VALIANT ARMORY NEWS: November 2009
November has seen more news for Valiant Armory than you can poke a stick at!
Just in time for Christmas, Valiant Armory have just released their much anticipated Hedemark Viking Sword - and as expected, it looks like a beauty!
Another new release is the equally long awaited 'Actium' Roman Gladius.
Slightly delayed and behind its original schedule, the owner of Valiant Armory, Sonny Suttles explains: "One of the reasons the Actium is only just now arriving is that Christian and I liked the prototype from the forge but they had epoxied the hilt to the tang. They said that it was the best way to secure the hilt to tang. We disagreed. ;-)
Christian use his creativity and redesigned the hilt so that all three pieces interlock with each other to make the hilt very solid. We then notified the forge that the use of epoxy was prohibited. The hilt breaks down very easy. We just cover the brass cap with leather and twist with Channel locking pliers."
While stocks are limited on these swords, and spread pretty thin across several sellers - most of whom have already sold out, Kult of Athena seem to have a decent supply of them here, though for how long is anyone's guess.
November also saw a bit of a restock of two previously released Signature series swords, the Castile and the EXTREMELY popular Kriegschwert sword (pictured below).
The Kriegschwert sword, which is another model that is simply 'too popular for its own good' and is rarely in stock at anywehere for any length of time, is essentially unchanged from the first release - however the Castile, which was the FIRST Signature sword put into production, has changed its blade from a Type X 'Viking' to a 'more in line with the fittings' extremely sharp type XII blade.
Unfortunatley, we don't have any pics of the new blade as yet but will be posting some very soon.
Gotta love what these guys have been doing..!
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 25th APRIL 2009
A quick follow up on how John Lundemo's Warder sword is progressing (see the previous entry on the 23rd of Feb for more info) - John's prototype is finished and here is a quick snap of it before it goes off to the forge to be produced!
If it is even half as good as what John designed, I think that this sword will still be excellent value for money. And it looks like one mean and very functional cutter to boot: keep up the good work Valiant!
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 23rd FEBRUARY 2009
Another legend of steel has joined Valiant Armoury - this time the great man himself, John Lundemo from Odin blades has designed a sword from his 'Warder' line - a saber with a medieval look and feel.
Below is an example of what one of his Warder swords looks like (not the actual prototype for the Valiant version, but at least it gives you some idea of what to expect):
The sword will be a 'bastard euro saber style' and to quote John: "The guards spacers and pommel and chape tip for scabbard will be cast from my forged solid metal parts. The mounting method will be the same as the Gus and Christian sword with hex key recessed nut and keyed on pommel."
These will not be the 'Signature Series' line (that is the name of the swords designed with Gus and Christian) - but will have a whole new name, that is very straightforward and apparently gave Sonny and John a darned good laugh when they thought it up over a phone conversation.
So stay tuned, it is apparently going to be quite an ornate and attractive sword - and with the way John designs his cutters, a fearsome addition indeed!
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 22nd JANUARY 2009
A couple of significant news items for Valiant Armoury today.
The first is - some more previews! First up, the Crusader - a beautifully detailed arming sword inspired by, well - I think you can probably guess what inspired it...
And the next one - my personal favorite out of all of the Signature series swords I have seen to date (just ahead of the Hedemark Viking Sword and the Kriegschwert Warsword) is the stunning piece of craftsmanship called the Malatesta...
These swords should hopefully be available in the latter part of 2009. Obviously, more updates will be made as more concrete information becomes available...
Speaking of which, this brings us neatly to our second bit of news...
THE WAIT IS NEARLY OVER ON THE MUCH ANTICIPATED BRISTOL AND KRIEGSCHWERT SWORDS!!
THE KRIEGSCHWERT
The swords left the forge in China around the 2nd of January and should be available to ship out in late February (could be mid February, but better to say it takes longer and have them come in early than the other way around!).
Considering how long some people have been drooling over and waiting for these swords, they are going to sell out BEFORE they actually arrive! So it's time to place your pre-orders NOW and secure a position..!
As before, they are available at the lowest price online RIGHT HERE at the SBG Sword Store - PLUS, with this shipment there will also be a restock of the ever popular budget line of the sharpened Practical Long Sword and the Practical Arming Sword!
All of these will sell out faster than hotcakes at Eastertime, so don't delay - if you want to secure one, you'll need to be fast...
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 29th NOVEMBER 2008
While this sword is a work in progress, this sneak peak behind the scenes as the Valiant Armoury Hedemark Viking sword shows that they are definitely on the right track.
Sword number 5 in the Christian Fletcher/Valiant Armoury Signature series would make any Viking warrior proud, and the scabbard that accompanies it makes for the perfect package.
While it is still in the early stages, this looks like another must have for any Viking sword enthusiast with more details to be released as they become available.
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 25th OCTOBER 2008
A change of direction for Valiant Armoury is currently underway...
Rather than being a Jack of all trades and attempting to provide many different genres of swords, Valiant Armoury have decided to focus exclusively on the medieval sword niche that they have singlehandedly redefined with the help of Angus Trim and Christian Fletcher.
While this is FANTASTIC news for medieval sword enthusiasts, it also means that for a limited time they will be liquidating their Japanese lines - most notably a series of high quality Katana that were originally about to retail for the $699 price point, but until sold out they will be available for $299 SHIPPED FREE in the USA!
Below is a video of one of these swords in action:
For more information, please visit this post on the SBG Sword Forum.
P.S. This is actually just the start of some serious surprises from this innovative company... Indeed, they are seceretly planning another launch that will completely shake up the medieval sword enthusiasts world and make the developments to date look very tame...! Stay tuned for more information on these developments soon...
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 20th SEPTEMBER 2008
It's been a long wait. But it certainly looks like it has been worth it...
The very first of the Christian Fletcher designed Signature Series swords are finally in! And I am not talking about the prototypes, the first batch of these high quality, beautifully balanced Type X Arming swords are in stock and good to go..!
Available in two versions, a base line model with a simple leather scabbard (but still over a wood core!) and leather fittings and the Signature version with the Christian Fletcher designed scabbard, high quality sword belt and corded leather hilt, between these two variants of this blade there is enough to suit the collector simply looking for one of the best sub US$300 swords on the market, or something just a little more special...
It's definitely been worth the wait...!
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.
Heres 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 lets 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).
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 27th JANUARY 2008
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 havent 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...
VALIANT ARMOURY NEWS: 11th NOVEMBER 2007
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 didnt 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 Christians 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!
Sonnys 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 wont sign off on an inferior product.
Its 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 wont 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 arent just good enough but that they are such breathtakingly beautiful, yet affordable swords, that they will revitalize and revolutionize the entire industry...
Paul Southren
