However, to make a recommendation, since you are looking for a longsword, I would recommend avoiding the wheel pommel. I have found that though I can work with it and maneuver the "blade", it tends to get in the way and is not as maneuverable as one that has a pommel more in line with the size of the hilt.

As for steel swords, not my forte, though a lot of people have recently acquired blades from Lutel, perhaps doing a group order with some of your friends would cut down on the costs. I believe this is what JeffJ and several members of the Men of Warwick did recently.

Thumbs up.

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The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at a tempting moment.

I can't recommend Christian's Purpleheart wasters enough. They HAVE taken a serious beating including some heavy pell work and they are just as solid. (I have lightly refinished and oiled them.)

Steel: Just received my first Lutel blade this week. For the price and design, I'm very very impressed with their commercial manufacture. I know there are alot of diehard Del Tin owners (especially with old Del Tin blades with Krupp steel). This is well worth the look. The only drawback of course is ordering by international money order or bank wire to them. A little heavy as they all are (blunts), however this 15thC german longsword still comes in at about 3.7 lbs. And they did a nice job with the finish and fittings.

Thx for the input in advance.

The structure looks similar to Purple Heart's wasters. The only difference that I can see is the artistic aspect. Hollow Earth seems to use either a different wood type or a stain for the cross guards and has the turned designs for the grips.

It would be interesting to see them from the side to compare the profiles.

Pricewise they are comparable.

My question would be, would the decorative grips be more prone to breaking? Purple Heart didn't get fancy on the grips. Just a thought.

You might have to buy one just to see how well it holds up. Trial and error is all part of the game.

Seriously, it is sign they are made to take the punishment.

For the same, Christian at Purpleheart has been very forward in accepting customizing requests and has been very quick in turnaround. As to the pin issue, from what I can tell, the quillion is 2 pieces clamped together into what I think is a shouldered notch in the main blade. Dan and I have inadvertently struck the quillions hard at one time or another with no problems. If in doubt, I'd email Christian and just ask him.

As for the cross attachment, my blade seems to be pinned and glued between the two halves of the cross. No known breakages.

For tire pell work and for demos, I prefer to use blunted steel. We've used the Lutel sword & it seems sturdy enough for this use.

In my opinion, training requires 3 swords; a waster for drill, a blunt steel for pell & a sharp to give an understanding of what a "good" strike is. Just being able to hit the target isn't good enough. When I first started practicing cuts, I was surprised at how few hits were actually effective cuts.

I just wish Lutel could lighten and slightly narrow their longswords to bring them in at 3 pounds weight. The heavier mass makes an attack like a squinting blow a little more awkward to learn and master.

I don't know about anyone else, but our guys practice unarmoured so there isn't a lot of metal to chew up edges, and whatever they're doing seems to involve a lot of blow deflection. When one of our new recruits asked Hugo the same question about sword longevity, he replied that his sword had been used heavily at every event (and loaned) and still was in very decent condition.

I have absolutely no idea if our guys are doing the same thing you're talking about though. I only know they are practicing moves and sequences from Talhoeffer.

On a side note, I think a member of our sword study group has some Hollow Earth wasters. I will inquire when next I see him. If they are, they handled nicely. I would keep Friedrich's caution in mind though before making a final purchase.

Our group is interested in using wasters for contact fighting in 14thC transitional armour. Some of us wear more plate than others, and some wear greathelms, either of which could damage a waster I'd suspect. If it helps, I'd say we use about SCA/Midrealm force levels, but that may be too much with wasters. We'll see soon.

I wonder if preservation of the waster/baton was a reason for the use of cuir bollei tourney armour? I don't imagine even a wealthy nobleman who could afford all the batons he wished would want to break one in the middle of a contest. Wild speculation, but a possibility, perhaps?

The focus or spirit of this forum is to strive for historical accuracy and to learn and experience even small pieces of what it was like to live in the past.

In the case of Starfire Swords, their construction, design and materials do not meet this expectation. Their mass (weight) is too high, their balance too far forward, and their metalurgy incorrect. In my experience, too soft and of the wrong type of steel. What this come down to, is how can you learn and experience a proper parry and attack if your sword, (that you invested good money into), does not respond and react as a period weapon would have. This is not even addressing the issue that Starfire Swords do not have the proper "look" or design for the 15th (or 14th for many on this list) centuries.

It's true that many on the renfaire jousting circuit use them because they hold up to bashing and heavy use. However, price is their focus as they cost $175 to $225 and are readily available. For just a little more ($300 to $350), you can start with a reasonably historical looking blade that has much better steel characteristics and functionally will react closer to a period blade. But also realize that most any blunt will end up being 20% (or more) heavier because they're designed for practice and repeated (often improper) striking without experiencing failure.

Do any of you know a sword maker that makes one in steel?

I noticed your address and interests and just had to ask- are you one of the MSR jousters?

No special reason for asking, just curious!

I have a couple of equestrian texts in the process of being shipped and one in the process of search.

I hope that I can contribute, in some small part, with the research that I have done over the last 10 years.

Yours in Service,