I know a little about swords and own two swords made by Windlass Steelcrafts, the company that manufactures the heron-mark blades. Generally, I think they make a great sword for the price. Cheap swords typically have several features that make them easy to break: 1) the tang (part of the blade that goes into the handle)) is welded on, 2) the steel is case-hardened so that inside the steel is porous and brittle, & 3) the balance is awful (good cut-and-thrust swords should balance around the guard or no more than a few inches to the blade side of it). A great way to test a sword is to bend it; a good sword will vigorously spring back. It is crap if it stays bent. The swords I have handled from Windlass Steelcrafts pass with flying colors on all of these points and are truly "battle-ready," i.e., you could fight in a war with it, and it most likely would not break. The tang is forged from the same piece of steel as the blade, so there is no weakness at the hilt. They are flexible and about the cheapest thing I have found on the market with as much quality. The heron-mark blade specs make it sound a bit heavy to me, but it is primarily a cutting weapon, and the pommel appears to be of decent weight to balance the blade.
Thursdays with Tynaal: Wheel of Time Weaponry
in Rotating Features
Posted
I know a little about swords and own two swords made by Windlass Steelcrafts, the company that manufactures the heron-mark blades. Generally, I think they make a great sword for the price. Cheap swords typically have several features that make them easy to break: 1) the tang (part of the blade that goes into the handle)) is welded on, 2) the steel is case-hardened so that inside the steel is porous and brittle, & 3) the balance is awful (good cut-and-thrust swords should balance around the guard or no more than a few inches to the blade side of it). A great way to test a sword is to bend it; a good sword will vigorously spring back. It is crap if it stays bent. The swords I have handled from Windlass Steelcrafts pass with flying colors on all of these points and are truly "battle-ready," i.e., you could fight in a war with it, and it most likely would not break. The tang is forged from the same piece of steel as the blade, so there is no weakness at the hilt. They are flexible and about the cheapest thing I have found on the market with as much quality. The heron-mark blade specs make it sound a bit heavy to me, but it is primarily a cutting weapon, and the pommel appears to be of decent weight to balance the blade.