This is my second (and preferred) arming sword:

I found this sword before I bought my first arming sword, but this wasn’t in stock at the time. Right after getting the first, I was alerted that this one was back in stock. The specifications (length, weight, etc.) were all pretty much exactly what I wanted, so I immediately ordered this second arming sword. And I’m so glad I did.

This sword, by Balaur Arms (like my first longsword/bastard sword), is over 38 inches long, and weighs just over 2 pounds. This one-handed sword feels good in my hand, and it’s very easy to wield. It’s light, nimble, and sharp. This sword will stab as well as my rapier, and it cuts better. This is my favorite of my one-handed swords. If I had to sword fight with one hand, this is the blade I’d pick, regardless of the era. It will cut up an unarmored opponent, and it will pierce in between armor plates. This thing is deadly.

The Old Adventurer

This is my rapier:

Although the rapier is usually considered a Renaissance weapon (outside my normal medieval range), I wanted to own one. I mean, it’s an iconic sword known and recognized by most anyone. It was generally not a weapon of war, but was a personal defense tool for city streets. (Yes, some men did take them onto the battlefield, and yes, they were seen outside of cities.)

This sword is 40 inches long, and weighs just over 2.5 pounds. It feels good and nimble in the hand. I had KoA sharpen the edges, but it’s not mean for cutting. The point is deadly sharp. I’ve stabbed many water bottles with it, and it slides in and out very easily. I can imagine how dangerous this weapon would be in the hand of a skilled duelist.

The Old Adventurer

This is my cutlass:

This is the first curved, single-bladed sword I bought. A cutlass is an iconic style sword — Pirates! — and I want a variety of styles in my collection. This sword is pretty cheap (half the price of the cruciform styles), so I grabbed it just to have.

This cutlass is named an “Anix cutlass,” but I haven’t a clue what “Anix” is or means. It’s just over 30 inches long, and weighs less than 2 pounds. It’s light in the hand, so it’s nimble to maneuver. It’s short, presumably for easier use in close quarters like on a ship. Both of these factors make the blade safer for in-home wielding — less danger of nicking furniture, or a wall or ceiling (or a family member or a pet).

I had KoA sharpen the blade, and I’ve cut a few water bottles with it. It cuts . . . decently. I can’t say there’s anything wrong with the sword, but for me, it’s just a bit, meh. But it was inexpensive, so it was easy to add to my collection. It’s something different from my other swords, but it’s nothing special among them.

The Old Adventurer

This is my first arming sword:

I wanted an arming sword because it’s the quintessential, “normal”, sword of Dungeons & Dragons fighters. The one-handed, double-bladed, cruciform, straight sword has been as common in D&D art through the editions as it is in historical medieval art the centuries. In fact, when most people think of “a sword,” this is the type of weapon that comes to mind.

This is another sword made by Deepeeka (bought through Kult of Athena). At the time I was looking for an arming sword, KoA was running short on the type (a lot of things were out of stock in 2020). I had some idea of what specs I wanted in a sword, and this sword was at the upper weight limit that I wanted. But the design was interesting, it was a good price, and it was in stock. So I ordered it.

This sword is almost 38 inches long, and weights 3 pounds. It’s on the heavy end for a one-handed sword, and with a point of balance over 8 inches from the hilt, you feel the heavy. Plus, the grip is diamond shaped (not square), and tapers into the pommel. That’s uncomfortable and exacerbates the heavy feel in hand and in use. I had KoA sharpen the blade, and this sword cuts decently. But it just doesn’t feel comfortable or agile. It’s a hack-and-slash weapon (like the Viking sword), and can probably work well with a shield. I just wouldn’t be able to fence with it (in one hand) because of the strange grip.

The Old Adventurer

This is my first longsword:

My knowledge of swords began with Dungeons & Dragons. In D&D nomenclature, a “longsword” (sometimes called a “normal sword”) is a one-handed sword of around 36″ long. In historical nomenclature, a longsword is a two-handed sword around 40″ long. The D&D longsword is better identified historically as an “arming sword.”

This sword, by Balaur Arms (bought through Kult of Athena), is named a longsword, but knowing a bit more about swords, now, I’d put it probably in the bastard sword category (having a grip length just under 7 inches). Granted, there isn’t a definite line between longsword (two-handed) and bastard sword (hand-and-a-half), so calling this a longsword isn’t certainly wrong. This sword is 44.5 inches long, and weights just over 2.5 pounds. I had KoA sharpen the blade.

This sword is a great cutter. I’ve cut water bottles, milk cartons, soda bottles (thicker plastic than water bottles), and even orange juice bottles (thick plastic). It cuts very well, and is a joy to use in that way. It’s weight and balance feel comfortable in my hands, so this sword is my favorite to cut with (though it isn’t my favorite sword, overall).

The Old Adventurer