Swords

[Big_John]

as far as western swords go, http://albion-swords.com/ is supposed to be pretty good, but expensive. i don't own any swords, but if i were to buy one, i'd probably use them.

here's a review from another sword collector site: http://www.swordsofhonor.com/albionarmorer.html

[Al Khalifah]

I own a dai-katana and two paired katana. They are not antique but they are made using near genuine techniques (hideously sharp and strong still). Excellent for individual movement practice or for sparring - as long as you know what you're doing!

[SMZ]

almost anything you buy online should just be for the aesthetics... of course there isn't much you can do with a sword anymore so that should be fine... if you plan on using it in cutting the best idea is to ask the teacher in whatever class your in... if you're planning on cutting without a teacher... well you're already taking your life in your hands so use any ol' rusty piece of metal

If you want something to practice with, there are all kinds of wooden, foam, padded, etc training weapons you can find online... pretty much all the sites have similar prices and products... however if you get a wooden sword you're going to need to get some kind of armor as well and a dedicated sparring partner... and be careful, a piece of hickory can break bones, for training purposes I would say always avoid thrusts, unless you are supervised, because the force of a thrust is very concentrated, even a foam practice sword can cause injury with a thrust

[IliaDN]

If you want something to practice with, there are all kinds of wooden, foam, padded, etc training weapons you can find online... pretty much all the sites have similar prices and products... however if you get a wooden sword you're going to need to get some kind of armor as well and a dedicated sparring partner... and be careful, a piece of hickory can break bones, for training purposes I would say always avoid thrusts, unless you are supervised, because the force of a thrust is very concentrated, even a foam practice sword can cause injury with a thrust

Yep, if you want training better not to begin with steel ...

[Al Khalifah]

Yeah, like I said, don't begin with steel. Don't spend too long with artificial either though or you will struggle to adjust to the different feel. Its also hard to find a perfectly balanced wooden sword.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Swords of Honor or Excalibur Brothers. But IliaDN had it right that you should buy from local sword crafters, you usually get a better blade. Also, make practice blades yourself from maple, oak, or cedar, you can adjust them to personal taste and they are a lot cheaper than bought ones.