As the year wears on, and the global economy continues to edge towards a recession - we know that setting aside money to buy new swords is becoming increasingly difficult..

While most sword brands are quite well stocked at the moment pretty much across the board, every major, minor and mid level sword maker and seller is saying the same thing: sales are un-sustainability low and a change is in the air..

Fire sales, below cost discounting and special offers are (or soon will be) the order of the day. And it would seem that the industry is adjusting by moving away from mid range swords and towards entry level and the higher end.

In some ways it is a bit like a 'great reset' for the industry, and there aren't too many new swords coming down the line as everyone is very risk adverse and many major projects are being put on hold until the dust settles.

But there are a few exceptions. The most recent, new additions to a well respected line of swords by our friends at Ronin Katana with 9 new and very cool looking (and even better handling and cutting) Katana added to the entry level 'RK series line':

Very 'interesting' times ahead as the industry adjusts, that is for sure.. But some great deals, bargains and HOT SPECIALS to be had if you know where to look..

Top 5 iconic Swords in Video Games

It should be no surprise that swords are heavily featured in many, many video games over the years. Here are the top 5 most iconic blades according to sportskeeda.com

One Piece Sword Grades

The long running and wildly popular Manga series 'One Piece' is famous for its detailed sword backstories and styles. In this article, they look at the different grades of swords, from the highest to the most basic, as well as some real world sword grades the system is loosely graded upon.

Demonslayer sword colors

Hot on the heels of the sword grades in One Piece, this article explores the different colored blades of the Demonslayer series, and what the colors mean and represent.

18 of the most powerful blades in Dungeons and Dragons

While D&D may not be best known for its real world accuracy in some of its sword descriptions, there are some blades - such as the Vorpal Blade and the Paladins Holy Avenger that are legendary. This article lists 18 of the strongest swords, daggers, axes and other hand weapons from the world's most popular role playing game.

Henry Cavill from the Witcher likely to star in the Highlander reboot

With a reboot of 'Highlander' in the works, fans of the original series are either skeptical or excited to see it hit the big screen again. But with self confessed sword geek Henry Cavill seemingly extremely interested in the lead role, it should give some fans who are still on the fence some hope that the reboot will capture some of the magic of the original (though for some of course, 'there can be only one'..)

Forensic use of pork ribs to determine force needed for a fatal attack

In an unfortunate and tragic murder case involving a sword that was used to pierce his roommates heart, forensic scientists determined that the force needed to pierce the rib cage was around 2.7lbs - about the same force needed to ring a doorbell or lift a milk jug. While the story itself is rather grim, the information contained emphasis the need for sword safety when cutting targets as a broken blade could very, very easily prove fatal if it flies off and strikes in the rib-cage.

Was the 2003 movie 'The Last Samurai' based on any historical events?

While it might have not been all that accurate in many respects, the Tom Cruise/Ken Watanabe movie arguably captured the spirit of the twilight of the Samurai class in the 19th century. But were any of the characters loosely or closely based on any actual historical figures? Read this article to find out..

Fan of Skyrim makes a DIY foam replica

A rather dedicated and talented fan of the game 'Skyrim' has made a fitting foam tribute to one of the iconic swords. Shame he doesn't provide much detail on how it was made, but it certainly looks the part and would be a lot of fun to mess around with.

Grandson of King Charles to wield a ceremonial sword

It's slightly ironic that in the UK, which hasn't outright banned swords, but is extremely restrictive on their sale and purchase, will feature the 9 year old grandson of the King of England to bear a sword to 'protect' him as part of an ancient royal tradition. Good to see the tradition still alive, but very sad that for any English 'commoners' such items are almost forbidden..

Disney's fully retractable Lightsaber unveiled!

The market for replica Star Wars inspired Lightsabers is actually several times bigger and more robust than the entire market for functional replica swords. But Disney, current owners of the Franchise, unveiled a mysterious fully retractable replica very much like the ones seen in the movies. Exactly what it is and how it archives this is not yet revealed, but unlike a fully functional version made by a fan last year, this one is just a very cool, movie accurate and officially licensed prop..

Hope you enjoyed the may issue of the digest! While there wasn't a whole lot of things to report on this month, and it may be fairly quiet until at least the end of the year, we will do our best to keep you informed and (hopefully) entertained until the industry eventually finds its feet again.

• Paul

Sword Buyers Guide.com