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And in general I have to agree with Mark on his assessment. The swords I saw were in general made with fantastic lines, and the marketing copy seemed directed to wow and mislead the buyer. For example: "Tempered over hot coals for authenticity," "carbon steel functional blade with blood grooves," and other blandishments that stir the imagination of the inexperienced buyer but speak little about the craftsmanship itself.

I could not see the construction methods used from the photos provided, and because of that and the flowery language I am led to assume that the construction method is flawed and of low quality.

The prices for the items from Knight's Edge range from $150 to almost $300. If you would like a moderately priced sword that I can vouch for having at least a peened tang construction, and which looks like a medieval sword, in that same price range, a vendor I could recommend (with qualifications--some of their stuff is pretty fantasy) Museum Replicas, whose products you can look at here: www.museumreplicas.com. I purchased the Falchion just a couple of weeks ago as a possible loaner sword to someone wanting to do an archer portrayal, and my brother purchased the Towton.

For a forum of people interested in quality swords, please visit www.swordforum.org or http://www.myarmoury.com/home.php, either of which can steer you right if my recommendation likes you not.

If I am wrong about Knight's Edge products I'd welcome correction but their marketing techniques lead me to the conclusion that I could not recommend them for someone seeking even a modest sword.