Badger Blades
Badger Blades
I remember Badger Blades from my first trip to the Tennessee Renaissance Festival several years ago. We went again this year and they were back. I don’t remember being nearly as blown away as I was this year from that first trip but I know more about swords and weapons now then I did the first time. This year they rocked my world.
We had just attended the first joust and our blood was flowing from the clash of arms. As we came up the hill one of the workers from the booth came out with a sword in hand.
“Come watch me smash this cinder block with this sword!” he bellowed.
I thought surely not. You always see the guys in these booths at the fairs saying that you can do that but they never do actually do it. They advise you that you can but they know deep down that you just laid out 400 large on a sword you won’t be stupid enough to hit a cinder block with it. This guy was stupid enough.
On the ground to the right side of the booth was a little pile of cinder block chips. He flipped the one whole cinder block around with his foot, raised the sword over his head and sent it slashing down on the poor defenseless block. The block gave way; the sword did not. Repeatedly he raised his arm and smote the vile block. Each time the sword bashed its way through but came away without bend or bursting. When he was done, he took a piece of cloth and wiped the blade down. He flipped it around and handed it, hilt outward, to anyone in the crowd to examine. Several people took the opportunity to look at the blade and noticed that though there were some scratches and abrasions it was not beaten to the point that it could not be sharpened and buffed out. I was sold, and headed into the tent.
They have a great selection and their work is beautiful. There is plenty of variety and their quality is fantastic. After drooling… I mean handling all of the swords that I could get my hands on, I saw, hanging on the wall the best looking sword I have ever seen – A Bone handle Falchion. I pulled it off the wall and I was instantly sold. It was perfectly balanced. It was perfectly weighted. It was beautiful and I wanted it. Now I would like to end this review by saying that I bought the Falchion. I would like to say that I threw the costume piece that I was wearing in the garbage or gave it to the homeless at the fair. I would like to say that the bone handle falchion is now mine. I cannot say that. It was only a lot out of my price range. I had to leave my future weapon behind but i still think of it fondly.
So the next fair you go to… if Badger Blades is one of the vendors go in and see my sword. Look at it and think of me. But know that if you buy it I will hunt you down.
Badger Blades
813 Cherokee
Oskaloosa, KS
303-800-6425
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- Bobaganush the Pirate
