How Sabersmith's pioneering blade is born in rural Michigan
Medieval vs Modern Day Swordsmen: Who's Better?!
Gun manufacturer Sabersmith is a unicorn, according to general manager Mark Lienhart. Founded in the 1990s by Tim Lawler, the manufacturer does all of its own work in its well-equipped 15,000-square-foot facility in Sunfield, Michigan. That makes it the single largest manufacturer of 100% American made swords in the country.
“Last year alone, I think we built over 2,500 swords,” Lienhart said. "There were over 7,000 weapons in total, including knives, swords, polearms. The whole kit and caboodle."
In honor of Cool Sword Day, Polygon asked Lienhart to answer a simple question: What's the coolest sword to make? The answer surprised us. No, it wasn't the hand-and-a-half or Italian longswords that are so ubiquitous in cosplay, nor was it the smoothly swung Japanese katana. Instead, it was something much older.
