Has anybody delt with these guys ? , Mac
http://www.fineswords.com/

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Well. A very interesting site.

Is it new? I've never heard of them before.

There doesn't seem to be much of a clue at the site as to who "these guys" are.

I did, however, come across this:

http://www.aaawt.com/html/item/15.html

Compare the writing in the description with the writing in the description of the Bailey sword in the American section of your site.

David and Lynn Hillier would seem to be just up the road apiece from you. It might be worth having a chat.

I recognize the "top" Medieval sword on the site. I remember that it sold for CONSIDERABLY less than $25,000 on EBay last year...maybe in the neighborhood of $6-8,000. :eek:

Scott,

Thanks for the posting the link to the Bailey cuttoe; I never would have found it otherwise. I'm a big fan of the work of John Bailey. (hmm...maybe I should start a thread with examples of his work. :?: )

Mac,

I've had it bookmarked for some time. I've never talked/dealt with FineSwords. They tend to deal with the more important & rare swords that are a few grand over my spending limit.

BTW, Are you looking into that nice little sword as a potential purchase? ;)

regards,
Stephen

Hi Scott

Thanks for the link .... I'll have to check them out , as I'm back & forth to Townsend all the time now ( my folks moved there a few years back ) ! I've probably passed the place a thousand times ?

Hi Stephen

Nah , just window shopping ! (This winter has put a big cramp in my frivolous spending habits :-(
But I always like to know who is who , as you never know ...... *g*

Mac

Hi Guys

I checked out the Hillier's shop in West Townsend ..... a very nice antique shop, indeed !

It's layed out like a museum , as you wind your way from room to room, in the old house !
Lot's to see, most very hands on, and quite expensive ( there were duck decoys up past the 10k range, alone !)
The old furniture was quite awesome , but too rich for my blood

Alot of beautiful old muskets, complete with bayonets, etc! Not alot of swords , most were Civil War area military .
A few short swords, a few bowies, etc., ..... but the Bailey piece was a beauty !

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I did not ask to handle it , as it was displayed on the reverse side of a big case ( the non-door side) with alot of other cool things, but I've no doubt they would have accomodated me if I'd asked ( should anyone be seriously interested I'll gladly ask to handle it , and give you an opinion ) The piece was in very nice condition , and easily viewed the way they displayed it !

I did handle a few of the military sabres, and short swords ( as they were laying about in various rooms) ....but they were nothing special , some loose hilts, etc!

I think your right about the Bailey text, Scott ...... it's very similar !
Perhaps they are each quoting from a book , concerning him !

Again, thanks for the headsup ..... It was a fun morning, and broke up my winter boredom ;-) Mac

Scott Bubar wrote:

Well. A very interesting site. Is it new? I've never heard of them before. There doesn't seem to be much of a clue at the site as to who "these guys" are. I did, however, come across this: http://www.aaawt.com/html/item/15.html Compare the writing in the description with the writing in the description of the Bailey sword in the American section of your site. David and Lynn Hillier would seem to be just up the road apiece from you. It might be worth having a chat.

This is off-topic, but I have to ask...where can I find those lucite display stands? The one shown above is a single-tier model, but I've seen them in double-tiers for display of sword and scabbard. I'd planned to make a custom stand out of wood--and still might since I want to display sword, scabbard and belt--but I'd love to know where these readymade stands are coming from. Here's a double-tier version:

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A trophy shop could probably put together lucite stands like those for you.

I find I keep being drawn back to the sword Mac posted.

It calls up all sorts of associations. I'd be interested to hear what others think of it.

It "feels" more seventeenth-century than anything else to me, as the title implies, in spite of the writer throwing in old Sigismund. And I have a hard time seeing it as "obviously made for royalty". It does remind me of some earlier swords, though. These curvy swords are severely under-represented in the literature it seems to me, and their survivability as artifacts seems to be less than the straight "swords" proper.

Mac, in one of your Victorian books on things Scottish, wasn't there a representation of a curved sword with a pommel that projected downward, not unlike the beak on this one? BTW, did you ask the folks at Antique Associates what they knew if anything about the FineSwords site?

Hi Scott

I agree, it does not strike me as anything "Royal", either .... I'd place it in the 17th, or even early 18th ?, century !

I double-checked Drmmond's & the McIntrye's book and dont see any piece like you've described ( although it does sound familiar ?) ...... Drummond drew a hunting sword with a stag handle that curved way down, but that has a straight flambed blade ! Hmm .... not sure ?

I did not ask them about FineSwords, but I will next time I'm in there !

Mac

Scott Bubar wrote:

I find I keep being drawn back to the sword Mac posted. It calls up all sorts of associations. I'd be interested to hear what others think of it. It "feels" more seventeenth-century than anything else to me, as the title implies, in spite of the writer throwing in old Sigismund. And I have a hard time seeing it as "obviously made for royalty". It does remind me of some earlier swords, though. These curvy swords are severely under-represented in the literature it seems to me, and their survivability as artifacts seems to be less than the straight "swords" proper. Mac, in one of your Victorian books on things Scottish, wasn't there a representation of a curved sword with a pommel that projected downward, not unlike the beak on this one? BTW, did you ask the folks at Antique Associates what they knew if anything about the FineSwords site?