n the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the long-running cult-hit TV series, Angel, Buffy's true love, a vampire cursed with a soul, experiences a moment of true happiness, breaking the curse and causing him to revert to Angelus, the sadistic, barbaric vampire he had been long ago.
As Angelus, he isn't content just to torture Buffy and her friends. His aim is to wake the demon Acathla and bring about the end of the world.
But Buffy doesn't give up on Angel. Buffy's witch friend Willow attempts a spell that will restore Angel's soul, but it may be too late. Buffy is engaging Angelus in a sword battle as Acathla awakes, and the only thing that can halt the apocalypse is Angel's blood. In a heartbreaking scene, as Angel's curse is broken, he becomes his old self again, but there can be no turning back. Lovingly kissing Angel, Buffy has no choice but to shove the sword through Angel's heart, pushing him into hell and averting total world destruction.
Angelus' sword is now available as a replica prop from Factory X, makers of fine prop replicas from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sleepy Hollow, Underworld and The X-Files.
The sword measures almost 36 inches in length from blade tip to the pommel, and comes in a long styrofoam inner box that includes a wooden display stand, and mounting screw and anchor.
The exterior box is high-gloss cardboard, and is beautifully printed with images of Buffy, Angelus, and a scene from the episode "Becoming, Part 2" in which Buffy is forced to sacrifice her one true love, after having his soul returned to him, in order to save the world.
A sharp-looking replica
Weighing somewhere between 6 and 8 pounds, Angelus's Sword is made from various metals, with a leather handle-wrap and looks every bit like a real sword.
The stainless steel blade measures nearly 29 inches and is honed to look like it has a real, tempered edge. In fact, as a replica prop, the blade is not sharp, and is actually flat all down the double edge, meaning you won't accidentally cut yourself while handling it. Even so, the box has several printed sharpness warnings.
The blade is not tempered, as a real sword would be. So even if you did attempt to sharpen it, it would not hold an edge, and if you stress it, the blade will bend.
The almost fleur-de-lys-like guard and pommel are gold-plated, which adds a realistic look. Using a cheaper metal might not have achieved such a good look.
The handle is wrapped in an oxblood leather, bound with what looks like a brass wire, spiralling from guard to pommel. The edge seam of the wrapping is visible, and glued down.
The mount is a 9.5-inch circular plaque in semi-matte black, with the familiar "B" logo of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in gloss black for a subtle look. Protruding from this are two golden mounting pins. The sword hangs by its guard from these two pins.
The back of the plaque has the full Buffy logo printed in gold paint, and contains copyright information, and a mounting hole.
Factory X's Web site has tips on proper keeping of this prop. Fingerprints can tarnish the stainless steel, so they recommend oiling the blade with WD-40 and not handling it with fingers. As this is meant to be an ornamental prop, this seems reasonable. They also include tips on handling of the leather.
Fans of the Buffy TV series, or sword enthusiasts in general, should be thrilled to have this sword hanging nearby.
