Howdy Reverend, and welcome to Bladeforums!
As to the questions, that's what we're all about. We love questions and every once in a blue moon, we've even got an answer to one or two of them.
Pardon my quotes, I'll address your post piece by piece.
<b>"Factory-X is selling a replica of Gen. Maximus' calvary sword."</b>
I've never heard of Factory-X myself, but check with some other sources first. It pays to comparison shop on the net.
Try,
http://store.museumreplicas.com/cgi-bin/www11650.storefront/
Also give a look to;
http://www.by-the-sword.com/united2.html
Both these pages offer several different swords based on recent movies.
I've personally dealt with By the Sword and Museum Replicas and can state with no hesitation that they are reputable with excellent customer service.
Also check out
http://store.knifecenter.com/pgi-Product Speck?UC17501
Though I haven't dealt with Knife Center, I understand them to be very good to deal with.
<b>"- Are these $300 swords of good quality and craftsmanship?"</b>
That depends on your definition of "good quality and craftsmanship."
People looking for a "wall hanger" are not looking for the same thing as someone looking for a "user." Generally speaking, movie swords are not made for real use. They're intended as a display piece only and some of them are dangerous to even swing with great force.
An example would be the famous, and in some circles, infamous "Highlander" katana. This is a sword that appears to be a traditionally constructed katana to the uninitiated, with a traditional tang. Unfortunately, nothing could be farther from the truth, as the sword actually has a rather un-substantial welded "rat tail" tang and has actually been known to break under the stress of being "swung." This causes the blade to go flying wildly off into the surrounding landscape and could cause serious injury or even death to a bystander.
Sadly, because I buy only "users" I have no personal experience with movie swords and can't tell you if any given one (other than the above mentioned Highlander" is safe to wield or not. Maybe one of our other regulars can lend a hand on this.
<b>"- Can a sword safely be left out for display?"</b>
Well, that's another tough question. "Safe" meaning what?
As far as I know, I don't think there are any laws in Virginia which would prohibit you from owning and displaying a sword in your home, so legally it should be safe.
Do you have children in your home? This can be a problem, as swords are well known "kid magnets" and any child in the home should be taught to respect even a display piece with the same reverence they would give to a firearm.
<b>"- How do you folks deal with the "war department"</b>
LOL! Interesting term for it.
Fortunately, my wife is completely understanding of my "toy addiction" and is tolerant as long as I leave money for luxuries such as food and house payments.
As for the "Why do you need THAT?" questions, I train "live steel" with rapier and main gauche, so I actually DO need new swords from time to time. (Even the best will eventually wear out if you use them hard enough.)
Not everyone is able to find a place to train and learn near them however. If you're interested though, do some net searching for "fencing" "sword groups" "Living History" "English Civil War" and so on for Virginia, you might be surprised at what you'll find.
I hope I've managed to answer SOME of your questions but please feel free to post anything else that comes to mind!
Once again, welcome to BFC
