I can't tell you how much high end swords are worth. I can tell you there are things only found in certain high end swords. For me, only longship JL swords features the unique handling characteristics. I've handled a lot of swords in 19 years and none others feature such handling characteristics.
Check 24:08 and 25:39
this is the test to show the point tracking ability of Longship swords. Using only 2 fingers to hold the grip and move the blade laterally to detect any discrepancy in the motion between the tip and the hand. It can tell how responsive the sword is in defensive motion.
Another thing is that I can blind tell where the tip is by the handling alone. This is also shown in the above video at earlier time frame. It meant a lot in sparring because I have instinctive sense of where my tip will hit. It matters especially when I changed the swords I was sparring with thus I had to adjust my reach sense. The instinctive tip location feedback allow me to renew my reach sense immediately.
I had written the below years ago as an overview of all longship swords I've received.
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I have owned and handled over 10 Longship Armoury LLC swords, both custom made and Longship designed, and I think I am qualified to do a generic overview of their products. There are several features I would like to mention about them:
1. Metallurgy. Longship Armoury is one of the very few makers who dare to venture into high hardness zone. We are talking about over 60 HRC here, all through the blade! And well tempered by multiple sessions already for high toughness too! So they did spend extra time to make things to the extreme, not holding back for the sake of cost saving at all. They also use advanced, proven alloy in knife industry like 3V to make excellent handling swords. So they are unique in this aspect.
2. Design. My style of swordsmanship is an evolution of various historical styles. Just like how these historical styles evolved in the history, they met with different opponents and adapted. They did not stubbornly stick to their own techniques without any regard to the actual performance outcome on their intended opponents. Since every style had its own evolution environment back then, thus each style had its unique assumptions and context. Which meant it could be defeated once the assumptions and contexts were broken. That was why military tactics evolved around opponents, so were martial arts styles. They often adapt enemy's tactics to strengthen their own weakness. In Chinese, there was a proverb 他山之石 可以攻玉, which translated to "the rock in the far away mountain, could overcome the jade". Jade meant highly treasured material here and the mere rock from a certain outside source could even overcome that. It meant to improve over one's weakness, one could seek solution outside, perhaps even from the enemy. Historically, many cultures' weapons evolved after encountered with certain enemies. Katana's kissaki changed shape after meeting with Mongol invaders. Napolean adapted mameluke sabers. Chinese swords adapted mid-asia and Japanese design in the later dynasty.
I followed this tradition. Longship Armoury also followed this tradition.
Longship's designs are often a mixture of different cultures, as if they had met in a time which did not happen in the history. So they made the swords I like to use the most, since I do not restrict myself to any singular tradition.
3. Ergonomic. Longship Armoury's swords are all very comfortable to grip. There were no sharp corners left on guard and pommel to make hands uncomfortable. Quite the contrary, Longship often cuts finger slots in the fittings as decorative and weight reduction features to let fingers fit even better.
4. Handling. Having been in the industry for over a decade myself, it would be very humbling to say that Longship Armoury often made swords based on my designs that ended up outmatching my original specifications. They often tweaked here and there, for example reduced some width and add some thickness to make the sword ended up stiffer while cut smoother due to less contact surface and higher tolerance for slightly off aligned blade alignment, performing even better than I originally envisioned. In short, they knew better than I did! I have learned many things by examining their works, like how to hide the ridge of the fuller behind the apex of edge plane.
To make example how good handling their swords are, when moving the swords side way, the point moves along with the grip instantly, no delay in start and stop, and no over move as well. I get to point at where I want. It's like a car steering perfectly, without over steering or under steering. When the swords were in rotatory or cutting motion though, they magnify what I do in the grip very well, thus a slight motion of the user becomes a complete cut without the need for me to drag it through! Plus the sword gives an excellent feedback on where the tip is by handling alone, without the need of visual confirmation. Thus giving me an edge in distance measure and accuracy.
In short, the swords feel like they have consciousness and know what I wanted to do with them, be it side way movements for defense or seeking an opening for thrust where precision is desired, or a rotatory cutting motion where I try to hide my movements and let the swords finish the work. They knew my intention and completed it in the easiest way!
Honestly, I have never handled swords like this before coming contact with Longship Armoury. That was natural, because traditional swords often trade off abilities here or there. Nowadays with our much wider scope of knowledge base, this can be improved by carefully mixing cultural design factors to strengthen the original weakness. Many makers stick with traditions to please more buyers, while Longship strive for ultimate performance regardless the methods.
This is why I have become a die hard Longship buyer.
5. Reliability. I have purchased swords from famous makers who took my money and never deliver the goods. I do not want to name their names here but many would be surprised if I do. Longship Armoury, while often suffering delay as many makers would, always delivers in the end, and they deliver very well made products.
James Fang is a highly moral person. He had even helped me out when my own sparring sword business was lack of order. He had taken up a stand and sacrifice income on things where a financially suffering business man would dare not to. As a result, he has become a brother in arms with me, more than a sword maker company and a customer relationship. Longship or not, he's a good friend to me. This is why I stick with them when it comes to high end swords.
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This overview was inspired by a conversation to a sword friend in Singapore. He wondered why I chose Longship Armoury all the time. Thus in the chat, I mentioned those points. I figured I can actually write a detailed overview so more people in the community would know. They deserve more exposure and attention.
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