Historic Replicas

The sword is a practical, intuitive weapon, and many Bronze Age cultures developed them independently.  Bronze wasn’t ideal for making swords, though, and it wasn’t until the dawn of the Iron Age (with invention of new smelting techniques around 1300 BC) that swordmaking became truly refined.  Iron is actually weaker than bronze, but was more plentiful, so people used it anyway.  For the first time, a king could equip his entire army with swords, and in time, it became the weapon of choice throughout Eurasia. 
Eventually, smiths learned to convert iron to steel, an immensely strong and lightweight metal.  The Ancient Romans took full advantage of this technique, and produced the gladius, the roman sword that built the empire.  The gladius might not have looked very scary; it was about two feet long, with a narrow blade and little ornamentation.  But in the hands of a Roman legionnaire, it was a truly fearsome weapon.  Bronze swords could hold a sharp point, but the edge dulled quickly; they were mostly used for stabbing. Iron could hold a sharp edge, but broke easily.  The steel gladius was sturdy and sharp all the way around, good for both stabbing and chopping.  It was a versatile weapon, and all legionnaires were trained in its use.  In fact, the Romans were among the first to develop really advanced swordsmanship.  Like an archer or karate master, skilled swordsmen in Rome the many cultures that followed would gain renown as artists.