Renaissance Fair / Cosplay Weaponry!

[Halcyon_Dax]

I am sure I am not alone when I say that I enjoy going to Renaissance Fairs and the like in full time period appropriate garb.

My friends share this past-time, and over the years we have all assembled our own individual costumes and Medieval paraphernalia. However, one of the hardest pieces to get a hold of for all of our costumes was the weaponry.

Well, recently I stumbled upon This Site and thought I would give my recommendations!

King of Swords has a variety of unique fantasy swords as well as medieval, anime, movie (including the agents sword from serenity ), and other types of weaponry.

The sword I ended up getting was a medieval sword like this (pretty affordable too).


Anyway, where do you guys usually go to get your fantasy weapons/accessories for cosplay, LARPing, or Ren Faires? I'm trying to find a bunch of different sources to help me expand my wardrobe for these events.

Post your own favorites (And what you ended up getting, if possible )

[Gygaxphobia]

I'm not sure if these are allowed, are they advertising? I found a site that has some really interesting designs and a funny name too! www.havingalarp.com

[Serpentine]

I've never been to a Renaissance fair, though I'd like to. I have a sword with possibly-but-maybe-not real snakeskin grip and scabbard that I bought from a dodgy little shop called "Happy New Millenium". The one I got for Goff a couple of years ago is much more spiffing: I was seriously thinking about getting him this one or one very like it, but ended up getting a different Italian rapier. I thought Swordpro had its own website, but I can't find it...

[Breaon]

Wow, Halcyon, nice find. Those prices make me question the quality, though... esp. on some of the Japanese swords, and their claims.

[The Great Skenardo]

Heh. Friend of mine succumbed to "ZOMG" and bought a replica of Sephiroth's Masamune from FFVII.

The thing's taller than he is and weighs 35 pounds (17kg). I hear the same company also makes a replica of Cloud's Buster Sword, a weapon perhaps best described as an inch-thick iron surfboard with a handle.

[The Prince of Cats]

I'm not sure if these are allowed, are they advertising? I found a site that has some really interesting designs and a funny name too! www.havingalarp.com

Okay... I like the look of that site... The tool-roll they sell looks like an interesting prop for a rogue..

I am a snob when it comes to swords; most of the 'replica' swords are too heavy and have no balance. I mean, I would never buy anything more than a fencing foil over the internet (well, I am sometimes tempted by some of the schlagers I see) because you really need to hold a sword to see if it works for you.

Also, most sword-owners seem to be the type who would be better off with a good non-functional butter-knife that doesn't need caring for and can look cool on the wall.

[The Great Skenardo]

As I understand it, a great deal of the appeal is having a huge hunk of sharp metal that looks cool. Badass by association, if you will.

[Leon]

http://www.by-the-sword.com/

Everything i could ever want

[tetsubo]

A great site for historically accurate stuff and some fantasy stuff is Museum Replicas. Great site I have gotten all of my weaponry there. As has most of my friends.

[Gygaxphobia]

Yeh I'm a sword snob too, I won't buy any weapon if I can pick it up and twirl it first.
Costume is different, you just have to go to a place you can trust. www.lrpstore.com do good kit, it's not the most luxurious stuff, but solid and practical.

[Call_me_Fate]

I hear the same company also makes a replica of Cloud's Buster Sword, a weapon perhaps best described as an inch-thick iron surfboard with a handle.

Spoiler

Show

I like that the van says Empire Swords and Empire Pet Supply, both with the same phone number.

[Mr. Moon]

... Awesome.

I doubt I could affored one, considering this is an American site, but it's way up there on the list of "Totaly Awesome Things I Should Buy". I did manage to score a nice bastard sword at a thrift store around Halowe'en. That's when they sell all the good stuff. I painted it and dubbed it Dwarf Cleaver. I even won a fight with him last Halowe'en. ^_^

[Castaras]

Woah, that is pretty affordable.

*adds to list of things to think about getting maybe*

I wanna have an arachnid sword!

What I'd do with it, I dunno, so it's gonna be pretty low on the list of things to buy...

[FdL]

I have a replica of El Cid's Colada.

[paladin_carvin]

I have a replica of El Cid's Colada.

Ooo! What about his other sword? Where'd ya get it?

[Purple Cloak]

Heh. Friend of mine succumbed to "ZOMG" and bought a replica of Sephiroth's Masamune from FFVII.

The thing's taller than he is and weighs 35 pounds (17kg). I hear the same company also makes a replica of Cloud's Buster Sword, a weapon perhaps best described as an inch-thick iron surfboard with a handle.

Good to know i'm not the only one with a Masamune.

Although I wasn't aware that the buster sword was available, i'll have too keep an eye out for one.

Yes I go for Awesome before practicality with swords.

[FdL]

Ooo! What about his other sword? Where'd ya get it?

My dad brought it as a souvenir from when he was in Toledo, Spain. If you're into cutlery I don't need to explain what Toledo means. The other sword is the Tizona, and was his "big" sword. I bet I couldn't even lift a replica of that one. But I don't have it.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I really want a swept-hilt rapier, or a sword-cane. Or both.

[Prophaniti]

I own a sword and shield, bought from the same site a few years ago, though I can't remember which exactly. May have been swordsofhonor, at least I found the same sword on their site, but I know a lot of sites carry it. I bought the Agincourt, and it was very nice quality. The shield I picked up on a whim, it's just a steel round shield, already has a few dents from practice, but seems well made enough for the price, which was ~$60 I think. Sword and shield has always been my favorite fighting style.
Edit: Found the shield I got too, I think, here.

How do you care for it properly?
Scratch that, found the part of the site that talks about it, just need some mineral oil.

[RTGoodman]

A great site for historically accurate stuff and some fantasy stuff is Museum Replicas. Great site I have gotten all of my weaponry there. As has most of my friends.

I love Museum Replicas, but they're EXPENSIVE. I've got a few things from them, but they're the sort of place you buy from for those "everyone once in a while" purchases. I did get the official replica of Anduril from them, and a couple of other swords that were on sale, as well as some clothing. The boots are nice but severely overpriced, and the kilt was okay for one that you just button on. The best thing I got from them was what they call their "Throwing Bowie," which is probably one of my better knives (and was a steal at like $15). If you're looking for modern stuff for hunting or general outdoor use, though, Atlanta Cutlery (Museum Replica's sister company) has some really cool stuff.

BudK, on the other hand, is the place I use if I'm looking for something cool but completely historically inaccurate (and incredibly cheap). I've got a rapier, a couple of swords, an axe or two, and a lot of knives from them. My last Renaissance Festival costume (two years ago, since I didn't get to go last year) featured their Viking sword and helmet, though the helmet was way too big to actually wear all day. (Who says you can't have a Viking at a Renaissance Festival - it's more like a Medieval Festival or "Dark Ages" Festival anyway. )

[paladin_carvin]

Oooo, neat! Yea, I was just looking it up again today, and those swords are just too awesome. ^_^ I was seeing that they made a El Cid cartoon; looked pretty cool.

My dad brought it as a souvenir from when he was in Toledo, Spain. If you're into cutlery I don't need to explain what Toledo means. The other sword is the Tizona, and was his "big" sword. I bet I couldn't even lift a replica of that one. But I don't have it.

[Player_Zero]

I have a sword. And a couple of other swords. And some daggers. And another sword. I use them for cuttin' up people I don't like.

[Purple Cloak]

All I have are a pair of flintlock pistols, a Ninja-to, a katana, a Masamune (as in sepheroths sword not one of the actual guys swords) and a pair of nunchucks.

So not a great armory realy, although suficent for re-inactment if/when I get into it, like I have considered.

[Lorn]

For weaponry, I infinitely prefer to buy in person. For shields, it's a different matter entirely - generally grab the boss online, then make the rest of it out of wood, several canvas layers, rawhide, etc.

However, a good place to go for (reenactment) weaponry (that is also SAFE to use, and thus allowable for reenactment) is Get Dressed for Battle.

From there I got my first ever spearhead :D Linky. It's not great, it's tiny, but it's served me well for a good three years and is still in amazing shape. Got a new spearhead now, but I'll be using the older GDFB one for a good few weeks still, getting speartested next weekend.. wish me luck, haha.

As I said though, buying in person is a lot better. First weekend of the Febuary halfterm there's a Viking festival in York, which includes a market. Very useful for period-specific stuff, they sell non-Viking/Saxon stuff as well (couple or three years ago someone was selling a zweihander that was bigger than me.) Generally fairly nice prices, good quality, and even better - most stall owners will barter. We managed to get a boar skin for less than half the original price because the guy wanted to get rid of them - end of the weekend.

An absolutely amazing sword manufacturer, by the way, is Paul Binns. Most people in my reenactment group will swear by his stuff. Just look at the seaxes for examples of his pattern-welding work as well, my dad has one of those with a different (bone) handle and a custom made sheath. He got it for his 20th wedding anniversary... lucky >.> haha.

As far as my personal armoury goes, I have a sword (Viking-style) a scramseax (not pattern welded, sadly...) a spear with the GDFB spearhead on that, to be completely honest, is too heavy (shaft is wider than the spearhead and seven feet of ash, sooo, yeah) a shield with a daneaxe wound but that is still usable, aaand a very nice blacksmithed spearhead. As in, properly handmade, set me back £20, and is BEAUTIFUL. In fact, have a bad quality webcam picture of it. I'll have it mounted on a shaft soon enough...

The rounded bit on the tip of the spearhead, by the way, is purely for safety - I do combat reenactment and people like being alive afterwards. GDFB is kind of catered towards people who do the same.

Also got a chainmail shirt/gauntlet. Sadly, at this point in time it is still in kit form. I've made one out of the two gauntlets though.


So, yeah, not exactly renfair or cosplay, but still ;) Take a look.

[DeathQuaker]

A sword and knife enthusiast friend of mine really likes <a href="http://www.coldsteel.com"> and he says he's very pleased with the quality you get. These aren't costume swords though; if you just want something that looks shiny and you don't have to pay a lot for (nothing wrong with that!) this isn't the best place to go.

And I agree with PrinceofCats that if you want something you feel you could actually wield, you want to be able to hold the sword in your hand and see how it feels before you buy it.

Question for you all: I've got a lovely belt, and I have a lovely frog that holds the sheath to the rapier I own, but it hangs funny, and I imagine I need some other bit to make it hang off the hip properly (it could just be because I have quite a lot of hip). I do plan when I go to Maryland and Penn Renns to ask some of the leatherworkers there for advice, but didn't know if you had any other suggestions. (Maryland Renn won't let you take a weapon even if peace tied, but I imagine they won't give me a hard time if I just bring the belt with the sheath.)