#1 is a eBay. Great selection, great prices... i got Hitler's personal dagger for Ł20 and Churchill's cell phone for mere Ł150. Its a old ass nokia though, they hadnt Iphones back then.
I live in the States (near Houston, Texas, specifically), and have been collecting military edged weapons for over 26 years. I'm embarrassed to say that the movie "Highlander" inspired my hobby, but glad to own such wonderful pieces of history. Matt's strategies for picking up antique swords and blades are spot on, but I would add a couple of additional methods -- Garage/Yard Sales , and word of mouth. Although I've never bought a sword in this manner, I have acquired several bayonets and VERY old knives at garage sales (to include a Civil War Arkansas Toothpick for $10!). Swords have also come my way through family friends and word of mouth (and often at a very good price!). Keep your ears and eyes open, and soon you'll have a collection that will astonish people.......Happy hunting Y'all!
Wish i had the opportunities you had. Same age, was in antique shops looking at stuff that people would swear are legit and looked wrong to unknowing me. Thanks in large part to you, i have a much better idea of European swords and feel semi confident in purchasing. Although i suspect my first confirmed piece will be from you.
Hi Matt, maybe a more interesting point for aspiring collectors, is regarding education! What sword books would you recommended that would help identify swords, type, era and background? In addition to books, what online resources (forums, information websites) do you use to research swords?
I don't know about other guys watching your channel, but I would totally watch you reviewing some of the blades you are selling. It'll be nice to learn about them, and who knows maybe someone might become interested and pick one up? It'll like a product review type of a thing.
What's amazing to me is that the real thing is about a third what you can buy a semi-decent reproduction for. If it is clean, treasure it. If it is a beater, play with it! (Assuming it isn't something very rare.)
You should have pointed to some manufacturers of replicas. I think that would reduce your "competition" quite a bit, as most people just want something to hang on the wall.
>Telling everyone where to get good antique swords >Finding more competition in getting good antique swords There's only one way to settle this. Fencing duel. First to spill blood loses.
lol they start using colichemarde smallswords with safety tips, just bit like 1cm long barbs and wear throat protection and protection over any other areas that could be of risk like the face.
The U.S. Is pretty cheap if you hunt around in places like gunshows or antique shops you can find some interesting and pretty cheap stuff. In Hawaii you can find a lot of Asian weapons
Great work Matt at describing the matter with proper words 😃 Its not the bloody money mates but HUGE amounts of information and lots of books and sources that arent free to get some decent information and lots of time spent. For beginners (not only) Matts site has very nice things for sale a lot of times even with some already done research in very interesting prices and he is man of reputation so its perfektly safe place to start too 😃 Good hunt!
So it seems to me like getting my hands on an antique sword wouldn't be that tough. What does seem pretty tough is building my expertise enough to know if what I'm getting is what they say I'm getting, which seems more difficult to me. Care to do a video on that as well?
I'd like to see a video/series of videos talking about things to look for when looking at antique swords: things that are telling of fakes, things that show you around when or by whom a sword is made, etc., without getting into the absolute specifics like you do with your videos about different styles of saber or what have you.
What about new swords? Replicas? I know about Albion Swords but they don't have rapiers and sabers. Cold steel is another company... but what would you recommend?
Nephi895 Well, I'm not really a dealer - I just have to liberate things from my collection sometimes and as Ebay UK doesn't allow sword sales anymore I had to set up my own website.
scholagladiatoria As I bought my first antique sword from you I'm glad you did. Private sites make it much easier to determine whether someone is reputable than open marketplaces like ebay.
@@scholagladiatoria I'm a huge fan of your channel, been following you since 2016, you're a big inspiration when it comes to HEMA and collecting swords. I know that you do cutting tests with reproductions, I don't know if the same can be done with antiques or if they are too valuable for that.
Unrelated question; it just occurred to me looking at the swords behind you: what is the purpose of the ridge at the tip of the scabbards? Is it just an aesthetic choice, or does it have some function? Cheers
Hi Matt and thanks for the video!I had seen the prices on your website sometime ago and they seemed close to my financial abilities.The point is i want to buy a sword that is in "ready for battle" "or battle able" condition but i dont need necessarily an antique.The weird part is that all the decent reconstructions like albion stuff and so on are REALLY EXPENSIVE.So why is that happening(antiques less expensive than reconstructions)?And are antique swords in a condition that i may test cut and do stuff like that without worrying to damage them?
Well Greg that depends on what type you are looking for cause I can tell you several makers who will made you decent battle ready blade 18th or 19th century type in price lvls of 3 to 6 hundred pounds - just depends on what the more precise features are ... And your location of course Albion is not only game in town but best at what they are doing vs time vs money - but make just to high medieval period ...
Hanwei and Windlass make entry level battle ready swords for a reasonable price. Cold steel swords aren't very expensive but also aren't very historically accurate. They are tough as nails and excellent for cutting static targets though. If you want a sword that handles like an original but aren't concerned with historically accurate looks you might be able to pick up a second hand Angus Trim sword for a moderate sum (my Atrim type xii cost about $550 US). If you want a whole package with historical looks and performance then yes, you are looking at high end repros from A&A or Albion. The nice thing about swords though is that if you take care of them they retain most of their value, so you can often get back a reasonable percentage of what you paid (or all of it if you bought second hand). In some cases, like Angus Trim they may even go up, although that is unusual.
titanscerw Thanks for the replies guys!But as you said decent reproduction swords go to 400+ prices while those at his store are about 200 that is why i ask if they are battle ready and if they can take some abuse.
Greg Makropoulos The ones currently available at Matt's store are between 300-500 British pounds. With the exchange rate they are between 500 and 750 US dollars plus shipping, which puts them in the mid-price range for reproductions. You are free to do with your own property as you wish, but I would strongly discourage you from "abusing" antique swords. They are more delicate due to their age and the generally poorer quality of steel than modern reproduction swords and if you destroy one you are depriving future generations of its historical value as an artifact. If you want a sword that can take some abuse get a "beater" sword designed for that purpose from either cold steel or darksword armoury.
lancer D Yes right,now they are quite more expensive but many times i found some swords i liked around the prices of 200.Also i live in Greece... I see what you mean obviously i dont want to destroy it,just do some basic stuff.I also dont think aging played a major role they are at most 200 years old,which since most of them were not heavilly used if taken a bit care of is nothing.Although you might be correct about the poor steel quility.But just for the record i am not one that whats just something to cut stuff!I want historic or with historic feel swords that's why i dont want a generic tactical moderns sword that stainless steel would provide.Thats why i am looking at antiques and decent reconstructions of historic swords.
I'm watching this in 2024 and I have been collecting for about 20 years and I wish prices were still like they were when this video was made 9 years,ago.When I think back to those days you could get a steal back then compared to today,of course everything is higher now isn't it,Cheers BostonUSA
How much more would you pay for sword with a scabbard as opposed to an identical sword without the scabbard? Is it only 20% or more like 50% more? Thanks
I have a friend who picked up antique sabres from the American civil war for 100$ usd at a pawn shop once. Guy who owned the shop didn’t know what he had, but they where in very rough shape.
Hi Matt, I was wondering if you are ever going to do a video regaurding your sword collection? You've shown a variety of swords on your channel and I was curious to see what owned.
Maybe this is a question you can answer. For someone short on cash, time, whatever but they still want to get some knowledge, what is the one "essential" book the budding collector should own to get them started?
In 1955, I saw what I believe was a light infantry officer's sword in a shop in Oxford for 50 shillings. Gives you an idea of the shift in the economy.
I would like a vid on hanger swords and would love to get one. I know they aren't as good as officer swords but they were the most used. So they deserve some credit.
I just bought my first antique sword. A Persian officer's shashka. I love it much more than my other modern copies. Much lighter and more nimble. I feel like "Zorro" with it in my hand. I'm only going to buy more antiques from now on. They were made specifically to last in war and keep their user alive . Not like modern swords that are made to slice tatami mats and look good at renaissance fairs. Cheers from Canada.
Since you were talking a little bit about the swords on your wall, I was curious was you used to hang/display them? I assume they're some sort of hooks, but however you hanged them they just look awesome on the wall, and all you can really see are the beautiful swords, instead of some cumbersome hanging apparatus.
Question about Antique swords: Can you use them for sparring/fighting? If so, what you should look for when buying one, so it can take the beating without breaking up.
My favorite find was an American Civil War officers sword found at a second hand store for $40.00. The lady tried to talk me out if it as I can find other nice display pieces for "much less."
My father-in-law was a plumber and used to get offers to barter for his services from older customers instead of paying cash. He came across interesting things all the time, so make friends with your local plumber and let him know what you are looking for!
I have recently got my first antique sword, a Spanish infantry/artillery briquet from 1878. And I am really worried about its maintenance. First because I live in a very humid tropical country and also because the sheath is missing. By the time I got it it already had some rust dots and a lot of patina. Should I still oil it even when I don't have the sheath?
Haha, speaking of bayonets - the brother of a friend of mine has a spanish bayonet recovered from a german bomber pilot shot down over the Faroe Islands (where I´m from) during WW2. He (the german pilot) propably got it fighting with the German Expeditionary Force during the Spanish Civil war or from someone who did. x)
I stumbled on Matts website when I looked for a picture of a saber. Now I knew why I felt like I saw that sword... damn. I'm watching too much of this channel.
I recently bought a sword at a barn sale and it looks promising but I don't know where to start identifying it. I see there is a pin in the hilt but I'm hesitant on banging on it do you have any recommendations on where to take it to identify it? I am located in the U.S.
I'm in UK. I was wondering because I remember years ago there was talk about maybe banning or restricting bladed weapons and didn't know if any laws had actually been made. I find it strange that some US states have laws. The 2nd amendment says "arms" not "firearms" so surely that includes swords.
heresjonny666 I'm not saying I agree with the amendment to the law as its a rather blunt instrument, but...they did have a reasonable rational for singling out Katanas over other swords. The market for cheap replica Katanas was and is huge. The kind of moron who would buy a sword to actually use as an offensive weapon was exactly the kind of moron that would believe all the hype about Japanese swords being able to cut through machinegun barrels etc. So along with a de-badged VW Golf, a pitbull terrier and a Burberry baseball cap the next most desirable thing was a Katana. I can remember seeing cheap Katana's for sale as low as £40 in shops before the law was changed. Now I know these swords were of horrible quality, with nasty plastic hilts and tsubas made of pot metal, but before they fell to peices you could still deal a fatal wound with one. So from that perspective is has made swords like that soemwhat harder for street thugs and petty gangsters to acquire. I doubt it would ever cross the mind of someone like that to use a European style sword instead.
If you ever want to carry a sword, wear a smallsword and, if anyone asks abotu it, say "I do fencing." As, to a casual observer, a smallsword looks like a foil, especially if you have the blade mounted on a cup hilt.
One of the reasons swords are so expensive in the U.S. Is that most are from our civil war and people go ape shit over anything associated with the civil war, even if they could care less about swords or any other military history.
Since I got that 1845 pattern infantry officers Sabre from you, I've recommended you to over 20 people face to face and more online. So if you noticed a 0.5% increase in sales over the last 6 months. Don't mention it :D
Would you ever make a video with some useful tips for spotting fakes and other crap? I believe you did something like that on kukris a while back. Anyway it would be helpful if you had any tips about 19th century swords. Cheers! thanks for the vid.
Hmm... have you ever put your whole collection on display? After around 22 years collecting them I imagine it is more than worthy of an entry fee to watch them.
Could you recommend websites and manufacturers in europe for buying good non-antique swords? Unless it's Albion, it's often hard to tell if the swords are high in quality and/or adequite for use in HEMA sparring and the like.
A&A is good but they are not in Europe. Go look at Regenyei and Ensifer. For high end customs I suggest Peter Johnsson and Stefan Roth. Pavel Moc is good too.
In Australia, where can one get a sword certified or at least have what you have been told it is, confirmed or not. Im not into collecting, i just want to know if a family heirloom is actually what im told it is. (A genuine katana)
Your "generally" often sounds like "germany" :D Do you have (buying-)experience with older swords, e.g. from the 15th century? Where do you get your non-antique swords? What are good modern manufacturers for medieval swords (possible cathegories: authentic, good for training, good for exhibition fights,...)?
Would you mind sending me a link to online dealers that ship to America? Since I'm left-handed, it won't be any competition for you to get right-handed sabers, just left-handed and a few ambidextrous ones. I mostly don't want to buy a stainless steel one or buy from Cold Steel. By the way, my kik is UltimaDragon, if you prefer Kik. If you prefer Facebook, I'll find you on there and ask if it's okay.
I don't collect swords but, as an artist, I do collect a lot of reference photos. One of the best sources for photos I've come across is an auction site that puts up antique arms and armor quite often, as well as other things. Let me know if you want a link.
Thx for the very informativ post. Are there any good books on the market which can assist an newbie to get into field of collecting? Some kind of guide how to discern a real antique sword from an fake?
Go to Ebay , look for pitted blades ,.get some good reference books , if you collect American swords ,..look for the book... American Sword ,,,.dont try and collect Confederate swords or Bowie knives (youll find fakes everywhere) or medieval swords ...same warning applies
Ummnnn... i am sure this gets asked all the time, but are antiques the only real option for quality swords? Something about an antique, if i owned one i would not want to be using it in HEMA -i would want to display it. Are there options of actually buying "real" swords, armors etc that are not antiques. I can find a thousand replica producers, some of which are very nice looking, very well crafted in many respects, but are simply not realistically functional. What if you wanted to buy a "new" sword or other HEMA equipment?
***** No, there are lots of good sword makers out there - Albion make swords as good as the medieval originals, and there are people like John Lundemo and Marco Danelli making awesome stuff as well.
Kind of mean to tell someone, "No you can't have any, I shant tell you where to buy them, I want them all you see." Unless you are opening a museum you really don't need to corner the market on cutlery.
It's a bit more complicated than that, in that I buy and sell swords to enhance my collection and so do the mainstream dealers who I might recommend (or not). So I can't even give an unbiased recommendation of dealers because of the position I'm in.
To be fair, Matt didn't tell people they couldn't have any or say he wanted them all. As someone who has a small sword selling business it would be a little awkward for him to recommend what were effectively his competitors or to give away a source of cheaply priced swords. It would be like a corner shop handing out free passes to the wholesaler, why would you then bother buying at corner shop prices when you can get it for cost price? I've recently started collecting a few 19th Century swords and after doing some research on what you want to buy and looking through the internet you can quickly find plenty of online dealers. The internet does have the virtue of allowing you to compare several different dealers prices in a short amount of time and also research what replica swords are out there, as these are likely to be passed off as antiques by unscrupulous or ignorant people. It doesn't take a great deal of effort if you're more than just casually interested.
+scholagladiatoria True. It just seems oddly specific that there are so many of that particular pattern. Great videos, by the way - really interesting!
When we talk about real swords, we mean swords that have steel or carbon steel blades. These swords have factory sharp blades and you can further sharpen their blades. www.sharpimport.com/wholesale-swords
Hello..!! I have a sword like that, idk much about it but i bet its from year ago like from 18nd century. It has a human bone or a some animal bone in the handle...sorry im from india my english bad sorry for that :) please reply me
There are two categories of swords today, traditional swords and modern swords. Here are four swords, a couple modern and a couple traditional ones. www.bloglovin.com/@ashleyrosa9/4-spectacular-modern-traditional-swords
And the more people who collect, the higher the prices will go! So if you don't already collect, kindly refrain from starting a collection of antiques. But please help yourself to the replicas.
DON'T RISK GETTING SUED! Matt, if you will forgive my saying so, I'd add a caveat to your ending statement or clarify that you are speaking facetiously . Even though you are being lighthearted, calling your insight into the benefits of collecting 'financial advice' may be all the grounds that some idiot who puts his money into absolute crap and loses his shirt and then blames you for it needs to be able to legally sue you, declaring that you gave him bad financial advice! - You're a nice guy, Matt. You don't need that headache hanging over your family's financial security. I'd seriously consider editing the video ending if I were you!
![OhGeesy x Lefty Gunplay - What It Iz [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0yzW9t2ixk/mqdefault.jpg)
#1 is a eBay. Great selection, great prices... i got Hitler's personal dagger for Ł20 and Churchill's cell phone for mere Ł150. Its a old ass nokia though, they hadnt Iphones back then.
Hi Matt. Perhaps a more useful video where you could be more detailed would be "Where _Not_ To Buy Antique Swords"?
I picked up a 1800s naval boarding axe that was labelled as a garden tool for $26. The cheapest I can find was for $700. :D
Nice. Some of my favourite pieces are so simply because I got them as massive bargains.
I picked up a 1896 Spanish military Sabre and a 1889 Prussian Officers Sword for $120 each. The Prussian's handle was completely destroyed though.
+Adrian's Survival Arms Armour and Zombies. Usually I see the opposite. Carpenter's tools and the like sold as implements of war
Now I think it is a ww1era German fireman's axe. but that is still worth about 10 times what I payed for it.
I've picked up a ww2 Japanese officers sword
I bought my last sabre from you, and I still love it! It was well worth waiting in the cold to pick it up :D
I live in the States (near Houston, Texas, specifically), and have been collecting military edged weapons for over 26 years. I'm embarrassed to say that the movie "Highlander" inspired my hobby, but glad to own such wonderful pieces of history. Matt's strategies for picking up antique swords and blades are spot on, but I would add a couple of additional methods -- Garage/Yard Sales , and word of mouth. Although I've never bought a sword in this manner, I have acquired several bayonets and VERY old knives at garage sales (to include a Civil War Arkansas Toothpick for $10!). Swords have also come my way through family friends and word of mouth (and often at a very good price!). Keep your ears and eyes open, and soon you'll have a collection that will astonish people.......Happy hunting Y'all!
Atlanta Ga Antique shops
They just don't make two-hundred-year-old swords, anymore, do they?
They do, but there's a two century waiting period.
lancer D xDD very true.
lancer D I nearly died of wit.
I have a very special thing for you sword lover
I have more than 200 year old
Wish i had the opportunities you had. Same age, was in antique shops looking at stuff that people would swear are legit and looked wrong to unknowing me.
Thanks in large part to you, i have a much better idea of European swords and feel semi confident in purchasing. Although i suspect my first confirmed piece will be from you.
Hi Matt, maybe a more interesting point for aspiring collectors, is regarding education! What sword books would you recommended that would help identify swords, type, era and background? In addition to books, what online resources (forums, information websites) do you use to research swords?
I don't know about other guys watching your channel, but I would totally watch you reviewing some of the blades you are selling. It'll be nice to learn about them, and who knows maybe someone might become interested and pick one up? It'll like a product review type of a thing.
What's amazing to me is that the real thing is about a third what you can buy a semi-decent reproduction for. If it is clean, treasure it. If it is a beater, play with it! (Assuming it isn't something very rare.)
Completely understandable, sir, no need for apologies.
You did forget to link your website, though :-)
Doh! Fixed thanks.
You should have pointed to some manufacturers of replicas. I think that would reduce your "competition" quite a bit, as most people just want something to hang on the wall.
>Telling everyone where to get good antique swords
>Finding more competition in getting good antique swords
There's only one way to settle this.
Fencing duel. First to spill blood loses.
lol they start using colichemarde smallswords with safety tips, just bit like 1cm long barbs and wear throat protection and protection over any other areas that could be of risk like the face.
The U.S. Is pretty cheap if you hunt around in places like gunshows or antique shops you can find some interesting and pretty cheap stuff. In Hawaii you can find a lot of Asian weapons
Mughal and Ottoman antiques, the ones I've seen online anyway, are *so* expensive. I'm eye-balling that talwar on your site though, Matt!
Which one you are talking about
@@mayankpanwar3553 brother you're 7 years late
Great work Matt at describing the matter with proper words 😃
Its not the bloody money mates but HUGE amounts of information and lots of books and sources that arent free to get some decent information and lots of time spent.
For beginners (not only) Matts site has very nice things for sale a lot of times even with some already done research in very interesting prices and he is man of reputation so its perfektly safe place to start too 😃
Good hunt!
So it seems to me like getting my hands on an antique sword wouldn't be that tough. What does seem pretty tough is building my expertise enough to know if what I'm getting is what they say I'm getting, which seems more difficult to me. Care to do a video on that as well?
I'd like to see a video/series of videos talking about things to look for when looking at antique swords: things that are telling of fakes, things that show you around when or by whom a sword is made, etc., without getting into the absolute specifics like you do with your videos about different styles of saber or what have you.
What about new swords? Replicas?
I know about Albion Swords but they don't have rapiers and sabers.
Cold steel is another company... but what would you recommend?
Thanks for the video. I'd love to see one that gives a quick overview of tips and red flags for spotting fakes and cheap knockoffs, too.
Where to buy antique swords? From me, Matt!
Nephi895 Well, I'm not really a dealer - I just have to liberate things from my collection sometimes and as Ebay UK doesn't allow sword sales anymore I had to set up my own website.
I can definitely endorse the price and service :)
scholagladiatoria As I bought my first antique sword from you I'm glad you did. Private sites make it much easier to determine whether someone is reputable than open marketplaces like ebay.
What I really wanted to know is: apart from displaying them on the wall what do you do with them? Do you do cutting tests with them?
I've got a whole channel with over 1000 videos about this LOL
@@scholagladiatoria I'm a huge fan of your channel, been following you since 2016, you're a big inspiration when it comes to HEMA and collecting swords. I know that you do cutting tests with reproductions, I don't know if the same can be done with antiques or if they are too valuable for that.
Unrelated question; it just occurred to me looking at the swords behind you: what is the purpose of the ridge at the tip of the scabbards? Is it just an aesthetic choice, or does it have some function? Cheers
It's called a drag. It's there to prevent the scabbard getting a hole in it when you drag it on the ground. Because for some reason, people did that.
Hi Matt and thanks for the video!I had seen the prices on your website sometime ago and they seemed close to my financial abilities.The point is i want to buy a sword that is in "ready for battle" "or battle able" condition but i dont need necessarily an antique.The weird part is that all the decent reconstructions like albion stuff and so on are REALLY EXPENSIVE.So why is that happening(antiques less expensive than reconstructions)?And are antique swords in a condition that i may test cut and do stuff like that without worrying to damage them?
Well Greg that depends on what type you are looking for cause I can tell you several makers who will made you decent battle ready blade 18th or 19th century type in price lvls of 3 to 6 hundred pounds - just depends on what the more precise features are ... And your location of course
Albion is not only game in town but best at what they are doing vs time vs money - but make just to high medieval period ...
Hanwei and Windlass make entry level battle ready swords for a reasonable price. Cold steel swords aren't very expensive but also aren't very historically accurate. They are tough as nails and excellent for cutting static targets though. If you want a sword that handles like an original but aren't concerned with historically accurate looks you might be able to pick up a second hand Angus Trim sword for a moderate sum (my Atrim type xii cost about $550 US). If you want a whole package with historical looks and performance then yes, you are looking at high end repros from A&A or Albion. The nice thing about swords though is that if you take care of them they retain most of their value, so you can often get back a reasonable percentage of what you paid (or all of it if you bought second hand). In some cases, like Angus Trim they may even go up, although that is unusual.
titanscerw
Thanks for the replies guys!But as you said decent reproduction swords go to 400+ prices while those at his store are about 200 that is why i ask if they are battle ready and if they can take some abuse.
Greg Makropoulos The ones currently available at Matt's store are between 300-500 British pounds. With the exchange rate they are between 500 and 750 US dollars plus shipping, which puts them in the mid-price range for reproductions. You are free to do with your own property as you wish, but I would strongly discourage you from "abusing" antique swords. They are more delicate due to their age and the generally poorer quality of steel than modern reproduction swords and if you destroy one you are depriving future generations of its historical value as an artifact. If you want a sword that can take some abuse get a "beater" sword designed for that purpose from either cold steel or darksword armoury.
lancer D
Yes right,now they are quite more expensive but many times i found some swords i liked around the prices of 200.Also i live in Greece... I see what you mean obviously i dont want to destroy it,just do some basic stuff.I also dont think aging played a major role they are at most 200 years old,which since most of them were not heavilly used if taken a bit care of is nothing.Although you might be correct about the poor steel quility.But just for the record i am not one that whats just something to cut stuff!I want historic or with historic feel swords that's why i dont want a generic tactical moderns sword that stainless steel would provide.Thats why i am looking at antiques and decent reconstructions of historic swords.
I'm watching this in 2024 and I have been collecting for about 20 years and I wish prices were still like they were when this video was made 9 years,ago.When I think back to those days you could get a steal back then compared to today,of course everything is higher now isn't it,Cheers BostonUSA
How much more would you pay for sword with a scabbard as opposed to an identical sword without the scabbard? Is it only 20% or more like 50% more?
Thanks
Several interesting points but I often overlook.
I think that was a fair answer to a difficult question.
I have a friend who picked up antique sabres from the American civil war for 100$ usd at a pawn shop once. Guy who owned the shop didn’t know what he had, but they where in very rough shape.
Great video Matt! This is one I've been needing to see for quite some time :)
Hi Matt, I was wondering if you are ever going to do a video regaurding your sword collection? You've shown a variety of swords on your channel and I was curious to see what owned.
Maybe this is a question you can answer. For someone short on cash, time, whatever but they still want to get some knowledge, what is the one "essential" book the budding collector should own to get them started?
In 1955, I saw what I believe was a light infantry officer's sword in a shop in Oxford for 50 shillings. Gives you an idea of the shift in the economy.
I would like a vid on hanger swords and would love to get one. I know they aren't as good as officer swords but they were the most used. So they deserve some credit.
He has changed his website now if anyone is wondering! Check a newer video. It's usually listed at the bottom ;)
I just bought my first antique sword. A Persian officer's shashka. I love it much more than my other modern copies. Much lighter and more nimble. I feel like "Zorro" with it in my hand. I'm only going to buy more antiques from now on. They were made specifically to last in war and keep their user alive . Not like modern swords that are made to slice tatami mats and look good at renaissance fairs. Cheers from Canada.
Plz connect with me I have a great option for you
Since you were talking a little bit about the swords on your wall, I was curious was you used to hang/display them? I assume they're some sort of hooks, but however you hanged them they just look awesome on the wall, and all you can really see are the beautiful swords, instead of some cumbersome hanging apparatus.
Matt did video about hanging system he uses search his channel for it
Question about Antique swords: Can you use them for sparring/fighting? If so, what you should look for when buying one, so it can take the beating without breaking up.
***** You physically could, but I do not endorse the destruction of historical artifacts.
Did your swords come this way, or did you fix them up a little?
My favorite find was an American Civil War officers sword found at a second hand store for $40.00. The lady tried to talk me out if it as I can find other nice display pieces for "much less."
In the US, The Antique Shops near Atlanta Georgia- almost every single one has swords.
Including fakes
My father-in-law was a plumber and used to get offers to barter for his services from older customers instead of paying cash. He came across interesting things all the time, so make friends with your local plumber and let him know what you are looking for!
I have recently got my first antique sword, a Spanish infantry/artillery briquet from 1878. And I am really worried about its maintenance. First because I live in a very humid tropical country and also because the sheath is missing. By the time I got it it already had some rust dots and a lot of patina. Should I still oil it even when I don't have the sheath?
Haha, speaking of bayonets - the brother of a friend of mine has a spanish bayonet recovered from a german bomber pilot shot down over the Faroe Islands (where I´m from) during WW2. He (the german pilot) propably got it fighting with the German Expeditionary Force during the Spanish Civil war or from someone who did. x)
I stumbled on Matts website when I looked for a picture of a saber. Now I knew why I felt like I saw that sword... damn. I'm watching too much of this channel.
Do you collect weapons other than swords (ie: bows, tribal weapons)? What got you into HEMA?
It's ok. You probably already have my share. I'll consider it a permanent loan like a museum. :)
What is the highest you have paid for an antique?
In the USA the average price for a one in good condition is over $500
I recently bought a sword at a barn sale and it looks promising but I don't know where to start identifying it. I see there is a pin in the hilt but I'm hesitant on banging on it do you have any recommendations on where to take it to identify it? I am located in the U.S.
seems like your more of a sword dealer than a collector
Nope, I don't have the spare time to deal. I have two main jobs and collecting swords is a hobby for me.
Hint early 1800 french swords seem to be the most widely available
lol... souvenirs. I think you mean loot.
Good info though. xD
Owner was dead, just left laying around, abandoned, not looted. :)
Arr
Can you make a video how to determine if a sword is authentic or a modern fake and what quality criteria for antique swords are?
Follow up question.
Do you need a license to own that many weapons?
Valkanna .Nublet No, not in the UK.
Some states even today have laws regarding cold steel weapons if you happen to live in one consider relocation it has to be nightmare state ...
I'm in UK. I was wondering because I remember years ago there was talk about maybe banning or restricting bladed weapons and didn't know if any laws had actually been made.
I find it strange that some US states have laws. The 2nd amendment says "arms" not "firearms" so surely that includes swords.
heresjonny666 I'm not saying I agree with the amendment to the law as its a rather blunt instrument, but...they did have a reasonable rational for singling out Katanas over other swords. The market for cheap replica Katanas was and is huge. The kind of moron who would buy a sword to actually use as an offensive weapon was exactly the kind of moron that would believe all the hype about Japanese swords being able to cut through machinegun barrels etc. So along with a de-badged VW Golf, a pitbull terrier and a Burberry baseball cap the next most desirable thing was a Katana. I can remember seeing cheap Katana's for sale as low as £40 in shops before the law was changed. Now I know these swords were of horrible quality, with nasty plastic hilts and tsubas made of pot metal, but before they fell to peices you could still deal a fatal wound with one. So from that perspective is has made swords like that soemwhat harder for street thugs and petty gangsters to acquire. I doubt it would ever cross the mind of someone like that to use a European style sword instead.
If you ever want to carry a sword, wear a smallsword and, if anyone asks abotu it, say "I do fencing." As, to a casual observer, a smallsword looks like a foil, especially if you have the blade mounted on a cup hilt.
One of the reasons swords are so expensive in the U.S. Is that most are from our civil war and people go ape shit over anything associated with the civil war, even if they could care less about swords or any other military history.
Jack Glastra Indeed - amusingly there are quite a lot of US civil war swords available in the UK as well and they aren't very expensive here.
What are the best swords to start a collection with
Is there any chance of scholagladiatoria selling swords for practice?
Is it ok if I send you a picture of my vent age sword...and hand made. It's been threw many fights ..
Since I got that 1845 pattern infantry officers Sabre from you, I've recommended you to over 20 people face to face and more online. So if you noticed a 0.5% increase in sales over the last 6 months. Don't mention it :D
Would you ever make a video with some useful tips for spotting fakes and other crap? I believe you did something like that on kukris a while back. Anyway it would be helpful if you had any tips about 19th century swords. Cheers! thanks for the vid.
how many swords do you have matt?
***** I don't know exactly. About 70.
scholagladiatoria cool, gotta catch' em all :)
I can by an officer's dress sword. Currently looking for other swords/sabres of the victorian era. Any idea of where to start looking?
I need to buy the sord I want to learn about magic back then
Hmm... have you ever put your whole collection on display? After around 22 years collecting them I imagine it is more than worthy of an entry fee to watch them.
Are there any trustworthy medieval sword shops in London or Brighton?
What is the third sabre from the top (curved, shiny steel scabbard)? Is this an 1821 pattern light cavalry sabre with a more curved blade?
Where can I get a functioning traditional bow like that fiberglass recurve you've got?
What about replicas? Any good sources for these?
Could you recommend websites and manufacturers in europe for buying good non-antique swords?
Unless it's Albion, it's often hard to tell if the swords are high in quality and/or adequite for use in HEMA sparring and the like.
A&A is good but they are not in Europe. Go look at Regenyei and Ensifer. For high end customs I suggest Peter Johnsson and Stefan Roth. Pavel Moc is good too.
The American antiques market is very expensive in general; all kinds of junk has a high price tag IME.
what would be good way to start learning about prices and things to keep an eye out for on them(like what skip if you see on blade and such)
In Australia, where can one get a sword certified or at least have what you have been told it is, confirmed or not. Im not into collecting, i just want to know if a family heirloom is actually what im told it is. (A genuine katana)
Your "generally" often sounds like "germany" :D
Do you have (buying-)experience with older swords, e.g. from the 15th century?
Where do you get your non-antique swords? What are good modern manufacturers for medieval swords (possible cathegories: authentic, good for training, good for exhibition fights,...)?
Says ''you do the maths''. Tells you the answer anyway. top bloke :D
Would you mind sending me a link to online dealers that ship to America? Since I'm left-handed, it won't be any competition for you to get right-handed sabers, just left-handed and a few ambidextrous ones. I mostly don't want to buy a stainless steel one or buy from Cold Steel. By the way, my kik is UltimaDragon, if you prefer Kik. If you prefer Facebook, I'll find you on there and ask if it's okay.
I emptied my bank account and put it all into antique swords, just waiting for the cash to roll in!
I don't collect swords but, as an artist, I do collect a lot of reference photos. One of the best sources for photos I've come across is an auction site that puts up antique arms and armor quite often, as well as other things. Let me know if you want a link.
i would like a link :)
Do you have photos of your younger self Schola? Where you a sabre apprentice back then?
Thx for the very informativ post. Are there any good books on the market which can assist an newbie to get into field of collecting? Some kind of guide how to discern a real antique sword from an fake?
well at least you are honest... :p Keep up the vids man !!
Go to Ebay , look for pitted blades ,.get some good reference books , if you collect American swords ,..look for the book... American Sword ,,,.dont try and collect Confederate swords or Bowie knives (youll find fakes everywhere) or medieval swords ...same warning applies
whats your opinion on faganarms as antique sword sellers?
looking for a 1882 infantry sabre
Ummnnn... i am sure this gets asked all the time, but are antiques the only real option for quality swords? Something about an antique, if i owned one i would not want to be using it in HEMA -i would want to display it. Are there options of actually buying "real" swords, armors etc that are not antiques. I can find a thousand replica producers, some of which are very nice looking, very well crafted in many respects, but are simply not realistically functional. What if you wanted to buy a "new" sword or other HEMA equipment?
***** No, there are lots of good sword makers out there - Albion make swords as good as the medieval originals, and there are people like John Lundemo and Marco Danelli making awesome stuff as well.
Kind of mean to tell someone, "No you can't have any, I shant tell you where to buy them, I want them all you see." Unless you are opening a museum you really don't need to corner the market on cutlery.
It's a bit more complicated than that, in that I buy and sell swords to enhance my collection and so do the mainstream dealers who I might recommend (or not). So I can't even give an unbiased recommendation of dealers because of the position I'm in.
To be fair, Matt didn't tell people they couldn't have any or say he wanted them all. As someone who has a small sword selling business it would be a little awkward for him to recommend what were effectively his competitors or to give away a source of cheaply priced swords. It would be like a corner shop handing out free passes to the wholesaler, why would you then bother buying at corner shop prices when you can get it for cost price? I've recently started collecting a few 19th Century swords and after doing some research on what you want to buy and looking through the internet you can quickly find plenty of online dealers. The internet does have the virtue of allowing you to compare several different dealers prices in a short amount of time and also research what replica swords are out there, as these are likely to be passed off as antiques by unscrupulous or ignorant people. It doesn't take a great deal of effort if you're more than just casually interested.
He don´t need them all. Like *any* collector, he want the better ones he can get. And nobody can blame him to.
+mrbeast85
do you have any swords available for sale?
Your comment on French bayonets in the UK is right, now you point it out... where on earth did all the Chassepot bayonets come from?
+Dimbles00 I can only assume that it's a combination of tourism and WW1/WW2. Souvenirs.
+scholagladiatoria True. It just seems oddly specific that there are so many of that particular pattern. Great videos, by the way - really interesting!
I have an antique Tyler sword from Freemasons you wanna buy it?
When we talk about real swords, we mean swords that have steel or carbon steel blades. These swords have factory sharp blades and you can further sharpen their blades.
www.sharpimport.com/wholesale-swords
How much I will get on my 1000 year old sword? I want to sell it.
I'm more interested in high quality modern reproductions, so you can sleep more soundly ^^
How to get connect with you sir
Hello..!! I have a sword like that, idk much about it but i bet its from year ago like from 18nd century. It has a human bone or a some animal bone in the handle...sorry im from india my english bad sorry for that :) please reply me
Are there any sword collectors in Australia here?
There are two categories of swords today, traditional swords and modern swords. Here are four swords, a couple modern and a couple traditional ones.
www.bloglovin.com/@ashleyrosa9/4-spectacular-modern-traditional-swords
open a champagne bottle with sabre
And the more people who collect, the higher the prices will go! So if you don't already collect, kindly refrain from starting a collection of antiques. But please help yourself to the replicas.
DON'T RISK GETTING SUED! Matt, if you will forgive my saying so, I'd add a caveat to your ending statement or clarify that you are speaking facetiously . Even though you are being lighthearted, calling your insight into the benefits of collecting 'financial advice' may be all the grounds that some idiot who puts his money into absolute crap and loses his shirt and then blames you for it needs to be able to legally sue you, declaring that you gave him bad financial advice! - You're a nice guy, Matt. You don't need that headache hanging over your family's financial security. I'd seriously consider editing the video ending if I were you!
what the? sued for giving advice ? madness!
+Bossatron Not necessarily mad, just american
Another GD LAWYER surfaces !!!!
anyone knows about a good czech or polish sabre producer/dealer? i would like to purchase from Slovakia on low budget.
I'm from the philiphines I have 1 Spain sword antique sword