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Post by andrew84 on Nov 10, 2024 7:11:23 GMT
I’ve been wanting to buy a sword for a long while, I was looking at getting a Tod Cutler piece. I saw an 1845 pattern in an antique shop yesterday. It has a number stamped on the spine on the blade, so I believe it is a Wilkinson. The handle/guard is pretty loose and it does not have a scabbard. They are asking £95 for it. I was just wondering if this sounds a reasonable price and generally would the loose handle/guard put people off of can it be repaired?
Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.
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Post by mrstabby on Nov 10, 2024 12:01:11 GMT
Welcome.
Can it be repaired? Sure. But can you do it?
If you can do it at home depends on your tools and what exactly is the problem. If the handle wood has shrunk, you would just need to tighten the peen or you could shove a piece of wood between guard and grip to shim it, if it's cracked you'd need to at least repair the crack which would mean full disassembly of the grip.
You can also use super glue to secure loose grips, but only for small movements. It's also quite dangerous to any leather parts and the glue will go somewhere you don't want it at unless you are very careful.
If £95 is good value I can not say TBH.
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LeMal
Member
Posts: 1,180
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Post by LeMal on Nov 10, 2024 14:24:43 GMT
Definitely a reasonable price. But for what I gather you're in the hobby for, you might be better off doing what I'd be inclined too: either living with it as is, or completely rehilting the blade. (Which wouldn't necessarily be doing it keeping it as an 1845; repurposed with a simple crossguard would be what I'd do, very easy.) It's just a question of, as a good deal, do you want it to use and actively cut with, or just admire and lightly handle?
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Post by pellius on Nov 10, 2024 18:04:30 GMT
Welcome to the forum.
Don’t buy a 19th Century sword without a scabbard.
jmtc
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Post by madirish on Nov 13, 2024 16:49:35 GMT
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Post by pellius on Nov 13, 2024 19:50:01 GMT
This guy has a bunch of British swords. The quality of his items ranges from very decent to quite nice, and imho his prices are pretty good.
brigadiergeneral.co.uk
He’s also on FB under Paul Willcocks (I think I spelled that correctly) and on some of the FB sword groups.
I’ve bought from him before. He was always responsive to inquiries, knowledgeable, friendly, and up front about any issues with any sword you might be interested in. He always shipped fast, and used good packaging. And what I received was always what was promised.
Anyways, if you just kinda want a bit of tangible history or are particularly into relic antiques for display and gentle handling, a hundred quid is an easy buy in. If this one strikes your fancy, go for it!
On the other hand, if you are more into swords per se, I would recommend waiting for one that’s complete with scabbard, has a fully intact hilt that’s firm to the blade, and has no red rust anywhere on it. The original beauty will still be present, and you will be able to handle it like a proper sword without it falling apart in your hand.
Again, jmtc
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Post by madirish on Nov 14, 2024 16:35:24 GMT
I disagree re Paul, his prices are steep, particularly for Americans. Yes, he is a great guy and has tons of inventory, but after currency conversion and shipping, he's not giving anyone any deals. As an example, I did far better on the 1796 LC and 1796 Infantry that I bought on this side of the pond than I would ever have done with Paul on similar condition swords. Regardless....the one thing you can say about Paul is that if you are looking for it, he probably has it somewhere in a pile in his garage, that is the joy with Paul...instant gratification, lol.
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