinguish them from the fakes. As the Editor of the HSG, I frequent stores that sell an immense variety of replica Japanese swords. I hold them, inspect them, test their balance and their workmanship, and I present these reports to you, the Highlander fan. One important note: The HSG does not sell anything, nor do we make money from this website. We do not have catalogs! These are purely consumer reports and reviews to give you information so you can make a wise purchase. The HSG is here to help you from being ripped off, and to date has helped many thousands of people. Even some staff of the Official Highlander Store have found this web page useful to answer customer questions on swords. We care for you. We are fans too. And we've been burned, hurt, and ripped off like some of you. Our desire is to preserve the magic that makes Highlander enjoyable for the years to come. We hope you will be blessed by this endeavor. Sword Articles How to Distinguish Real Highlander Swords from the Fakes is a quick guide to key factors you can identify at a glance. Use this information to protect yourself from getting ripped off! Important! "My Sword of the Dragon is Broken" is an article that details the construction of this famous Marto sword - and why some have found the sword handle rattling. "The A-B-C's of Determining Quality of Swords" is a beginner's shopping guide into the world of real swords - be they the mass manufactured or high end custom weapons. Here is the information some business don't want you to know! Important! How to Care for Stainless Steel Swords - Care Tips for your stainless steel decorative sword. Steel Cleaners - Which Cleaners are Safe and Which Are Not! Can Stainless Steel Swords be Used as Weapons? - Article that deals with the limitations of replica stainless steel swords. How to Sharpen Your Swords - Do's and Don'ts about sharpening real swords and decorative replica swords. Outfitting Swords with Aluminum Blades - What the TV series does to speed up swordfights. Dang Tangs - Hidden Weak Spots in Replica Swords - What the manufacturers of inexpensive swords don't want you to know!

Other Links

Sword Myths - An essay by Glenn A. Pettit, this is a concise summary of basically what we here on the HSG are trying to communicate, but Glenn arrived at his conclusions independently and accurately. Recommended reading. Alex B's Highlander Series Sword List - Here is a text list of general descriptions of swords. (This is not an HSG article; I cannot guarantee accuracy) Be sure to visit our Metallurgy section here on The HSG! It contains a wealth of information regarding elements in steels, the types and grades of steels, and other factors that enter into a sword being both beautiful and battleworthy!

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