Early Hungarian Sabre

[Victrix]

I think the production of swordblades in Europe until the 19thC was concentrated to a relatively small number of centres since the iron age and possibly even earlier. It was ardous and expensive to transport rocks and minerals over long distances. Metallurgic knowledge was kept a closely guarded secret. Trades were tightly controlled monopolies by law. Swordblades and weapons were easily imported to Hungary via river Danube from Passau, across land from Styria, and across the Adriatic from Northern Italy to Dalmatia. There were cutlers and furbishers locally to finish the goods to domestic uses and tastes.

Hungary (within its current borders at least) is a relatively flat country and open to invasions. It was devastated in the Ottoman wars with a noticeable effect on demographics. Buda was conquered by the Ottomans twice in 1526 and 1529 and occupied in 1541 which completely changed the demographics of the city. It was taken from the Ottomans only in 1686 by the Holy League and the rest of Hungary regained its independence only in 1718. It took a long time to recover from the devastation of war and parts of the country had to be resettled with foreign settlers from Western Europe.