Historically Accurate, Affordable and Functional Replicas of Ancient Roman Swords

While there is certainly more replicas of Ancient Roman swords on the market than for any other type of ancient sword, most of them have very little, if any resemblance to the originals.

Obviously, this doesn't bother me personally (after all, my favorite Roman sword replica is Gen2's Roman Wasp Waisted Gladius which is certainly not historically accurate, but is one hell of a durable cutter!). But in this article I will only be looking at Replicas of Ancient Roman Swords that fulfil at least two of the following three requirements:

• Affordability

• Authenticity

• Functionality

Essentially, this narrows down the selection to replicas of ancient Roman swords produced by three companies, Deepeeka, Windlass Steelcrafts and Kris Cutlery, who have all of these qualities in varying degrees.

So with this in mind, let's take a quick overview look of what's available from these companies, as well as where the buy them for the very best price on the 'net.

Deepeeka

Deepeeka of India produce replica Ancient Roman swords that in terms of functionality tend to be too heavy (with some of their swords weighing up to 6lbs), poorly balanced (blade heavy), and a bit flimsy to boot...

While they are far from perfect facsimiles of the originals, thanks to the input of Roman reenactor Dan Peterson, they are (at least in our price range) the most historically accurate.

That said, most reenactors still feel the need to modify them, and some of their Roman pieces are considerably less accurate than others.

Probably the most authentic, most commonly available and cheapest piece by Deepeeka is the Mainz Gladius. With an average online price tag of just over US$130, it's pretty good "bang for your buck" (in fact many have commented that the scabbard alone is easily worth the full price for the sword and scabbard together!). You can pick them up for the lowest price online of US$129 here at the Aurora History Botique

Windlass Steelcrafts

Price wise, they are also a bit more expensive (by around US$42 if both are bought at their lowest possible price).

However all reports to date indicate that this is made up for by their overall durability, better balance and lighter weight (with a total weight of around 2lbs, 6oz compared to 6lbs).

While their line up may have some issues with historical accuracy (in fact I've heard it said that Windlass "seems to take great steps to avoid historical accuracy in their lines of Greek and Roman weapons", David Wilson, SFI Staff) their best piece from a historical point of view is the Pompeii Gladius.

With an average price tag that rose in 2006 to US$190, these Ancient Roman swords are obviously more pricey, yet tend to be more readily available and easier to source than the Deepeeka line.

For the best price on these swords from a reliable vendor, I recommend a trip over to Kult of Athena where they stock them at the lowest price online of just US$149.95...

Click here for the full hands on review

Kris Cutlery

Kris Cutleries replica Roman Sword, is not historically accurate. And at US$195 it certainly isn't the cheapest swords we have seen for far, but still well below our US$300 max price point. However weighing in at just over 1lb 6oz, with a razor sharp blade, this American made sword is definitely one of the most functional Ancient Roman swords on the market.

In many ways, this sword looks a lot like Generation 2's Roman Wasp Waisted Gladius, only that that Kris Cutleries swords are lighter. The only problem is, at US$275 + shipping - this sword is nearly $100 more expensive and very often on backorder with at least a 3 month waiting period...

If you have the patience, you can get Kris cutleries Roman Gladius direct from their website here (I recommend to contact them ahead of ordering to find out its current stock status).

Click here for the full hands on review