Buying a Sword

Greetings, The purchase of a sword is something which is often not talked about very much. Usually the only concern for people is the potential financial burden that may occur in the purchase. What this does not take into account is the other aspects of the purchase of a sword that the swordsman should take into account. This blog will address the concept of buying a sword and present some considerations that should be made by the buyer. Buying a sword is an investment, but it is one that many fencers take quite lightly. This should not actually be the case. The purchase of a sword is also something which should signify something to both the purchaser of the weapon and also to the teacher and club to which they belong. No one is ever expected that they will turn up to their first fencing practice with a weapon and other gear already bought. The opposite is a very rare occurrence. What this means is that for a period of time the fencer will borrow a weapon. It may belong to a club, or it may belong to another fencer. The purchase of a sword should signify that the person is ready to commit to the enterprise to which they have taken, of course this is not the only thing that a fencer should be concerned about when buying a sword. In previous centuries, and even relatively recently. A sword was not simply purchased "off the rack" or out of a collection of examples present, as is mostly the case these days. The fencer was measured for a sword. This was because the swordsman would be relying on that particular weapon to save their life in an armed encounter. For the fencer today fighting someone where there is the potential for serious injury or death is not so much of a concern. In these previous days the make of the sword would also give some indication of the wealth of the owner of the weapon and also their taste as it was worn as a piece of costume jewellery. Once again, this is not the case today. However, some of the considerations made in these previous days should be made by the modern swordsman. There are examples in treatises by various masters and theorists of the Renaissance and middle ages about the correct length of a sword. Ridolfo Capo Ferro, for example, determined that the correct length of the sword should be twice the length of the arm, and there were others who proposed that the weapon should be longer, or shorter. Needless to say the length of the weapon was proportional to the individual who was using it. For the most part, weapons these days are sold at set lengths or at different ones by special request. While there are many different theories about how long or short a weapon should be, the important thing for the fencer is comfort. This is the most important consideration. For the most part a sword these days will cost somewhere more than $150. Sure there are some which can be obtained for cheaper, and sure there are those which are substantially more than this, it is a ball-park figure. This for some will be a significant investment on their part and this in itself is significant. A fencer does not want to go out, spend a deal of money and purchase a sword just to find out that it is too heavy, or light, or short, or long. This will result in the sword having to be modified or even replaced, which is another expense on the part of the fencer. In order to avoid this some planning and investigation should be made. The only real way to see how a sword feels is to pick up the weapon and use it. Of course a shop will not allow you to use the merchandise unless you intend to buy the one ....

The rest of this article can be found in Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings by Henry Walker, which is available in paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blogged-Ramblings-Henry-Leigh-Walker/dp/098764470X
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/un-blogged-henry-leigh-walker/book/9780987644701.html
Among other places...

It is also available in electronic format (pdf) from: https://buy.stripe.com/fZecP419c7CB9VKeUV

... or direct from the author.