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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 8:11:35 GMT
I'm new to sword shopping... but I've come to know my terminology, for the most part, and I've done my research. It was tricky at first finding non-junk brands, but after i found this websight, life was made very easy, thank you SBG. I'm in the market for a longsword. ish. but there's so many options! Here's what i've narrowed my list down to. But first, what I'm in the market for: I sword shop with the Zombie Apocalypse in mind; good cutter, excellent quality, and versatile. I'm not overly interested in a saber for my first sword, so I've narrowed the list to my fav. from a few different brands. Sticklestad Viking Sword www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=1442Cold Steel Hand-And-A-Half Sword www.trueswords.com/cold-steel-handandahalf-sword-88hnh-p-1961.htmlDarksword Armoury, 1315 – the Battle of Crecy Warsword sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/crecy.htmlValiant Armoury The "Castile Practical" Sword sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/castile-base.htmlSo I've limited my selection to 4, not bad. I'm a very picky shopper. So my question here is, which one is the best quality? or, which brand. of my personal favorates... I like the last one my VA, because it looks easy to hold, could be held by 2 hands, and has a bent hand guard, making cutting easier. What are your thoughts? thanks again for helping
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Post by kidcasanova on Dec 12, 2009 8:53:54 GMT
Out of all of them, I'd go with either the Castile or the Sticklestad, only because I haven't heard much about Cold Steels swords and what I've heard is mixed. The Darksword is, from what I've read, a pretty good sword, but sharpening it will be a horrendous chore. The Windlass will take some getting used to because the lobed pommel just isn't friendly to most new sword users, and of course needs to be sharpened. The Castile on the other hand comes sharpened, isn't unbearably heavy, has a wheel pommel that wont dig into your wrist and is arguably the best performer of the lot. Plus you get a woodcore scabbard with a suspension system.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 9:01:36 GMT
I'm still pretty new myself but I think among those you've mentioned you're going to find most people will say the Valiant Armoury sword is the "best", best being a relative term of course. What's impossible for anyone to know, including, unfortunately, you, is what you'll like. But, if you get a sword that isn't what you had in mind you can always sell it in the classifieds here at the forum. (At least that seems to be the way it's done, like I said I'm fairly new myself and only own two "real" swords)
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Post by randomnobody on Dec 12, 2009 9:58:28 GMT
For a beginner I would strongly recommend the VA. As already noted, the DSA and Windlass lines are all BLUNT. They each offer a "sharpening service" but these end at grinding a bevel somewhere in the vicinity of the intended edge and one is better off doing the job oneself or just buying a sword with proper cutting geometry in mind. Windlass and DSA market the reenactment/stage niche and their geometries reflect this, but some models take edges better than others and do make fine cutters in their own right. All that said, Cold Steel and VA are made from the get-go as no-nonsense, performance CUTTERS, and that they will do, very well. Unfortunately, Cold Steel, particularly the hand and a half has a poor history of tang and pommel failure on their swords. For a while we were constantly hearing that these issues had been fixed, and then somebody else's sword would fall apart. VA, on the other hand, since Mr. Suttles took over and teamed up with Angus Trim and Christian Fletcher has been consistently releasing some pretty amazing pieces at great prices, all with constant, steady improvement and fine-tuning based on consumer (that'd be our guys ) input. They have shown true dedication to the very best product available at the very best price and none of us can say anything adverse that isn't simply petty personal opinion. DSA, granted, has also taken huge steps to up their own anty and is coming through brilliantly in their field, too. They just don't make sharps and as a result, they'll always fall short as cutters. Mind, many have put good working edges on theirs and turned them into fine users, but it takes A LOT of HARD work. Thus, to start, I'd definitely go VA. Been wanting a Kriegschwert, myself...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 13:55:43 GMT
I've been collecting for around 25 years and had a real hard time what to get.There are so many choices now compared to even 6 or 8 years ago,I guess it's a good thing but can confuse a new collector even us old guys.I was looking at viking swords last week at around a $300.00 budget.Every time I thought i new what I wanted DSA came out with something new that I liked better.Go with the VA it has a great price and seems to be a good sword.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 14:11:58 GMT
Hello
I will be a bit contrarian here... it depends on what you want to do. If you want to do strictly cutting, then yes, a sharp sword is advisable. However, if you're going to train in sword handling with a teacher, you will end up doing a lot of dry drills, and it's much safer to do so with a blunt sword.
I'm also noting that your 4 choices are *very* different - a hand an a half, a viking sword, a short stout "beater" arming sword and a more balanced arming sword. Perhaps it would be better if you took a bit more time in deciding the style of sword you want, then explore that style more?
All this being said, of the 4 the castille is probably the better choice.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 15:54:43 GMT
I own a Valiant Armoury practical longsword, and I am pleased with it. It has one minor flaw, but is still worth the asking price in my opinion. That being said, I agree with most of what has already been said, especially Ancalagon.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 16:47:45 GMT
Are you sure you could fit two hands on a Castille???
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 16:52:30 GMT
I doubt that you could unless you had extremely small hands, and even then you would be gripping the pommel.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 17:48:30 GMT
I'm having trouble deciding exactly what type of sword i want. I should probably get caught up on what all the "types" represent, but it's all so confusing right now.
Of all of these ones, the Windlass is the most attractive, but it does seem to me that the Valiant is the most practical. From the videos i've watched it does look like a 2 handed grip is possible, with a "pommel grip(?)" and I like how it comes with a belt, and is easy to dismantle.
what my idea is, for practicing, is getting a few $15 wooden swords so my brothers and I can beat up on each other. At this time I'm not sure about the training, maybe just a couple of videos and the like.
I really want to get into collecting, so the next one I get might be unsharpened, and, in that case, I might go with DSA, but for now I'd like a sharpened cutter.
I want to thank you all for the in depth replies, they have proved very helpful. So far I'm liking that VA the most.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2009 20:55:16 GMT
Of the sword you have listed I would go with the VA castile. However having said that, if I was going to choose a sword for a first time sword owner I would not choose the VA Castile. Don’t get me wrong the Castile is a fantastic sword, I own one and I love it. However it is heavy. I don’t think that it is too heavy, but it does certainly have some weight behind it.
If you were facing a opponent in heavy mail armour and you wanted a sword to cleave them in half, this is the kind of sword I would want at my side. However if your interest is gong to be in lighter cutting(plastic bottles) then there are lighter swords out there which may better.
Also you say you want a long sword, using the castile with two hands is not comfortable for me, my second hand has to go round the pommel.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Dec 12, 2009 22:13:51 GMT
I have extensive experience with the VA Castile and I would NOT call it versitile. I would not think there is any way you would WANT to use two hands on it. it is designed as a strictly one handed sword. and a heavy one at that. the edge the Castile comes with is almost blunt, the Extra Sharp version is moderately better but still not the type of edge that people expect from VA. IT WILL NOT BE SHARP AND IT IS A PAIN IN THE ASS TO SHARPEN. I destroyed a brand new stone sharpening one and it took FOREVER. also the Castile will NOT have the wonderful leatherwork that VA puts out now days unless you get the Signature version. its leather isn't bad, it just isn't as good as what you could get on a different VA practical. unless this is the NEW CASTILE but I didn't think those were available yet am I wrong? if this is the NEW CASTILE II then YES GO FOR IT! otherwise, no don't.
if you want versitile swords that you can use one or two handed I would reccomend the following in order of prefernce:
1: the fullered Hanwei tinker bastard sword. the edge is ok the way it comes but you need to do something about the mouth of the scabbard so it doesn't dull it out (I used a dremel to cut a little out so the blade wouldn't rub anymore. it was really easy to do). otherwise a wonderful sword. quick, powerful, cuts and thrusts both very well.
2: VA Practical Long sword. it's just light and balanced enough to use one handed (though not the easiest) comes wonderfully sharp. this is an excellent all around sword. it has a nice low price tag and Sonny will make you a belt for it for a reasonable price.
3 VA practical Arming sword. yup it is a one hander but you COULD squeeze a second hand on it. it would be much easier to use two handed than the Castile, that's for sure. it's fast and very sharp and has great quality leatherwork on it thanks to Sonny's custom sword shoppe guys. it has a nice low price tag and Sonny will make you a belt for it for a reasonable price.
4. Hanwei/Tinker EMSHS really good sword. dedicated single hander but you might be able to get a second on there. one of the best performing arming swords in our price range based on handling characteristics. I love this sword and reccomend it to anyone who wants this type.
I have used and/or own all of the swords I reccomended.
I have heard horror stories about the CS hand and a half, and the Sticklestad and DSA swords have always left me cold so I've never bothered with them.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2009 2:50:43 GMT
Haha, thanks for making my list even longer Tom. I'm a big fan of both the VA's you mentioned. Ok. So I believe I'm decided on VA. But I have one more question regarding the Castile. It's apparent on SBG that there is a Base Model: sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/castile-base.htmland the Signature Model sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/product65.htmlwhat is the difference beside price? for the sake of a first sword, I think i want to Veer away from a Hand and a Hand sword/longsword. Unless you think it would be better... is having a sword ideal for 2 hands better for n00bs? But for now, I've narrowed it down to the VA Practical Arming Sword, and the VA Castile Base Model...
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Dec 13, 2009 4:11:48 GMT
the difference between the base and signature Castile models is only the leather work. both of these swords have been discontinued due to the fact that they were not well received. mostly because of their extremely poor edge. let me be BLUNT, you do NOT want the Castile as your first sword. it will frustrate you to NO END. I am a pretty good cutter and I have a really hard time getting a Castile to cut anything. at least with the edges Valiant put on them. I sharpened one (ONLY ONE! and I hope to never sharpen another!) and to say it was difficult to sharpen is like saying it would be hard to run the Tour de France on foot. it is enormous understatement. here's a link to my review of the base model Castile: /index.cgi?board=swordreviews&action=display&thread=6969 htere's a lot of things I liked about the sword and at first I thought it would be easy to sharpen BOY WAS I WRONG. I'll tell you the heat treatment on the Castile is superb though. my files just slid right off it like I was trying to file it with a smooth rod they didn't even leave a scratch, literally. once I got it sharp it held its edge like nothing I've ever seen but yikes what a pain to sharpen. ok as for the one handed-two handed debate: some people say two handed swords are easier for new guys to cut with and maybe they are I don't know I learned both single handed and two handed swordsmanship before I ever cut anything so once I started cutting it was just applying what I already knew and making minor adjustments. I think you should learn with whatever you like better. that way you are more likely to stay interested. so if you want to learn to cut with a single handed sword that's fine, I only put the hand and a half and two handers up because it seemed like you want to put two hands on your sword sometimes. if you want to use two hands you need to use a longsword or bastard sword. if you want to cut with a single handed sword you need to keep your second hand off it. one handed swords are for one hand for a reason. sure you could squeeze a second hand on the pommel of some of them but it really doesn't help and in fact can really mess up your swing. any way, if you want a single handed sword get the Valiant Armoury at303 practical arming sword. if you really want a belt talk to Sonny Suttles at Valiant's custom sword shoppe forum: custom-sword-shoppe.com/forum make sure you join the forum too because members get discounts on sword shoppe work. once his crew has finished with the new shipment of swords he will gladly put them to work doing custom leather work for swords and I know his prices are really reasonable. you don't even have to buy the sword from him but by the time you pay for shipping to get it to him you might as well. if you want a sword that performs equally well in one or two hands get the Hanwei Tinker bastard sword II (the one with the fuller). incidently Sonny Suttles will let let his shop do leather work, polishing and sharpening upgrades on this sword also and again his prices are reasonable but in this case MIGHT push beyond your budget. if you want a two handed sword that can sometimes be used single handed then the Valiant Armoury at304 practical longsword is your best bet. either of the VA practical swords (303&304) will be a wonderful sword and have no problems. they will be sharp, they will have good leather, nice wood core scabbards and will handle excellently. they are your best bet. the H/T swords sometimes handle better but they tend to have a few issues like being less than sharp and their leather work tends to be very cheesey and their scabbards are sometimes downright harmful, but they tend to be better performing swords that just need a little bit of touch up. I reccomend getting a VA sword and a H/T later when you want something specific. forget the Castile, seriously.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2009 5:19:50 GMT
Alright. I am a fan of the VA, so it works out great
thanks for your help.
now to get the money. I'm a poor college students in between jobs right now, I'm hoping to be able to afford one by the end of January
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2009 6:47:56 GMT
I was actually thinking about this thread this evening, and I was telling myself, about the sword selection process - if you have a reasonable amount of disposable income, just go ahead and buy one, and learn what you like that way. On the other hand, if your funds are limited (and this seems to be the case), take your time in choosing your sword - and a sword that is able to be used well one or two handed (ie, a true bastard sword) is probably a good idea.
Personally I have the T/H EMSHS and as Tom says, it's really a single handed sword. Great blade, scabbard is giving me grief.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2009 22:07:41 GMT
at this point, I'm between jobs, so i have nothing to do but shop around and be picky. But for now it's down to the VA practical longsword or arming sword
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Dec 14, 2009 2:07:49 GMT
I think you'd love either one they are both wonderful swords, you just have to answer that age-old tough question: one hand, or two? good luck.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2009 2:59:47 GMT
Flip a coin! then flip again.. and maybe again.... and then pick the other one... ...in my case. lol
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Dec 14, 2009 3:31:45 GMT
that is so funny because that is EXACTLY how coin-flip decisions work out with me too. I can't tell you how many times I have done exactly that. +1 for being on the same funky wave length!
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