Avoloch wields three blades of 420J2 high carbon stainless steel with all three set in a cast metal hilt. The curved grip ends in a wicked, spiked cast metal pommel and is wrapped with woven black leather. Forward of the hilt is an un-sharpened section of blade called a ricasso, also wrapped with black leather strapping, which allows two-handed power and fast strikes during close combat. The compound sweep of the polished blade follows the Elven pattern familiar to most from Tolkien-style movies and games.

The 43-3/4-inch-long sword is only 1/8-inch thick, less than a practical combat steel sword but in keeping with the concept of Avoloch. The Avoloch sword, according to the legend, was forged from magical mithrodin, a metal with the hardness and strength of the best high carbon steel but with only a fraction of the weight.

Decorated with engraved runes and antiqued for a more authentic look, the Avoloch Mithrodin Sword comes with a certificate of authenticity from United Cutlery. The base of the blade bears the Kit Rae trademark, and an autographed art print of Princess Enethia brandishing the sword is included.

For another version of the collectible Avoloch Sword, see the Kit Rae Avoloch Gold Edition -- a limited run of 300.

Find this Kit Rae Avoloch Mithrodin Sword:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this sword on eBay:

KIT RAE AVOLOCH MITHRODIN SWORD KR0038 US $138.95   Auction Ends: 26d 21h 25m

United Cutlery Kit Rae Avoloch Mithrodin Sword KR0038 US $108.95   Auction Ends: 2d 13m

The original movie dagger, according to United Cutlery, had been forged from carbon steel -- a good choice for a prop blade. But for display, something with more corrosion resistance was needed. The United Cutlery version doesn't look shiny or new and still has the unmistakable pitted look of a fine blade that spent the last sixty years on the floor of a damp tomb. The knife's undead owner was the leader of the Ring Wraiths, the spirits of corrupted ancient kings who were set the task of recovering the Ring for their dark master.

The LOTR Dagger of the Witch King certainly looks like it came from the kit of an undead lord. The long spike of the dagger's blade is double fullered and accurately finished with that intricately pitted antiquing and a darken patina on the plain metal cross-guard. The Dagger's thin grip also matches the style of the Witch-King's Sword with a covering of dark leather laid over the rat-tail tang handle. Kit Rae, the designer of United Cutlery's LOTR swords, created the aged look by acid-etching the metal parts of the dagger. The officially licensed United Cutlery version of the Witch King's Dagger is 16-3/4 inches in length with a 420J2 high carbon stainless steel blade and cast metal bladeguard and pommel. The Dagger does an excellent job of matching the details and the character of the movie weapon. A certificate of authenticity accompanies the piece, along with a display plaque for wall mounting.

Find this Lord of the Rings Witch King Dagger:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this dagger on eBay:

NEW UC2595 MORGUL BLADE LOTR The Lord of the Rings Dagger of the Witchking COA US $115.00   Auction Ends: 9d 4h 48m

Dagger of the WitchKing Lord of the Rings UC2595 US $118.00   Auction Ends: 7d 3h 54m

Not quite so large as the companion piece, the Black Legion Battle Axe, the War Axe is still impressive. Thirty-six inches long overall, the axe ships at over ten pounds. With a 19-1/2-inch false cutting edge of 420 J2 high carbon stainless steel -- ground and polished but not sharpened -- the axe may be too much for single hand use by mortals. Details are both interesting and artistic, with construction that's strong enough to satisfy. Fittings are cast metal and the shaft is polished hardwood, with a functional and long-lasting grip of genuine wrapped leather. Even with the decorative spearhead tip, spiked peen, and the fanciful crescent blade, the axe does look like a battle weapon.

Built for display, the axe blade has been etched with decorative magical runes of mysterious meaning. Only a few like this piece were actually autographed by Kit Rae. The axe is also numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. An art print called "Agnemmel's Nemesis" depicting the War Axe -- in the hands of one of the elite of the Barumen -- accompanies the War Axe and will look great displayed along with this fine fantasy weapon.

Find this Black Legion War Axe:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this axe on eBay:

This is a high level sword that players can actually own. Forged by Tethietol the Dark Elf (known to us as Kit Rae) and wielded against the Dark One by Enethia (also possibly Kit Rae) the sword Avoloch yields to none but truth. The motto happens to be engraved on the third blade of this triple-bladed fantasy longsword. Arcane runes and magical gold plate add to its mysterious powers.

Though impractical in a real world sense, fantasy swords fascinate many sword collectors by taking the art of the blade to unusual levels. Combat swords cling to simple functional concepts, but the fantasy sword sets those limits aside. Kit Rae's Swords of the Ancients series strives to recreate the inhuman ideas behind the legends of writers like Lovecraft and Tolkien, who conceived steel as a flow of forces instead of frozen metal. The Chinese makers of this 43.75-inch stainless steel sword applied traditional materials to the design, using rayskin and leather instead of the more common fantasy material vinyl. The hub of the unusual bladed hilt and the fanged pommel are gilded cast metal, making this a display quality weapon and not one to use for practicing swordplay.

Find this Avoloch Mithrodin Sword:

KIT RAE AVOLOCH MITHRODIN SWORD KR0038 US $138.95   Auction Ends: 26d 21h 25m

United Cutlery Kit Rae Avoloch Mithrodin Sword KR0038 US $108.95   Auction Ends: 2d 13m

That brings us to Avaquar, Sword of the Deep, one of the blades in a progression of swords so fanciful that as yet no one has come up with a movie into which they fit. Some people are just lightyears ahead of the game, and Kit Rae is someone like that (if he's real, which some people doubt).

Kit Rae's work is beautiful, complex, and delicate even though it's better constructed than most modern replicas of real swords. The blades are very complex in shape, corresponding more to the fantasy realms of light and dark energy than to the real world boundaries of alloy, temper, and cutting edge. This specific item, the twin blade Avaquar, is even less practical than the Sword of Darkness that I admit I do own. So far I've detected no magical energies emanating from mine, but you never know. The twin blade of Avaquar might be The Key.

Anyone with a copy of the real Necronomicon they might want to sell, please get in touch.

Find this Kit Rae Sword:

• Click here to find this knife at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

Kit Rae Avaquar Dagger Sold OutRare United Cutlery LOTR New Gil Hibben Blade US $113.88   Auction Ends: 23d 12h 18m

This sword encapsulates gothic beauty. Interpretation is left up to the collector's imagination. This includes the mysterious ancient runes that cover the top half of the false-edged blade.

It's also a strong sword, since it's made of 420 J2 stainless steel. The black handle envelops the blade in rat-tail tang construction, and is made from solid metal with a black antique iron finish.

And this blade isn't just for sword collectors. Fantasy/comic enthusiasts should find a lot to appreciate as well, since the set comes with an 18 x 24.5-inch print of "Battle At the Tower," plus a new chapter in The Tale Of the Swords Of the Ancients.

There's a lot of valuable craftsmanship and artwork to respect here. If you love fantasy fiction, you won't be disappointed. Especially since it's a good deal too.

Find this Sword of Fire:

• Click here to find this Knife at Amazon.com

Find this Sword on eBay:

KIT RAE VALERMOS DAMASCUS SWORD by UNITED CUTLERY KR0007D NEW US $294.90   Auction Ends: 1d 2h 41m

United Cutlery Kit Rae KR0007 Valermos Sword of Fire US $119.99   Auction Ends: 29d 17h 27m