If you always wanted to own a medieval sword to hang on the wall, show to your friends, or bring with you to a Renaissance Festival this article will help you to make your sword buying much easier.

Sword buying can be a very confusing process. There are thousands of retailers, many different sword manufacturers, and a many different types of metals that swords are made from. If this is your first sword then you should make it a pleasurable experience by getting the sword that looks and feels right for you. If you stick with a reputable seller then the sword should be of a good quality that will give you many years of worry free enjoyment and maybe even start you on a sword collecting hobby.

The first decision you have to make is why you want a sword. This will greatly help you in choosing your first sword. There are two main reasons I will describe here. If you want a sword to hang on the wall as a display piece that you occasionally take down to show to friends then you should look for a sword that is made from stainless steel as it will require little or no maintenance. If your looking for a functional battle ready sword, make sure you realize these swords take care and maintanence as they are forged from high carbon steel that can rust over time when not taken care of properly.

If you want a sword to wear as part of a costume or as an accompaniment to Renaissance Festival and Role Playing events then you should get a sword that comes with a belt and scabbard. Again, because swords come in a tremendous variety of sizes, finding a scabbard can be a very difficult task.

Narrow your decision down to one of the three basic sword types.

Because there are thousands of different swords you should figure out which of the three main types of swords you want to get.

• Replicas of original swords– You may want to get a sword that is a replica of an authentic historical sword such as a Scottish claymore, medieval sword, or Spanish rapier.

• Movie Replicas: - You may want to get a sword that you have seen in a movie, such as the Lord of the Rings swords or Eragon movie swords that are very popular.

• Fantasy Swords – These swords can have a very different look, often times they have intricate handles and unique blade shapes and are primarily for display purposes.

So now you have narrowed you selection down to the use of the sword and the type of sword and you are ready to start looking at actually purchasing a sword. Here are some guidelines to help you make a good purchase.

It is recommended that you only purchase a new sword from a reputable retailer. Make sure they have at least a 14 day guarantee that if there are any problems with the sword you can just send it back and try another sword. When looking at online sword sites or weapons specialty sites there are a few things you should look for. Does the site have the hacker safe guaranteed logo? Does it have a clearly posted customer support telephone number you can call? And do the have a customer support section on there site or help section. These factors are important in feeling safe with your online purchase.

Swords have a two thousand year history and there are many manufacturers, sellers, collectors, and experts of swords. But when it comes down to buying a sword you should decide on the sword that is going to make you happy. Get a sword that looks and feels right for you and get it from an established and well-know retailer and you will have a sword that will bring you years of enjoyment and maybe even start you off on a new hobby.