I admire all cultures and types of swords regardless of the time period (gee, that sounds like a Miss Universe speech!) - however I do have a favorite period of history and sword type to collect. Specifically, I am partial to collecting swords and sabers from the late 18th Century through the present, leaning more towards European, the America's, and the Middle East (the different cavalry's of these time periods fascinate me because of my long association with horses). For example, I love the majestic quality and power that are projected from swords of the European Middle Ages, but I feel a different appreciation/feeling when handling or using sabers from more modern times - like a 1822 pattern Cavalry Sword or a 1830 French Saber. When I hold one I feel a sense of connecting with that time period and events that I don't necessarily get from say a Japanese Katana or a Italian Rapier (even though I would still want them for my collection!). I am sure that most of you feel the same about swords in general (hence why we participate in forums discussing them), but I would like to know if you have a favorite period or sword type that dominates your collection (real or planned) and why. I know many feel a preference or connection with what their ancestors used, and that is a great reason. I am not trying to discuss which is the 'best sword ever made' or 'what's better a hand and a-half sword or a small sword' or worse something like 'If a Knight and Samurai fought who would win?', since these topics have been beat into the ground and there will never be a suitable or accurate answer :-) Please, share your favorites and why you feel that way - any answer is the correct one.
:-)
D

Well, my period(s) of interest really range from the Viking-era to early 19th century sabers. I love my medieval longsword, and have always loved rapiers of all sorts (with a leaning on pappenheimer and cup-hilt types). However, I've recently acquired a strong taste for cavalry weapons of the English Civil War onward (the spadroon, pallasch, and "mortuary" swords in particular). I can't really say why, other than that I suppose the late-period aristocracy has just become interesting to me. ::shrugs:: that, and the Renaissance and Reformation through early American colonial periods are my main areas of study at my University.

As far as my ancestors go, I'm quite sure I'm the first of them to have ever owned a sword. What little I have found out is that only very few of my ancestors were soldiers, and most were farmers and the like (of both Welsh and German descent who settled in Wisconsin). So as far as connecting directly with my ancestors, I don't have much to go on. However, I tend to stick closely with the European stuff, because I am of European by descent.

I have a general recreational interest in all European edged weapons, both antique and reproduction. But my serious interest lies in 18th century arms: American and European smallswords, hunting swords, cuttoes, military hangers and sabres.

Howdy everyone,
My serious collecting began with the purchase of an English 1796 pattern lc officer's sabre; I loved the curves, the feel, the connection with the past. Education commenced, and I developed an appreciation for the English sword of the 1700s. This of course got me interested in baskethilts as well. Then came an interest in anything edged with colonial American associations, so back I went into the 1600s. Possibly because of my saber fencing background, rapiers and smallswords have never been too interesting (although I do have a couple of English rapiers): I tend to lean heavily towards broadswords, backswords, and sabers. Swords of the British Isles from 1600 to 1800 are my main interest, although Germanic baskets from ca.1600 run a close second. Spanish colonial and Italian swords of the early 1600s are in third.

--ElJay

When I first began collecting, my interest was almost exclusively for Japanese weapons. I moved from these to Migration/Viking age swords and fantasy pieces for a time. Now , however, my focus is most definitely for swords of the the late Medieval/ early Renaissance periods. I guess you could say I'm "following the timeline". LOL I love them all :) I hope to one day have at least a small representative sample of each of the "major" developmental stages from LaTene to the 19th Century.

Regards,

James

My primary area of research and collecting is the edged weapons of mainland Southeast Asia. In particular, the dha/darb of Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Most of my collection is mid-late 19th century.

I, also, have peripheral interests in Indo-Persian, Islamic, Eastern European/Balkan, Russian and Chinese arms and armor, and have, at times, dabbled in things Japanese.

Essentially, I enjoy all edged weapons, but prefer the more exotic, ethnographic stuff.

My collection consists of three parts:
- Replica medieval weaponry, the goal is to own at least one specimen of each major type.
- Military swords and sabres, mainly late 18th to early 20th century stuff.
- Stuff I take a fancy to, like repro rapiers, katanas, etc.

Right now I just collect whatever catches my eye. : :)

I have to say that much of my fascination with swords stems from a keen interest in family history, aside from my Kendo training, which is simply a fascination with a living tradition. Thus, I am particularly interested in the 1600-1800 time period of the British Isles...lots of variety and this is where I have traced my roots to. However, I have had my eye on viking era swords...linking to the Swedish side of the family....though not yet to the viking era.

From a European perspective, I am quite interested in baskethilts...as I have been practicing related swords styles for a couple of years.

Martin

It's nice to see that my interests parallel many others that have posted. Out of curiosity, do any of you practice with your cavalry type swords? I have a couple of cutting posts I made and a few long poles that I place targets on (tightly rolled wet newspaper 2-3" in diameter) or melons (I have even used apples, but my horse sometimes gets distracted and wants to eat the targets!). Since my horse and I frequently work cattle, he has no problem with being concerned about having my swords or other things moving around him, he is very well behaved (I am alway cautious since he means quite a bit to me). We run patterns through the targets and I practice my aim and cuts. We do use a 1910 Patton Cavalry Sword (recently acquired) and practice full speed thrusts (I was amazed at how difficult it really is) but I have yet to make a really good target for this type of practicing. I do have a 1796 British Light Calvary Sword reproduction (Cold Steel) and it is VERY well balanced for slashing, but I was surprised to find that I am more comfortable with the 1830 French Cavalry model (I am no historian, but I think that is the pattern that influenced the design of the US 1860 Light Cavalry Sword - even though they are very similar, the weight and balance of the 1830 is much more to my liking. Unfortunately, my attempts at left handed passes (I am right handed) are awkward at best. I have no problem hitting the target, but the follow through and recovery are very poor.

I like best the swords of the Viking Age, for they are, if you will, the "purest" of hewing swords. JH.

My favorite era is viking to early medieval. Especially the big boys XIIa, XIII, XIIIa etc.

My interests have been all over the place in the last few years... I think its because of the great movies full of beautiful period swords. Maybe not... but it's clear my interest in swords seem to track major motion pictures with lotsa swords...

I began in Rome after "Gladiator." Researching the gladius took me back into Celtic and Bronze Age FlangeHilts and GripTongues...

Then I got a "Braveheart" DVD to get a better look at the swords. Then I caught the knightly sword bug... Tracing their roots took me back to the migration swords.

Then it was "Pirates of the Caribbean" and I had to have a cutlass or two.

I just saw "Master and Commander" and I am fighting off the urge for a stirrup-hilted saber.

ks

I just got back inside from doing some cutting from horseback this afternoon. I (for the first time) was using my Practical Plus Katana in addition to my 1796 LC Sabre. Interestingly enough, the Katana cut well, but not as well as the 1796. In the past, this has normally been the reverse when I do cutting from the ground. I was cutting at 3" diameter, tightly rolled wet (allowed to drain) newspapers. I attached them to a couple of my 'cutting stakes' (really nothing more that 4" diameter fence posts set up in a field). Today all my cuts were the same, a right handed diagonal cut down (opponent right shoulder to left flank). The 1796 - as always - cleanly cut through the roll with no additional force other than gravity on the blade. The Katana however only cut cleanly through about 1/2-3/4 the roll and then 'tore' through the remainder - most leaving the target 'dangling' and not fully cut. In ground cutting the Katana always does a clean cut with little effort against this type target. Cuts from both swords 'cut' at an approx 60 degrees (this is a best guess - I did not measure them). I did maybe a dozen runs at the targets at a canter (a lope for those familiar), not a full run. Both swords are sharp - with no marring or damage on the blades - granted that the edge of the 1796 is not as 'refined' as the edge of the Katana (much rougher on the sabre). All my strikes connected on the distal 1/4 of the blades. The targets were approx eye level (5 to 6 feet) from the ground.
This made me think that perhaps my technique needs to be different for the two different types of swords (I cut the same with all my other calvary sabres except for the thrusting swords). The curve of the 1796 is much greater than the Katana's, perhaps that is why it cuts cleaner when riding? Since when cutting on the ground I use the two handed 'draw-cut' for the Katana - and since the blade is shorter (28" vs 33" and I did have to 'lean' more to the right when cutting) - maybe the 'draw-cut' the Katana is best suited for cannot be done as well?
Anyone have a theory they think would explain why this occurred? Any suggestions on how to improve cutting with the Katana from horseback?
Maybe I should start a threat related to mounted sword techniques? Perhaps I should post this on SFI in the Japanese Swordsmanship forum?

My collecting interest is primarily authentic antique Japanese and Chinese swords. With the large diaspora of Japanese Swords that occured after the second WW, an interested American like myself has a decent chance to become a steward of these wonderful old treasures.

In the last couple years the low end of price has become extremely dicey due to international fakers, but fortunately I wasn't burned when I started back in late '99. If I started in the hobby now I know I would have bought one of those frauds that flood the internet nowadays.

I love European pre-industrial arms as well, but that's a difficult field to begin collecting in for someone who loves the antique. I do find the subject fascinating reading, particualrly Oakeshott's work (I'll admit to joining this site to get a shot in that contest, I'd love that book) as well as the good threads on this and other forums.

I don't mind the SW/S/SE Asian stuff either... I'd like to own a Moro kris someday and I already have a good, honest Talwar.

I collect ancient swords, daggers, axes and other weapons from the Danish Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age Europe, the Near East, India, China and SE Asia (Vietnamese Dong Son and Thailand's Ban Chiang Cultures). My library matches my collecting interests and I often assist both collectors and dealers in making identifications & documentation. I have a network of friends who share my collecting interests and share emails concerning issues of identification, authentication, documentation and valuation of eBay auction items. We also discuss Sellers who offer modern reproductions as genuine antiquities or misrepresent genuine antiquities as to origin or dating in order to deceive the Buyers into paying higher prices.

If you are interested in joining one or more of my networks, both dealers and collectors are welcome, just send me a letter of introduction giving information about yourself and your collecting interests. Nobody on my mailing lists is anonymous. When I send out an email to everyone on a list it is by blind copy but the participants within the email are always named.

My emails about ancient weapons are archived on the AncientWeapons Yahoo Group, the site is owned by Alan van Arsdale, he recruited me as a moderator, linked below my signature, unfortunately without the embedded pictures or attachments. I have posted pictures of my weapons collections in the photo archives, if you want to see them.

You will see other links to good groups that I am active in there also.
If your interests in antiquities are much broader than weapons, I would recommend that you join AncientArtifacts. I moderate an ancient edged weapons forum that focuses on daggers in the Belt Buckle Knife site. The Sword Forum is great for the sword collectors and has a good ancient weapons area. I own the ancient Thailand and Dong_Son sites for those interested in those areas, a bit broader than just weapons but I have posted my weapons there in the photo archive.

I also collect more modern swords and bayonets from the US and Europe from WWI back to the Bronze Age. I am particularly fond of hunting swords and Smallswords (Epees & Degens). I have large collections of English, French, German, Dutch, Austrian, Swedish, Italian and Spanish swords & bayonets and odd pieces from Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark and Russia. My library matches my collecting interests.

http://www.JohnPiscopoSwords.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chinese_Archaeology/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ancientweapons
AncientWeapons-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Chinese_Archaeology-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Ancientartifacts-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ancient_Thailand/?yguid=30974666
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dong_Son
Dong_Son-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
KUSHANAS-SUBSCRIBE@YAHOOGROUPS.COMhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kushanas/
http://forums.swordforum.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=12
http://forums.swordforum.com/index.php?s=
http://www.belt-buckle-knife.com/board/profile.php
http://www.oldswords.com