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loginhttp://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=DT2105I purchased it at
http://www.albion-swords.com/ and had them wheel/grind sharpen it, and build a scabbard for it, but looks like theyve gone into selling exclusively their own line now, I bought it about 6-7 years ago, and they were just moving towards this when I did. I would however highly recommend them, as thier service is great, and they are swordsmiths, not just sword sellers. If I purchased another blade, I would have to do my homework first, but I'd defenitely be looking at thier products.
To be quite honest, for practicality, I'd rather have yours. I bought mine because of my heritage, but, if I were buying a practical blade, I'd go something like what you already have. And, I might add, there are more choices out there now, than when I bought mine. Regardless of anything else though, you can be confident that a Del Tin, regardless of your opinion of them, is a consistent quality well built product, whether the particular model is balanced, or weight accurate, is a whole other question, ya just gotta search the reviews.
I learned quite a bit more about swords, AFTER i purchased this one. I kinda figured though, i might as well get something cool looking, because I wasnt looking for a sparring blade, and the chances of me getting into an extended battle with other people with sharpened blades, was probably pretty unlikely.
I had an edge put on it, and also purchased a hand made scabbard for it as well (beautifull job - the wood was water formed around my blade, lined with rabbit fur, and then stiched into an accurate cut leather cover, and outfitted with a simple brass 'tip cup') that I embellished a bit myself, that was made by the guys at Albion after they imported the sword from Del Tin, and sent along with the blade to me, all nicely packaged.
Del Tin, takes alot of flack for making some swords that are sometimes a bit heavier than they should be. (And that's very debatable - whether you want something historically accurate, or perfect to handle, may be 2 completely different catagories) And, on the other hand, some of their models are very hard to beat for the price.You just gotta research the individual model your thinking about. But this model in particular is lighter than some of their other viking models, (which I noticed when pondering the purchase) and well, pretty. Not only that, but there is no question on quality. I went with it, pretty much based on the price, and thier reputation for consistent quality. I didnt mind the brass guard, because, well its rather nice looking, and I doubt I'll be blocking any Steal blades with it anytime soon - plus, on viking swords, the guards bieng so small, they seem to me more of an afterthought or a balancer than an actual guard.
I did some research before buying it, and it seems to have a roughly historically accurate weight, even if 'historically accurate' doesnt mean ideal for use hehehe. - Dont get me wrong, its balanced alright, its just better for someone bigger and stronger than me, or someone that has the patience to work up to its heft. More me making the wrong choice, than it bieng a bad sword.
If I were to do it all over, I probably would have went with a shorter blade from one of the newer companies, who make more practical blades like your own, or started to think about buying a hand made blade in the 1000+ range.
