Pirate Swords

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Jocko,

I was always a tomboy, growing up around my dad and his handmade black powder guns and knifes and such, and I found out that you get pretty much what you pay for, or how much work you put into it. For example, the craftsmanship in an expensive piece will speak for itself. I bought a cutlass on ebay for $8, and I don't intend to use it for anything, other than decoration for my spare room and my hip during the festivals. It looks okay for decoration, but I wouldn't dare spar with it. It's not forged well. Even I can tell that. It would probably clip in two with a battle blow from the edge of another sword like it was a cheap plastic prop. I wouldn't want to be hangin' on the other end when that blade came flying loose, either.

The main difference is--quality. Anybody can hack out and hammer a blade. It takes time and effort to make the blade beautiful as well as operational. I remember my dad worked for days and days, heating and hammering and polishing and rubbing. But, he made quality stuff. That's my dad...if ye do it, might as well do it right.

If you want battle quality, seek a professional. If you want show quality, any old pretty sword will be fine. Also, you might want to check out people who claim to be "master craftsmen" (or women). Always be careful with the Internet. There are some villains and thieves out there who'll sell you a $20 sword for $100. I agree with the other Captain when he said he'd rather buy from a catalog than the Internet.

Also, check this board and with your local reinactors or collectors. Get a knife/sword collector catalog. It should have stories about quality arms and reputable places to buy them.

I have heard good things from that Steelcrafts place that I mentioned in an earlier post. In any case, price usually means quality...usually.

Good luck.

Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Jocko,

Forgot to mention...

$10=probably cheap and not battle quality

$300=probably good quality and reputable, but check out company before you sink that much cash into it.

Capt. WE Roberts

[Capt. Flint]

Jocko.... What you ask is not easy to answer. The owner i met at the local ren fair. I found out about his work reputation by others who used him. Also, the medievel group i belong to do live steel fighting. So I sasked them who they used. Then I did a lot of comaprison shopping. I fight with people who LOVE starfire blades. They are good blades and run in the $200 average range. There are some who I have fought against and my blade snapped their starfire blade. There was a dealer at the local ren fair at one time named Angel Sword. Their swords sold in the average of $3000 to $10,000. No I am not exagerating. If you wanted a blade built, you were told that it would take up to a year to get your sword. It turns out, that Angel Sword was really ripping prople off big time. They were discovered to be frauds and cheats by a museum curator who dealt with ancient weapons. My swords cost on the average of $200 each. These were built for heavy steel combat aginst steel suits of armor. The swords are not padded and they get the stuff beat out og them. So far, not one has failed me. My rapiers cost similar prices and were made by a different armorer. They are schlager blades ( except for three of them ) and they have held up fairly well. My oldest schlager blade is dying hard. It will no longer return true, is bent and I am sure that it will break if I keep using it. But, I love schlager blades and will continue to support them. I also have a Scottish Basket hilt sword from smoky mountain knifeworks that cost me $30 with shipping. I wouldn't use it to cut cheese. But, it is a great looking sword for re-enactments without a lot of expense for something I will very rarely use.... In other words.. talk to others who are also invoved... check out all the vendors at any fairs you go to....ask other re-enactors..... always ask questions. no matter what the yare, ask them. this is your hard earned money. And above all BE PATIENT shop around and find out what you can. The wait is worth it when you finally getthe prize piece you want... The Capt.

[CaptCat]

Redhand--

I received my sword from Loyalist Arms this week. I got the "Mediterranean style" cutlass. (Insured postage, btw, was $11.50 for this sword. They tell me it's more for some of the longer swords.) As far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely beautiful. I love it. I have to warn the sword buffs, though, that this style is a bit heavy and lacking in the balance department. I'm not planning to sharpen mine, but they say it will hold an edge. The sheath it came with is just simple sewn leather with a belt loop, and I may replace that. (The scabbards for the British-American, Dutchm and French cutlasses look more like actual scabbards.)

The upshot is, I love it, and I think Loyalist Arms was easy to deal with (though they don't do credit cards). But maybe you have more specific questions?

[redhand]

Cat-

Sounds great!

I'm lookin forward to ordering the dutch cutlass from them,

but've been holdin' off, as I was unfamilier with their

products. None of my friends have any of their gear,

but it sure looked good & ya can't beat their prices.

I'm just wonderin' how their blades will holdf up

to some stage combat, I doubt their made for

real haevy use-but they did supply the POTC movie,

sooooo, guess I'll find out!

Cheers

Redhand

[Dorian Lasseter]

Red Hand,

Ya say Loyalist Arms supplied th' steel fer POTC?

Hmmm... wonder if'n they'll sell off some o' th' props with an authentication certificate?

Hopefully at a reasonable price...

I might hafta sav up some pieces o' eight fer somethin' like that.

[redhand]

Dorian-

They've listed it on their site (that they supplied to POTC)

You'll probably have to get on ebay or some auction site like that

to see if they're sellin' off cotumes, cutlass', and etc.

Usually companies who supply products don't get them back,

as the production company buys them, unless the company has

cut some deal with production beforehand. I have a belly box that

was used in LOTM, that I bought in a shop in Gettysburg, they

also had some fusils that were "Indianed up" but were in really

crappy shape-cracked stocks & etc. Movie props are cool tho!

Redhand

[Dorian Lasseter]

Aye Redhand,

I meant I wonderd if'n the makers o' POTC might be doin' the sellin'...

Sorry, I wasn't clear there...

My, what brought ya ta my fair state all the way from th' left coast?

Ooooh, ya hit a thorn in me side... LOTM, I shoulda put in me application...

I know a few folks who were in it...

Ya know them artists, Griffing & Buxton?

They remind me o' "Grumpy Old Men"

Met 'em up at Ft. Niagra...

[Red Maria]

Dorian-

They've listed it on their site (that they supplied  to POTC)

You'll probably have to get on ebay or some auction site like that

to see if they're sellin' off cotumes, cutlass', and etc.

Usually companies who supply products don't get them back,

as the production company buys them, unless the company has

cut some deal with production beforehand. I have a belly box that

was used in LOTM, that I bought in a shop in Gettysburg, they

also had some fusils that were "Indianed up" but were in really

crappy shape-cracked stocks & etc. Movie props are cool tho!

Redhand

I know what you mean. A fellow PRP member worked on POTC on the Lady Washington and as a sailing double for Orlando Bloom. At the end of the shoot the Black Pearl was dismantaled and the contents were to be trashed. Luckily Louis was on hand and he saked if could have a *few* things.

Bless his soul he brought back belaying pins, winches, even a couple hammocks. No cannons too heavey. Some of the pins were given out as presents and I was fortunate enough to get one. It' has good balnce and does look like something that's been on a ship along time.

Yeah movie props are cool! Thanks Louis!

[redhand]

Dorian-

I was actually back there doin' the Gettsburg 130th

Anniversary! HOT, HOT, HOT!! Except when it poured

down rain one day-LOL!! I like Gettysburg, nice little

town, even with all the tourists. I'm still tryin' ta get

inta one o' them blasted "Hysterical Galleries" in town

but no luck yet. I've never met Buxton or Griffing, but I

have spoken to Buxton on the phone, he seemed like

a nice guy. where in Penn are ye from? I got a couple a

frinds from there, one from Pittsburg, the other from

Mt. Holly Springs, another nice little town.

Mariah-

Whenever ya giet tired of the belayin pin, let me

know & i'll be happy ta take ity off yer hands!

Movie props are great fun!

Redhand

[Dorian Lasseter]

RedHand,

I sail out o' Pittsburgh....

Hysterical Galleries, yep.... hard ta get inta them, maybe get a referal from someone?

Griffing & Buxton are nice fellas, when I met 'em, they spent half o' there time grousin' at each other...

AArrrrrgghhh!!!

Maria, yer a lucky one.... and so are the rest o' th' folks who got a piece o' the Black Pearl.... I'd give me left leg for somethin' like a cannon offa that.... doin so might even help out me persona...

[Sidewinder]

Speaking of left over props, I got one of the bayonet scabbards from "Last of the Mohicans", probably from the same shop south of Gettysburg that was selling the French Ctg. boxes . The sword I use is something that I got off ebay that was a theatrical copy of a ca. 1680-1730 Walloon hilt hanger. Western Costume in Hollywood sold off a huge lot of Swashbuckler surplus a few years ago at prices that would make you weep. We're talking Errrol Flynn films, etc.. The hilt is cast off an original sword and the blade is some sort of sprinf steel. It saw plenty of celluloid action, judging from the blade, but I think it has "character". This sword looks like it belongs in "Captain Blood". It probably was.

Best,

Sidewinder

[golden shellback]

If your looking for a custom made sword, that is as beatiful as it functional then I would suggest Jonathan Loose. www.jloose.com I have ordered a bowie knife, that will be more of a short sword with a damascus blade from this man. Also this is a web sit to the american bladesmithing society. http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ Anyone involved with this society that is going through the rankings can make you a blade that will perform better, and look better than any manufacturer. But it will cost you. Especially if it's a mastersmith. I have also heard of www.angelsword.com but had never heard of him conning people, and would like to hear more about this. And 3000 to 10000 dollars for a custom made sword, with only a year wait, is not a bad turnaround for swords of this quality.

[Capt. Flint]

Golden Shellback. I do not know of the web site you posted about angel sword is the same one I am talking about. I do know for a fact that the angel sword from the local ren fair here that i previously mentioned was seriously ripping people off. They were importing blades from mexico and then selling them to people as their custom swords that took so long to get. They also were discovered trying to pass off a reproduction blade for thoudsands of dollars to a person as a genuine antique. Personally speaking..... I think that several thousand dollars for a sword that takes a year to make better be the greatest thing the world has ever seen. In their hey day; swords did not take this long to make and they were very very functional. Now days still functional swords from many vendors can be delivered in a much shorter time than a year for a lot less than 3 to 10,000 $. However, if you think that this is such a good deal, I can find you some great swords for say ohhh ..... $2500 and can get them to you in 6 months. For what it,s worth..... the swords I used were built in a few weeks and have been used in armor combat repeatedly. They are beautiful swords and have held up against some serious abuse. They ran in the neighborhood of $200 ( some more some less ) They return true every time and have never broken or bent. There are other vendors out there such as one named Shark;who has swords for $200 to $1000 ( again some more some less ) and takes a bit loinger to get them made. But even he does not take a year and is far under the thousands dollar range. I guess it's alll a matter of what you want and what your willing to pay. And what you can afford to pay..... Smooth sailing..... The Capt.

[CaptCat]

Redhand--

Loyalist Arms claims that their swords are good for stage combat, though they naturally warn that banging any swords together causes damage over time.

[golden shellback]

Capt. Flint,

Well if angel sword was selling fakes as you suggest, then i hope they get ran out of the business. When I said a 3 to 10,000 dollar sword for only a year wait was a good deal, I was certainly putting it into the same catagory of a rolls royce, and wasn't expecting just anyone to plop down the cash for one. For a sword of that quality, your not waiting a year for the maker to finish it, but usually 8 or 9 months while he/she is finishing other orders before they get to yours. Once again it all depends on your tastes, your expectations of reliability, and just how deep your pocket book runs. I know a knife maker that sold a replica dagger of king tut's dagger for 1.5 million dollars. I'll never own a knife like that, but some people do. Of course the knife is made of gold, and jewels and the gold and jewels alone acount for 90% of the knifes cost.

[Capt. Flint]

Golden shellback.... I was just having a little fun; relax... Also, remember, I am not sure the Angel Sword that you mentioned here is the same one I am talking about. They could be TOTALLY UNRELATED. I just wanted to make that clear. AAArrgghhhhhhh.... The Capt.

[golden shellback]

Sorry pretty bad week at work, didn't mean to let that reflect here.

[Black Pearl]

Has anyone gotten their Loyalist Arms cutlass yet? Before I buy one (which are an incredibly good price), I'd love to hear feedback on their stage combat worthiness.

Black Pearl

[capnwilliam]

Black Cat said back on May 23 that she'd gotten her Mediterranean Pirate cutlass from Loyalist Arms; that she liked it, but felt that it was heavy, and not especially well-balanced.

Capt. William

[capnwilliam]

I just noticed an item in the Atlanta Cutlery catalog that might make a great cutlass! It's a Parang Nabur; a Malaysian sword which looks exactly like a cutlass should! Retails for $79.95. I'm thinking about acquirin' one, for a more fanciful impression; along with a more conventional American/British/French blade, for a more authentic War of 1812 impression.

Capn. William

[capnwilliam]

I'd like hear anyone's thoughts on a one-weapon-for-all-eras: i.e. a cutlass style of weapon that might pass muster for the 1580's to as late as 1815.

Any suggestions?

Capt. William

[Capt. Flint]

Capt William.... There are many different swords to be used in the large time frame that you posted. My only reccomendation would be something along the line of a scottish basket hilt sword. If you want one for just looks, Smoky mountain knifeworks has one that you can get for about 30 dollars plus shipping. Good hunting.......... The Capt.

[capnwilliam]

Capt. Flint:

I don't reckon there be any one-size-fits-all (eras) piece out there; I was just trying to gather opinion as to what piece, if any, might make for a fairly comprehensive next-best-thing.

Kind of like saying "what's the best all around modern pistol?" Really 'tain't no such beast! On the other hand, something like, say, a double action 4 inch barrelled .357 comes a lot closer to filling the bill than, say, a .25 pocket auto, or a single action .44 magnum with a 9 inch barrel.

But, I'll belay this modern stuff!

Capt. William

[Capt. Flint]

Whatever........ ... I did recommend a sword. hopes it comes in handy..... The Capt.