The Top Five Mistakes People Make When Buying a Sword

Buying a sword is an important decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. You are investing in either a beautifully crafted weapon, a stunning display piece or a head-turning cosplay accessory. Those are some of the reasons people purchase swords. However, some first-time sword buyers make mistakes when they purchase. Here are five common mistakes that are made and how to avoid them before you purchase that sword of your dreams.

People don’t know the difference between functional and decorative and that is the first thing that you need to know when you’re purchasing a sword. If you are looking for a sword that will slice through grass mats and other objects, then the blade needs to be razor-sharp and crafted of high carbon steel. If you are looking for an accessory for your cosplay costume, then you need a sword that has a false-edged blade for safety purposes. Bleeding or causing someone else to bleed is not a great way to end your cosplay event appearance. Another option for cosplay, if you will actually be doing battle, are foam swords that look incredibly real but are harmless when used.

People will buy a sword for their home but never consider how they are going to display it once they get it. If you’re buying a sword to display, you need to decide where and how you’re going to display it. The worse thing in the world would be to have it damaged because it wasn’t out of harm’s way or displayed in a less than adequate way. In otherwords, two nails driven into you wall to hang it from or rest it on is definitely not the answer. So, when you have picked out the sword that you want, make sure that you also choose a display stand or display unit to go with it. And if you purchase a unit that will display more than one sword, you can always continue to add to your sword collection, knowing that they will be safe and securely displayed. There’s nothing more striking then a beautifully displayed sword collection.

People will buy a sword and then expect it to perform tasks it wasn’t designed to perform. Okay, if I’ve said this once, I’ve said it a hundred times, do not use a sword to hack at a tree or try to chop a tree down. That is what an axe or machete is for. If you are expecting a katana to withstand that kind of abuse, then don’t buy a sword. High carbon steel and Damascus steel blades that are razor-sharp are incredible to watch in action. They can slice through a variety of objects like butter but don’t expect them to perform ridiculous tasks like cutting through a concrete wall or tree. Never, ever expect a display sword, which is crafted of a lower carbon steel, to perform like a high carbon steel functional sword. It’s called a display sword for a reason.

People will settle for a sword because it’s cheaper and they don’t want to spend the money for the sword that they really want. You will never be happy with your purchase if you do this and you will be ultimately short-changing yourself. Sure purchasing a sword is an investment but if you are going to invest the time searching for your perfect sword, go ahead and invest the money, as well. Then, you won’t be disappointed because you didn’t really get what you wanted. As they say, “Regret is a terrible thing.”

People will buy a good quality sword and then let it languish. If you are buying a fully functional, high carbon steel sword, you need to be prepared to take care of it. Don’t be surprised if it’s dull when you go to use it again after asking it to perform over and over again. After a while, the blade does need to be properly sharpened if you want it to continue to perform at its very best. Don’t be surprised when you see rust on the blade after you have sliced up watermelons and then put the blade back without properly cleaning it. Folks, all steel will rust if not taken care of and that is a fact. It says nothing about the quality of the steel or blade. So, when you purchase that sword, also make sure you get a sword cleaning kit and a sharpener, as well. If you want your sword to take care of you, take care of it.