Do you have specific plans for arms and armor acquisition for next year? Is there something that you sure would like to get, but for whatever reason, may not get around to ordering?

I am cutting back on buying swords and have no specific plans for next year. I do have an Albion Maestro Epee de Guerre coming in this month, but nothing after that. I did have an idea to get Baltimore Knife and Sword to make a stage combat longsword with some distal taper on the blade, but that probably won't happen.

What about you?

My focus for 2015 will be getting A&A to make some scabbards for some of their custom pieces that I own ... swords these days look naked to me without a scabbard, and A&A's work here has come along in leaps and bounds in the last few years.

Following closely behind that will hopefully be a scabbard plus quiver combination for my Soldat from Tod's Stuff.

There are a couple of customs that have come and gone here on the boards over the years that I'd dearly love to find out who snaffled them, and give them a new home ... Joe Fults' Tod's Stuff bauernwehr nearly matches a messer I have from Tod, and his Cluny single-handed fishtail was very nice. If you were the lucky punter who picked these up ... let me know! ;)

A Weyden brigandine from ASH wouldn't go astray either!

I have a couple of scabbards from A&A in the works. Like Mark, I think now a sword looks naked without one, and I think they will do a great job. One is for an Irish Sword I found here, and the other will be a surprise, for a nice weapon I found here also.

Certainly some other things but I will have to take some time. An Albion Knecht or Soldat, a seax from one of two great makers, a helmet, perhaps a francisca. Not really a theme other than what I really really want for xmas.

Depending on shipping speed, this axe from Owen Bush may be my first 2015 acquisition.

I'd like to get an Albion Reeve and an A&A English Bill. It's not out of the question that an Albion Allectus or Neil Burridge bronze sword might bump those out of the way.

The plan (well, more of a hope & prayer at this point) is to be gainfully employed once again so that I might scratch a Frankish itch that came about after seeing River Scheldt spatha in the Fischer Auction thread. I would ideally have the piece reproduced, along with a suite of arms & equipment appropriate to the timeframe - early 7th century, ~625AD would be the target. I'd want an appropriate seax, utility knife, Francisca, spear, & shield, with scabbard/sheath/suspension for all. Soft kit and armor would follow in due time, once I was able to research the appropriate complement and style of clothing, personal items and defenses for the impression. Based on the spatha, I'd say a minor chieftain would be the aim - someone with resources and influence, but not exactly in the ancestral line of Charles Martel...

I'm really only planning on one for 2015, a Rob Miller Highlander Basket Hilt backsword.
http://www.castlekeep.co.uk/gallery.asp?galleryid=199

And perhaps a Scottish Dirk.

I do have a longship armory tac katana hopefully coming early in the year but this was due for completion last October.

REALLY hoping on a proper Mary Rose style English warbow and arrows. I used to teach archery when I was younger and I haven't owned a bow since then. I miss it.

I have a Albion Sempach that should be here near March at a guess, other than that hoping to get hold of some SPES heavy sparring gloves within this coming year.

Right now my tastes are leaning toward the Albion Principe but I'll probably change my mind by the time I get the funds.

Protective gear is the priority this year. A Darkwood fencing helm, Revival Reinforced Gloves and hopefully a gambeson too.

Wife's getting a A&A Spada de Zogho, modified a bit for her preferences.

New gothic arms & spaulders, fitting the new gauntlets I'll hopefully have in time for Christmas.

Then a very custom longsword by and hauswehr set with one of those rare scabbard "cases" by James G. Elmslie.
Hopefully a shaving kit. My new sallet should finally be done by that time. Definitely a strongbox made of wrought iron.

Oh, and a new tent. And some furniture for that tent.

I'd like more, obviously. But that's as much as I can (barely) afford.

Only thing for sure is an A&A custom early 14th century XVI sword, which would bookend my crusader era collection. Hopefully its well underway but haven't seen any pictures yet. Here's the original: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=30378

Sadly I just indefinitely delayed a commission for something completely different: an early basket-hilt. That would have started late winter-early spring, but recently, in the course of converting the house from propane to gas and installing a new fireplace, we discovered that we needed a new hot water heater and furnace. Altogether that ate up both the emergency and hobby funds for the foreseeable future.

But who knows, last year I was able to pick up a couple of second-hand Albions (Knud and Sovereign) in addition to the original plan. Might be a good time for some trades or trade-ins.

I will be the proud owner of the first piece of a new production sword that Arms and Armor will be making ... Craig should have pictures up on the site hopefully by Tuesday ...
In addition I am hoping for several custom pieces to be finished up by Craig this year ... I will be posting pictures when I receive them.
Happy Holidays all !

2015, eh?

Well let's see.

The year is hopefully going to start off with me getting a nice kettle-helmet+bevor, my vendor of choice should have new ones in January and I like to try them on before buying.

With that done I'm looking into full plate legs+arms and possibly a blunt polearm of some form if I decide to go into combat with my kit.

Then there is the Wakefield Sword I've got on order with James Elmslie since this summer that will be finished next year.

That's the stuff I got planned as far as Arms&Armour are concerned, there will be various bits and bobs of general "Reenactment stuff" and quite likely another HEMA Blade in there which I didn't know I needed until I held it for a moment.

And then there is the stuff on my "one day...maybe next year" list which seems to be getting longer with every passing day.

2014 was a very productive year for me as far as working on my Kit goes and it's looking good for next year as well.

As Craig promised the pictures and specs of Arms and Armor latest production sword and the newest addition to my collection is #245 - They are calling it a Hungarian sword circa 11-12 century. I can't take it home yet - Craig is building a scabbard. She's a lovely little sword.

Pardon me ... 12-13 century.

In 2014 i decided to make modify my collection from a large collection of beginner level pieces, to a smaller collection of high end swords. To that end I began selling off pieces and will continue to do so. For 2015 I hope to get in a piece that I ordered from A&A (my first high end sword). I also hope to get a new hilt made by Yeshua's Sword for an MRL blade. If I can Id like to get one or two more high end piece towards the end of the year. I have very general plans at this point! :lol:

Actually.... nothing.

No, seriously. I don't plan on any new purchases this year. Of course, that's what I said last year, and instead ended up with a ton of really great purchases. Now, these were things I had long been interested in, but for various reasons I had not planned on purchasing, or on being able to purchase. Well, as luck would have it, they became available, and I could not pass them up. So, there ya go.

If a steal of a deal shows up in the forums I might grab something. No idea what...but maybe something.