When it comes to famous fantasy swords, there are probably no more well-known swords than those from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. (Though Excalibur might edge them out.) Due to the popularity of Tolkien’s works, millions of people have heard of the swords Anduril, Sting, and Glamdring.
But did you know that you can own high-quality replicas of these fantasy swords? Since The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out, there has been renewed interest in these legendary weapons of Middle Earth. Now is a good time to get authentic replicas of the LOTR prop swords originally made by the Weta workshop for Peter Jackson’s movies.
In a post I wrote a couple of years ago about the coolest movie and TV swords and knives, there were not many replicas of swords from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings available. Now these swords are available for sale, so I’m adding to the list of the best fantasy swords that you can currently own — especially if you want to add to your collection of Lord of the Rings merchandise and memorabilia.
In this review I also include links to some of the best retailers online where you can buy these swords: BUDK, TrueSwords, and Entertainment Earth.
Sting Sword from The Hobbit
Let’s begin with Bilbo’s sword, which he named “Sting.” (This is the sword Bilbo gave to Frodo to carry in The Lord of the Rings.)
As the story of The Hobbit goes, Bilbo came by this sword when he and the dwarves managed to escape (with Gandalf’s help) from the trolls Tom, Bert, and Bill. Found in the treasure-hoard in the trolls’ lair were three notable swords, Sting being one of them. It was actually a long knife that was forged by the Elves in the city of Gondolin during the First Age of Middle Earth.
In the history of Middle Earth, no craftsmen have surpassed the work of the elves. Which means they make some badass swords.
Click for the authentic reproduction of the Sting sword from “The Hobbit” at BUDK
Sting was just the right size for a hobbit to use as a sword. It was put to good use a number of times by both Bilbo and Frodo during their adventures.
You can click here to get a high-quality copy of Sting as it was designed for the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. BUDK was the first retailer to offer these authentic Hobbit swords to the general public. Don’t wait to get yours because, like much of The Lord of the Rings merchandise, it is likely to sell out.
If for some reason BudK no longer has the Sting replica in stock, you can also get this excellent fantasy sword from Entertainment Earth, too.
This sword is made by United Cutlery and features a stainless steel blade, solid metal hilt, and a detailed vine design adorning the handle. It comes with extras, including a certificate of authenticity.
You can also get a scabbard especially designed for Sting from BudK.
Here’s a video made by BUDK that shows the detail of the Sting sword as it appeared in The Hobbit:
Glamdring: Gandalf’s Sword
Among the swords that Bilbo and the dwarves found in Rhûdaur was Glamdring, a two-handed sword forged in Gondolin for the Elf King Turgon. Also known as “Foe-Hammer,” the sword was about 6,000 years old when they found it (just another indication of the immense sweep of history encompassed by Tolkien’s works). So feared was this sword by the Orcs in the First Age, that the Orcs in the Misty Mountains that the questers in The Hobbit encountered still remembered its name.
See Gandalf’s sword Glamdring at BUDK and own it now.
Gandalf took the sword Glamdring for his own and used it throughout the rest of his life — most notably to behead the Great Goblin and later, in the The Lord of the Rings, to fight the Balrog in the Mines of Moria.
This excellent replica of Glamdring is also made by United Cutlery. It is 47 5/8 inches long overall and has a 35¼” blade made of AUS-6 stainless steel, with a solid metal hilt, faux blue jewel inlays, a leather grip, and engraving in Elvish runes. It is an accurate replica of the $6,300 sword made by Weta for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The suggested retail price of this prop replica is $350, but BUDK has it for $189. It comes with a wooden display unit for your wall.
And Entertainment Earth has a Noble Collection version of Glamdring in stock right now, too. TrueSwords also carries the Noble Collection prop replica.
Of this replica of the Glamdring sword from The Hobbit movie, one satisfied customer reviewer wrote:
The quality of the sword was just as I expected it to be. It looks exactly like the film version and looks spectacular when placed on the wall. It is a must-have for any Lord of The Rings enthusiast.
Orcrist: Sword of Thorin Oakenshield
The third sword found by Bilbo and the dwarves was another famous blade forged by the Elves in Beleriand: Orcrist, which means “Goblin-Cleaver.” The leader of the band, the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield, who was the heir to the King Under the Mountain, claimed Orcrist for his own.
Orcrist is the sword carried by Thorin Oakenshield in “The Hobbit.” This beautiful, high-quality replica is available from BUDK.
I won’t tell you what eventually happens to Thorin and his sword Orcrist in case you haven’t seen the movies or read the books yet.
As you can see by the image at left, this prop replica of Orcrist is a beautiful sword, over 38 inches long, with a stainless steel blade about 26″ long. It features simulated gem stones, an acrylic resin grip cast from the original sword used in the movie, and runic inscriptions on the blade. Like Sting and Glamdring, it comes with a wooden wall display and a certificate of authenticity.
You can get this replica of The Hobbit sword Orcrist from BUDK for a good discount.
It is also available from Entertainment Earth.
Extra bonus: The Staff of Gandalf from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Gandalf’s Staff, detail. Made by United Cutlery and available from BUDK. Click here.
Seeing as how you’re such a devoted Tolkien fan, I wanted to let you know that you can also get an authentic prop replica of the staff of Gandalf the Grey as he used it in the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
This is also a faithful reproduction of the staff created by Weta in New Zealand and is made by United Cutlery, which, as you can tell from the swords above, continues to be a leader in making the best movie prop reproductions.
Gandalf’s Staff is 73 inches long overall, with finely-cast details, accurate hand-painted coloring, and a wall display. Hang it up for your friends to admire when you are not using it to bring magic to the world. You can get Gandalf’s staff from BUDK.
And you can also buy it from Entertainment Earth.
