Synthetic Regimental Broadsword

I recently purchased two regimental broadswords. They handle quite nicely and are fairly good looking. However, the packaging could have been better. The blades were just lose in the box and actually punched through one end during shipping. Additionally, this may just be personal but I think that the basket could have been made a little narrower. Currently the basket is 4 3/4 inches wide. My baskets also had some sharp edges on the outside which caused some damage to some of my friends' synthetic blades. For the price though one cannot expect perfection, and I look forward to using these for years to come.

When I chose the lighter regimental broadsword with its narrower blade, I was prepared for a slight difference in performance compared to usual wide-bladed and fullered synthetic swords offered, however I am pleasantly surprised with the characteristics in this piece. It has surprisingly good presence in a bind, it flexes decently in a thrust yet does not flex or reverberate excessively with hard edge contact, and it is pleasantly responsive despite its overall weight.

I found this to be an enjoyable training tool for broadsword and saber freeplay, and as the product description states, you will want some kind of protective glove if nothing else for your wrist, but the gaps in the basket hilt can permit an unlucky intrusion of a thrust or cut from a similar-thickness synthetic blade. Otherwise the basket affords generous protection to the hand and allows for some interesting possibilities in a bind.

Overall the workmanship on this piece was great, aside from some minor sharp edges/burrs inside the basket, which are of no concern if you wear a glove. I'm glad I didn't miss out on the chance to buy one of these.