I would like to see some owner pics with the swords side by side...I don't have a clue about antiques...what bothers me is in the linked photos both swords come from a different time periods and different locations yet the ageing looks the same in coloration and texture of both blades and the gilt looks the same on both except for the guard on the 950ad, with those ad photos I am probably wrong... Who did the appraisals and is there documentation for those appraisals?

Request for side by side photos please...Thanks!

Rick

Please check these valuable clues and let us know what the answers are.

Weight of each item?

Approximate balance point (where item would balance when rested on your finger) does not have to be exact but generally listed as inches from the front of the guard?

Pommel details are the pommels close fitting to the tang or is the whole through which the tang enters the pommel larger than the tang?

Is the Viking sword pommel made of pieces or one solid piece of metal?

I would second Russ, Peters and everyone else's comments on education and documentation.

In my experience curators will give you there opinion on authenticity but most will decline and prefer to avoid value estimates, that is what you hire an appraiser to give you.

Best
Craig

When I authenticate a sword I generally check a couple of things. First I determine what its made of. I like to use a magnet. I go over the entire surface to see if there are spots the magnet isn't attracted to. This will show if there has been any restoration to the metal. I've found putty, filler and lead neatly painted to cover imperfections. One time I found that the entire sword was made out of a bronze cast and aged with liver of sulfur to give it a black appearance. After the magnet, I check the patina. Is it even? If not, consider why there would be wear on that area. I once found that the sword was quite real but a replacement pommel was attached to the blade and artificially aged. The next step is to use a high powered magnifying glass to inspect any armourers marks or inlays. Inlays added to an authentic piece is not unheard of. You can generally tell if it was added later by inspecting the inlays closely. Often times when a modern inlay is added the metal seeps into pitted areas, making a very fuzzy end product (Re: Harold Peterson). Other times you are able to see that modern tools were used to cut the grooves or that the handy work had been artificially aged. If many questions arise during my analysis I will take it to be x-rayed with an industrial x-ray. This step is not always needed but it does offer clues to how the piece was made and if there are any well hidden modern welds. The cost is minimal (about $85 per x-ray). My final step is to pay close attention to the shape and style of the sword and hit the books. I have many reference books I use to see if I can find an exact match to the piece I have before me. I also look to see if the guard matches the pommel in age and origin. If the blade does not match the guard and pommel, that does not necessarily doom the piece - it may have just been updated during its working life. But if the pommel does not match the guard in age, this could indicate a composite piece.

This does not cover everything but I hope it helps.

Is the edge usually so well defined with that degree of pitting?
Rod.

Thanks for all the advice that you have provided. :)

I have made some basic mistakes. I have got into a hobby before reseaching it fully. The books and the Love of history and swords are not enough.

I need to know if I have authentic items. The funds are not as important as knowing that I have the honor of looking upon actual items that have been handed down from generation to generation of great warriors. I need to know.

It is the principle not the money. A lesson hard learned.

I would invite anyone willing to help a new collector. I need to know if the items I have purchased are real or a lie.



I live within 50 mins of Pittsburg Pa... Happy forth....

Tks all
Rick