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Just wondering
- Thread starter LukeMiers
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Triton
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LukeMiers said:
It is doubtless true to a greater or lesser extent there are all sorts of sword manufacturers in Toledo apparently. Unfortunately with a single exception that I can thing of they are almost uniformly manufacturers of cheap stainless steel wall hanger variety swords. My advice: don't bother.
Well the guy at a sword shop told me that his swords that he sold were handcrafted. Now I know almost nothin about swords but he did have some that looked to be well made. I hadn't seen any swords like his in most of the other shops. I found one that had an American theme and it was made by the Marto family. It probably is just a wall hanger but it looks cool.
Triton
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LukeMiers said:
Salesman are... salesman. You don't happen to have any pictures? What were the prices like? As I noted I know of exactly one example of non-decorator swords being still produced in Toledo. I don't expect that someone that was making their own swords would have anything by Marto in the showroom. It's a small family shop whose name I can't remember right off the top of my head. There may be more, but in general the stuff they are selling in Toledo these days is decorative only. If it has a "theme" it is usually decorative only. If it is stainless it is almost always decorative only. If it incorporates dragons, skulls, or the sword of el cid it is almost always decorative only. There are exceptions to everything but in the main I would advise against buying stuff in Toledo hoping to have a legendary "toledo blade." Buy from Arms and Armor or Albion or one of the custom makers in the United States or Europe. They won't be Toledo swords, but then neither are most of what you find in Toledo.
I dont have any pictures but i will be able to get some over the weekend. As far as prices go im sure i over paid but i guess thats just the tourist effect. I bought it in a shop called Objectos de Arte Toledano S.A.. It was actually in Madrid. But i will post some pictures by next week.
Toledo was, at one point in history, the " bomb " when it came to swords but that has changed and as Triton said they seem to excell at putting out pretty wallhangers these days. Doesn't mean there aren't any worthwhile makers there, just harder to find. Of course if wallhanger is what you want then you're golden.
Triton
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LukeMiers said:
If you did you did, I wouldn't feel to bad about it. I don't know too many people in this hobby that didn't start out with some sort of decorator sword as their first purchase. (You wouldn't believe the first "sword" that I bought.) We live we learn.
Check here: www.armor.com
Or her: www.albionarmorers.com
For a sampling of the real deal.
That pretty much says it all. Maybe 300 years ago, a "using" sword meant for "real" combat could be had (...for the aristocracy), but, nowadays, Toledo is synonymous with pretty, shiny metal-like things to hang on the wall and play with from time to time (just as long as you don`t drop it). Overall fit and finish quality is fairly good just as long as you accept the fact that it is a delicate toy only.
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Define sword. If you mean one of those pretty decorative ones found occasionally in museums (yeah they could be used, but their prime purpose was as a symbol of wealth) then yeah. Plenty of nobles used their swords too, the scabbards and handles and guards were all decorated.. but still useable. Art objets have existed as long as peace and prosperity have - swords included.TheFacts said:
I can assure you plenty of merchants in Europe and Japan carried "swords" - messers, shoto, etc.... many long knives are practically swords. Civilians carried smallswords for a while (though these were obviously not "warswords").
I would not call a sword a delicate toy. Realistic expectations (smacking sharp steel into hard object = bad) then fine. Delicate swords are not real swords
.I believe that we have a misunderstanding. I was stating that, at one time, Toledo was an outstanding source for well made swords during a period when swords were used as a primary battlefield and self defense implement. In conjunction, the blades offered by the Toledo smiths carried a premium in which only the aristocracy (aka: the nobles at the time) could afford, whether they were made for actual usage or as a symbol of wealth or power.
Of course they carried swords and I`m sure that they were fully serviceable. However, were they equal in overall quality to a premium Toledo or Japanese made piece...probably not, but then, of course, there are always exceptions.
The Toledo swords of today are mostly made to be looked at...NOT USED. Swords, in general, have atrophied from disuse.