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Originally Posted by Atlantia
Of course I appreciate what you're saying, but experience also gives us a gut feeling, and mine is that its not anywhere near 17thC.
Having pondered it at possibly more length than I should, I am back at my Victorian date now.
Enviromental conditions are of course the cause of oxidisation, but lets look at this (if authentic) quite ordinary sword, and imagine the luck it must have had for 300 years to never encounter any adverse conditions, but need what looks to have been quite serious restoration.
Then to be sold to someone who knows virtually nothing about swords of that era who puts it on ebay.
Not to mention that every part has something 'not right' about it.
As you say, I've also seen very old blades in excellent condition. But almost completely (for its 'age') rust free 17th century swords sold by obvious novices on ebay?
Perhaps I'm not as trusting as I once was.
Two things spring to mind.
1/ If it smells like......... It probobly is...........
And, (pun intended) 'Ockham's razor'
2/ the simplest explanation is often the truth.
Of course I freely admit that without holding the thing in person and examining it, none of us can be sure either way.
Regards
Gene
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Ok, if it's a question "gut feeling", there's no discussion. You have yours, I have mine.
Just didn't want to leave without addressing a couple of points...
This sword looks to me as having been cleaned/tweaked/restored/"improved" some time ago. Also, this specific item has a typology that doesn't make cleaning it a really difficult task. As such, its condition doesn't seem to me to be particularly noteworthy. It is well conserved, yes, but, not astonishingly so, at least to my eye.
About having seen "almost completely (for its 'age') rust free 17th century swords"... yes. Dozens. Not accounting for the ones in museums. The vast majority of them having spent a good deal of their life in rather dry environments, and at some point "cleaned" in order to put them on the market, and more or less taken care of since then.
But I'm afraid that at the end it's a question of your experience ("gut feeling") and mine. And this is a game I don't want to go into, here
Do I think it's original? Well... quite. At least a good deal of it. To the point of putting money on it? Well, on the right circumstances... yes. But, again, this just means that you and I do disagree. And that's what makes life interesting, I guess
Best regards,
Marc