Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is your return policy
2. How the heck do you keep your prices so reasonable?
3. Are your swords real or are they cheap knockoffs?
4. Is ketchup considered a liquid or a solid?
5. Is your e-commerce site secure?
6. Can I get expedited shipping?
7. Can I order by mail? Can I pay with a check or money Order?
8. How are hand crafted weapons different from mass-produced, machine made ones?
9. What shipping services does Strongblade use?
10. How does Strongblade prepare their swords before they go out?
11. Are your weapons battle-ready?
12. If Ed takes a direct train from Branchville, Connecticut, to Penn Station in New York at 8 a.m., and the train travels at an average rate of 44 miles an hour, making eight stops that last for 3 minutes, what time will he reach Penn Station?
13. Are your swords sharp?
14. Where do you get your products from?
15. Can I suggest a weapon for you to sell or make?
16. Do you carry anime / manga / buster swords?

1. What is your return policy
   We're confident that you will not want to return our weapons, but should you have to, Strongblade will refund your purchase price for items you are not satisfied with. At our discretion, we may charge a re-stocking fee for items returned to us, up to 15%. We don't like to do this, but most of the swords we send out are buffed and polished and strapped to presentation boxes, requiring quite a bit of time. We cannot, unfortunately, cover return shipping costs (unless the item has a manufacturer's defect), but we will provide discounts on our site to make up for this if you should return your weapon.
   
   
2. How the heck do you keep your prices so reasonable?
   It's true, our prices are great. We freely admit to it. And no, this is not a shameless plug, we actually have people ask us this. How do we keep them so low? Well, first of all, we buy in bulk directly from manufacturers when we can. This allows us to trim large wads of price bloat from our products. We also are careful and diligent shoppers and look for great deals. Occasionally we also threaten suppliers with great bodily harm if they do not give us the prices we want. Um. Okay, so we sometimes fantasize about threatening great bodily harm to our suppliers if they do not provide us with what we want, but normally, we just plead and whimper until they get so annoyed with us, they give us the price we're asking for.
   Another reason why our prices are so reasonable: we believe in treating our customers fairly. We are also consumers and know how frustrating it can be to want a weapon badly but be completely unable to afford it. With the price of everything going up, why not offer something for a decent price for once. If we make a little less on our swords, hopefully people will appreciate what we are doing and we'll make up for it in volume.
   
   
3. Are your swords real or are they cheap knockoffs?
   This one hurts us deeply. At Strongblade, we hold to the highest quality standards that we can and never sell anything that we feel is inferior. In fact, many of our suppliers are the same as the ones that sell to lofty vendors like CAS Iberia, Frost Cutlery and Museum Replicas, to name a few. We do not have cheap weapons. Only reasonable prices.
   
   
4. Is ketchup considered a liquid or a solid?
   We believe ketchup to be what is known as a suspension: A system in which microscopically visible particles are dispersed throughout a less dense liquid or gas from which they are easily filtered but not easily settled because of system viscosity or molecular interactions. Either that or a colloid, but we're pretty sure it's a suspension.
   
   
5. Can I get expedited shipping?
   Absolutely! We offer Three-Day, Two-Day and Next-Day air services. However, please note that Next-Day Air for swords tends to be a touch expensive as swords tend to be both heavy and long, two qualities that air shippers aren't fond of. We don't post these rates on the site because our shipping department always tries to fit the product(s) into the smallest box possible for air shipments. This saves the customer money, but we can't usually tell the exact price until it is ready to ship. You can obtain a shipping estimate in two ways: 1. make the order and, in your order comments, mention that you want expedited shipping. Our shipping department usually responds within 1 hour to these requests (during normal business hours of course) with shipping rates and times. 2. Call us toll-free at 866-7SWORDS. If our customer service agent can't give you an estimate, he/she will contact our shipping department and they will give you an estimate (usually within the hour).
   
   
6. Can I order by mail? Can I pay with a check or money Order?
   Of course. We accept payment from mails or females. Okay, not funny I know, but yes, we do accept mail-orders. The easiest way to pay by mail is to find the items you want on our website and add them to your cart (bear with us, there's logic behind this). Once you have added all items to your cart, look at the total price. This will include shipping costs. If you can, print this page out and include it with your payment. If not, simply jot down a list of what you want to order, include a check or money order for the total (including shipping) and send that off to us at:
   Strongblade.com, 7 Apple Tree Road, Bethel, CT 06801, attn: Orders
   
   
7. Is your e-commerce site secure?
   You betcha. We'rer a Hacker Safe Certified site. What does that mean? That roving bands of mercenaries can't hack us apart. um... It also means that our site is audited every day by Scan Alert, an enormously respected authority on security. If they ever find a problem, they let us know immediately and we take care of it. It's an expensive service, but we feel you guys are worth it. How's that for warm fuzzies? In addition, our custom designed e-commerce site is not only encrypted, verified and secure, but we do not store credit card numbers on it for long periods of time. Once we have received payment, your card number is flushed from our website. Ordering on our site is, truth be told, safer than ordering at a traditional brick-and-mortar store, where many different people have access to your information for a longer period of time.
   
   
8. How are hand crafted weapons different from mass-produced, machine made ones?
   In this world of robots that make cars, pianos that play themselves and droids that vacuum your house, it's heartwarming to see a product that is actually made by human hands. Our handcrafted swords are made by humans, for humans (although if you wanted to give one as a gift to your robot, we wouldn't hold it against you). Our humans hammer the steel as it has been done for thousands of years. They heat and quench the blades just like swordmasters of old. Because of this, each sword will vary slightly from the next. There will be small discrepancies in the swords, discrepancies that would be called minor blemishes had they been made by a machine but are instead marks of authenticity when the weapon is hand crafted. These tiny imperfections become a part of your weapon, making it different than any other weapon ever made, and making it truly yours. Every sword ever made by hand, since the beginning of time, has had these quirky differences to them. These quirks add character and personality to your weapon and broadcast to the world that "yes, a human took the time, care and love to personally hammer out this weapon for me". You will, in all likelihood, not even notice the imperfections. But if you want to test it out, hold a paper towel and run your hand down the blade softly. You will feel miniscule swells in the metal where the hammer has struck the blade into shape. This is the mark of a handcrafted sword.



9. What shipping services does Strongblade use?
   We normally use UPS Ground. If you would like a shipment to go through a different carrier or go priority, let us know. We'll send you the new shipping price before we charge you. If you have an account number for a certain carrier, we can use that as well.



10. How does Strongblade prepare their swords before they go out?
    Okay, no one really asks us that, but we'd like to tell you anyway, because we take more care with our weapons than most other companies seem to.
    When Strongblade prepares a handcrafted weapon to go out, whether it be a $50 weapon or a $1,000 one, we go through exactly the same process. Here is that process:
    
    
    1. Disassemble the weapon
    2. Buff and polish the blade and hardware (guard, pommel, etc.) to a mirror shine with our professional buffing equipment
    3. Reassemble the weapon carefully and give a finishing polish
    4. If the weapon comes with a sheath, oil and buff the sheath, and then buff and polish the hardware on the sheath
    5. Wrap the weapon in protective plastics and pillows for the shipment
    6. Enclose a free glass bottle of oil for high-carbon weapons
    7. Enclose a sheet describing the care and cleaning of the weapon
    8. Enclose a sheet with a brief history of the weapon or the people that wielded it
    9. Cry and wave bravely as the UPS man takes another of our children away from us.
    
    
    
11. Are your weapons battle-ready?
    This is always an interesting question. So many people have so many different ideas of what a "battle ready" sword is, that it is sometimes difficult to give a clear answer without first defining the term. A battle-ready sword is basically a sword that people want to use to bang other swords, shields and other inanimate objects, something we do not advise because of the inherent dangers involved. However, we realize that some people purchase weapons for the theatrical purposes and work with trained choreographers following the strictest of safety precautions. In these cases, the question is four-fold
    :
    1. Will the blade withstand the impact?
    2. Will the tang and grip survive the impact?
    3. Will the guard withstand the impact?
    4. Will the shock of the impact travel into the wielder's hand?
       
       
    So, with those criteria in hand, it is fairly simple to determine whether a sword is "battle-ready" or not. Most of our swords are made from a ridiculously strong high-carbon steel. The blades of just about all of our swords will take the impact very well. Our swords are not meant for theatrical battles. Theater swords are usually made with extremely thick edges, which makes them very difficult to sharpen. These thick edges are a safety precaution to prevent unwanted injuries during accidental flesh-vs.-sword collisions. Our blades have tapered edges which are great for sharpening, but not as safe as theatrical swords during combat, so we discourage this sort of use,or at least advise participants to wear as much protection as they can and follow all possible safety precautions.
    
    The tangs on our weapons are mostly full-tang, which is probably the best style for battle-ready weapons since the tang is a part of the blade and yet still allows you to remove the grip and check and oil the tang periodically. Tangs, however, have been known to bend or break under extreme conditions, even in the Days of Yore when knights wielded them. So, if you plan on hitting something with our swords, take care how hard you hit.
    
    Usually with our swords, the "battle-worthiness" depends on the guard and shock transfers. A good rule of thumb is "the more elaborate the guard, the less battle-ready it tends to be." This is because delicate work is usually just that. A sword that looks beautiful is usually not very functional. A sword that is functional, is usually not very aesthetic. A sword that is half-way between these is usually semi-battle-ready. You get the point.
    A last word: Knights and, in fact, most swordsman, did not usually parry (small-swords and dueling swords being an obvious exception). Swordsmen knew that a hard, heavy metal blade striking their own blade had a very good chance of breaking their weapon. Instead of parrying, they would move out of the way, used shields, or just tried to kill their enemy before he struck. Movies love to show swordsmen with large heavy blades parrying one another. but it rarely happened (if you've ever tried to parry a large sword that has momentum, you'll find it is next to impossible. Please do not try this though. Take our word for it). That said, if you must use your blade to parry for theatrical purposes, we suggest you do not use the blade. A hard edge striking another hard edge will cause nicks and chips in any blade. These nicks and chips undermine the strength of the sword and could lead to the destruction of it, you, and others nearby.
    
    
12. If Ed takes a direct train from Branchville, Connecticut, to Penn Station in New York at 8 a.m., and the train travels at an average rate of 44 miles an hour, making eight stops that last for 3 minutes, what time will he reach Penn Station?
    He won't. Tax cuts have forced the closing of the Branchville to Penn Station direct line.
    
    
13. Are your swords sharp?
    Most of our swords (with the exception of our samurai lines) are not sharp. Most of them are, however, made from high-carbon steel, so they can be sharpened if the need arises, and they will hold an edge for a long, long time. The edges of most of our swords are tapered so that sharpening will be easy to accomplish. We feel compelled to warn you here that a sharp sword is dangerous and should be treated with extreme caution. This next warning may seem obvious, but: Do not spar with sharpened weapons. This is extremely dangerous, nay suicidal, and will most likely result in serious injury or death.
    
    
14. Where do you get your products from?
    We look everywhere for products. Locally and internationally. And before anyone start griping about international sales, know this: Most of the best swords in the world are not made in the United States. In fact, some of the countries we buy swords from have been making weapons since the middle ages, and even before that. We have suppliers from Spain, Germany and the United States, but a few of our main suppliers are in a region of India known worldwide for its fantastic craftsmanship. Ever heard of Windlass Steel? Indian. Museum Replicas? Frost Cutlery? They too get many of their swords from India and China. In fact, most of the best swords sold commercially in the United States are hand forged in India. We tried a few sample orders from Pakistan, but were not happy with the quality. Perhaps there are some good Pakistani sword makers, but we have not found any yet.
    We get some of our weapons from China too, but the quality of Chinese weapons ranges from excellent to "well-I-guess_we_can_use-them-for-weeding-around-the-garden." We only sell Chinese weapons that we feel are excellent. Occasionally we get a sample shipment in and sell less-than-excellent ones at a drastically reduced price, but we are very clear about their quality in the description.
    We do get some swords domestically as well, but these are usually much higher priced (and not necessarily all that higher in quality).
    
    If you have any doubts as to the quality of our weapons, purchase one. If you are unhappy with the quality, send it back. We will give you a complete refund on the purchase price (sorry, we can't cover shipping costs).
    
    
15. Can I suggest a weapon for you to sell of make?
    Absolutely. We can't promise we'll do it, but we're always interested in what our customers are looking for. Send your suggestions to info@strongblade.com. Feel free to add sketches, drawings and/or 3D models. If we decide to design, make and start carrying your sword in our inventory, we may even send you one for free.
    
    
16. Do you carry anime / manga / buster swords?
    Yes! Our first Anime sword is a hand-crafted beauty called the Maelstorm Buster. It's a huge, heavy and ultra-cool weapon made from high-carbon steel. It has a full tang and a high quality leather sheath with backstrap. But don't take my word for it. Check it out here: Buster Sword. The Maelstrom Buster Sword was manufactured exclusively for Strongblade by our manufacturer,so you can't get it anywhere else!