I have decided that my collection is only lacking the following:
1. More (and better quality) bronze swords. I'm mainly interested in Mycenean, Egyptian, and Middle East bronze-age swords as opposed to more central and northern European swords, but eventually I'd like some of those too. My next purchase(s) will be a thrusting type sword, either a type Ci or type G, and maybe a later Naue II.
2. A Roman ring-hilt "semi-spatha"
3. A Single-edge Viking sword or long sax
And that would be it....
.... unless I decided to get into rapiers in a big way.... and Schiavonas.... and kilij and shamshirs.... and falchions.... and daos.... and.... and... and....
There's always something else, isn't there.... :eek:
Oh, I forgot the "why" -- well, the main reason is, of course, Money. Need money for swords.
But also, some types of swords seem to be more obscure than others -- like that Roman ring-hilt. Oh, yes, Patrick Barta makes a gorgeous one, and ArmArt makes a couple nice ones, and that's about it. I could splurge and go custom again, but I really would settle for something less ornate and less detailed -- and less expensive!
The single-edge Viking swords are more readily available these days, but still kinda spendy. Anyway I said I was done with Viking swords for now... well, okay, maybe I lied....
Anywho, the big reason is money -- I don't have as much as I'd like.
My collection is missing things that are more than 400 years old. Largely due to financial constraints. :D
My collection is a mis-match consisting of an Angus Trim tactical jian, an Angus Trim short sword and a John Lundemo shortsword.
The collection I want to eventually build is quite small and consists of:
1) A good quality custom Chinese jian
2) A good quality ancient European sword (Xiphos or Gladius)
3) A good quality early medieval sword like Albion's Reeve
4) A good quality late medieval sword like Albion's Kingmaker
I've recently acquired an interest in English mortuary swords but I need to give that interest some time to see if it holds before I add it to the list.
The collection I want to eventually build is quite small and consists of:
1) A good quality custom Chinese jian
2) A good quality ancient European sword (Xiphos or Gladius)
3) A good quality early medieval sword like Albion's Reeve
4) A good quality late medieval sword like Albion's Kingmaker
I've recently acquired an interest in English mortuary swords but I need to give that interest some time to see if it holds before I add it to the list.
Aside from a few pieces that will be upgraded as I can, my main missing pieces that I probably won't get to for a time are the sort of knightly armaments that were useful to an actual knight but are hard for me to carry on my person when I'm walking around. Namely, a lance, a hunting bow, period camping equipment, and the quintessential knightly accessory, a horse. Financial reasons for the lot. I could use a squire, too, but I'm not sure how long I'll have to wait to make that one happen.
My arms collecting is mostly driven by my participation in living history.
Since I portray a War of the Roses Archer, I'm currently missing:
-A sword/Falchion
-A mail standard to protect my neck
-A Glaive or Bill
Since I portray a War of the Roses Archer, I'm currently missing:
-A sword/Falchion
-A mail standard to protect my neck
-A Glaive or Bill
My collection is small and mostly consists of Windlass and Hawei swords. Therefore I am missing practically everything. Higher quality swords, daggers, polearms, armour, you name it. So, it might be easiest to simply say I am missing everything I haven't bought yet.
As far as how the collection grows, well, I have a sort of self-imposed price limit of about $200 on my purchases. This is both good and bad. As long as I have this limit I will never have any good high-quality toys. On the other hand, my collection largely grows in a similar manner to that mentioned by Patrick Kelly: A sword in my price range catches my eye and I buy it. When the swords are that cheap I can pony up the cash.
The last two swords I purchased were Windlass Sale of the Day items and I bought them not because I thought they'd be great to wave around or looked really cool, but because they were on the cheap side (though both over my limit prior to the sale) and I wondered what they'd be like. They're liable to be a bit disappointing, being Windlass, but I'll find out when I go home for Christmas.
As far as how the collection grows, well, I have a sort of self-imposed price limit of about $200 on my purchases. This is both good and bad. As long as I have this limit I will never have any good high-quality toys. On the other hand, my collection largely grows in a similar manner to that mentioned by Patrick Kelly: A sword in my price range catches my eye and I buy it. When the swords are that cheap I can pony up the cash.
The last two swords I purchased were Windlass Sale of the Day items and I bought them not because I thought they'd be great to wave around or looked really cool, but because they were on the cheap side (though both over my limit prior to the sale) and I wondered what they'd be like. They're liable to be a bit disappointing, being Windlass, but I'll find out when I go home for Christmas.
I'm curious to hear from others on this subject. What's missing from your collection? Where would you like to take it?
Nathan Robinson wrote: |
I'm curious to hear from others on this subject. What's missing from your collection? Where would you like to take it? |
No immediate plans to get one or have one made but I think an Eared Dagger is one of those classic designs one should have and I will probably look towards Tod's Stuff when I decide to purchase one.
I'm trying very hard to let a couple of months go by before I buy something else.
I do have a couple of small orders that I'm still waiting for that might need immediate payment, so I hesitate to commit to other purchases right now. Also, one enjoys things more if one lets the desire for them to build: I think that if I won a big lottery and could buy anything in any quantity I wanted all at the same time I would appreciate each purchase less.
My main area of interest lies in the 12th century, particularly the latter half. But the peculiar thing is that if you look at my collection, you'd never know it, because I do not presently own a single reproduction piece that is based upon an original from this period. Over time, I'd like to assemble a collection of arms from the 12th century: a few swords- I really like Albion's Senlac-, a flat topped kite shield, a early heater shield like the ones we see in the late 12th century manuscripts such as the Liber ad Honorem Augusti (which is in progress), mail hauberk and chausses, period clothing, spurs, nasal helm, a early great helm, a spear/lance, axe, mace, dagger, and so forth.
I also have a real affinity for long swords, which is what my collection mostly reflects at present. Both the Regent and the Alexandria really appeal to me, and I presently do not have any Type XVIIIs of any form in my collection. For a while, I really wanted the Chieftain too, although I'm not sure if I still want it as much any more. While I would like a robust cutting XIIIa sword, I'm feeling more drawn to having a copy of the highly idiosyncratic XIIIa.7 from Records: http://www.myArmoury.com/view.html?features/pic_spotxiii10.jpg .
So that's where I stand at the moment.
I also have a real affinity for long swords, which is what my collection mostly reflects at present. Both the Regent and the Alexandria really appeal to me, and I presently do not have any Type XVIIIs of any form in my collection. For a while, I really wanted the Chieftain too, although I'm not sure if I still want it as much any more. While I would like a robust cutting XIIIa sword, I'm feeling more drawn to having a copy of the highly idiosyncratic XIIIa.7 from Records: http://www.myArmoury.com/view.html?features/pic_spotxiii10.jpg .
So that's where I stand at the moment.
Well my collection has only just begun, I own exactly one sword, so my collection is missing quite a bit. Much like some of the other member here, I would like my collection to cover many places and time periods. As for why these pieces are missing, well it's a matter of sheer volume and of course ;-)
So here is a list of swords I would, someday, like to have in my "collection". The ones marked with an * are the pieces I will probably eventually purchass, the other ones are more of a, if I won the lottery dream wish list.
01 Copper dagger
02 Early bronze sword
- rapier type
03 Middle bronze sword
- leaf blade type
04 Late bronze sword
- Hallstatt, gunlingen type blade
- antennae type hilt
05 Greek xiphos
to be continued....
So here is a list of swords I would, someday, like to have in my "collection". The ones marked with an * are the pieces I will probably eventually purchass, the other ones are more of a, if I won the lottery dream wish list.
01 Copper dagger
02 Early bronze sword
- rapier type
03 Middle bronze sword
- leaf blade type
04 Late bronze sword
- Hallstatt, gunlingen type blade
- antennae type hilt
05 Greek xiphos
to be continued....
Continued.
06 Hallstatt iron sword
- mindelheim type blade
- mexican hat pommel
07 La Tene I dagger, hollow ground blade, anthropomorphic hilt
08 La Tene I sword
- wrought iron blade, with diamond cross-section
- riveted type hilt
09 La Tene II sword
- proto pattern welded blade, with lenticular cross-section
10 La Tene III sword
- proto pattern welded blade, with lenticular cross-section, double fullers, and spatulate point
11 La Tene IV sword / Romano British spatha
12 Irish La Tene sword - based on original, found at lisnacrogher*
13 Roman pugio
14 Roman gladius
- mainz type blade, with high carbon surface and low carbon core
15 Roman gladius
- pompeii type blade, with sandwitched construction
16 Roman spatha
- newstead type blade
17 Roman spatha
- pattern welded blade, with double fullers
- bone hilt based on original from Cologne
18 Oakeshott / Behmer type 1
- pattern welded blade, with four narrow fullers
- silver plated hilt
to be continued....
06 Hallstatt iron sword
- mindelheim type blade
- mexican hat pommel
07 La Tene I dagger, hollow ground blade, anthropomorphic hilt
08 La Tene I sword
- wrought iron blade, with diamond cross-section
- riveted type hilt
09 La Tene II sword
- proto pattern welded blade, with lenticular cross-section
10 La Tene III sword
- proto pattern welded blade, with lenticular cross-section, double fullers, and spatulate point
11 La Tene IV sword / Romano British spatha
12 Irish La Tene sword - based on original, found at lisnacrogher*
13 Roman pugio
14 Roman gladius
- mainz type blade, with high carbon surface and low carbon core
15 Roman gladius
- pompeii type blade, with sandwitched construction
16 Roman spatha
- newstead type blade
17 Roman spatha
- pattern welded blade, with double fullers
- bone hilt based on original from Cologne
18 Oakeshott / Behmer type 1
- pattern welded blade, with four narrow fullers
- silver plated hilt
to be continued....
Last edited by Stephen Curtin on Wed 24 Nov, 2010 4:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
Nathan Robinson wrote: |
I'm curious to hear from others on this subject. What's missing from your collection? Where would you like to take it? |
I don't consider myself a collector as an accumulator... :) It's difficult to build a really meaningful collection, i.e. for education purposes, nor do I really aspire to something like that.
But I do have "a few" main interests:
1) Stone age. I don't have any stone age weapons, but would like to have a handaxe, a neolithic hammer axe and a Danish flint dagger.
2) Bronze age. I got this fairly well covered, although I'm still missing a sword and dagger from the Nordic bronze age.
3) Germanic iron age. I would eventually like a late La Tene sword, a "war knife" and a gladius, either Pompeii or Mainz type
4) Germanic migration age. This is my main interest at present, yet I don't have anything from that period. I would like to have a full panoply of a Germanic nobleman, including a nice spatha and a sax, a Hunnish sword and a late Roman spatha.
5) First crusade era. I have this pretty much covered, although I need to make a shield at some point.
6) Late middle ages / renaissance. I would like a messer and a sidesword / early rapier
7) Modern era. I would like a contemporary smallsword and a leaf-bladed short sword.
All in all, I'm counting 16 swords... At the rate I'm currently "collecting", I probably need the rest of my life for this. ;) But my interests probably change before that. :D
Continued.
19 Oakeshott / Behmer type 2
- blade with lenticular cross-section
- upper and lower guards of walrus ivory
- zoomorphic pommel of gilded silver
- grip plated with gold foil
- scabbard with rock crystal, "life stone", attached
20 Oakeshott / Behmer type 4
- pattern welded blade, with broad shallow fuller
- hilt decorated with gold and garnets*
21 Early Christian Irish Sword
22 Petersen type M
- based on original found at lough gur
23 Petersen type H
- blade with pattern welded facade
- hilt inlaid with alternating strips of silver and copper wire
- grip of tooled leather
24 Petersen type K
- +ULFBERHT+ blade
- silver plated hilt with Frankish designs
- grip of carved white antler
- based on original, found at Ballinderry crannóg*
19 Oakeshott / Behmer type 2
- blade with lenticular cross-section
- upper and lower guards of walrus ivory
- zoomorphic pommel of gilded silver
- grip plated with gold foil
- scabbard with rock crystal, "life stone", attached
20 Oakeshott / Behmer type 4
- pattern welded blade, with broad shallow fuller
- hilt decorated with gold and garnets*
21 Early Christian Irish Sword
22 Petersen type M
- based on original found at lough gur
23 Petersen type H
- blade with pattern welded facade
- hilt inlaid with alternating strips of silver and copper wire
- grip of tooled leather
24 Petersen type K
- +ULFBERHT+ blade
- silver plated hilt with Frankish designs
- grip of carved white antler
- based on original, found at Ballinderry crannóg*
Last edited by Stephen Curtin on Wed 24 Nov, 2010 4:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
25 Petersen type Xb
- INGELRII blade
- pommel engraved with lines, to give the impression of two piece construction
26 Geibig type 5 blade, inlaid in iron letters on both sides, one side with +GICELINMEFECIT+ and on the other with +INNOMINEDOMINE+
- gaddhjalt style guard
- brazil-nut pommel
27 Oakeshott type Xa
- latten inlaid on both sides of the blade, " + ||| + " on one side and " ||| + ||| " on the other
- type 1a guard
- type H pommel*
28 Oakeshott type X
- based on original from RECORDS X. 15
29 Oakeshott type Xa
- based on original from RECORDS Xa. 1
30 Oakeshott type XII
- blade inlaid with silver, based on original, from RECORDS XII. 13
- square sectioned, type 2 guard
- type I pommel
- grip spirally bound with cord under leather*
31 Oakeshott type XII
- blade inlay with gold, taken from Oakeshott's AOW fig. 100
- type 6 guard and type J pommel both gold plated and decorated with foliate designs
- grip bound with embroidered velvet and overlaid with gold wire in a criss-cross pattern
- INGELRII blade
- pommel engraved with lines, to give the impression of two piece construction
26 Geibig type 5 blade, inlaid in iron letters on both sides, one side with +GICELINMEFECIT+ and on the other with +INNOMINEDOMINE+
- gaddhjalt style guard
- brazil-nut pommel
27 Oakeshott type Xa
- latten inlaid on both sides of the blade, " + ||| + " on one side and " ||| + ||| " on the other
- type 1a guard
- type H pommel*
28 Oakeshott type X
- based on original from RECORDS X. 15
29 Oakeshott type Xa
- based on original from RECORDS Xa. 1
30 Oakeshott type XII
- blade inlaid with silver, based on original, from RECORDS XII. 13
- square sectioned, type 2 guard
- type I pommel
- grip spirally bound with cord under leather*
31 Oakeshott type XII
- blade inlay with gold, taken from Oakeshott's AOW fig. 100
- type 6 guard and type J pommel both gold plated and decorated with foliate designs
- grip bound with embroidered velvet and overlaid with gold wire in a criss-cross pattern
32 Oakeshott type XIV
- blade engraved with " + N I N D I C + " on one side
- type 6 guard - type K pommel
- grip based on original from RECORDS XII. 15
33 Oakeshott type XVI
- type 7 guard
- type I pommel, with inlayed enamel shields, showing the Curtin coat-of-arms on one side, and an Irish harp no the other
34 Oakeshott type XVIII
- hollow ground blade
- type 9 guard
- type J pommel
35 Oakeshott type XVIIIa / Side sword
- type 10 guard, with arms, port and knuckle bow
- type G pommel
36 Katzbalger
37 Mid 16th c. Side sword
- German / half basket hilt
38 Oakeshott type XIX / Schiavona
39 Irish scian
40 Irish hilt broadsword
41 Walloon sword
42 Mortuary sword
43 Scottish dirk
44 Scottish ribbon hilt broadsword
45 Scottish baskethilt broadsword*
46 Parrying dagger
47 Swept hilt 3 ring rapier
48 Pappenheimer rapier
49 Cup hilt rapier
- blade engraved with " + N I N D I C + " on one side
- type 6 guard - type K pommel
- grip based on original from RECORDS XII. 15
33 Oakeshott type XVI
- type 7 guard
- type I pommel, with inlayed enamel shields, showing the Curtin coat-of-arms on one side, and an Irish harp no the other
34 Oakeshott type XVIII
- hollow ground blade
- type 9 guard
- type J pommel
35 Oakeshott type XVIIIa / Side sword
- type 10 guard, with arms, port and knuckle bow
- type G pommel
36 Katzbalger
37 Mid 16th c. Side sword
- German / half basket hilt
38 Oakeshott type XIX / Schiavona
39 Irish scian
40 Irish hilt broadsword
41 Walloon sword
42 Mortuary sword
43 Scottish dirk
44 Scottish ribbon hilt broadsword
45 Scottish baskethilt broadsword*
46 Parrying dagger
47 Swept hilt 3 ring rapier
48 Pappenheimer rapier
49 Cup hilt rapier
50 Smallsword
51 quillon Dagger
- type I1 pommel of red jasper
52 Oakeshott type XIIIa
- octaginal sectioned type 2 guard
- gold plated bronze type I1 pommel
53 Bollock dagger
54 Oakeshott type XVa
- long and straight type 11 guard, with iron chappe
- type T pommel
55 Rondel dagger
56 Oakeshott type XVIIIb
- based on original, in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum Munich*
57 Oakeshott type XIIIc
- guard with finger ring, side ring, and counter guard
58 Oakeshott type XIII
- re-hilted with later roped guard and, twisted, type T pommel
59 Scottish claymore
60 Irish longsword
- ring pommel
61 Scottish half-lang*
62 Irish ring-pommel*
63 Egyptian khopesh
64 Greek kopis
65 Falcata
66 Iron age single edged sword
- based on original found in vimose bog
67 Narrow langseax
68 Viking single edged sword
- Petersen type A hilt
69 Falchion
- type 6 guard
- type I pommel
70 Falchion
- guard curved into knuckle bow
71 Grosses Messer
72 Hanger
- knuckle bow, thumb ring, and clamshell guard
to be continued....
51 quillon Dagger
- type I1 pommel of red jasper
52 Oakeshott type XIIIa
- octaginal sectioned type 2 guard
- gold plated bronze type I1 pommel
53 Bollock dagger
54 Oakeshott type XVa
- long and straight type 11 guard, with iron chappe
- type T pommel
55 Rondel dagger
56 Oakeshott type XVIIIb
- based on original, in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum Munich*
57 Oakeshott type XIIIc
- guard with finger ring, side ring, and counter guard
58 Oakeshott type XIII
- re-hilted with later roped guard and, twisted, type T pommel
59 Scottish claymore
60 Irish longsword
- ring pommel
61 Scottish half-lang*
62 Irish ring-pommel*
63 Egyptian khopesh
64 Greek kopis
65 Falcata
66 Iron age single edged sword
- based on original found in vimose bog
67 Narrow langseax
68 Viking single edged sword
- Petersen type A hilt
69 Falchion
- type 6 guard
- type I pommel
70 Falchion
- guard curved into knuckle bow
71 Grosses Messer
72 Hanger
- knuckle bow, thumb ring, and clamshell guard
to be continued....
Last edited by Stephen Curtin on Wed 24 Nov, 2010 4:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
Timo Nieminen wrote: |
Functional bow(s). Haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe soon. Nobody seems to make a cheap replica Manchu bow. |
Peter Dekker at Mandarin Mansion is the man to talk to about this. Look him up, they're not that expensive...
Timo Nieminen wrote: |
...and there are some very nice Maori things to be had. |
What are you after?
:)
Continued.
73 Sabre
- brass hilt, with knuckle bow
74 Shamshir
- blade forged from wootz steel
75 Turkish kilij
76 Turkish yataghan
77 Indian Tulwar
- blade forged from wootz steel
78 Indian Katar
79 Tachi
80 katana*
81 Wakizashi*
82 Tanto
83 Shikomizue
84 Chokuto
85 Ninjato
86/87 Ssang gum
88 Zhan Ma dao
89 Liuye dao*
90 Jian*
91 Duan jian
92 Warring states period bronze sword
93 Han dynasty steel sword
to be continued....
73 Sabre
- brass hilt, with knuckle bow
74 Shamshir
- blade forged from wootz steel
75 Turkish kilij
76 Turkish yataghan
77 Indian Tulwar
- blade forged from wootz steel
78 Indian Katar
79 Tachi
80 katana*
81 Wakizashi*
82 Tanto
83 Shikomizue
84 Chokuto
85 Ninjato
86/87 Ssang gum
88 Zhan Ma dao
89 Liuye dao*
90 Jian*
91 Duan jian
92 Warring states period bronze sword
93 Han dynasty steel sword
to be continued....
Last edited by Stephen Curtin on Wed 24 Nov, 2010 4:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
Jeroen Zuiderwijk wrote: |
If I had to pick 6 weapons of which I just have to have reproductions, then it would be these:
Bronze age schalenknaufen sword (this one: http://1501bc.com/page/limburgs_museum/1214014.JPG) Big bronze spearhead (f.e. this one: http://1501bc.com/page/Drents_Museum/04270247.jpg) Iron mindelheim (this one: http://1501bc.com/page/rijks_museum_oudheden/0214163A.JPG) Early medieval patternwelded sword (no. 5 here, with the reconstructed hilt: http://1501bc.com/page/leger_museum_delft_14_...140034.jpg) Patternwelded langsax (like these, but with patterwelded fullers: http://forums.dfoggknives.com/uploads/monthly...252743.jpg) Early medieval axe (this one: http://1501bc.com/page/limburgs_museum3/06110107.jpg) |
Big bronze spearhead. Intrigues me a lot.
Thanks for posting the photo
Bennison N wrote: | ||
Peter Dekker at Mandarin Mansion is the man to talk to about this. Look him up, they're not that expensive... |
I should. Nothing on his website (however, the new website doesn't appear to be complete yet). By "cheap", I do mean cheap, though, like under $400 or so. Nothing of traditional composite construction to be had in that price range, but fibreglass or carbon fibre or wood/fibreglass composite limbs, with traditional form, can be found. Hungarian, Scythian, Korean, Turkish etc., but I haven't found Manchu. Probably a giant-size <whatever> would suffice, and I've seen extra-big Mongol bows that might do, but they're not so cheap. (Still, hardly extra-expensive, but well over $500.)
Manchu or extra-big Mongol might be a good thing for a second bow. A real composite bow might be quite unhappy with our summers here - a modern-materials lookalike can be good for reasons other than the price.
Bennison N wrote: | ||
What are you after? |
Nothing in particular, yet. Last time I was in NZ, there was nice stuff in the tourist shops of Rotorua. The good stuff was a bit pricey, but what else does one expect in tourist shops in a tourist town? Lacking further education on the topic of Maori weapons, it'd be a matter of seeing something I like and am willing to pay for. Maori isn't especially high on my list of stone weapons to get, largely because I don't know much about it. Know any good books? (Lots of glossy art books on them out them, but I don't know how informative as opposed to pretty they are.)
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