Well 2013 is close to ending. I was taking a look at my collection and realized I picked up more pieces than I remember. For the year:

Albion: Ritter
A&A: custom Katz dagger, Highland claymore, Danish axe, Nordland axe, Viking spear, Spiked mace and spiked flail, along with their Iberian mace and several javelins
Castle Keep: Claymore
Del Tin : Claymore customized by Sarge

2014 may be a slow year for me. My passion is Scottish Claymores. With A&A I've picked up 10 for my collection and dont see any new on the horizon.
1. Del Tin Krupp steel version
2. Del Tin twisted hilt version
3. Del Tin customized by Sarge
4. Kris cutlery early version
5. Castle Keep
6. Hanwei
7. Armour Class
8. A&A
9. Lloyd MacKenzie Parker Bronze Hilted version
10. Claymore Armory

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I think I only acquired two items this past year:

Albion Norman (second-hand)
The English Cutler Early Medieval Mace 2

For 2014, I've got my sights set on an A&A Viking Spear and maybe an Albion Reeve.

This was the year my collection grew with a couple of "strategic" investments (read "high quality impulse buys" :D ) and a few not so exclusive, but nevertheless nice additions to the wall in my man-cave.

One warhammer from Fabrice Cogot
One hunting spear from Scott Roush
One winged spearhead from Kovex Ars
One GDFB halberd head, hafted and slighlty customized by myself. (Barley visible)

The club in the picture is a Tods Stuff one, but not aquired this year

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I've only just begun collecting this year, and so far my purchases have been:
A customized Lutel-Handicraft longsword,
A Hanwei Feder, (revision 2 or three. not sure.)
A Hanwei Brass Hilted Rondel,
A historically inaccurate yet still very attractive and functional pattern welded (1095/15n20) Kukri by a no-name maker.
I was hoping to fit a darkwood rapier or one of the new Valiant Armoury swords into the count, such as the Arundel, but funds arent always as predictable as we'd like.

I got a custom sword from Arms and Armor, a replica of a longsword from the Alexandrian Arsenal

It's a magnificent creation, a thrust oriented sword that dates from the early 15th century.

I ordered an Albion Maestro Marozzo that was supposed to be delivered this month, but it got pushed into sometime next year.

Edited to add this amazing ATrim Makers Mark XVIa that I bought from a forumite. It's light, fast, and a joy to wield. I had wanted to find at least one more ATrim, and this one is the ultimate Gus sword.

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Custom A&A

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Custom A&A

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ATrim Makers Mark XVIa

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ATrim Makers Mark XVIa

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Both swords

First off, let me say to Larry New--That is one hell of a wall of steel you have there, my friend! I'm jealous....really! As for me, Hanwei Claymore, Cawood Viking, Side-sword, and H/T Norman (traded now :( ), bearded axe, and a Windlass long-bladed hewing spear and butt cap . Not too bad. In 2014 I see a Rhinelander, H/T Viking, and a BKS Dane axe....for starters :D ........McM

For all of 2013, let's see:

- Albion Prince with blue leather grip wrap
- A&A Koln Messer with custom scabbard
- A&A Knightly dagger
- A&A 12th century sword, via J.D Crawford
- an older Del Tin Irish sword which I re-finished, via Sean O'Sirin
- a few custom grips by Jonathan Sarge of CrusaderMonk.com on previously purchased swords
- on order since November, an Albion Burgundian with red leather grip wrap

Roger, that custom A&A longsword is gorgeous.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Jon

I ended up getting more than planned:

- an Albion St. Maurice on a trade
- an A&A one-off XV sword: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/files/picture_013s_126.jpg
- an A&A custom XIIIb: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=27639
- an Albion Vigil (wasn't expecting this one till next year, but it arrived early).

The custom project was the highlight - its always exciting watching the dream become reality, and I enjoy sharing that process with others. I think the Albions are keepers because they nicely represent two iconic medieval swords that are amongst my favorites. I also really like the XV, but its outside the parameters of my main area of interest so will likely let it go next year.

- JD

Albion Tritonia
Albion Dane
Albion Huskarl
A&A Viking Spear
A&A Custom 15th Century Two-handed Sword
DF Bushi Dragon Theme O-Katana
DF Daimyo Katana Customized by Aaron Justice
Hanwei Musashi Katana Original Version
Hanwei Tori Elite Katana
Hanwei Wind and Thunder Katana
Hanwei Wind and Thunder Wakizashi
Jody Samson Two Handed Broadsword
Lundemo Two-Handed Sabre
Ronin Katana O'Katana

I "upped my game" this year as far as quality and quantity go. Phasing out some of my lower end stuff for higher end production pieces.

The highlights for me in 2013 include

Albion Senlac (my first Albion, still my favorite. I really caught the collecting bug due to this sword)
A&A GBS
Albion SL Clontarf
Albion Reeve

Suontaka Sword by Rob Miller
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Albion Principe
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A&A Italian Three Ring Rapier
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I neglected to add to my list Petr Florianek's splendid 2014 calendar, see here:

Petr Florianek Calendar - gullinbursti 2014
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=29347

Jon
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I was getting married on December 10th of this year, so I figured that I'd better hurry and get shit before the "wife unit" gets her fingers in my business. Turns out my worries were unfounded. My acquisitions this year:

Reproduction swords
Albion Ritter sword with Christian Fletcher scabbard
Albion Knight sword (no scabbard)
Del Tin 2121 sword (no scabbard)

Training swords
A&A Fechterspiel sword with Crusader Monk scabbard
A&A Scholar's sword with Crusader Monk scabbard

Other weapons
Marek Armoury godenak

Knives
Albion Arn dagger
Owen Bush seax
Owen bush whittle tang knife blade with Tod's stuff outfitting

Armor
Jolly Knight hanapier helmet

Christmas gift from my wife
ATrim XIIIa war sword

:D

A&A custom Xa.9
Cedarlore Forge custom Osbert's sword

Just 1 for me this year, a type X shortsword from Jeff Helmes.

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I'll get the A&A sword pics up, asap.
The Wi-Fi hates my iPod here, and that's where most of my sword pictures are (and all of the A&A piece).... I can't upload 'em (for whatever reason), so we'll all just have to wait till I get home, lol!

In the mean time here is the one from David DelaGardelle:

http://cedarloreforge.com/2012/03/04/osberts-sword/

The sword is the epitome of the craft, imho. For its size, shape, and function... It's flawless, truly. It moves and changes direction in a snap, it cuts as if it's blade heavy (which it is not), it has a large and forgiving "sweet spot", and the small details in the weapon (which are somewhat lost to the pictures) really really make you love it.

I realize the look of the thing may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I do not doubt at all... ::grin:: If you held it? If you cut with it? You'd want one just like it.

God, I love this sword.


A&A pics as soon as I can get 'em, deal?

Until then, however, I will say this: The thing excels at hard targets and is expertly made.
I mean, I suck BAD with flexible blades (maybe because my cutting started with kats?), but this thing bites really well. Pool noodles? Not so much.... Bamboo? Freshly slaughtered deer? You can't feel any resistance.

Disclaimer: as with all swords experiences cutting will vary from person to person :lol:

Axes
Bearded Axe - MRL
Bearded Axe - Bruce Brookhart Collection
Nordlund Axe - A&A
Skeggox- Reenactors.de
Viking Axe - Cold Steel
Norse Hawk - Cold Steel
Type D Viking Axe - H and B Forge
Northern European Viking, Slavic Axe - Corwin Arms

Spears
Viking Spear - MRL
Leaf Bladed Viking Spear - MRL
Winged Type C spear - Petr Szabo
Winged Viking Spear - IBOR

Swords
Cawood Sword - Hanwei
Scramasax folded steel - Kris Cutlery
Ulfberht Sword - MRL
Loiten Viking Sword - MRL
Clontarf Squire Line Sword - Albion
Gotland Squire Line Sword - Albion
Vinland Squire Line Sword - Albion
LongSeax single edged sword - Michael Pikula


And this baby...

Apart from the odd sabre and smallsword repro, my main acquisition during 2013 wasn't a sword at all. I fancied something a bit noisier.....

Julian

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