Welcome and Please Read Before Posting

[Dennis Boas]

This Forum is for Sword Reviews and Test Results. If you have obtained a sword and want to share your impressions, you are welcome to post them here. This is a means for you to contribute to the SFI knowledgebase of production swords.

This is a moderated forum. Posts will be pre-screened and if approved posted and incorporated into SFI's production sword knowledgebase.

RULES

·The Sword Review Forum is NOT for general discussions or questions about swords. Please use the General Forum for that. Any posts that don't relate to sword tests will be moved or deleted.

·Post pictures whenever possible.

·Please try to include information like overall length, blade length, weight, point of balance, center of percussion, "feel", finish, price, place of purchase, etc.

·Specify the intended use for the sword when evaluating it. A decorator sword isn't a functional sword, and shouldn't be judged as one.

·Try to be objective and keep a warm and friendly tone. Do not post a review saying: "This @#(*$&! sword is an utter piece of cr*p!" Be specific and use a more neutral tone, like: "The sword had a passable finish, but the hilt assembly was decidedly inferior, and the blade bent when I tried to cut the box it arrived in."

·Pictures are very helpful. If you use pictures from online dealers, please do them the courtesy and mention where the pictures originate from.

·Avoid undue hype or bashing. Many consumers will rely on the reviews, and many sword makers and vendors might make it or break it, depending on the reviews. Be careful and truthful.

·Qualify each comment as to how you arrived at the conclusion.

Finally, all posts made here are and become property of Sword Forum International and protected by SFI's general copyright.

[A. Ko]

Posts will not immediately show

2007-2008 revisions. This subforum will now post without screening but will continue to be heavily moderated

Posts are screened for validity and require moderator approval. We have to do this because (1) some use this to promote marketing propaganda, and (2) some people ignore the fact that this is NOT a discussion forum and should not be used to post questions, chats or comments and (3) if they ignore the previous point then we have a lot more garbage to sift through before we find the real articles.

Qualify your experience and your statements before posting

Now also please note that everyone's view of quality is subjective. In times past I've come across authoratative sounding individuals who say, "The balance is incredible!!!" and "The quality is the best I've seen" so I'll point out the following:

1. Please share a little of your background and what you collect in your review, perhaps a paragraph about yourself at the end of the article.

2. In reference to the above point "The balance is incredible" -- if you ask them how many antique swords they've handled to baseline their understanding of how a particular sword type should handle, some have actually never handled antiques but only modern authentic reproductions. Some have never handled modern authentic reproductions but only wallhangers or recreational "beater" swords they happened to encounter at the Ren Faire. (There are few truly authentic swords found at Ren Faires. Even some of the modern authentic reproductions are heavier than the originals.)

3. In reference to the point "The quality is the best I've seen" then what have you seen? If your collection is wallhangers with lot of glitz and gold and you've not studied the antiques to help establish a baseline of what's good quality and what's not, then that does not help SFI readers.

4. There was once a billboard that said, "Experts have opinions, but not everyone who has an opinion is an expert."

5. People should back up their statements rather than just state things with an air of authority. "I feel that this is .... based on my having observed others...."

6. We do not discourage newcomers to swords from posting reviews, but it really does help if you take the extra step in your journey to knowledge by handling some good antiques and investing in some books on antique swords.