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Post by elbrittania39 on Jul 9, 2018 16:39:34 GMT
What are some swords you didn't particularly care about when you started collecting, but really like now?
What changed your mind about them?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2018 17:24:20 GMT
Early US militia swords with the centurion pommels, ala the first empire French stuff. What began as one has grown still to several. From plain to etched, I still seem to fall for them and adopt. A type only rivaled now by my affection for older spadroons and eaglehead pommel swords. I can't seem to stop. An etched Ames, last fall ![](https://i.imgur.com/1uHYb3I.jpg) ![](https://i.imgur.com/ZstJPAe.jpg) ![](https://i.imgur.com/tAFcRxW.jpg) The latest, a Justice of Philadelphia type with the spiral grip. Just recently. ![](http://www.swordforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=151413&stc=1&d=1529178471) I had thought I was done with them in 2014. Another shortie Ames from the 1840s. ![](http://www.swordforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=124206&stc=1&d=1388513192) I did get carried away some years ago. All in this group Ames and Horstmanns. The Horstmann grips have narrower reeding. ![](http://www.swordforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=124559&stc=1&d=1390178262) ![](http://www.swordforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=124560&stc=1&d=1390178262) A later Marvin the Martian long dagger ![](http://i41.tinypic.com/2n19wgn.jpg) ![](http://i41.tinypic.com/2wd5y7r.jpg) Another etched Ames militia type minus its ivory grip shell but the same centurion pommel trend. These share the same blade as the regular army regulation general officer sword of the 1830s ![](https://i.imgur.com/lOVgEss.jpg) I'm not sure when I became truly obsessive of them but had started a discussion some years ago and a fellow enthusiast has shown a great deal about these swords. www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?104816-Early-Ames-And-Other-s-Militia-NCO-PatternsI continue to look fro bargains on the old and shorter plain Ames examples. The scallop langets a bonus find. The silver wash example was a great find. Prices are generally up some but there are still pre American Civil War examples out there in the $100 range. Ten years ago, they were only barely on my radar. They are now still on a search I run almost daily.
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stormmaster
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I like viking/migration era swords
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Post by stormmaster on Jul 9, 2018 17:29:34 GMT
Probably falchions, they were not that appealing to me early on due to their brutish look and being single edged, since handling a nicer one I've grown to like them
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Jul 9, 2018 17:34:31 GMT
To a certain degree, "sabres," in the broad category of curved, single-hand, single-edged swords; and the ubiquitous tachi/katana/wakizashi lineage. Plus, well, machetes.
For the first category, getting exposed to diversity of types and use. Especially more devastating-cut oriented ones (kilij, talwar, even shamshir in many circumstances) used in a way not dissimilar to Western straight blades, and especially by preference in conjunction with a shield or buckler. As well as liking the in-fighting capability with close-in slashing and deceptive curved thrusts.
For the second, they're still hardly my favorite. (I have only one katana, very primitively hilted.) But I can see their popularity, especially in handiness of carry, especially when not having a shield handy, great effectiveness when armor isn't around, etc. etc. etc. Their popularity seems to me to mirror the AR rifle platform: not the greatest at any one thing, but pretty good to really good in most circumstances, not too obtrusive or cumbersome, and so on.
Finally: the long machete. Nearly as good as a sword in many cases, but no-frills and cheap enough not to worry about just using it as a tool--and thus having it around when you need it. The perfect antidote to sword snobbery! (Seriously, give me forty guys with CS cutlass machetes and makeshift shields and we'll see how long the guy with the fancy top of the line Albion that cost the same lasts against them. ;) )
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Post by randomnobody on Jul 9, 2018 19:15:29 GMT
Anything that wasn't Japanese or "European" for the longest time, then I got bored.
I once thought only really big swords were worthwhile, but now shorties are more my thing.
Etc.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Jul 10, 2018 5:47:23 GMT
I don't know the name of it, but I've reslly taken a liking to the straight Korean Sword that looks like a katana. I want another one, it felt really nice in the hand.
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Post by randomnobody on Jul 10, 2018 13:21:25 GMT
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Post by Dalin Caulder on Jul 10, 2018 13:44:09 GMT
Being a long time SCAdian I really liked only swords from the late medieval and Early Modern era (rapiers and side swords Pre-1700's). In the past year I've developed an appreciation for the 18th-19th century Basket Hilt Broadsword and some other swords I've begun looking into from that time period.
I've also recently got into the Dussack and Schiavona.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Jul 10, 2018 14:47:38 GMT
Sabres an the swordlike CS-machetes. But also the straight katana-like swords I've seen in a few tv-series/SciFi. Hard to find.
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Jul 10, 2018 16:04:44 GMT
Longsword and Bastard sword...wow, learned so much, love them now.
Falchions, thought they were crappy choppers...nope.
Messers- See Falchion.
Kopis- Complete surprise, which now has me interested ion Kukuri
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jul 10, 2018 16:18:16 GMT
I’ll go along with LeMal on this one. It didn’t click when I read the name of this thread as I consider it a tool/weapon, basically a tool. I never thought highly of the lowly machete most of my life, not knowing to refine the edge nor good cutting techniques. It was just a tool to be tolerated. Now living in a country where a machete is king and the information I’ve learned about edge angles, types of edges etc., I’ve totally revaluated the machete. I am machete heavy at the moment but I declare I think that I’ll be ordering a CS Cutlass Machete before it’s over. I’ve come close several times. I had not considered the machete shield combination but I think that concept pushed my over the hump.
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Post by leviathansteak on Jul 11, 2018 7:40:46 GMT
I first learnt of cinquedea and schiavona years ago when i played assassins creed 2. I thought they looked absolutely ridiculous and refused to use them at all.
Then much later i took up hema and started looking at pictures of originals and good repros and i now have a great appreciation for them!
Goes to show how much is lost when game developers try to make swords 'cooler' for video games by making them oversized and flashy. The real ones are far more elegant and deadly looking
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Post by viece on Jul 11, 2018 13:05:09 GMT
16th-17th century basket hilt swords.
I used to only be interested in Viking stuff and medieval arming swords and longswords because they were medieval and cool, and then later military sabers and swords because of family connections to the American Revolution, Civil War, and Federal/Native American conflicts in the American west.
Now that I started collecting for real, I have some genuine antique sabers but have given up on ever being able to afford Viking or medieval antiques (and it seems a majority of those out on the market may be fake anyway). So I've come back around to basket hilted sideswords, Walloons, etc as the just barely accessible descendants of the classic medieval arming sword. I now have a late 17th-century Scottish broadsword, a late 17th or early 18th-century Walloon broadsword, and a (possibly) late 16th-century basket hilted backsword that have pulled me into historical periods and themes I hadn't looked too closely at before.
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Post by 28shadow on Jul 12, 2018 20:26:58 GMT
I don't know the name of it, but I've reslly taken a liking to the straight Korean Sword that looks like a katana. I want another one, it felt really nice in the hand. Jingum and Samgakdo are the names of Korean swords.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Jul 12, 2018 23:45:33 GMT
I don't know the name of it, but I've reslly taken a liking to the straight Korean Sword that looks like a katana. I want another one, it felt really nice in the hand. Jingum and Samgakdo are the names of Korean swords. I think it's the samgakdo
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jul 13, 2018 1:59:10 GMT
When I was a kid and knew nothing of swords, I thought the only real swords were 6 feet long and weighed about 40 pounds. Since then, I used to dislike any kind of sword without a straight or curved crossguard and a round or scent-stopper pommel. I detested complex hilts like the rapier and side-sword styles...then I bought my Hanwei Renaissance side-sword...because it was rare, and the deal was good. Now, after handling it, I'm changed. I still love my medieval-era big 'un's, but I love that little razor-edged needle of a sword. If I have to sell everything one day, that, and my Hanwei Cawood will be my total collection.
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Post by nerdthenord on Jul 13, 2018 2:14:07 GMT
For me, it's the good old Katana. It's actually a cyclic thing. When I first started getting into swords, I thought Euro swords were fine and all, but the Katana was THE sword. Then I learned the Katana wasn't all it cracked up to be, and I completely disowned it. Now I'm wiser and appreciate the Katana immensely, but recognize it's shortcomings.
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Post by viece on Jul 13, 2018 11:34:32 GMT
What an interesting thread, ElB39. Thanks for starting it.
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Post by elbrittania39 on Jul 14, 2018 20:10:49 GMT
Thanks for all the replies guys. I guess its only fair I share mine too.
My tastes have definitely moved towards more recent history as I collected. When I started, I thought I would be getting arming swords and very very early sabers like the Avars had. Now, I like sabers from ~1600-1800, as well as early basket hilts. Just from seeing pictures, I assumed basket hilts would constrain wrist movement a lot. But since having tried them, I can safely say thats not the case.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jul 14, 2018 21:13:24 GMT
Yup....A properly weighted and balanced basket hilt is a joy to hold. I'm still thinking about re-blading my old Windlass basket. Pretty nice looking basket, but the blade is crap.
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