Windlass Steelcrafts Classic Hoplite Greek Sword with Leather Wrapped Handle and Scabbard

I have this sword purchased from another retailer. It is marked "Windlass Made in India" just forward of the hilt. I give it high marks for construction - two years in and the pommel, hilt, and handle are all still tight. The blade is an impressively broad expanse of polished steel that tapers to a needle point. The sword feels solid in hand, and maneuvers well. As with most blades of this pattern, the broad span belies the fact that these swords were intended to primarily kill with thrusts - being pushed out from behind a broad shield wall. The extreme blade taper leaves little in the way of cutting surface...just a point for those who like to slice things. Speaking of slicing, this sword comes "dull" and needs to be properly sharpened if one desires a cutting edge. Even with dull edges, the sword will still deliver deadly stab wounds. Another point worth knowing...the blade is rather thin, and this seems magnified by the double-edge design that removes a lot of steel, leaving only the central spine of the blade at full thickness. But remember, this style sword was MEANT to kill by stabbing as a secondary weapon - all TV representations aside. In a CQB situation the ideal way to employ this blade would be to use a shield or buckler to shove the enemy's defense aside, followed by deadly thrusts that would easily pass clean through a human torso and do tremendous damage! The scabbard is leather upholstered wood with brass rivet accents, reinforced tip, and hanger brace. The scabbard can be readily clipped to a shoulder strap/waist belt for carry. The scabbard is somewhat loose which is fine for general use.Overall, for the money, this is a pretty decent recreation of an ancient sword, and I'm sure it's actually built of better steel than anything available in the ancient world.