I am always on the pessimistic side. Newly made swords are trinkets devoid of any practical value (well, except for the few of us who like to pretend being real warriors and practice slashing styrofoam things and milk plastic jug).
Unlike carpets, jewelry, clothes, vases etc, swords have intrinsic purpose: war. And their heyday is long gone. A carpet may have no history behind it but still be beautiful and can be a centerpiece of a living room. The traditional materials are usually high quality and are pleasing to touch. Why invest all the effort in making an authentic blade, Damascus to a core, if it will never be used? For the mass market, stainless steel , chemically-induced pseudo-hamon and dragon head with red glassy eyes for a pommel will suffice. Who needs fully authentic horse whips anymore? Or meticulously crafted, genuinely usable chastity belts?
Real sword collectors look for nothing but the real thing: with history behind it and the with a hopeful suspicion that there might be some drops of dried human blood somewhere under the crossguard.
If I were an Indian cultural poobah, I would not invest a penny into converting the mass production junk sword mill into a cultural heritage center. Carpet-weaving or jewelry craft, yes. But leave the charm of anachronistic antiques alone.
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