Found Irish Sword - Good buy?
Mar 10, 2007 20:52:37 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2007 20:52:37 GMT
While wandering around town in Berkeley, CA earlier today (spring break ) I came accross a nice little Celtic Jewelry store and was pleasently supprised to find a number of swords hanging on the wall.
One of them in particular caught my eye. It is a single handed Irish sword that it looks like a shorter version of Generation 2's Irish hand and a half, with the same open ring type of pommel and a similar looking cross guard along with a leather wrapped girp.
The blade looked like a type XII (slight taper and a fuller running about two thirds the lenght of the blade).
I talked to the store owner who didn't seem to know a great deal about the swords on the wall, saying that he had picked most of them up differnet places over the years. He said the blade was probably carbon steel and that the sword most likely had a full tang. There was a price tag of 265 on this particular sword.
Are there any ways (quick tests that I can do in the store?) to see if this sword is at all functional or simply a wall hanger? how can i tell if the blade is really carbon steel and if there is really a full tang (although since the pommel is an open ring and there is a piece of steel going through the center, i guess its a pretty safe bet to say there is one)? is there anything else i should keep my eye out for to see if it is well constructed and or / historically accurate?
I am hoping to talk the price down on this piece. I wouldn't pay more than $200 for it and would really like to get it down to 150 or so, especially considering that i know very little about where it came from etc...
What do you guys think? Any information from someone who knows about Irish swords would be greatly appreciated. Also any ammo you can give me for the negotiating process would be very helpful (examples of similar swords online for a cheaper price, etc...)
One of them in particular caught my eye. It is a single handed Irish sword that it looks like a shorter version of Generation 2's Irish hand and a half, with the same open ring type of pommel and a similar looking cross guard along with a leather wrapped girp.
The blade looked like a type XII (slight taper and a fuller running about two thirds the lenght of the blade).
I talked to the store owner who didn't seem to know a great deal about the swords on the wall, saying that he had picked most of them up differnet places over the years. He said the blade was probably carbon steel and that the sword most likely had a full tang. There was a price tag of 265 on this particular sword.
Are there any ways (quick tests that I can do in the store?) to see if this sword is at all functional or simply a wall hanger? how can i tell if the blade is really carbon steel and if there is really a full tang (although since the pommel is an open ring and there is a piece of steel going through the center, i guess its a pretty safe bet to say there is one)? is there anything else i should keep my eye out for to see if it is well constructed and or / historically accurate?
I am hoping to talk the price down on this piece. I wouldn't pay more than $200 for it and would really like to get it down to 150 or so, especially considering that i know very little about where it came from etc...
What do you guys think? Any information from someone who knows about Irish swords would be greatly appreciated. Also any ammo you can give me for the negotiating process would be very helpful (examples of similar swords online for a cheaper price, etc...)