Man, those look nice, but alas out of my range.

I'd totally buy a letter-opener version though! :)

George, I'm reading the series for the first time. It's reaffirmed what I like about epic fantasy. I blogged about the experience at http://jimvanpelt.livejournal.com/208327.html and http://jimvanpelt.livejournal.com/208566.html.

I really, really am enjoying the books on multiple levels.

I was one of the first to order Longclaw, and Needle will soon adorn my wall as well.

I've literally never been moved to pick up a novel replica before, but I'm pretty sure Longclaw is going to wind up on my mantle sometime soon.

I'm re-reading the first four books (amazing the details that are popping out at me the second time through) and just this afternoon read the chapter where Jon gives Needle to Arya. :)

I really must get out of debt
so I can buy all the cool stuff.

Those are beautiful!

Stick them with the pointy end. :D

Like my fencing master used to say, hit them and don't be hit.

They look pretty sweet!

Wish I had one hanged on my wall :)

Speaking of swords, did you ever recover your swords stolen during the break in? I was hoping they'd at least turn up at a pawn shop.

Needle looks perfect, just as I imagined :D

Very cool. I'd like to own both of those. They look really good. One day, I'll have a nice collection. At the moment, I only own one sword, a 56" Scottish claymore.

Steven
http://steventill.com

I always pictured Needle as more of a rapier with a sweeping hilt, sort of like this one:

http://bjorn.foxtail.nu/images/moc_rapier.jpg

I'm kind of surprised to see it with such a plain hilt. Is the version you pictured (the one Valyrian Steel is planning to make) a more accurate description of what needle was like, George?

Can I just say that I really appreciated the fairly even level of technology that exists across Westeros? I'm so tired of fantasy works where every cross-cultural clash looks like the last scene from Rob Roy.

I love that there are authors out there who don't view the entrance of magic into a world as carte blanche to yank a millenium of weapons and armor technology into the same 20 year storyline.

Maybe a bit anachronistic, but not wildly so -- you'd see rapiers in use in the very late medieval years as they nosed into renaissance, right?

Still, there are no indications in the book of duellist fencing, so there wouldn't really be any reason for rapiers to have been developed. What's funny is the replica version of Needle resembles a beefed up main gauche which, ironically, is meant to accompany a rapier or other duelling blade.

An estoc is sort of how I view it as well ^^

I just read the sample chapter, Daenerys, that you have up on your site. I had read Jon Snow and Tyrion's sample chapters, but somehow I had missed this one. Those last few lines left me with goosebumps. :-)

While I think the Longclaw replica is excellent, I'm honestly a bit less impressed by Needle. When I was reading the series, I never pictured this sword as just a lighter version of a broadsword, but rather something more delicately constructed; this is probably influenced by the name, as I actually expected the weapon to have a tear-drop shaped blade like an actually needle. I think it's the long crossguard that conflicts with my mental image of the sword most; I assumed Needle lacked a hilt like that, picturing something closer to a Chinese tai chi sword's furniture, or even a Japanese tsuba.

Oh well, this sword was your creation, George; if this is how you imagined the weapon, I can hardly fault the swordsmiths for their reproduction.

Both blades look excellent, but Longclaw is far and away my favorite. Is there any chance that we might one day see a replica for Ned Stark's greatsword as well? I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

It's coming quite quickly after Longclaw. Once I get a new job, I'll be quick to purchase it. My fandom knows no bounds, other than financial ones! ;)

Wow, 30" is a little sword.

But then, I'm a rather strapping lass, so I tend to like the full-sized deals. My 4'9" niece would probably be the perfect size for that.

30" OAL with 24" blade is still pretty long for a girl. I'd expected it about 1/2-2/3rds of that size: a longer, thin dagger. But again, I haven't reread in a while, so I may simply have misenvisioned it.

On another topic... how sturdy are these manufactured? Would either of them ever hold an edge and/or be serviceable? I know, that's not what they're *made* for, but it seems a shame to have a blade that lacks an edge.

Loves me some Arya. Stick'em Arya!

Obviously I can't really do either sword justice from just looking at pictures, but I really like Needle. It's even better looking than Longclaw, which was already pretty much perfect. I can just picture Arya in a water dancer's stance with that.

Really I'm just posting to show off the avatar LOL

Needle looks very sweet, and the mail/armor hooks on the Snow sword are very reminiscent of an 15c Italian sword I have.

I guess Phipps is now in the air, Not sure on arrival time but I expect she will update early tomorrow. Will of course take care of her while she is here, and of course look forward to seeing you when you arrive....maybe we will get a chance to show you our new fight? its well deadly ;-)

That's awesome! Arya is one of my favorite characters.

Ooh, maybe they'll do Lady Forlorn, or Ice, or the blades that were made from Ice, (whose names I forget)

Oathkeeper and Widow's Wail. Lion's Tooth was indeed thrown into the river. :-)

What a pity!!
Luckiest next time

I would seriously consider donating a kidney for Longclaw.

Hmmm... I have to say, while both swords look nice, Needle looks nothing at all like I pictured it.