Check out this replica of a 12th century Scandinavian sword.

[was_peacemaker]

This thing looks stellar and sharp! I am really digging the leather grip on that one.

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/johnsson/sword-museum-soeborg.htm

[Woogiebear]

I like it, but I have always prefered something more along the lines of a bastard sword. You can use it one handed or double up on the hilt for extra power.

[was_peacemaker]

I like it, but I have always prefered something more along the lines of a bastard sword. You can use it one handed or double up on the hilt for extra power.

Then you might like this Knights Hosptialar Sword.

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-hospitaller-xa.htm

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

That's a fine piece of steel, but for over $2k and not even pattern welded like the real deal?

Bro, I think these Albion guys are blowing smoke up your ass.

[was_peacemaker]

That's a fine piece of steel, but for over $2k and not even pattern welded like the real deal?

Bro, I think these Albion guys are blowing smoke up your ass.

You might be right...but the hardcore sword fanatics and fencing guys put them up there with the Cadillac of swords. Like we do HK and Steyr.

Here is a destructive test video from them... took a lot to break this sword. For some reason they are considered one of if not the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2mDMS6-884

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

You might be right...but the hardcore sword fanatics and fencing guys put them up there with the Cadillac of swords. Like we do HK and Steyr.

If it isn't pattern welded (the european "folded" steel) then it simply ain't a high quality repro of a high quality sword of the time.

[was_peacemaker]

If it isn't pattern welded (the european "folded" steel) then it simply ain't a high quality repro of a high quality sword of the time.

Ok I admit I am a newbie to this sword stuff. Can you explain what pattern welding is good sir?

[cevulirn]

Ok I admit I am a newbie to this sword stuff. Can you explain what pattern welding is good sir?

Layers of different steels forged and folded together. Nowadays called 'Damascus' steel, though the original Damascus steel was different. The original purpose was to combine the toughness of lower carbon steels with the hardness and edge holding of higher carbon steels. However, if you intend on purchasing a modern made sword for actually cutting stuff, a monosteel blade is generally superior. Every time layers are made in a folded steel blade, there exists the possibility of a poor wield, or crap getting worked into the steel, and good modern alloys are quite superior to what was historically available.

I'm personally a fan of somewhat larger double edged swords with strong fullers. Probably my favorite Albion is the Crecy, http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-crecy-xvi.htm

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

Ok I admit I am a newbie to this sword stuff. Can you explain what pattern welding is good sir?

It's an old method for producing laminated blades. The layers of soft / hard / soft / hard metals produced blades that were hard enough to hold a razor fine edge but flexible enough to not shatter from sharp blows.

There are a couple of different old world examples of this style but they all depend upon the ability to produce steel with iron age technology.

This is the OLD SCHOOL method. They would basically make a clay crucible, fill it with raw iron, a measure of charcoal (carbon) and some silica sand which binds to the slag. They would bake this stuff in a brick and clay with a constantly stoked coal fire. Sometimes an entire village would participate taking turns at the bellows to ensure a constant cook. If everything went right, when they broke down the furnace the crucible and slag would fall away from a pure steel ingot. (any slag in the steel would cause brittleness).

This material was expensive and rare. Some of the older examples of laminated swords are layered steel and iron. Basically the smith would heat and beat the two metals together creating a kind of layered dark and light pattern. The process was really more a type of hand forging, but it's called pattern welding for some reason. It's the ancient european equivalent of a folded Japanese blade.

The later examples of fine steel blades from Scandinavia resemble Damascus steel. Damascus was a crucible steel thought to have been produced on the middle east from a high quality ore mined in India at the time. There is evidence that the raw steel ingots were brought back to Scandinavia via the Volga river trade routes. This crucible steel had a natural iron content that crystallized within the steel matrix creating a fine, natural "pattern weld" type of lamination. So instead of hammering steel and iron together, this material was naturally "laminated" at a molecular level. The Vikings produced rare blades of this type of metal up until the trade routes were cut off which is where the Indian connection supposition comes from.

Whatever the origin of the metal, the finest blades of the Viking era were made of a crucible steel that matched Damascus steel in appearance and physical properties.

Now & days machines can be used to take a lot of the manual labor and guess work out of making a patterned steel blade so it's out there in one form or another from a few different crafts people.

Why do I bring it up?

Because in the $2k-$3k range you can get a hand folded Katana which is even harder and more labor intensive to produce than the Viking swords made of Damascus or laminated steel. I.E., the European version should be producible at about the same price point or less.

So if they're going to charge you such a kingly sum for an "authentic Viking sword" they could at least use authentic style metals which is how the Japanese will do you in that price range.

I'm not saying you should go out and blow your wad on a hand made, one - off, custom pattern welded blade (they're out there). I'm saying if you're going to by a "modern steel" (which has actually surpassed Damascus, but only just recently) reproduction sword you can get one that's just as finely balanced, attractively designed and just as functional but at a quarter of the price.

Here's a really cool documentary about trying to duplicate the best swords of the Viking era. Free too, bro!

http://video.pbs.org/video/2284159044