Nice longsword on Ebay

[JeanryChandler]

I'm no expert and I can only judge by the photos, but it looks like the real deal to me. Has that typical indoor patina to it. It seems to be in excellent shape.

Current price is less than some higher end replicas.

http://cgi.ebay.com/16th-century-Englis ... dZViewItem

I was thinking it looks like maybe a XIIIa or XIIIb?

[Nathan Dexter]

Nice!
looks good. I'm by no means an expert either, but it looks like weathered steel.
looks kinda like an XII to me.

[John_Clements]

Guys,
It is not at all hard to fake this kind of effect. Anyone can do it.
It's just not poosible to pass judgement from photos alone.

JC

[JeanryChandler]

Nice!
looks good. I'm by no means an expert either, but it looks like weathered steel.
looks kinda like an XII to me.

Yeah, sounds like it has about a 7- 8 inch grip... There are some wierd aspects to the blade, that real short fuller and the funny shape of the pommel, I've not seen to many like that. I wish I had the bread right now though I'd buy it, I like the thing, it has a certain sinister no-nonsense quality to it that I admire.

J

[JeanryChandler]

Guys,
It is not at all hard to fake this kind of effect. Anyone can do it.
It's just not poosible to pass judgement from photos alone.

JC

Good point. It also doesn't look like any particular replica I know of, but I suppose it could be modified or custom made.

I know a guy who recently bought a 16th century German bastard sword on Ebay for around this same price. The thing was 47" with a beautiful complex guard featuring a side ring and a thumb ring, a very rigid blade which still had a fairly good edge, and the whole thing wieghed barely 2 lbs. Moderate patination and almost no pitting. Before buying it he wasn't certain if it was authentic or not, but I figured, with those characteristics, if it wasn't real it was a damn nice replica anyway. It was one of the most beautiful looking swords I'd ever seen. He did some research on the Ebay seller who looked legit, and ended up buying the piece which now does appear to be genuine, at least as far as he can tell.

JR

[Allen Johnson]

I swear I've seen that pommel on a modern repo sword. Thats not saying that it couldnt be based off a historical example though. That leather on the grip looks REALLY good for being 500 years old. I dont know...

[Jeffrey Hull]

Okay, let us ask some questions about the presentation and the piece:

Why did the seller not list the weight of the thing?

Why are all the photos under light with heavy yellow saturation? Just bad photo-skills or on-purpose?

Why no full-length view without foreshortening - as one commonly sees in books of museum-collections or in "Records" by Oakeshott, for example?

Why - after colour & density & contrast correcting a copy of picture "8#" (the second to last, on the left), where the top of the chef-hat pommel is in the foreground - does it appear there be no discernable peening-cap?
(Sorry, I am technically and legally unable to post this copy. Perhaps one could take my word for it, or do the same with a photo-editing program of one's own and see what you think.)
Does this mean the pommel is attached by threading?
Would this be accurate for the time & place?

Why would this seller think that anyone with any sense would just want to believe him and buy an unexamined supposed 16th Century English sword via the Web, trusting that it is what it supposedly is, when nothing can be established about the piece before the item is actually bought?
Or is the seller literally banking on someone bereft of sense or knowledge of these weapons rushing to buy this piece?

I have my doubts about the whole deal...

[JeanryChandler]

I have my doubts about the whole deal...

First, let me say I posted that link out of curiosity of what the sword might be, because I wanted to get opinions as to whether it was real or not, and because I thought people here would find it interesting. I'm not representing or in any way tied to the guy who was selling the sword.

You raise some good points, bottom line with Ebay you kind of go by their record and number of sales, and their satisfaction rating, and from there with any major purchase you do more research into who the seller is. This guy has a 100% rating on Ebay which is good but only a few sales which is bad. Whats more looking at his sales record he seems to have sold both antiques and some modern reproductions which is inconclusive.

It's possible to get ripped off of course, and with a sword it would be potentially extra risky ... very hard to tell not only if it's genuine but what kind of condition it's in without handling it. But I know people who have bought everything from used cars to ... yes, antique swords on Ebay and came out of it well.

The quality of the photos could boil down to his just being a rather inexperienced Ebay seller. Presumably if I had noticed the auction earlier I could have asked for some better photos, more measurments etc..

Bottom line, a lot of the best antique weapons from the period we study exist not in Museums, but in private collections and auction houses. Ewart Oakeshott found swords in umbrella stands and flea markets, now days they appear on Ebay sometimes. I have Mr. Oakeshotts "Records of the Medieval Sword" and I'm personally interested in having a second look at any potentially authentic sword which shows up in a commercial market, both to expand my ideas of what the real thing looks like, and because I'm personally interested in maybe getting a nice antique of my own one day:)

JR

[Aaron Pynenberg]

I agree Allen....that thing looks very familiar from somewhere. It's the grip and the way it's wrapped.

Regarding E-bay there's a money expert named Clark Howard i was listening to just yesterday who said that you have to set a dollar amount your willing to get ripped off, then when the thing turns out OK you are satisfied, but do not go over the dollar amount you set, whatever that may be.

[Jeffrey Hull]

First, let me say I posted that link out of curiosity of what the sword might be, because I wanted to get opinions as to whether it was real or not, and because I thought people here would find it interesting. I'm not representing or in any way tied to the guy who was selling the sword.

You raise some good points, bottom line with Ebay you kind of go by their record and number of sales, and their satisfaction rating, and from there with any major purchase you do more research into who the seller is. This guy has a 100% rating on Ebay which is good but only a few sales which is bad. Whats more looking at his sales record he seems to have sold both antiques and some modern reproductions which is inconclusive.

Jeanry, no one would suggest that you would act as shill for any E-Bay seller. So nobody questions your honesty.

But with the "satisfaction rating", one may ask whether any of those satisfied customers knows a bloody thing about antique swords?

Just some thoughts.

[J. F. McBrayer]

But with the "satisfaction rating", one may ask whether any of those satisfied customers knows a bloody thing about antique swords?

Also, a satisfaction rating on eBay doesn't mean much. Every rip-off artist selling PPKs as antique nihon-to on eBay has a 100% satisfaction rating.

[JeanryChandler]

But with the "satisfaction rating", one may ask whether any of those satisfied customers knows a bloody thing about antique swords?

Also, a satisfaction rating on eBay doesn't mean much. Every rip-off artist selling PPKs as antique nihon-to on eBay has a 100% satisfaction rating.

Understood, actually I don't think the guy sold any swords I could see, some antique pistols and a modern made tomahawk IIRC. From what he claimed he was liquidating a collection he inherited from his father.

I don't know how I kind of ended up in the position of defending Ebay, but ...

I guess it's like anything else, like an estate sale or a thrift store... you can't necessarily handle the item, you can look at old purchases, check the seller out as best you can. Maybe I've just had good luck, I've never been ripped off.

Anyway this is veering off topic, I'll not post again unless I find another sword to show off

I

[Jeffrey Hull]

Actually, I thought your post was an excellent topic, it sort of served as a "case study" which allowed us to air concerns and ideas about something relevant to the martial artist who may be curious about antiquities.

[S. Hord]

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