[Chad Arnow]

We have plenty of threads around here about people's collections and future plans, including on the Price point of your next sword purchase and Your sword habit and Your next sword you can't afford but will buy anyway among others. We also have threads on general collecting philosophies.

But how about this line of thought: when you look at your collection, what is it missing in your opinion? Is your collection missing things due to size, money, lack of interest, different focus, etc.? Would the missing items round out certain categories, types (Oakeshott or other),etc.? Do you plan to get those items to fill it out?

For me: My collection is "missing" representative samples from prior to 1000 AD and after 1500 AD (17th-18th century Scottish stuff notwithstanding). So no Roman swords, Frankish, true Viking or pattern-welded swords of any kind. No rapiers, developed hilt warswords. Also, no firearms. I also don't have every Oakeshott type (of Wheeler, Peterson, Geibig, etc.) covered. I'm missing a baselard, ear dagger, and some other more classic forms in short-bladed weapons. I have no polearms at the moment.

It's missing those things largely by design. I lack the space for much more than what I have. I lack the budget to buy a lot more. Given those things, I've focused my collection on my area of greatest interest: knightly battlefield edged weapons and a few attendant knives of 1000-1500 AD plus a little Scottish stuff. And I'm okay with that.

Plenty of things are missing, but I can't do much about it right now. I have a long list of things I'd buy if I had unlimited funds, but I don't live that reality.

What about you? What's "missing" from your collection and why? What do you plan to do about it (if anything)?

[Sean Flynt]

Good idea! My small collection has distilled to German/Austrian, 1450-1600. Thinking in terms of the distinctive arms of the culture and period, I should have a Katzbalger (due from Eljay in 2012,) a messer (in progress) and a good polearm (spear project in progress.) I'm a great fan of the Bauernwehr, and probably will make a utilitarian example eventually. I also need to finish a German visored sallet project. A good German breast would be wonderful, but it's not even on the horizon. Sometimes things just fall out the sky, though, through trades or strike-while-the-iron-is-hot deals. I'll be selling some stuff in 2011, so might be able to scratch the armour itch. I'm increasingly interested in clothing as well, so might add take up that challenge next year.

[Christian Henry Tobler]

Hi Chad!

I've made a couple acquisitions in recent months with just such thinking. In my case, the criteria for 'missing' is often related to what I teach. Until recently, I lacked a good messer reproduction; remedying that became 'critical' when we started the latest DVD project.

The stuff I want most right now will be hard to simply purchase. We need a couple of big dueling shields, but there's no retail source for them: we'll have to build them.

As for stuff I want as a collector, or as a presenter to school kids on arms and armour:

- One of those excellent Swiss 'Sabres' such as Nathan had A&A build for him of late. It's just a cool, cool weapon.
- Daggers: baselard, ear, and ballock
- A really period-correct scabbard and suspension for one of my 15th c. longswords
- A correctly-constructed knightly 'heater' shield
- An Italian bill

That's stuff off the top of my head...I'm sure I'll think of something else to add to the list!

Yours,

CHT

[J.D. Crawford]

Well, that's a good topic because I'm sure its something we all obsess about. Up until a couple of years ago I wanted something of everything, but that was ultimately unsatisfying. Lately I've been pretty focused on big one-handed early medieval swords, around 11th -13th century, especially ones that show hold-overs from the viking age, whether its in the blade or pommel.

In this area, I would like a type AE and one with a cocked hat pommel. I've never had an AE. I've had a couple of inexpesive cocked hat types, one from darksword armory and one from Windlass, but they didn't satisfy and I passed them on. So to scratch these itches, I will likely pick up an Albion Knud and Ritter at some point. It would be nice to have something more unique, but I'm not sure I can justify paying more for a custom job when these two from Albion are so nice.

However, right now I already have an Albion templar in the mail, a Del Tin customization project being finished off, and an A&A custom project on the waiting list (the one from the pay it forward contest), so I think I better control the urge for a while.

The main limiting factors for me lately have been space (especially since my home office might be converted into a kids room, if adoption plans work out...my older kids are grown up), the desire to spread the pleasure out over time (having everything you want is no fun), and frankly, my spouse, who quite understandably gets annoyed when I buy too many swords too often.

[Tim Lison]

Scabbards! I've been on a scabbard kick lately. I've been thinning down my swords to have more scabbards. My interests with swords has become quite tightly focused, 9th-12th century, and I've done away with anything that doesn't fit. The money (or trade credit) gained from doing that is going towards getting scabbards made for many of my swords. I will still have some new swords made and have 2 "in progress" commissions. I want another viking sword with a type Q hilt; it will likely be my next commission. I never thought scabbards would be important to me until I had some nice ones made. Now I want one for all of my swords.

[J.D. Crawford]

[Patrick Kelly]

Like Chad financial realities force me to focus my collection in certain "priority" areas. If this weren't the case I'd probably own a quality example of just about every edged weapon ever made. Fortunately for me it's never been about collecting stuff so I don't feel deprived. I've never felt the driving need to have the biggest collection of anything. For me it's always been more a study of design and function rather than owning a room full of otherwise useless objects. The learning is the hook for me, not the accumulating. Consequently, I've let a lot of things pass through my hands that others would never have dreamed of selling. I've also purchased things that some might consider to be of inferior quality, just out of my curious need to, "check it out". I've lost count of the times I've heard, "I can't believe you sold that." or, "I'm surprised someone like you would spend money on something like that." Yet every single one of those items taught me something I didn't know before.

In that sense I'm perfectly happy with the current state of my collection, it's about as big as I need or want it to be and it's taught me a lot over the years. A large messer would be cool, as would a nice basket hilt. Still, if I could narrow it down to one thing I need but don't have it would be a good example of a migration era sword from the likes of Vince Evans or Patrick Barta. Unfortunately those financial realities come into play and I have to resign myself to the fact that such a sword is far outside my monetary comfort zone. It's regrettable but I ain't losin' sleep over it.

[R D Moore]

My small collection includes a replica of an early rapier loosly based on one from about 1500 to 1540 using an example from A.V.B. Norman's book, an Albion Baron, a Liechtenhauer, a replica based on an Oakshott type XVIII, and a few daggers that appear during this span of time, and 3 spears and a poleaxe from the same time range.

My interests have centered on the Migration and Early Middle Ages to the end of the Viking era covering arms, armor, and tactics. So I'm missing weapons and armor from this era. I'd like to get a forge welded axe, pattern welded blade with an inlayed hilt, a PW seax, a PW spearhead, a spangenhelm, and a shield from this time period. But I've also become interested in forging my own weapons, and I'm finding this endeavor is a far more desireous mistress than collecting. It's an absolute shame what happens to a collector who starts hammering out hot steel. He's just never the same again.

So I'm going to use my available funds to pursue this interest. I have a Cavalry sword on order from Vladimir Cervenka and a rapier patterned from a Peter Finer example coming from Patrick Barta (2 years out still) and I think that will be it save for a weak moment or two.

I do have a couple of project blades from Albion's moat sale I'm working on, a Mainz pattern gladius and one I'm not sure what it is, perhaps a double fullered La Tena III replica.

We'll have to see where all of this goes.

[Jean Thibodeau]

In my case it is certainly a " collection " but the way it grew was in acquiring many things I always was fascinated about aesthetically and almost as sculptural object: I'm drawn by shapes I like first, then function/design and context/history sort of follow.

As examples I would say all the arms and armour I admired in my reference books like like the Snout Visored Bascinet, to shields, maille etc ......

Holes in the collection would be mostly things before the Dark Ages and after the Renaissance as I like weapons in theory from all periods of history but my current interests have concentrated from the 10 th to early 16 th centuries, but in the past I was interested in the Ancient World so Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Hittite, Assyrian ...... well you can get the point that in theory I could want just about everything but my attention/focus shifts from period to period but usually I stick with one broad period for multiple years and my " Greek " period of interest was many decades ago where affordable quality collectable reproductions where rare to non-existent so that when I started collecting swords around 2000 my focus of interest had shifted to the Medieval European context.

If funds and display/storage room was not and issue i.e. filthy rich, I would probably have a full panoply of kit/weapons from the Stone Age to Star Wars.

Oh, a castle and a moat, a Carrack and a late 19th century Battleship/Battlecruiser or Armoured Cruiser. ( I really like the aesthetics of late 19 th and early 20 th century warships.

( Oh, for the " GEEKY " a fully functioning full sized Starship with functioning Warp drive and Phasers would be fun ).

Now back to reality, to paraphrase Caesar's " I came , I saw, I conquered ": I like, I can afford, I buy

[Paul Hansen]

For me, I would like to get good representations of weapons of the main protagonists of the migration age: an early Germanic spatha, a late Roman spatha and a Hunnish spatha.

And a Messer or Bauernwehr.

[Bryce Felperin]

After drooling and wishing for a lot of stuff in all periods I have narrowed down my desires to the second half of the fifteenth century through the end of the Sixteenth for weapons. Since I do Renaissance faires where our guild educates the public on weapons and demos their use this fits best for me and the costumes I wear. Aside from this period I would like to eventually own a good quality Mainz type Gladius a high quality Viking sword eventually as well. Also some staff weapons and a good War Axe would be great as well.

Currently my wife's wishes, limits on hobby funds and storage limitations are acting against any more major purchases for large items. I am actively going to keep purchasing daggers though since I think I could get a nice medieval dagger collection going for a lot less expense than sword collecting. So I plan on making two to four quality dagger purchases a year for the next couple of years till circumstances change enough that I can start collecting bigger items again.

I'd like to get some good armor eventually, but that is a big jump in cost and storage issues that I'm putting off till I and my wife get a new house...which is a more important purchase right now. :-)

[Jean Thibodeau]

[GG Osborne]

I'd really love a ribbon-hilt broadsword! Simpe enough but can't find one!

[J R Johnson]

My collection includes the periods from Ancient Greece thru the 15th century AD, but excludes rapiers, side swords, and basket hilts. I have owned these types but found they just didn't pique my interest and so traded them for other swords.

[Thom R.]

I would like a bridle arm gauntlet like the ones in the Royal Armouries collection from the mid 17th c.. No one seems to have a good historically accurate pattern for one. One of these days we will have to ninja into the Royal Armouries in the dead of night with scales paper and calipers and make some measurements and trace some patterns

A nice working wheelock replica would be nice too, from what I can tell you have to go full custom for that and even then the lock parts are not necessarily available.

I would also like more time to work on my projects in the workshop. I have bare blades sitting on the bench, half finished spaulders, a gun restoration, and maille I want to do. In fact time for fun is probably my biggest shortfall at the moment.

[Timo Nieminen]

A couple of things I'm missing:

Maces. First, I'd need the appropriate weapons permit. Then, if importing, one must deal with the paperwork required to import restricted weapons. Bah!

Matchlocks. Would be nice to have a trio: European, Central Asian, Japanese. Weapons permit required, etc. Also expensive. Non-functional replicas are simpler and cheaper, but then that's a big chunk of display space to devote to something non-functional.

Functional bow(s). Haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe soon. Nobody seems to make a cheap replica Manchu bow.

No American stuff, unless I count a sling that can pass as Inca.

Two gaps that are no longer complete gaps:

Basket hilts. Still want a mortuary hilt, and I have a Chinese backsword blade to mount, but I need to make a basket first.

Stone. Just got a "jade" ge. Stone or glass spearheads would be nice, and there are some very nice Maori things to be had.

Of course there are other gaps, but they're invisible gaps, since either I'm (so far) not interested in filling them (e.g., smallswords, bayonets) or I don't see them as gaps, but as single missing items (e.g., a messer, a jumonji yari, a shamshir, a yataghan).

[Scott Hrouda]

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

If I had to pick 6 weapons of which I just have to have reproductions, then it would be these:

Bronze age schalenknaufen sword (this one: http://1501bc.com/page/limburgs_museum/1214014.JPG)
Big bronze spearhead (f.e. this one: http://1501bc.com/page/Drents_Museum/04270247.jpg)
Iron mindelheim (this one: http://1501bc.com/page/rijks_museum_oudheden/0214163A.JPG)
Early medieval patternwelded sword (no. 5 here, with the reconstructed hilt: http://1501bc.com/page/leger_museum_delft_14_...140034.jpg)
Patternwelded langsax (like these, but with patterwelded fullers: http://forums.dfoggknives.com/uploads/monthly...252743.jpg)
Early medieval axe (this one: http://1501bc.com/page/limburgs_museum3/06110107.jpg)

[Jeremy V. Krause]

Yes, this is a good topic,

My main period of interest remains the 10th-14th century. It has been this way since I became more serious about this hobby. I also have developed an interest in more intricate utility and eating knives from the medieval period.

Right now I am focused on what is directly on the horizon. I don't think I will ever have a complete collection but for now I would like a Danish axe c. 1060-1100 made as accurately as possible, a spear from the same period or maybe a few decades later made as accurately as possible. I have a type XI iron-inlayed sword c. 1100-1200 "in queue", that I have wanted for years. I also am in the process of paying for an albion Vigil.

On the small-knife side I have a shear steel, with silver fittings, c. 14th c. eating knife "in queue."

I'm playing with the idea of getting a shear steel, highly intricate, full eating set but that would be a while down the road.

[Nathan Robinson]

In some ways, my collecting is driven by the very same factors as Patrick Kelly mentions above. Like him, I often want to get things into my hands so that I can learn from them. Sometimes I learn something about the general form of an item that I otherwise couldn't get without hands-on experience. Sometimes I get insight about the maker. Other times I learn about the materials or techniques required to make it. Many times I am surprised at the dynamic properties of a piece and then learn how its form has influenced it. One thing is for certain, nothing has achieved more insight than actually getting items in my hands.

As such, I have had many things go through my collection over the years. I've bought and sold more items than most. Sometimes I'm driven to have something made simply because nobody else is having such a thing created. I like to see a new version created and I enjoy showing it to others even with the expectation that most only would consider such things as a strange curiosity at best. I often base my decisions solely on the desire to have forms created that are otherwise not often created in modern times. It makes me happy to encourage a maker into doing such work with the hopes of adding to his own skills and knowledge. I think this often has an indirect positive effect on the community as a whole and that stuff fascinates me.

But other than those reasons, I haven't had any really rhyme or reason behind my collecting habits. I haven't tried to create a representative collection spanning across different periods of time, or something that shows a progression of developmental leaps, nor have I tried to fill my collection with an example of each "type" of weapon (be it an Oakeshott type, a specific form, or what have you), and it's been a long time since I've put effort into building a "kit" to equip a historical persona from a specific period.

Given that there hasn't been any finite goals associated with my collecting, I would say that I'm not really missing anything, nor would I say that my collection is complete. For me, it's an on-going journey of exploration. That's it. There is no start. There is no end. It's just about learning.

I actually need to pare down my collection. It's too large right now. I need to make room and finances available so that I can continue the "journey of learning" as it were. I haven't put any "new" money into this hobby in years; everything has come from recycling of one thing I own into something new. I'll continue down that path and have no plans to spend "new" money on this stuff.


Having said all of that, last year I decided to change things up and actually create a representative collection of daggers that includes examples of each of the common types found during the medieval period. That is, a ballock dagger, baselard, quillon dagger, ear dagger, and rondel dagger. I recently purchased a form of baselard and so I could say that my one goal is now complete; however, I'm actually waiting on a commission due next year that will be a more classic form of baselard to go into that representative dagger collection... so I guess that's really all that I can actually say is "missing".

Journey on.