If you had to choose one century ......

.... as your favorite, for swords, which would it be ? And why ?

( Ya just gotta ask these pointless questions every once in awhile :-)

18th for me ......

No other comes close in the high art of basket-hilt making, perticularly Stirling & Glasgow !

Mac

[ Linked Image ]
John Allan Sr. (Stirling) inlaid hilt , Photo: Ron Luciano .

If I had to choose --- the 1400's. In my amateur opinion, the highest quality, sophistication, and variety, extending into the 16th century. And there were still some older swords being rehilted, still in use.

18th.........

smallswords, hangers, hunting swords, basket-hilts, sabres, cutlasses.....Whats not to like.

---

 Attachment: 68.28 KB



 Attachment: 45.62 KB



 Attachment: 66.02 KB

I'll go for 1485-1585. Yep.

21st. More choice than ever before. Probably proportionately cheaper than ever before. I'm probably from peasant stock (judging by surname) that wouldn't have been able to own one when they were 'for real'. I can enjoy them without needing to fear having to use them in earnest.

Much as I like the 14th century arms and armor, I'd probably have to say that my favorite century would be the 17th. Rapiers, spadroons, pallasches, some smallswords, flintlock firearms....

For me, regardless of how much I learn I keep going back to the 1300s and the Hundred years war. I just really love the look and feel to the arms and armor. It all seems so practicle and straight forward (Such and the sword attributed to the Black Prince, that's all business there).

Have to say that the 15th century has my main interest and money :lol:
XVIII and XVIIIb are my favorite type blades and the mass wepons of that time are grand as well, the armor as well was at it's apex .
Bill Duncan

Hard to say, for me. I would pick the 18th century for the same reasons Mac has -- the Basket Hilts of Stirling and Glasgow.
Then again.... maybe 5th or 6th century, the advent of the Migration-era, with it's beautifully made, wide pattern-welded blades with wide (or sometimes multi) fullers, and the waning days of the Roman sword, the Spatha.
Or the 10th or 11th century, the later Viking era (and still the fine, wide-bladed pattern-welded swords), giving way to the early middle ages, with types X, Xa, Xi, and XII...
Or maybe 1st century BC... with the leafy-bladed Mainz and Hispaniensis swords of the Romans, the Celtic longswords, the Iberian Falcata, and more....

This was harder than I thought it would be.....

:D

I'm a big fan of 19th century Mainland Southeast Asian weapons.

[ Linked Image ]
[ Linked Image ]
[ Linked Image ]

I agree with Mac and Dave:

18th century Highland baskethilts first and foremost. Followed
by:

Viking
Early and later Roman/Byzantine
Migration

Alex

My choice follows Roger Hooper - the 15th century. With the sheer variety of weapon types in use, it was an extraordinarily complex and interesting period.

Decisions, decisions... If I really must settle for a period, it would be the 15th century, but in reality, I like the swords from the 1200's to the 1500's (and a few outside of that, too).

I'm too eclectic to pick. But I lean towards the 17th and 18th. Cutlasses, Schiavona, and Basket Hilts...

Thanks for your input , guys .....

Remember though .....
You have to pick just "one" century as your favorite , no splashing over between 2 *g*

Just a tough, hardcore, choice of your # 1

You can list your runnersup, tough !


Happy New Year 2004 , all ! Mac

I'll take the 1st Century AD.

For the sheer reason that I like Gladii, Vino Rosso, and my legs look damn good in a tunica! :p