ok so update on trying to buy a 🗡️ sword 🗡️ online it looks like Medieval Collectibles dot com is the best place to look. If you see a Cheap sword you like on etsy or amazon or literally anywhere else, check back with MC first, because chances are! They're reselling it from them for an inflated price.
disclaimer: this is usually with the $100 and under weapons. MC does sell very high-priced swords and are not rock bottom for everything.
some can be deceiving! I almost bought this one off etsy for $40
while its clearly available on amazon for half the price, and you can get it in brown, too. The etsy seller just slapped a bit of fur on there and called it "handmade."
👇 this thing right here 👇 is probably Thee Most resold "sword" out there. Granted, there are some nicer replicas made, but most often you're going to receive plastic+stainless steel (pretty little cabuchon they hot-glued on there, innit?) Sometimes they will repaint the handle, too. I have seen green-handled ones, touched up with acrylic paint. Any more than $20 and you're overpaying for this item
1. this is not to be confused with very obviously handcrafted blades for $50+ made from real wood and steel
sometimes you can tell if things are handmade by the price. (But not always! Resellers will always inflate things!) These are from MetalAbyss on etsy, and yes, they're very high, but if you spent 200 hours of blood, sweat, and tears on one piece, I think you would not want to let go of it, either. These are all made by hand by a skilled craftsman and would stand up to a real battle. They also sell the renowned Ülfbert!
most of us dont have that kind of money on-hand, and I myself don't really trust myself with a sharpened blade. So let's explore other options
1. Polypropylene Training Swords
which are usually black in color and are used for training. I believe these are usually blunt and can stand up to actual whacking and banging. And they look pretty dang cool, too!
These vary in hardness from easily-bending-in-half to actually can be used in larp battle. (The site below has a good description of their hardness variations here) For these I recommend Epic Armoury, as they have the best paint job, variety, and overall quality I have seen listings of their swords in other places (like LARP Distribution) but as usual, buying directly from the seller is cheaper.
these are sometimes have a more convincing look to them than the soft swords, but most are strictly for decoration--no beating people with them. This fine person can be commissioned to make custom 3D printed (and painted!) weapons. These are not cheap, however, as with most 3D printed things, and some cost as much as the real deal. Only kicker is that some larp events do not allow real weapons! So if you plan to carry them on you to cosplay, this might be a good option for u
these are actual weapons that have not been sharpened. These can be hard to find, as they are usually hidden in shops amongst sharpened swords with little indication as to what they are. One problem you can run into with these is accidentally purchasing a machine-made stainless steel blade, as they are usually "toys."
A good keyword to avoid this is "training sword." This is the best option for those who want to carry a Real Weapon to cosplay events and (usually) still be allowed in the gates.
Being the real deal, though, they are priced to match! Expect to spend at least $200 on a full sized sword, and some shops do not pay for delivery, which could be upwards of $60 if you do not shop within your country.
The item listed below is from RagnaroksEnd which is a team of craftsmen working to bring you good quality swords at midrange price. Be aware! As said before, these folks do sell Sharp swords alongside the blunt ones, so don't be afraid to contact the seller and clarify before ordering.
5. Things That Look Like Swords But Aren't
need I say more? You can get anything from scissors to letter openers to keychains and hairpins that look like deadly weapons. My personal favorite is the swordbrella, which you can find in multiple styles including katana and pirate sabre handles
6 Buying From Overseas Factories/Secondhand/Other Sources
Don't get me wrong! Some factories make wicked cool looking swords for hundreds cheaper than artisans. If you're looking for a budget cut. Just please be aware of profit resellers, as is custom when shopping online.
As mentioned in the first paragraph, please check Medieval Collectibles first to see if it's a duplicate, especially with the cheap ones! They have hundreds of models (some very pricy! They are not rock bottom on everything!)
anyways yeah just look out for fakers trying to sell someone else's work. If you find misinformation on this post, please let me know in the comments or via private message. Do not send me an ask, my anons are closed.
