Yes, but...

I've had my Alchem curved Safeflex blade for better than two years now and I have to say I don't have a complaint about it. Well, maybe one: aesthetically, it falls under the 10-foot rule. That is, it looks period when viewed from 10 feet or farther away. Other than that, it's a great sword.

Alchem's Safeflex blades appear to be made from stamped steel (as opposed to forged blades in the more traditional schlagers) with rounded edges and fluting running lengthwise through the strong of the blade. The blades are then pressed and epoxied into the tang assembly.

The weight on it is good. While it is heavier than my other 40" (a Triplette), it is far from unwieldy and its tapered blade allows it to approach the weight and balance of period blades without an excessively heavy pommel. The blade also manages to be reasonably flexible while not being whippy. However, due to the fluting down the strong of the blade, it will not flex as far as a traditional schlager blade.

Due to the wider design of the blade and the fluting of the strong, Alchem does not need to use as hard of a steel for their blades as is found in a traditional schlager. This does lead to an increased tendency for the blade to get nicks, but not prohibitively so. Now don't get me wrong: you will not get the 15+ years of service you see out of the old WKC blades, but they should last at least as well as your average Zen Warrior or Hanwei.

Overall, I am very impressed with the quality of the Safeflex blades - they are a good blade for the budget-minded - but there is one issue that keeps me from recommending Alchem to people sword hunting: their order turnaround time. My first Alchem blade I ordered in September and received in December. My most recent batch of blades (2 bare blades, 1 complete sword) was ordered in early November. It is now March and I am still waiting for them to show up. When I've talked to other fencers who have ordered blades from Alchem, they've told me similar stories. This, combined with the fact that all but their curved sword blades are considered experimental in Artemisia means that I cannot, in good conscious, recommend Alchem Armory to fencers looking for a new sword.

But, if you are looking for a curved sword, your only choices are between Alchem and the more expensive Darkwood Armory. So if you must order from Alchem, do it at the end of tourney season: with a little luck, you'll have your sword before the next one starts.