Post pictures of pieces you love and why you love them.

[Bill M]

Qing dynasty willow leaf dao. Provenence ex Phil Tom and Scott Rodell. 36" OAL.

My first love in collecting.

I got this because it is one of the most superb handling chinese swords I have held. But also because Phil (who also polished the blade) pointed out the tiny brick-shaped inserts in the blade. he feels it is an intergenerational blade that was loved and revered.

The "bricks" are tiny. In the close-up, you can see a few of them. To give you an idea of size, the blade is only 1.25" wide at that place. There are probably 20 or more bricks in the blade. Phil further told me that this is quite an old repair and was very expensive when done. Maybe to repair pitting?

Cost much more than the blade was worth, so it must have been done by the owners who valued it for other reasons than its actual value. I think that they loved it, too!

[spiral]

Fascinating repair work, Ive seen fill in work on Japanese, swords but this i just love, nice hamon round the point as well.Thanks for sharing Bill.

Spiral

[mross]

Early 20th C Viking Sutton Hoo type pattern welded 3 twisted core. :D

OK, so it's newly made, but I love it because I speced it out and commisioned it from Jim Hrisoulas to be his interpretation of a Sutton Hoo quality sword. It is much longer then your standard Viking Sword. See yardstick photo, but would be appropriate size and weight for a large viking with hands the size of a small Italian(me). :)


http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2663&highlight=viking+sword

[KuKulzA28]

It may be inappropriate to resurrect this thread, but goddamn, this piece is really nice. The evidence of such care being given to this sword is amazing. This dao probably kept this lineage alive and the family must have very much valued it. :) Great dao Bill Marsh, hope someday I could have a dao close to as meaningful.

[Tim Simmons]

Out of all the weapons I have I always come to this piece. A stick, I think it is palm wood topped with a hollowed out palm nut or immature coconut. I do not know if it is African or from the South Seas. It is old with nice patina. 68cm long, so simple, yet extremely ostentatious, elegant and shouts so loudly who is the big man! :eek: :cool: Just enough light for pics.

[Jens Nordlunde]

Bill, why did you not post your thread here????
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12061
Jens

[Bill M]

Bill, why did you not post your thread here????
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12061
Jens


Good idea Jens. Let me find the old pictures.

[Battara]

But I can understand why Bill made a new thread, his piece is not wootz.

In that vein, here is my picture of one of my favorite pieces. I love it because of the rarity, it is the top of the line of this type of kampilan (unless it is ivory and gold), and I love the artwork and craftsmanship on the ivory croc head and the copper-silver okir chased bands. Oh, yeah, and the guard is ivory and silver, and it comes with a wonderfully carved okir scabbard and a Maranao mansala.

[Bill M]

But I can understand why Bill made a new thread, his piece is not wootz.

In that vein, here is my picture of one of my favorite pieces. I love it because of the rarity, it is the top of the line of this type of kampilan (unless it is ivory and gold), and I love the artwork and craftsmanship on the ivory croc head and the copper-silver okir chased bands. Oh, yeah, and the guard is ivory and silver, and it comes with a wonderfully carved okir scabbard and a Maranao mansala.

It IS gorgeous! One of the best I have ever seen!

But, Jose, is it wootz? :) :D :)

[Battara]

Oh yeah. Forgot about the mansala........

[Bill M]

More Kampilan - My dog's favorite is the one made of whalebone. He likes the ivory one also.

:D :D

[Battara]

It IS gorgeous! One of the best I have ever seen!

But, Jose, is it wootz? :) :D :)
Thank you Bill. No......alas it is not wootz...... :(

[Lew]

Here is Mine

A 19th century Yemen heavy silver hilted jambiya. There is a story behind this one. I first saw this on Artzi's site but got beat to the punch and I thought it was gone forever but a year later it appeared on ebay but again it was not to be. Soon after I saw that Battara had posted it on the forum. Well Jose was gracious enough to part with it :) and made me a very happy puppy :D.

Lew

[Battara]

Yes Lew, it is a very nice piece - sort of miss that one. Glad it is in good hands. :)

[erikscollectables]

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10847&highlight=indonesian+riddle

The above sword is my favorite although it does not even come from the region I actually collect (which is North Sumatran status weapons).

The amount of inscriptions and general feel it has makes this one an exception in many respects in my collection. I have limited my collection and only kept the best pieces and only of the region mentioned above so in fact all my pieces are favorites that this one survived al these limitations makes it "the one"....

[Maurice]

Erik I like that one a lot!!
If you ever get tired of it. Let me know.

This is my favorite (inspite there is no scabbard like yours)!

[erikscollectables]

Great blade Maurice!

With these blades the scabbard is almost a distraction from the quality of the blade :D
I would show the seperate if there were a scabbard.

By the way this is my favorite from the area I do collect North Sumatra- also without a scabbard (and I have enough good examples with scabbards...).

Favorite because of the rare combination of materials from a region where you rarely can get items from (Gayo/Gajo area) and then in an enormous format - probably an important ceremonial item.

REgards, Erik



Erik I like that one a lot!!
If you ever get tired of it. Let me know.

This is my favorite (inspite there is no scabbard like yours)!

[KuKulzA28]

This is my laraw. My prized possession. It will probably never leave my possession willingly.
It's not very decorated or extremely old or owned previously by some king or warrior... but I like it

[Gavin Nugent]

but I like it

And this is what matters most!!!

Gav