Sword Sellers in Europe
It is no easy task to find decent sword sellers in Europe. At least, not in the sub US$300 price range (or I should say, sub 210 Euro price range!)
The majority UK and European based sword sites sell their swords at such inflated prices that it is often cheaper to import them in from the US yourself (there are some tips on how to do this after the list)...
However, that said, there are a handful of competitive sellers out there – and you’ll find the best sword sellers in Europe listed below:
FEATURED SELLER
Primarily stocks: Hanwei, Huano, Zhui Feng and their own exclusive brands.
Website: Samurai Sword Shop.com
Based in Belgium, though servicing the whole of Europe (and indeed, having recently opened a branch in the USA) - the aptly named Samurai Sword Shop is one of the biggest, and definitely the most innovative, seller of Katana in the whole of the EU.
With excellent customer service, and a genuine passion and commitment for the swords they sell, they have recently created some of their own unique swords to level the playing field for European Japanese sword enthusiasts from entry level to sword connoisseur.
Blades-UK
Comments: While their product line up features mostly wall-hangers and ornamental swords, Blades UK have a massive variety of swords available, including many by Hanwei and Cold Steel and several other lesser known and generic brands. Well worth a look – and the BIG BOYS of the UK Sword scene.
Oriental Weaponry
Comments: Primarily selling Hanwei swords, this UK merchants prices are actually pretty good when compared to most other sword sellers in Europe. A decent range of Japanese swords at good prices, well worth a look if you are in the market for a Chen Katana or Chinese gongfu sword.
Swords and More
Comments: Another German seller, these guys also stock Gen2, as well as Hanwei & WKC Soligen – have good prices and the site is bilingual (click the little English flag in the top left corner if you are not a native speaker of German). Lots of other fun stuff there, as well as supplies like sageo, tatami mats and (as the name suggests) more...!
Zwaardstunter
Comments: Based in the Netherlands, these guys are not the cheapest sword sellers in Europe but their range of swords is quite extensive, including products from Cheness Cutlery, Oni Forge, Thaisuki, Last Legend, Dynasty Forge and more!
Lutel
Comments: No list of sword sellers in Europe would be complete without mentioning Czechoslovakian sword makers Lutel. While their waiting list is typically between 6 months to a year, and their swords are around $100 over our US$300 cut off point, the quality of their swords has to be seen to be believed and is extreme bang for the $$$! For the patient European sword buyer in the EU, nothing else really compares...
GOING DIRECT:
TIPS ON IMPORTING SWORDS FROM THE USA...
When it comes to pricing, most of the swords for sale in Europe obviously cost a lot more than what folk can get them for in the US. And until recently, the cost of UPS and other shipping methods made it hard to make much of difference price wise unless you were importing several swords at once.
However, I was introduced to a solution by a customer of the SBG Sword Store, Mr. Jens Ole Knudsen of Denmark, who has successfully used a company named Access USA to repackage his swords and send them on to him at a much lower price than what you'll find at any sword store... (Plus you can also get access to stores that do not ordinarily ship outside of the USA).
With shipping options including Fedex and DHL, shipping times are typically from 2 business days from the US to Europe! And you can legally specify the declared value amount - reducing and often nearly eliminating the dreaded VAT!
Have a look at their rate calculator to get some idea of the savings (a typical sword by UPS to Europe is US$150, theirs is around US$60!). Most swords fit within a total shipping weight of between 3 and 5kg including the box.
I hope this information on Sword Sellers in Europe has been helpful.
To return to the Sword Buyers Directory, from Sword Sellers in Europe, click here
