|
Post by dougman on Mar 21, 2016 3:30:02 GMT
The sword in question is chronicled here: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/29447/restoring-m1913-patton-sabreIt was a fun project and all, but 3 years on, I'd like to convert it into a new project...in other words, I'd like to either sell it, trade it for something new, or take the restoration up a notch and get the blade completely cleaned up, straightened, and sharpened. Problem is, I've taken it to several gun shows, and one military antique show asking (what I think is) a decent price. Nearly every vendor says that my asking price of $300 is a very good price for a sword in the shape mine is in, with a scabbard, and that I'll have no problem selling it at all...just not to them. I've had it appraised by several "experts" who put the value as high as $400 even, but the only actual offer that I've gotten was for half of what I have into the project. I'm not interested in making a ton of money, but I'd also not like to lose money on the proposition. Is Ebay really the best option for selling an obscure sword like the M1913, since I've had very little luck locally? Barring that, is there a good way to get the blade cleaned up and straightened? I'm talking getting the pitting cleaned up, sharpen it a little, and see if the blade is still structurally sound enough to take into some sort of combat? There's a pesky herd of pineapples, milk jugs, and watermelons invading my backyard...
|
|
|
Post by Croccifixio on Mar 21, 2016 7:46:42 GMT
Just post it for sale in the classifieds of as many sword/blade forums as you can. If it is indeed a good price (no idea if it is), then someone somewhere will grab it. You need as many people to look at it as possible. Go on Facebook. Go on antique arms forums. Just keep trying.
|
|
|
Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Mar 21, 2016 8:53:08 GMT
That's the trouble, isn't it? Things are only worth what someone is willing to pay, but sometimes nobody is willing to pay what it's really worth. Hope you find a buyer.
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Mar 21, 2016 9:41:30 GMT
This is why it's sometimes better to just put something on eBay or any relevant forum's selling pages, rather than trying to sell it to any sort of dealer or specialist individually. You'll get quoted any number of "values" yet never be offered any of them. It's the classic "pawn shop" principle; they'll tell you what they'd sell it for, not what they'll buy it for. Put it up on a few forums, give it a few weeks, try a price drop, two more weeks, throw it onto eBay with a low starting bid (and reserve if you wish, just to gauge interest) and include what you'd like to sell it for as the "Buy It Now" price and just see what happens. Or just keep it, not like it takes up a lot of space.
|
|
|
Post by dougman on Mar 21, 2016 15:49:26 GMT
On keeping it...is there any good way to tell if the blade is still structurally sound, and will take to sharpening well?
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Mar 21, 2016 19:02:18 GMT
I probably wouldn't try it, personally, in an old blade. Hard to say without seeing what state it's in, anyway.
|
|
|
Post by dougman on Mar 22, 2016 0:21:35 GMT
I probably wouldn't try it, personally, in an old blade. Hard to say without seeing what state it's in, anyway. Pardon the artsy depth-of-field, but this is pretty indicative of the whole blade: It obviously hadn't been cared for before it fell into my hands...a good bit of pitting and corrosion had occurred. Is it worth pursuing anything to polish the blade up a bit?
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Mar 22, 2016 0:31:48 GMT
Hmm, blade-wise, it doesn't look terrible to me. The hilt, specifically the guard, has certainly seem better days.
These sort of swords aren't really my thing, I'd leave further evaluation to guys like Dave Kelly, Ulahn, afoo, etc. Those guys are better on later-period military patterns like this one.
For me, it looks "serviceable enough" as-is, but I'd still refrain from actually using it for anything other than dry handling and solo drills. I wouldn't try to sharpen it and cut/stab (if memory serves, this was a primarily thrusting pattern) anything with it.
Much like the antiques I have, they're fun to study and swing around (provided their solid enough in assembly, I have one that is a little flimsy feeling that I'm more gentle with) but I wouldn't try to clean them up and use them because that would detract, in my mind, from what they used to be. That said, a couple are projects for future professional restoration.
|
|
|
Post by Croccifixio on Mar 22, 2016 1:07:32 GMT
You also don't know what the internal steel looks like. It might be severely corroded and might snap during a swing and hurt someone.
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Mar 22, 2016 19:44:20 GMT
This is true.
|
|
|
Post by dougman on Mar 23, 2016 0:19:15 GMT
Fair enough. I'll spare the questions on polishing and making it presentable; I know there's an entire subforum dedicated to that.
I do have a question on the scaly corrosion pattern though...What exactly would cause that? Is it something from the environment that it was stored in? The older style of steel? Combination of both?
|
|
|
Post by Croccifixio on Mar 23, 2016 1:35:54 GMT
Can you post a picture of the specific spot? In my experience that's generally better than rust because the oxidized steel has already flaked off.
|
|
|
Post by dougman on Mar 23, 2016 1:45:25 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Croccifixio on Mar 23, 2016 1:59:19 GMT
Yeah that's common in really old swords left exposed to nature.
|
|
|
Post by dougman on Mar 23, 2016 3:20:57 GMT
Exposed to nature? That might explain the general condition of everything when I bought it...and certainly adds a cool bit of mystique, especially given the knicks and chinks in the blade.
Yeah, most likely it was used in stage combat and stored in a barn...but it's cool to have visions of the battlefield, and imagine the sword remaining in the dirt for ages afterward.
|
|
|
Post by aguila9 on Apr 5, 2016 4:04:39 GMT
Like most things in life we rarely get back what we put into it. I recommend what others have, post it in as many places as you can and hopefully somebody who really wants it will come closer to your price. Most dealers will undercut you since they want to make a little so avoid them. Just be patient. Good luck.
|
|
|
Post by dougman on Apr 11, 2016 23:57:14 GMT
OK...now that the US military sword is out of the way (I'm going to keep it!), what about some actual SLO's? I've got a katana set that cost a whole $15, including a rack. The swords are falling apart...pardon my lack of Eastern vocabulary, but the hilt and pommel are loose on the katana and tanto, the neckpiece is loose on the katana scabbard, and at least two of the scabbard caps are falling off as well. I don't know that I'm comfortable selling them, and I don't really just want to pitch 'em. So...then what? Any pointers?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2016 0:46:28 GMT
Gift them to someone else.
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Apr 12, 2016 1:16:00 GMT
I've kept mine around, high out of reach by curious hands, as a reminder of how easy it is to be misinformed. Heck, I was dusting them off just the other day, and decided to try and take some of them out of their scabbards. Nope, they weren't having it. Tore them apart, stared at the wreckage for a moment, shoved it all back together, wiped the dust off, and put them back in the rack. Next time I'll just wipe them off and move on.
|
|
|
Post by Jordan Williams on Apr 12, 2016 5:32:07 GMT
Gift them to someone else. I agree with this. And if you don't want to give out potentially dangerous wall hangers, maybe try and make shorter knives out of them?
|
|