Valiant Armoury Swords

VALIANT ARMOURY SWORDS AT A GLANCE Official Website: Valiant-Armoury.com Manufactured in: Philippines, China and some made in the USA Steels Used: High carbon Spring Steel Edge/Sharpness: Sharpened except for practical line (by request) Price Range: US$90 to $500 Best deals: Click here for special pricing info

Valiant Armoury has historically produced mainly functional medieval swords produced in the Philippines. A division of ProCut until 2006, Valiant Armoury was purchased by current owner Sonny Suttles after the death of Bob Miller, owner of ProCut.

Now a stand-alone company, Valiant Armoury is still producing most of its old lineup of products – but is also introducing a number of new ones and creating new and very innovative partnerships with such giants of the sword industry as Angus Trim and Christian Fletcher.

Their swords and weapons are protected under a one year warranty which is “applicable only when the product is used under the normal conditions for which the sword or edged collectible is designed, and does not apply to any damage related to misuse, carelessness, negligence, and normal and/or excessive wear and tear.”

They define normal use on their site as tameshigiri (using mats) under by a trained user under controlled circumstances, and state that, “While Valiant Armoury swords and edged collectibles certainly could be used to cut many other items or objects, this is not their intended use and it is quite dangerous to do so and any use other than for its intended purpose will void the warranty.”

Price range From around $190 to $330 for their current offering, although sword in their “Signature Series” will arrive at somewhere under $500 in early 2007.

VALIANT ARMOURY SWORDS - NEWSFEED March 24th, 2008 Sneak preview of a prototype of the Christian Fletcher overhaul of the 'classic' VA sword designs Click Here for The Latest News

MAIN PRODUCT LINES

OLD DESIGNS The old designs of Valiant Armoury are still in production, but were created before Sonny Suttles took over the company. The distinguishing features of this line, were big, heavy swords with simple fittings and a low price tag. Numerous improvements have and are being made to this line.

NEW DESIGNS While the New Philippine made line are still for the most part big and heavy, since Sonny took over the company this new line of swords have much more attention to detail and many additional options, such as different kinds of leather wrap, including an “Antiqued Oxblood” design.

UPCOMING DESIGNS SIGNATURE COLLECTION This is the new line that is being made by Valiant Armoury in partnership with Christian Fletcher. As of yet, there are only 3 swords showcased on their website – “The Castile," "The Kriegschwert," and "The Bristol.” All of them come with beautifully designed scabbards and swordbelts, and look to be of great quality. They won’t be available until the July 2008, but will likely retail for under $500.

PRACTICAL LINE These are new swords that are being designed by Angus Trim in another part of Valiant Armoury’s upgrades. Essentially these will be a range of blunted re-enactment and sparring swords, though an option to select a sharpened version will also be available if so desired for cutting practice. The focus of this range will be on function over form, much like the focus of their illustrious designer. Price range TBA.

IMPERIAL ARMS This line is to be a series of fully functional Chinese and Japanese swords, including Jian, Dao, Katana, Wakizashi and other swords of Asian origin. More details on this line coming very soon.

KNOWN ISSUES

Valiant Armoury has had a reputation in years past as a maker of swords that were overly heavy with chunky, unattractive fittings. While still historical designs, they were often much heavier than the originals. Many felt that (based on their experiences ie. This infamous review at MyArmoury.com) the swords were poorly balanced and had low structural integrity.

Reports of thin tangs bending and swords being improperly heat-treated circulated.

And while they had die-hard fans, several owners stated that the swords were not as good quality as expected in the price range.

However – Many changes have been made to Valiant Armoury’s swords since Sonny took control, and the break from a troubled past is apparent.

In fact, they were recently touted as Arms of Valour’s “beater swords of choice” - and are now being praised for their durability.

And with the huge changes to their line – including the partnerships with Angus Trim and Christian Fletcher, both well-respected names in the industry – it’s uncertain which (if any) of the old criticisms apply. Valiant Armoury is the manufacturer to watch for 2008 for sure.

HANDS ON REVIEWS

Sword Buyers Guide.com Reviews Reviews of Valiant Armoury Swords by our sister site: Medieval Falchion (New) Click on the image for the full review. The Praetorian (New) Click on the image for the full review. Viking Sword (Old) Click on the image for the full review. Ko Buke Katana Click on the image for the full review.

WHERE TO BUY

Prices for Valiant Armoury swords vary considerably. However the best deals can be found here at Kult of Athena with prices often $60 below retail and at least $10-20 less than their closest competitors.

OTHER VALIANT ARMOURY STOCKISTS

The following list of retailers also stock Valiant Armoury Swords:

Sword Buyers Guide.com
NOTES: Only stocks their new Gus Trim Practical swords at this stage, however the prices are the best on the internet, with FREE shipping in the US and lower prices to everywhere else.

Noblewares
NOTES: Noblewares primarily stock high level decorative swords, but have the old line of VA swords as their battle ready line.

Arms of Valor
NOTES: Offers several of the old and new lines, along with their own unique customization service. Well worth a look.

Do you own one of the swords made by this company? Or know any good stories or information not covered here? Share it!

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

The Old Models = Not so Good...  I brought the Valiant Armoury Mercenary Sword sometime around the spring of 2005 from an undisclosed dealer for the Price of 187.00 U.S. dollars. At the ...

New Purchase of Valiant   I didn't want to spend a lot of money so the discontinued items from Armory of God caught my eye, a $265.oo medieval sword for $119.00. The ad stated ...

Practical Longsword (Sharp Version)  I recently acquired the new Practical Long sword (sharp version) that Valiant armoury has come out with. At first impression the sword looks and feels ...