VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 24rd MARCH 2008

Christian Fletcher has really helped take the medieval swords of Valiant Armoury to a whole new level...

Before the company was taken over by Sonny Suttles, their swords had a chequered reputation at best. Blocky designs, issues with weight and balance and problems with hilt components were commonplace.

But thanks to the input of Legendary sword designer Christian Fletcher – this line is getting redesigned, and the results are stunning...

The best way to sum it up is not so much with words, but with pictures.

Here’s a Valiant Armoury sword (the War Sword) as they were when Sonny took over the company.

And here is a prototype of how it should look after the Christian Fletcher overhaul...

The difference is like night and day. And with quite a few products yet to receive the treatment, well – let’s just say that what is in store looks extremely (extremely) exciting indeed...

VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 5th FEBRUARY 2008

Some news and a quick update from Sonny, who is currently at the SHOT Show on the Signature line...

The long awaited Castile prototype has been signed off on by Christian Fletcher and the green light has been given to the Chinese forge to produce them for delivery in April or May 2008. The price for these swords has been set at US$480, which includes the full signature package.

A base model, with a plain wooden core leather wrapped scabbard (but no belt) will also be made available – the price is yet to be finalized, but it should be around US$250 to $300 – which would make it the ideal option for customisation or for those who are basically just after the blade (though looking at the scabbard, suspension system and belt, whichever way you decide to go looks like it will be a bargain).

Behind the scenes, things are most definitely moving forward on the Valiant Armoury Signature and Practical Lines...

The prototypes are nearly complete and the launch date has been set for Spring 2008. Prices haven’t yet been announced, though a rough ballpark at the moment is between US$400 to $500 – which includes belt, beautifully detailed scabbard and of course – the sword.

VA has also announced a fourth addition to the Signature line, the stunning Roman Actium – pictured below.

The practical line of sharpened and non-sharpened Angus Trim designed blades is also progressing very smooth – stay tuned for additional news on this line very soon...

The momentum is building, but the much anticipated Signature line by Valiant Armoury is not the kind of project that should be rushed.

After a very interesting, and quite long phone conversation with Sonny Suttles, the new owner of Valiant Armoury since late 2006, I have to say that I am VERY excited about where he is taking this line...

The basic premise is simple.

Take the excellent blade designs and geometry of the legendary sword maker Angus Trim. Combine them with the beautiful fittings made by Christian Fletcher. But make the swords affordable and readily available – by making the blades and the cast fittings in China, but keep control of the project and the QC by doing all the finishing touches and assembly in the US...

Now you might be thinking, what kind of quality can we expect from ‘made in China’ blades? Especially as these swords will be available (with scabbards) for under US$500? But the reality is, there are forges in China that make some of the best quality, yet low priced production blades around.

Sonny didn’t say which forges he is using, nor should he. But he did say that for this project he is using only the best. The kind of forges with a proven track record - that REALLY KNOW how to make a good sword to the exacting specifications of Gus and Christian.

And the preliminary results demonstrate that their project is definitely on the right track.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The first prototypes back from the forge are blades that are what they had been hoping for. Lightweight, yet with enough resilience and high quality tempering that they can be put in a vice and bent 90 degrees and spring back to true without even a hint that they had been bent at all...

But as we all know, a good blade is not the end story. For the sword itself to be well balanced and totally functional, the fittings have to be spot on – each and every time. And Sonny and his A class designers have that covered too...

Christian Fletcher will be sending moulds of his hilts to China to be cast to ensure that they are a consistent weight and balance, and all the components will be carefully inspected for flaws before final assembly in the US, as well as local work on the dying of the leather wrappings and scabbards to meet Christian’s exacting specifications.

JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG...

The first three designs in the signature line are just the beginning.

Indeed, when I spoke to Sonny he told me that there are prototypes and designs that make these stunning swords look PLAIN by comparison!

Sonny’s voice was filled with passion when he told me that his biggest priority is to give sword enthusiasts tremendous value for money. And the designs he alluded to he assured me were unlike any ever seen at this price point.

THE $64,000 QUESTION...

So by now the big question is, WHEN will this line be released and for how much?

A lot of people (myself included) can hardly stand the anticipation any longer. We want to see them, handle them and by goodness, cut with them! Some people even wake up in the morning with an image of the Bristol, the Kreigschwert or the Castile burned into their retinas from their dreams... (Slight exaggeration, but perhaps not far from the truth for some!).

As yet, I regret to say that there is no definitive answer...

Collaborations like this cannot be rushed. And with names such as Angus Trim and Christian Fletcher attached to these projects, you can bet your bottom dollar that they won’t sign off on an inferior product.

It’s going to take time to train the US team, time to smooth out any unforseen issues that may arise. And the first three almost certainly won’t be available this year. But the extra wait will be more than worthwhile.

But it is going to take a little more time. Time to make sure that they aren’t just ‘good enough’ – but that they are such breathtakingly beautiful, yet affordable swords, that they will revitalize and revolutionize the entire industry...

Paul Southren