Training Swords
The Hilt and Cross specializes in longsword and sword and buckler, our principal recommendations will be in regards to those, though we may mention other types.
Regenyei– Regenyei makes affordable training swords of decent quality. They are on the lighter end of historical accuracy, and tend toward the longer end of historical accuracy, both of which are a product of modern tournament incentives. They do, however, ship in a reasonable time, and are legal in all modern tournaments. This makes them the best choice for a new fighter. If you are looking to get a second training weapon of higher quality consider the shops below.
Albion– For many years Albion swords made the objectively best training swords, and they are still among the very best, but they now have competitors that are just as good as them. The Albion Meyer is exceptional and accepted at all major tournaments, while their other training longswords are not. Their designs sit squarely in the middle range of historical examples and their quality and customer service are first rate. The issue is that since the pandemic they now have a 1 year waiting time to get their equipment.
Krieger– Krieger Armory’s newer training models give Albion a run for their money in terms of quality, and are comparable in quality and price. They are considerably more customizable, and this can be a major advantage, but we have seen that they do not always hold up as well as Albion swords over the long haul, but this has been not always been the case, and they have been consistently fantastic in the hand. They also have a 1 year waiting time.
Chlebowski– I own a pair of Chlebowski training swords and they have held up very well. I am particularly pleased with the rounded edges of their swords which add a small, but meaningful, level of safety that other training weapons frequently do not have. They tend to be quite large, but are realistic in weight. If you are a person who is tall and strong, then these are an top tier choice and ship fairly reliably.
Sigi– For a long time I did not recommend Sigi’s longswords, and I still believe they are generally inferior to Krieger and Albion. Their designs are exceptionally long, and light for their size, and their blades tend to be a little on the floppy side. Though they have recently introduced a “Mini” model in their custom shop, which, oddly enough, stands just below the mean of historical longsword sizes, and I have not yet had a chance to test these, but they may be good. Their more recent batches have been somewhat better, but do not represent a significant improvement over a Regenyei.
On the other hand, if you are interested in single hand swords, Sigi makes, what is, in my opinion, the gold standard for medieval arming swords (medieval single hand swords), and I highly recommend them. I also recommend their messers (single edge swords), and kriegsmessers (two handed single edge swords. I do NOT, however, recommend their rapiers or their sabers, they are far too light for their size, and give an unrealistic training experience.
Purpleheart Armory– This shop retails much of the above training equipment, as well as sparring gear, and is an excellent resource for good deals.
Castille Armory– This is a relative newcomer who specialize in rapier. While that is not our primary area of expertise, there is a lot of interest and we are open to working with their gear.
Sparring Equipment
There isn’t a major difference in quality between the makers of sparring gear. Frankly, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the equipment in this area.
Absolute Force– These were a major standard in the world of Olympic Fencing and their masks are a good starting point for a HEMA practitioner. You WILL need to purchase a good overlay for their masks.
Superior Fencing– Their full kits are an excellent and affordable starting point and we have had good experience with their equipment.
SPES– They have been a longtime standard in HEMA sparring gear and work fairly reliably.
SoCal Swords– A relative newcomer with plenty of excellent equipment.
Purpleheart Armory– This shop retails much of the above training equipment, as well as sparring gear, and is an excellent resource for good deals.