Old sword or fake?

M ELEY · 2nd November 2014, 01:08 AM

My guess is that yours is a Victorian copy of an original. As you may know, during the 19th c., it was quite the fad to have old weapons to line one's library with. The demand became so high that armorers created copies of original pieces, some with more embellishments. Sometimes, the blades might be original or the whole piece was fabricated. Acid was used to artificially age the pieces, but in that they were from the 19th c., some developed their own patina over the years. The blade could be original?, but the grip on the hilt looks more decorative/ flimsy(i.e. Victorian copy) to me. Hard to tell and I'll wait to hear what the others say. Perhaps it's a real 17th c. broadsword-

If not, the 19th c. pieces still command good prices, just not what the original ones might bring. Theater companies seem to naturally attract the Victorian types, as they were donated for plays and productions.
Mark

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Threaded Mode

2nd November 2014, 01:08 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,158	My guess is that yours is a Victorian copy of an original. As you may know, during the 19th c., it was quite the fad to have old weapons to line one's library with. The demand became so high that armorers created copies of original pieces, some with more embellishments. Sometimes, the blades might be original or the whole piece was fabricated. Acid was used to artificially age the pieces, but in that they were from the 19th c., some developed their own patina over the years. The blade could be original?, but the grip on the hilt looks more decorative/ flimsy(i.e. Victorian copy) to me. Hard to tell and I'll wait to hear what the others say. Perhaps it's a real 17th c. broadsword- If not, the 19th c. pieces still command good prices, just not what the original ones might bring. Theater companies seem to naturally attract the Victorian types, as they were donated for plays and productions. Mark