A collector sword is bought to be owned, studied and displayed rather than swung at a pell every weekend. That does not mean it is a toy. It means the buyer cares about the shape being right for its period, about the fittings being fitted rather than glued, and about the blade being a real heat treated blade under the polish.
What is in this group
The range here runs across Viking swords, arming swords, longswords, short swords, messers, flame bladed swords and sabres. Overall lengths sit from about 27 inches on a short sword to 45 on a hand and a half longsword, with blades from roughly 20 to 35 inches. Steel is plain 1095 high carbon at 54 to 58 HRC or Damascus of 1095 and 15N20, forge welded and acid etched, at 58 to 60 HRC. Fittings include lobed and disc pommels for the Norse pieces, wheel and faceted pommels for the medieval ones, brass ring guards, blackened swept hilts and knuckle bows. Grips are leather wrapped, cord wrapped, wood or bone. Fullers are forged and ground rather than milled in as decoration.
What to look at before you buy
Check the pommel. A peened tang is the honest construction and it is visible at the top of the pommel as a small dome of steel. Check the fuller runs to a stop rather than off the end of the blade. Check the guard sits tight without a gap you can see daylight through. Pattern welded blades should show the layering in the steel itself and not just in a surface print, which the five checks for real Damascus covers properly. For the Norse end of the shelf, the Viking sword collector notes explain which features matter for period accuracy, and the Ulfberht article is the interesting historical rabbit hole behind most of them.
Living with one
Store it out of a leather scabbard or wipe it with light oil before it goes back in, because vegetable tanned leather holds acid and moisture against steel. Mount it properly rather than resting it on two nails. The wall mounting notes cover load, angle and the very common mistake of hanging a heavy blade from drywall alone.
Free US shipping
On most pieces. Heavier and oversized ones carry a flat charge.
Hand Forged
Heated, hammered and ground by hand.
Engraving available
Names, dates or Norse runes on most pieces.
