Carbon steel, stainless steel, zamak: how to choose the right sword for you?

There are literally thousands of swords in different styles, materials, and price ranges available today. This can make choosing a sword a daunting experience, to say the least. Hopefully with this article we can help you narrow it down a bit and point out a few things you need to be aware of.

This article will mainly cover sword materials and the situations they are best suited for, how much time you want to spend on your sword, and the cost. As for the style of the sword, well, we can’t help that. The style of the sword is as individual to a person as the way he chooses to comb his hair or the car he chooses to buy.

Right now we are going to look at three sheet materials. That’s right three. Two that we all know, Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel, and one that you may not know Zamak. Zamak is an alloy that looks like steel, but cannot be sharpened.

Carbon Steel – Carbon steel swords are really functional swords that will stand up to riggers of use, but as with everything else they come in different grades. High carbon steel swords are the best, both for strength and durability, as well as for staying sharp. Carbon steel swords are also the highest maintenance swords. They, if not properly cared for and kept oiled, will corrode very easily. If you see the term “Battle Ready” sword, that usually means a fully functional carbon steel sword.

These swords are for the hardcore sword owner. Someone who needs the sword to be functional and won’t mind spending the time to care for it. These are generally the most expensive swords, due to the fact that they are usually forged by hand.

Cost: Carbon Swords can work with anything from $30.00 to $30,000.00+

Stainless Steel – Stainless steel swords are not real swords when it comes to function. They are primarily a decorative sword. They look real, they feel real, and most will have an edge, making them a great display sword. But using them in any other way is inviting injury. The ‘chrome’ compound is added to steel and this is what makes it stainless. It also makes it brittle. A good enough hit at something with a stainless steel sword will break it and possibly insult you or someone nearby. Stainless steel swords require little maintenance and only need to be cleaned from time to time.

These swords are ideal for display and reenactments. They are good for people who want a sword that looks and feels like a functional sword, but without the work and cost. They are less expensive than carbon steel and maintain quality, due to the ability to mass produce them.

Cost: On average, these swords will cost anywhere from $20.00 to about $400.00.

Zamak: Zamak is an alloy used primarily by a company called Denix. It is composed of 95% zinc (Zn), aluminium, magnesium and copper. Swords made from this alloy are purely decorative and no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to put a functional edge on them. This makes them, among other things, the perfect display sword for family or educational environments. These are very low maintenance swords. They will not corrode or etch with human oils.

These are perfect decorative swords for a person who wants a sword that will look real on the wall, but probably won’t be removed very often, if ever. Due to the material of their blades, they are perfect in family settings for safety and for costumes, re-enactments, stage sets, displays, or as educational aids. Also, due to the blade material, the cost can be kept low without sacrificing quality.

Cost: The cost of these swords ranges from $60.00 to $110.00

Tips for buying a sword

Now, in general, the old adage rings true. You get what you pay for. That’s not to say you should spend a lot of money on a quality sword. There are some very good mid-range swords on the market, and even a low-rank sword or two worth looking at. Every rule has its exceptions.

What you need to decide first is how authentic your sword needs to be and how much you are willing to spend on it. This will help you narrow down the field considerably.

Next, you need to realize that not all dealers care about you. There are many cheap imitation swords that, at least in their images, resemble popular and reliable name swords. So how do you say it?

Most reputable dealers who know they have top name swords will proudly declare the name of sword making.

Let’s say you have two windows open side by side comparing the same spade in two places. The picture looks the same and the name of the sword is the same, but the price is drastically different. Site A has the spade at $57.00, while site B has the spade at $230.00. You’re thinking it’s too good to be true! Guess what… it probably is. Now look and see that Site B proudly declares the name of the manufacturer, it may even be a name that you have seen many times in your search. Site A, on the other hand, does not indicate manufacturing. Why? It could be that they don’t know the name… not likely. Or it could be that they know that if they put the wrong manufacturer’s name on an imitation, it will be sewn.

Now, that’s not to say that’s always the case, but the top part is an example of something that happened, and the sword was an imitation of the popular sword. Our advice would be to contact the website and ask who the maker of the sword is. If the sword is on the level, they will tell you the name. If they don’t tell you the name, go somewhere else. This is best done by email. This way you have proof of it in case you buy the sword and it is not what they told you.

This is more common with prop replicas. Our advice in this area, again, if in doubt ask. He also knows your sword.

Here are two examples:
There is a machete on the market that is an imitation of a renowned decorative pirate sword. It is advertised as if it were from Pirates of the Caribbean. The sword is a basket-handled cutlass with a ship on guard. There is no such sword in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Another one of my favorites is the Duncan MacLeod Highlander Katana. There is no jewel in Duncan’s sword! Get away from it.

In closing, I’d like to start your journey with a list of some of the most popular and trusted names in swords. This list covers quality swords, from inexpensive to expensive.

Functional Swords (Carbon Steel):
CAS Iberia, Hanwei, Valiant Armory, Cold Steel.

Decorative Swords (Stainless and Zamak):
Medieval Armor, Art Gladius, Denix, Fury, Marto, Maxam, United Cutlery.

Prop replicas:

FactoryX, LMTD, Master Replicas, Museum Replicas, NECA, United Cutlery.

This is not a complete list by any means, just some of the best. There are many more excellent quality companies and private Smiths out there, and you will recognize them as you browse.

Good luck and have fun!