SIDE SWORD REVIEWS
Hanwei Forge
PRICE: US$133 to $239
OVERVIEW: Exceptional value for money sidesword, fast, sharp and ready to go straight out of the box. A solid 5 star sword.
|
|
Renaissance Swords"Rapiers, Smallswords and other later era European blades"Renaissance swords in the sub US$300 price point category that we aim for at SBG are comparatively rare. The reason why? Medieval and Japanese swords are simply much more popular, and therefore the laws of supply and demand apply. There are endless 'Zorro' and 'Three Musketeer' SLO's (Sword Like Objects) for 30-50 bucks out there, but when it comes to functional replicas the options thin out. Fortunately there are a number of models available from tried and true manufacturers, (ie. Windlass, Hanwei and Cold Steel) that can be located with just a little digging... So let's save you a little trouble and get a shovel to see what sub US$300 Renaissance swords we uncover, starting in a rough kind of chronological order as the swords appeared historically (or use the quick jump menu below to fast track to your favorite sword type if you already know what you are looking for a review on). NEED HELP FINDING YOUR PERFECT SWORD?It's a looong page and there are a lot of reviews here - but if you want to just want some recommendations based on what you are looking for in a good Renaissance sword...
Click here to see what our "Find a Sword" system comes up with for you..
QUICK JUMP MENU
Or simply scroll down to continue Functional Side/Cut and Thrust SwordsSide/Cut and Thrust swords marked a kind of halfway point between the medieval longsword and the smaller, lighter rapier.  Tapered to a fine point, these swords still possessed the weight to make a savage cut, and were deadly even in the hands of an inexperienced fighter. However, they failed to gain the popularity of other weapons on the battlefield, as its design could not withstand the rigors of prolonged heavy combat. They became commonplace in Spain before moving elsewhere in the early to mid 16th century. Unfortunately, there are almost no Cut and Thrust swords in production in our price range. But we have done our best to review what is currently on offer below: The RapierBy the year 1600, the ultra-thin Rapier came available. It's unique geometry was especially suited to fast-paced thrusting-central combat, and a number of non-combat versions became popular with various fencing schools. The blade is typically a meter or more long, and about 2.5cm or smaller in width.  As mentioned, their primary purpose is to thrust, but many were capable of giving cuts as well (though to a lesser extent than the Side Sword). While effective in combat, many were made with ornate handles and guards, and it was often seen as a piece of jewellery or accessory. These swords are made popular by movies like The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, although their use in these movies is obviously played up for entertainment value. Out of all the various Renaissance swords on the market, it should come as no surprise that the Rapier is the most commonly replicated, so let's take a look at some below. RAPIER SWORD REVIEWS Hanwei Forge
 PRICE: US$150 to $260
OVERVIEW: Beautifully tempered blade and attractive hilt design. Unsuitable for cutting, but excellent for deep piercing thrusts.
 Hanwei Forge
PRICE: US$219 to $359
OVERVIEW: A very attractive Spanish style cup hilt hand guard replica. Excellent blade for thrusting but unsharpened edge unsuitable for cuts.
 Hanwei Forge
PRICE: US$133 to $275
OVERVIEW: Another winner from Hanwei, while not perfect it is most definitely a stunning looking piece, though under the hood there are a few things that might put the more puritanical rapier enthusiast off..
 Hanwei Forge
PRICE: US$150 to $269
OVERVIEW: Exceptional value for money sword with functional thrusting blade, excellent tempering and extremely ornate swept hilt. Very close to a full 5 star rating.
SmallswordThe Rapier was very popular, but smaller swords began to become the norm for use in the crowded city streets. These were the aptly-named Smallsword (also sometimes called a court sword), which was in widespread use from the mid 17th century up until the late 18th century. Much lighter and faster than the rapier, these saw very limited military use and were considered to be civilian weapons. Blades were about 60-80cm in length, and were rarely sharpened with a cutting edge. The use of such nimble weapons increased the value of footwork to duels, and helped lay the foundations for what would eventually become the modern sport of fencing.  Most of the Smallswords available (not that there are that many) have fencing blades on them, making them non-functional. But one notable exception is the Cold Steel smallsword, which we will take a closer look at below, though there are a few others here and there. SMALL SWORD REVIEWS Cold Steel
PRICE: US$224 to $424 OVERVIEW: Extremely attractive replica. While a little on the heavy side for a small sword, it is extremely functional and durable.
Mortuary SwordA sword of uniquely English origin that saw a great deal of action in the 17th Century and the civil war that Engulfed England, the Mortuary sword combined the thrust with a devastating cut and was in many ways the precursor to the military Cavalry Sabre. Of note is their distinctive hand guard, which in some ways resembles that of a human ribcage, and that had a strong impact on future designs of basket hilted guards that eventually safely encompassed and protected the sword hand against incoming attacks.  While there are only two production Mortuary swords currently on the market (and both of them made by the Hanwei forge) no collection of Renaissance swords would be complete without them - one being the 'looker' and the other, a very fast and agile 'performer'. MORTUARY HILT SWORDS Hanwei Forge
PRICE: US$233 to $375
OVERVIEW:A historically accurate replica with ornate and attractive fittings, the Cromwell Mortuary has a functional blade ready to go straight out of the box.
 Hanwei Forge
 PRICE: US$171 to $349
OVERVIEW: A decent sword, but a little expensive for what it is and not properly sharpened out of the box. However once sharpened it is a lot of fun to use and handle.
SabreWhile technically Sabres are late to post Renaissance swords - because they also come very close to the modern period (and because they just kind of 'fit' there better than in the Renaissance swords section) you can find several reviews of Sabre reproduction swords in our slicers and choppers section of SBG by clicking the picture below:  Basket-Hilt SwordMade popular by movies like Rob Roy, the Scottish Basket-Hilted sword seems to belong more comfortably with Medieval swords than with Renaissance swords, as it has a thick blade designed primarily for chopping. However, these swords came into widespread use during the 18th century, as the Scots were loath to start using lighter, thrusting-focussed weapons like the Rapier.  There are many Basket-Hilt swords in our price range, including Cold Steel and Hanwei models. BASKET HILT SWORDS Cold Steel
PRICE: US$209 to $389 OVERVIEW: Beautifully balanced between power and speed. Exceptional cutting straight out of the box, though quite untraditional in its construction methods. A solid 4 star sword.
Sword CanesOf course, no discussion of Renaissance swords would be complete without reference to cane sword, a twilight weapon of the late Renaissance gentleman who still wanted to carry a sword when open carrying of a side sword or rapier was being relegated to the annals of history... While sword canes (and umbrella swords) are actually illegal in several US states (including California and Arkansas) and very rare to find countries outside of the USA - there are still a fair number of these swords on the market - from those that recreate the gentleman's walking cane to very modern and utilitarian designs for the urban jungles... CANE SWORDS Cold Steel
PRICE: US$89 to $129
OVERVIEW:Very modern in construction and appearance, but extremely deadly and carries on the tradition of the concealed walking stick sword cane into the 21st century. Great value.
WHERE TO BUY RENAISSANCE SWORDS
Generally speaking, there really is only one place to buy Renaissance swords at the best price, with fast and low cost shipping to pretty much everywhere in the world, and that is in the Renaissance swords section of Kult of Athena here Their prices are often at least $20-$50 lower than their closest competitors, and they have had a solid reputation in the sword community for many years for offering exceptional customer service. Highly recommended. Higher End Renaissance SwordsOf course, if you are willing or able to venture outside of our sub US$300 budget, you will find a few more unique and attractive Renaissance swords by manufacturers such as Arms and Armour, Armour Class and Del Tin. But it by the latter sword maker, Del Tin Armi Antiche where you will find the largest number of high quality replica Renaissance swords - so just to whet your appetite as to what to expect at the 'higher end of town' we have included a review of one of these swords below, the beautiful Shiavona. HIGHER END RENAISSANCE SWORDS Del Tin
PRICE: US$692
OVERVIEW:A work of modern art, beautifully detailed and solidly constructed, though with an unsharpened edge. Solid 5 star sword, but the price brings it down to a 4..
Further ResourcesWhile there are not a huge amount of online resources for fans of Renaissance swords, below you will find three that demonstrate that quality is often better than quantity. The first is the photo album at MyArmoury.com which has literally HUNDREDS (if not a few thousand pictures) of antique basket hilt swords, Rapiers, Schiavona, small swords etc (as well as other weapons and medieval swords). Definitely worth a look to see some genuine renaissance swords. Another excellent online resource for Renaissance swords is the Catalogue of European Court Swords and Hunting Swords, which is the full extract of the 1929 publication by Bashford Dean, originally published in Paris by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And finally, who could fail to mention the ARMA (Association for Renaissance Martial Arts) website which has some excellent articles on historical Renaissance swords, period manuals and enough information to keep you reading, and learning more, for a very long time indeed... QUICK RECOMMENDATIONS BY PAUL
Find A Sword System for Renaissance Swords
 SIMPLY SELECT ONE OF THE STATEMENTS BELOW AND WE'LL GIVE YOU SBG's BEST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR PERFECT SWORD!
FREE Online MagazineStay up to date with all the latest tips on how to get the best deals when you buy swords online, plus win competitions, get free gift vouchers, read interviews, learn sword fighting techniques and much, MUCH more. MEDIEVAL SWORDS INDEX
I hope this information on Renaissance swords has been helpful. To return to Sword-Buyers-Guide.com's Homepage from Renaissance Swords - Rapiers, Smallswords and other later era European blades, click here |
NOT SURE WHICH SWORD TO GET? Click here to check out the SBG "Find a Sword" System for Renaissance Swords
NEED A QUICK
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
| Home |
What's New? |
Search & Index |
Privacy Policy |
Copyright© 2005-2009 www.sword-buyers-guide.com - All Rights Reserved Return to Top | ||||
