Luxury Gifts for Men Who Already Have the Nice Watch
Most luxury gift lists for men are the same list with the prices turned up. The watch is now a nicer watch. The wallet is now a nicer wallet. The whisky comes in a box. Nothing on them is rare, and nothing on them was made by a person whose name the buyer could ask.
A hand-forged sword is a different kind of expensive. The money buys hours at an anvil rather than a logo, the object is one of a few rather than one of a hundred thousand, and it goes on a wall where a watch goes in a drawer. This is the list for a man who has the nice watch already.
What luxury means here
Three things, and not much else. Steel that was folded by hand, so the pattern on the blade is unrepeatable. Scale: a 44-inch claymore or a 24-inch marble chess table is not a thing anyone buys casually. And a maker's involvement, which at the top of this list means a sword built to your specification with engraving cut in our own Illinois workshop.
$250 to $450: the serious sword
- Emperor Gladius, 30", Damascus, $249.99. The dress version of the Roman short sword, in patterned steel.
- Viking Carolingian Sword, 39", Damascus, $249.99. Full length, folded steel, the sword the sagas describe.
- Woodsman Bowie, 14", Damascus, $249.99. The top of our bowie range. A knife that will be handed down.
- Claymore, Stag Horn Handle, Damascus, 44", $279.99. Forty-four inches of Scottish two-hander with a grip of stag horn. It needs a wall of its own, which is the point.
- Large Marble Chess Set, White and Black, Fancy Pieces, 16", $329.99. Sixteen inches of stone with ornate carved pieces. Coffee-table scale.
- Scutum, Roman Shield, 35", Metal, $399.99. The curved legionary shield, full size. A room changes when it goes up.
- Nasal Helmet, Medieval, $398.99. The Norman helmet, in steel, for a shelf or a stand.
- Crusader Bundle, $449.99. Longsword, helmet, stand and more. A display in one box.
- Viking Sword, 38", 1095 Steel, $449.99. The premium plain-steel Viking sword. No pattern, no distraction, all blade.
$500 to $700: the centerpiece
- Marble Chess Set, Extra Large, White and Black, 20", $509.99. Twenty inches of marble. It gets its own table and the table becomes where people sit.
- Fantasy Scimitar, 48", Damascus, $529.99. Four feet of curved Damascus. The single most dramatic object we sell for under $1,000.
- Ulfberht Viking Sword, Highest Grade, 39", 1095 Steel, $699.99. The top of the Viking range, carrying the most famous inscription in the Viking world. The fiftieth-birthday sword.
- Ulfberht Bundle, $699.99. Sword, axe, shield, helmet and more. A whole Viking wall, delivered at once.
$2,000 and up: the room
- Valhalla Vanguard Viking Suit of Armor, $1,999.00. A full wearable suit. This is not a gift for a man; it is a gift for a house.
- Marble Chess Table, Red and White Coral, Fancy Pieces, 24", $1,999.99. Board and table in one piece of marble. Furniture that happens to be a chess set.
- Spartan Suit of Armor, with Shield and Sword, Wearable, $2,895.00. Helmet, cuirass, shield, sword. The entrance-hall piece.
The most luxurious option is the one built for him
Nothing on the shelf is as rare as a sword that exists only because you specified it. Customize Your Sword, $199.99 to start, lets you choose the blade profile, steel, guard, grip, pommel and scabbard, and the engraving is done in our own Illinois workshop rather than sent out: a name, a family motto, a date, a crest. Custom sword builds take three to eight weeks, expedited two to three on request, and ship unsharpened unless the sharpening option is selected. Inside that window, choose a stock sword above and have it engraved.
Give it somewhere to live
At this level the display is part of the gift. A Wall Mount Sword Stand, $49.99, for a single blade; the Dragon Wall Mount, $99.99, if the sword deserves an audience.
When to buy something else
- He wants a brand. Some men want the logo, and the logo is the gift. Nothing here has one. Buy the watch.
- He has no wall for it. A $700 sword in a closet is a $700 mistake. The chess sets are the answer for a man with tables and no walls.
- He collects antiques. These are hand-forged interpretations of historical types, not museum reproductions. A collector of originals wants an auction house.
- You are inside three weeks and want custom. Buy from stock. A late custom sword is not a luxury; it is an apology.
Also worth thirty seconds: blade laws vary by state and city, most stock blades ship sharpened, and nothing here goes in carry-on. Ship to a home address.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good luxury gift for a man who has everything?
A hand-forged sword built to your specification with his name on the blade. It is the one object he cannot already own.
What makes a sword a luxury item?
Hand-folded Damascus steel with an unrepeatable pattern, full tang construction, scale, and in-house engraving. Not a logo.
What is the most expensive gift here?
The Spartan suit of armor at $2,895.00, then the marble chess table and the Viking suit of armor at about $2,000. Below that, the Ulfberht at $699.99 is the centerpiece sword.
How long does a custom sword take?
Three to eight weeks, with expedited two to three weeks on request. Order in October for December.
