What's your favourite kind of sword? I'm a sucker for swept-hilt rapiers like this one: (Source: Danelli Armouries, which makes this beauty and many more) but there are also a lot of more foreign blades that I love the looks of, like the middle one here (Korean, not Japanese): Source: Wikimedia. Wish I had the spare change for a collection, but that would be one seriously expensive hobby. So what are you into? Longswords? Sabres? Katanas? Bit more eastern like Shamshirs or Talwars? Maybe something really exotic I haven't even heard of? Anyone got a collection? Any HEMA practitioners around?
Reminds me of falx: Got a nice book about Rome under Trajan, mostly about his wars in Dacia, in which such swords were used.
I really want myself a sword cane, but all in all I really enjoy all kinds of swords (especially rapiers like the one you put up) and knives and daggers, but my collectors life hasn't reached real swords and daggers yet unfortunately, but have a life ahead so hopefully can have my hands on many of them beauties!
Personally my favorite kind of sword is the 18th century claymore. Looking at getting 1 for my birthday
Claymores are actually a good bit shorter than a "real" two-handed sword. Like this montante for really big boys from Danelli: Chinese Jian also look rather elegant, but I'm having trouble finding historical examples ... Their use in those tai-chi exercise has apparently muddied things quite badly.
Oh yeah absolutely. claymores dont get much bigger than about 1.4 meters. where as the most true example of a two handed sword the zweiahnder is about 1.9 meters (if i recall correct) long
still all not as cool as the 15th century 2.13 meter greatsword of "grutte" Pier Gerlofs Donia. acording to stories he was a pretty strong guy.
well it is not everyday you get to hold something that belonged to a "badass of the week" : http://www.badassoftheweek.com/bigpier.html