I just starting collecting antique swords at age 63. So far a Takuba, a Tulwar and a late 19th century cavalry sword. This is going to be one heck of an adventure. Better late than never. I should have done this decades ago. To be fair, I have been collecting Randall knives and firearms, so my time was not totally wasted. But swords are a whole new field of study for me. I am going to really enjoy this learning experience. It's like opening a really good book for the first time. Any suggestions on reference books or other sources of information would be appreciated.

There is a bookstore link here at myArmoury that breaks down some of the categories.
http://myArmoury.com/books/

You may want to focus on a particular time period, genre and country(ies). I'll spend a lifetime of studying and collecting just a few decades of Americana but I have collected out of that box as well.

What are your interests? I always found I had started a list of particular swords, then have concentrated on a time period while still picking off those last on that very old list. After 20 years, there is one sword type in particular I feel I must have and can't find. Much like Ahab searching for the white whale.

Another type of book list
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.p...e-all-have

I have bought more books than toys lately and find I spend a lot of time reading online as well.

Cheers

GC

Thanks Glen. I appreciate the links. I am most interested in British military swords/sabers, mainly 19th century. I have started reading Swordsmen of the British Empire and that is what got me interested in Indo-Persian swords like the Tulwar as well at the British military swords/sabers.

The first antique sword I bought, just because of it's price, was a takuba. That got me researching the Taureg people. The next was the Tulwar, which was more of an investment. I bought both of those swords from a reputable dealer with good online reviews (Faganarms) The first British sword I bought was from Easton Antiques, who from what I have read and seen on Youtube, has an excellent reputation. That sword was a Diamond Fields Horse cavalry sword, which Matt Easton believes dates to about 1890 and was used during the 2nd Boer war. That led me to researching that war, which I knew very little about. I also have another saber, An 1853 pattern cavalry sword by Reeves, enroute from Easton Antiques. This sword seems to be in good shape, except the grips are pretty much toast as is the scabbard. I agree that I should concentrate on specific types of swords because it is such a huge field of study.

As far as my dream sword goes, I live a few miles from Bath, NC. Edward Thatch, Blackbeard, spent a few months there in 1718 and was killed in Ocracoke inlet in November of 1718 by Lt. Maynard of the Royal Navy. 2018 is the anniversary of his death. So next year is going to be a big deal in Bath, the 300th anniversary of the battle. A late17th or early 18th century naval hanger would be my best guess as to the type of swords used by Lt. Maynard and his men and possibly Blackbeard and his men. The accounts say that Blackbeard was killed by a Scottish member of Lt. Maynard's crew using a broadsword. I have no idea if it was a Scottish baskethilted broadsword and I could never afford such a thing anyway. But I hope to find a naval hanger from that period that I could afford to purchase. I have read that pirates and naval officers of that period used hangers or cuttoes, heavy bladed shorter swords that cutlasses evolved into during the 19th century. Like everybody else I had assumed that pirates and navies used the bowl guard types of cutlasses. Anyway, if I can find such a sword, I plan to loan it to the Bath Museum next year for the 300th anniversary display. I will also be on the lookout for a pike head from that era or any type of bladed weapon that would be of the type used in that battle.

Thanks again for your advice. I appreciate it.

You're never too old to start collecting. :D I just turned 50, and still feel like a kid on Christmas morning every time I get a new--or old--blade. :cool: ......McM

This site probably of interest to you.

http://www.harvey-withers.co.uk/