Excalibur - the famous "Sword in the Stone" Take a moment and let your mind's eye picture the images those words evoke. No sword, real or mythical, is more renowned, more beloved, than Excalibur. There is one simple reason, Excalibur is intimately associated with the myths, legends and romance surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table.

According to legend, Excalibur was a mysterious sword with magical powers, sometimes blinding Arthur's foes with a blazing-bright light. As legend has it, Arthur became the rightful king of Britain because, even though many others tried, he was the only man able to pull Excalibur out of the stone. Alternate legends say that Arthur received Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake after he broke his first sword, Caliburn. Either way, Excalibur was a magical sword with awesome power and legendary beauty.

No one knows if King Arthur is an actual historical figure, if he actually wielded Excalibur, or if the entire story is merely an entertaining myth. But everyone knows the lore of Excalibur and its royal owner. And the epic film "Camelot" enhanced the mystique and appeal of this famous sword, whetting peoples' desire to have an Excalibur Sword for themselves.

The Modern Excalibur Sword.

The modern Excalibur Sword was born out of legend, out of mystique, out of the mists of the past. "Movie swords" such as replica Excalibur Swords are extremely popular with film buffs and with people who have an affinity for the history and lore of the Middle Ages.They are also sought-after by people who love historical fiction and fantasy books such as the Arthurian novel "The Once and Future King." One look at an Excalibur Sword will easily evoke images of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Excalibur Swords are very collectible and can be a bold addition to a home's decor. And Medieval tournament re-enactments have become very popular. An Excalibur Sword worn by a man attending a Medieval re-enactment would be the perfect complement to a period costume from that era.

Elegant Yet Powerful.

Usually double-handed, there are several varieties of the Excalibur Sword. All are beautiful, and all evoke the pageantry and glory of long ago, heroic times. Some Excalibur Swords have leather-wrapped hilts and rough leather or wood scabbards or sheaths. Other Excalibur Swords have chrome-plated steel hilts and blades. Still others have solid silver or brass hilts and polished stainless steel blades. Some have hilts that have been etched with the traditional triple crown design of King Arthur. And some have precious or semi-precious gems and jewels inlaid or set into the hilt.But no matter what metal is used for the sword, and no matter how ornately or simply decorated, the design always harkens back to those that were used when King Arthur and his knights lived and died so valiantly. And to magic and mystery.

Swords, the Noblest of Weapons.

Of all the different weapons that are in use today, and of all the different weapons that have existed throughout history, swords are by far the noblest. Yes, swords are brutally effective weapons. But they are far more than that.

In the past, reigning monarchs and members of royal families, members of the nobility and various other prestigious men, all carried swords not just as weapons, but as a traditional, highly visible sign of their status. Even today, swords and their close relatives - such as scimitars - continue to be a cross-cultural signal of high achievement or high social status.

In the military, swords were, and still are, traditionally carried only by commisioned officers and, in some cases, mounted cavalrymen. Swords are used to cut, thrust, strike and slash, and they have the longest reach of any edged weapon. During the Middle Ages, any knight considered his sword to be his most important weapon, and with the possible exception of his horse, probably the most important possession he owned. The edged weapons carried by rank and file foot soldiers, usually knives, dirks or daggers, were much smaller than swords and much less deadly, with much shorter blades. These smaller bladed weapons were also much less prestigious to carry and conveyed no signal of the bearer's social status.

Sword Nomenclature.

A sword consists of a very long single-edged or double-edged blade and an attached hilt, which is a collective term that includes the pommel, the grip and a simple or elaborate guard. The swords of some cultures use straight blades, while other cultures designed swords or sword-type weapons with slightly curved blades. But the basic underlying design of all swords is remarkably uniform. Swords are typically carried while sheathed in protective leather or metal scabbards that are attached to the waist. Swords that are intended to be used as weapons are usually quite utilitarian and are not elaborately decorated as are many ceremonial swords.

Swords in War and in Peace, Past and Present.

Swords have been used as weapons since time immemorial, in hundreds of different cultures and in just about every region of the world. Throughout the passage of time, weaponry swords have been made of bronze, iron and steel (later, tempered steel) and, as noted above, these types of swords were designed for killing efficiency rather than beauty.

But in addition to being used as coldly efficient weapons of war, swords have also been used for ceremonial purposes for at least one thousand years. And although they are no longer used as actual weapons, they continue to be used ceremonially. Swords play an important role in some military weddings and in certain military rituals, and they still are part of a commissioned officer's dress uniform. The investiture of a knight (being "dubbed" a knight) traditionally was, and still is, performed by the man being touched on the shoulder with the flat of the sword of his monarch or lord. Swords are even used by Masons during certain Masonic rituals and ceremonies.

Ceremonial swords are most often made of gold or sterling silver, and their blades and scabbards are often very elaborately engraved or inscribed. Sometimes the sword guard and/or the scabbard are bejeweled.

Traditional swords, sabres, rapiers, cutlasses and scimitars. Swords that were used in mortal combat, such as Japanese Samurai Katana swords, and ceremonial swords such Masonic swords. They all have a noble past, and they all signify tradition and prestige.