OK, here's another one of those fun little topics that begin with a far-fetched scenario. There's a cheap sword in your collection that you've had for a few years now that you paid about a hundred bucks for at the Renaissance faire. But, you have just realized that this crappy, rustic looking sword that you thought was just a wallhanger is actually a genuine 15th Century historical artifact! Do you...

A. Keep it and display it in your home.
B. Keep it and wear it with costume or practice moves with it.
C. Sell it to the highest bidder.
D. Donate it to a museum.
E. Find out who the original historical owner was and set it upon his place of rest (his tomb or effigy).
F. Find out who the original historical owner was and give it to his current living descendants.
G. Anything else besides the above?

Me? I'd likely go with C, although it's also a tough call between A and D.

A. With pride. If necessary, I'd drop a goodly amount on a protective display to preserve the piece.
B. Depending on its conditions. If Prof. Oakeshott wasn't afraid to swing one, neither am I.
C. Never. Unless Jabba keep sending bounty hunters and I can't find a princess to rescue.
D. Double never. My understanding is that antiques weren't that expensive until museums started sucking them up and
depositing them in basements, never to feel the warmth of human hands again. Its shameful. What good is a Monet if
you keep it in a drawer?
E. Never. Chances are that place is now a museum. See above.
F. No, but I might call them and gloat.
G. Post pictures on myArmoury, of course.

Ahhh


Tough choice....A or F. More likely A only because so few people share a respect for such a rare item.....I'd be REALLY mad if the ancestors went and sold it. I'd find out who actually used it even though I was going to keep it.

Hmmm... tough one.

A. I'd probably go with this one, but it would only go on the wall if the blade looked fragile from age. Otherwise, see B.
B. Absolutely. But only if it were in good enough shape and I could do so without serious risk to the blade.
C. It would kill me to do this, and I'd only do so if my financial situation made it a choice between keeping the sword or going to graduate school, or some other dire situation like that.
D. My inner Indiana Jones likes this option (It belongs in a museum!), but museums are so... sterile. I'd only do this if I were unable to provide proper care for it. Otherwise, I'd keep it and pass it down as an heirloom when I die.
E. Only if the bastard started haunting me. If he doesn't care enough to do that, screw him. There's only one live warrior between the two of us and the stink coming from that tunic says it ain't him. :p
F. I'd try to find them, but only for information on the original owner and the blade's history. If it had been so important to them, they'd have kept it.
G. Well... pictures and perhaps a written piece to go up on myArmoury. If the sword belonged to someone of note, or had seen action in some important battle, or if it were a unique example of its type, or if it were just plain cool, I'd also probably offer to loan it to Peter Johnsson for documentation and possible recreation. Then everyone could have one.

Without a doubt, C: sell it too the highest bidder.
I am utterly mercenary that way.
If the bidding doesn't go high enough, I'll just keep it.

Options E and F are for the soft-hearted and over-civilized. :-)

First thing I would do is whack myself in the head for (probably) abusing the sword. Then, I would undertake some serious conservation efforts, and then display it in my own "museum" setting. Of course, as the "curator", I can always inspect the piece (and practice moves with it).

C - Because while an authentic medieval sword is nice, I can't do anything with it except hang it on my wall. The profit from selling it would probably allow me to purchase a whole bunch of swords that I can cut thing/practice with.

Of course, forum members would get a discount... :D

I once bought a box of knives at a garage sale. The only reason I bought the whole box was because it was only being sold as a lot. Five knives for five dollars.

What had drawn me to buy was a Western Cutlery™ pattern I was unfamiliar with. Years down the road, I finally identify it. An L-77 stiletto, worth about $500 in top condition. Needless to say, this one was alredy tired when I got it. I used it for years for utility and BBQ.

No thoughts of finding more of its history. It was probably the sellers father that carried it in war time. No thoughts of selling it, really, although I'd listen to offers. Further, it now sleeps in a box of less used knives. I rotated it out of service once I found out what it was. None the worse for wear, I'm pretty easy on the stones and it was always sharp. I'll pass it on to another generation, along with some history.

In the same lot were two other knives that, though not valuble, see almost daily use in the kitchen and a favored utility piece. A nice small German bird and trout type and an excellent vintage Old Hickory™ carver.

I dream of finding another relic blade on the cheap some day. This time I might even know what I'm looking at.

I actually approached the Higgins Armoury about some donation details. They didn't want the book (17th century law) and weren't even very curious about a lance head. I've yet to take the lance down to one of their open house (by appointment) ID days (just missed one) and maybe change their mind. They don't like loans because of insurance purposes. In the meantime, it graces my collection. That piece could well be worth a lot of money, if the provenance could be determined.

I'm pretty sure all my less expensive swords are just that (for now). ;)

New classics appreciate to a varying degree.

Cheers

GC

Hang it on the wall and keep it. Then eventually sell it. I have cut with some original pieces, but that when I was young an stupid. I handle them, swing them, but of course all of this depends on the condition of the sword. One of the great things about Museum Replicas was having swords that I could abuse if I needed to.
Remember certain things. You do not own the sword. You are merely the caretaker. It has had many beofe you., and will have many after you are gone. You preserve it for future caretakers to love, admire, handle and dream, sos it is you duty to take care of it. No way would I give it to a museum. They have stuff that will never see the light of day, some of it rusting away because they do not have the facilities or the money to treat them propertly. I have seen swords rusting away, due to this. Never a Museum.

From what little I understand, most museums struggle witht he sheer volume of material that finds its way to them. Another problem is that they tend to go through phases based on the tastes of the curators in charge. You see what they are interested in, not neccessarily what you are interested in.

When I went to the Cleveland Museum of Art to visit their Armor Gallery about two years ago I read a history they had there about some staff that became concerned some of the donated pieces in the orginal collection were suspect. They brough some junior authorities in from the Met who said they should flush the whole collection and start from scratch (this was along, long time ago). So CMA sent all of their collection to a museum in Europe in exchage for three alrge tapestries. The next year museum attendance plummeted. In a panic CMA ended up buying a bunch of stuff from the people at the Met who told CMA to get rid of what they had in the first place.

So....as much as I hate to admit it....no museum unless it was focussed on historical weaponry specifically.

That leaves me with...

...sell it to the highest bidder (C).

Besides I can always hoep that if they spend enough on it, they'll spend a bit to take care of it too.

I'd have it appraised. If it were worth a lot of money and I had a willing buyer, then I would sell. i'd rather pay off my mortgage or student loans than have a nice display piece.

I'd keep the sword and display it if I had the room. I figure that the average price of a 15th century sword would be $7000 to $10,000 on the market today. And if you've been abusing it and cutting with it, who knows how much it would be worth. $7000 is a large amount of money but in a years time I would have spent every dime. Besides if I had an extra $7000 I would spend it on an authentic medieval sword anyway.

Keep it secret!Keep it safe! Give it to your son before your death and tell him to do the same :lol: