Interview with Jason from Arms of Valor

SBG: Arms of Valor has been online now since 1998. How did AoV first come about?

AoV: Originally we only carried CAS Iberia and Marto Swords and sold our goods through a store in the mall and attending Renaissance Fairs. Someone suggested that we create an online store, so we gave it a shot. Now we have expanded to include a large selection of brand name swords as well as bows, arrows, leather accessories, armor, and medieval clothing.

SBG: AoV has a solid reputation of only stocking the very best quality value for money swords, bows, armor, etc. So how do you guys evaluate a potential new product and decide if it fits your line up or not?

AoV: As sword enthusiasts we love to get our hands on new products. The first thing we do is use them in ways most people would call sword abuse. For instance when we got the first Generation 2 Blunt Sword it was used to chop a cinder block in half.

We also cut down saplings and hit them edge to edge, which was avoided at all costs during the middle ages and feudal Japan when the edge of the blade was used for cutting and not blocking.

Thanks to movies like Highlander it is now a common practice to hit swords edge to edge for theatrical combat, so modern swords have to be designed to handle abuse that even surpasses the originals.

SBG: I know this is a very tough question, but if you had to select just one out of all the swords you sell at AoV as your personal favorite, which one would it be and why?

AoV: Different swords have different uses and choosing a sword would depend on my opponents weapon and armor.

For this question lets just say I was going into a "real" medieval battle (excludes Japanese Swords, which one on one with no armor I would choose a Katana) and my life depended on the sword I carried.

My first choice in nearly all cases would be the Generation 2 Historical Black Prince

The Black Prince has a long blade for reach, is razor sharp, and can be used one or two handed. The Black Prince I would use as a two handed weapon and hopefully be wearing some sort of armor for defense.

If you are familiar with the different brands of swords, Paul Chen, Windlass, etc. You may be wondering why I did not choose one of them over the Gen2. As for the Windlass, though they are strong and well made, I don't feel the power when swinging them.

Yes, they are light, very flexible and quick, but I would not feel as though I could hit someone hard enough to stun them or cut through a weak part in their defense.

With a Gen2 sword I feel as though I could smash through my opponents defenses if necessary.

SBG: What is the most common question people ask when they visit AoV?

AoV: The most common question we get is, "is this or that sword battle ready." This question is in reference to all types of swords that we carry (sometimes even if it says battle-ready next to the name of the sword).

The most common misconception is that a sword must be sharp to be battle ready. So a belief has generated if a stainless steel sword is sharp it is battle ready (we carry some stainless steel swords, but not many) and the belief that a sword that is dull or has a false edge is not battle ready. This can be frustrating, but it is just a lack of knowledge among the general public. It is the type of steel and the forging process that makes a sword "battle-ready".

Stainless steel swords are decorative whether sharp or dull and well forged high carbon spring steel swords are battle ready.

"I do have one word of caution, which is beware the term battle ready..."

There are some companies and manufacturers who will dub a sword battle ready because it is made of spring steel, but the sword may not hold up to any use if there is no forging process or if the tang is thin.