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.

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

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.

I'm curious to hear from others on this subject. What's missing from your collection? Where would you like to take it?

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.

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....

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....

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*

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

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

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....

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....