SZCO Supplies 40.5” Hand Forged Carbon Steel Rustic Broad Sword with Leather Wrapped Handle, Black/Brown (901132)

In my quest for a training longsword, I happened upon this sword. For HEMA practitioners, and students learning the European Martial Arms Arts, particularly the Western European Longsword: consider this humble, inexpensive, high-carbon, full-tang longsword. If you are seeking a decent practical practice-longsword and are discouraged by the high costs of wooden, polypropylene, and high carbon steel federshwert practice swords; then check this rustic broadsword out. Under $40.00 (less than most poly-pro, or wooden practice swords), and certainly less than expensive HEMA -qualified federschwerts (at usually over $225.00), this baby rocks! It is durable: actual high carbon steel, basically unsharpened upon arrival (you can further blunt or hone it if need be), and heavy at around 4 pounds. You'll locate the POB (point of balance) about 6-inches north of the cross guard. Yes, it is a bit blade-heavy, and yes, it is heavy in general for a longsword: however, this is all perfect for training! The extra weight will help you greatly in stamina and strength, as, after training with this sword an actual longsword (around 3-pounds+) feels like a feather! The high carbon steel blade is 32-inches long. From pommel to cross guard is a tad under 8-inches. The pommel and cross guard are steel (not a wooden pommel, as one reviewer commented): and the wooden over-steel handle is wrapped in strip-leather, which is actual bovine-leather (not faux-leather, as another reviewer commented). In many of the historical MS. (manuscripts) left to posterity by the likes of Fiore dei Liberi, Hans Tolhoffer, Johannes Liechtenauer, and others; there is advocacy for training with real swords. Some even advocate training with actual sharpened swords. I can see the wisdom in that; as you're not likely to make the same mistakes twice (perchance because you've lost a finger or an eye). Since I don't actually want to kill my training partner, I won't train with sharpened swords, but actual swords, yes! There is a vast selection of real steel training swords, dulled, and combat ready. However, you will find these swords cost every bit as much as their actual real sword counterparts, if not more! This rugged broadsword is my solution, and I believe I chose well. Even though I take the advice of many old school fight book master's as per training with actual swords: I also strongly advocate all the safety-equipment needed. HEMA gloves: or padded, thick leather gauntlets; as well as a fencing helmet, chest, and arm protection, too. Motto: Real Training-Real Safety! For those who would say to NEVER train with actual swords for safety fears; I suggest enrolling in Badminton, or Crocheting, rather than fencing. This is a martial art form, and in my opinion, this sword is a perfect trainer. Buyers: please note that this is a high carbon sword, and as such it requires maintenance like all good real swords. This entails keeping the sword dry and moisture free. When not in use a light coating of oil should be applied. Even motor oil will work, but there are many oil products made especially for swords, knives, and plate armor. For the more experienced swordsman and swordswoman; this inexpensive sword has a high potential for customization! If you want a sword to customize, and are terrified of destroying a $250.00 mid-line sword: this baby has a lot of potential in that area! So fence on, warriors! Get the feel of real steel!

It may not be the prettiest or well balanced when bought, but a little mods turn this into a beast. Decent and effective steel, a real bar tang, not a threaded rod welded on. Just Dremel the guard welds, slide it back, cut and extend the tang to the POB and re-weld the guard= an incredible, hand forged, two-handed, well balanced, and effective sword at a ridiculously low price. I can't even buy the stock to make it at that price!!!

To begin, I must make it clear that this review is comparing it to the price and other swords of similar price. If you are expecting a good hand forged sword for $35 I don’t know what you are thinking. This sword is a great sword for its price, but can’t even begin to hold up to quality ones. That being said, I went into this purchase knowing that. I wasn’t expecting a hand forged masterpiece, just a cheap piece of steel. To this, I was pleasantly surprised. It seems to be a decent quality steel, and it looks and feels like a sword which is about what I expected. It’s a good length to act as a hand and a half sword, with enough room to squeeze two hands on the handle. The handle is a bit too round for my liking, but that can be easily fixed by sanding it down if need be. The blade is straight which is a relief after getting bent blades before. The blade also has paint on it that makes it look weathered, but I would think it would easily be removed with a polisher. The edges aren’t too sharp, but they were sharp enough to cut the cardboard box it came in. There were a few more minor issues with the sword. First off, it’s packaging was horrendous. Luckily my cross guard wasn’t broken like others have been, but I wouldn’t have been surprised. It came in a cardboard box with the only other packaging being a few plastic bubbles and two thin plastic bags. Secondly, the cross guard and pommel seem to have a thick coat of black paint on them, but there are many marks on them straight out of the box. Thirdly, the tip was slightly bent when I revived the sword, but this could be a packaging/shipping issue with there being no padding on the tip. And lastly, it is coated in a lot of grease, but this can be wiped off rather easily. Overall, I think this sword is one of the best for the price point it is. I wanted a cheap sword I can have as a wall hanger and also cut random branches and boxes, and I got it.

I love love LOVE this. Had no idea nor interest in any swords. One day Amazon suggested this. At first I balked, then saw a cheap, steel sword for forty bucks delivered. Heck why not? Might have some fun with it. Let me practice some things with out worries. Out of the box, it's OK but really dull (which might be a good thing) and the handle is really thick & clunky. A few minutes with the belt sander - sand a little, swing it around, sand a little more, swing it around- and I have a handle that's perfect for me. So I'm glad it's bulky, it leaves enough meat so you can take it down to your personal preference. The wrap was also not very good. I bought a spool of leather lace & wrapped it just like a bowstring (called whipping) and I'm very happy, looks good with great grip. And lastly, I decided to put a sharp edge on it. It is now wicked sharp. I don't know if it will stay that way, I don't care, I'm not intending to get into any sword fights. I like it for 2 reasons, it is cool to look at, especially after making a display for it, and 2) it's next to my bed, so if anything goes bump in the night, or I have any uninvited visitors, they'll be greeted with the sharp end. All in all, the amount of grins I've gotten out of this make it a very good deal in my book. Highly recommend. Thanks.

For $40 bucks this is a must have. It’s big and rustic and literally looks exactly like the swords on the iron throne. It’s heavy and looks truly antique. I was amazed when I opened it. 5 stars

Made in Pakistan. Blade edge is straight. Not fully sharp. Solid handle. For$37 ! Great sword

Great sword . Heavy , beautiful, sharp and dangerous. When I say heavy it’s very heavy some will have trouble swinging it with one hand until you get use to the weight. That said the weight is well balanced with a heavy pummel. It’s a full steel sword from tip to pummel. Very strong and well made. Ready to slay the invaders or destroy dragons out of the box . Handle grip is wrapped with crap leather …but it’s an easy enough task to wrap it in better leather. Not an issue for me. It’s a damn good sword . For this price I expected junk but this is a real deal battle sword that would chop a tree down if you wanted to and would easily cleave a head from the body of a villain or dragon . I’m Looking for a scabbard for the sword because it’s a very sharp sword and dangerous when carrying in a simple “frog” holster over your shoulder, on your back or at your side. Trip over this thing and you’ll lose a toe or two. Blunder into a friend with this thing dangling from your belt with the blade exposed is almost certainly gonna result in a trip to the hospital for stitches . It comes packed in stinking dirty smelly gross packing grease … be careful not to ruin your clothing, carpet , sofa or your wife’s favorite table cloth . Open it outside and wipe it off with paper towels. Grease wipes right of and smell is gone in an instant once the grimy grease is cleaned off. This is a real sword not a toy. It’s deadly out of the box .

I've only had this thing for a couple of hours, and I already feel like I've gotten my money's worth. If you actually NEED a sword, this probably isn't the sword for you. If you just WANT one, it's perfect. This is a completely utilitarian blade. It lacks any ornament or engraving, and has no fuller groove or structural reinforcement. It is essentially a piece of flat steel with an outer edge that is honed to a state best described as "sharpish". Upon receiving it, I immediately ran a cheap pull-through sharpener along the edges to remove any burrs. After a few steady pulls, I would classify the blade as moderately sharp. This is exactly the type of low grade weapon one would expect to be issued if they were conscripted into military service in medieval times. MMO players would describe it as "vendor trash" and actual swordsmen might refer to it as a "sword-like object". It's not likely you can sharpen it enough to be competitive in any type of cutting tournament, but it's still far too sharp to ever be classified as a prop. BUT, you don't really care about any of that, do you? If you've gotten this far into this listing, you probably just want to have the experience of holding a heavy piece of sharpish steel in your hand. You are slightly interested in this sword simply because you'd like to finally fulfill that deep desire you've always had to cut through a roll of carpet that you've sworn as your nemesis. If you know full well that you have no further intent for this weapon than a few afternoons of devastating backyard targets, this blade will serve you well. This is definitely NOT a toy, and isn't at all appropriate for kids or even adults if they're likely to carelessly swing it around like a baseball bat. An accidental collision with this blade has a high likelyhood of serious injury or permanent disfigurement. Even in the hands of someone as unskilled as myself, this sword would be deadly if used with bad intent against the unarmed. At only $33, it'll probably remain my all-time favorite Amazon impulse buy, even if I never wield it again.

Not bad. Not bad at all. Having bought the great medieval sword a little while ago and being disappointed, I thought I'd give this one a try. I am rather please with it, particularly when it comes to solo, drill practice. There is a good weight to it and the blade doesn't flex and wobble if you do a windmill strike with it. From the bottom of the guard to the pommel is only 8inches in length, only about 1 inch shorter than Cold Steel's Hand-and-a-half training sword. If it had been the same, this sword would be a bit more comfortable to use. But it's okay and for the price, it's great. The overall look of the sword is fine, rustic and worn. Some of the other reviews have been a bit to hard on this sword for bad workmanship. Yes, the sword is a bit rough and things may not line up and the blade my not be perfectly straight, but it is also a $40 sword that is meant to look worn and used and battle weary. That is exactly what it looks like, old and rustic. The handle is wrapped in faux leather but I don't think it's going to hold up to continual use, pretty light fabric to say the least. As a wall hanger it's fine, but if you're planning on actually using the sword then you'll need to figure something else out when the time comes. Overall, I'm happy with it and it will be a great addition to the workout.

Lots of character for a low price. Seems pretty solid, and the blade is clearly hand forged and has a lovely natural and bonafide patina. Comes semi-sharp, but it's quite easy to put a better edge on it, if needed. The wooden knob at the end of the handle is flat sided on both sides, so it's easy to add a pin or crest or whatever. I've got a couple of old tarnished coins that I'll epoxy on, and I think it will look great. It's a nose-heavy sword and would be tiring to swing around all day, but its heft means it isn't a toy. It comes wrapped in a plastic bag inside a cheap cardboard box, without any styrofoam to keep it from banging around, so if this is a gift, you'll want to package it better. Anyway, lots of fun and I'm very happy with it.

I ordered this sword as part of a costume for a renaissance fair. Initially I was skeptical that it would be of any quality, but was rather surprised when it arrived. The sword actually looks really good! I found the handle was a little chunky, so I removed the nails holding the leather wrap on, and used an angle grinder with flap discs to sand down the handle. The sword is a full tang handle and the cross guard and pommel and both welded on, but not in a way that can be seen with the handle on. the two wooden scales under the leather wrap are some sort of hard wood, and the flap disc didnt bite in like it would to a soft wood. After thinning the handle I opted to use contact cement to remount the leather, getting rid of the look of the nails, which I like more. The blade comes unsharpened, and I have no idea what sort of heat treat it has had, but a file did skate more than bite in when I was reprofiling the tip. Speaking of, while the balde isnt sharpened, the spear point tip is still sharp enough to skewer someone accidentally, so I rounded that ever so slightly as to not injure people at the RenFair. Overall, if you are looking for a cosplay/renfair piece, or just something to hang on your wall, I think you'll be very happy with this sword, just keep in mind it is carbon steel and must be oiled to avoid tarnishing.

After browsing around a lot and reading the reviews for this sword, I finally puschased one. It came to my door very quickly. This sword is full tang, rock solid, and has just the right amount of weight to it for proper swings. It's also quite attractive in person. The handle is long enough for one and a half of my hands for a precise swing. II highly reccomend this item to anyone that is interested and was reading reviews like I was before I purchased this.

perfect quality for $60, exactly what I expected from a "rustic medieval steel sword". only problem was the tip of the blade was poking out of the packaging a little bit, so maybe a better tip-guard in packaging would prevent that. otherwise excellent!