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

Bill M · 23rd September 2006, 04:52 PM

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 · 24th September 2006, 01:18 AM

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 · 27th September 2006, 05:56 PM

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

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/showth...t=viking+sword

KuKulzA28 · 28th June 2010, 07:44 PM

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 · 28th June 2010, 08:41 PM

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!

Just enough light for pics.

Jens Nordlunde · 28th June 2010, 09:41 PM

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

Bill M · 28th June 2010, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

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 · 28th June 2010, 11:47 PM

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 · 29th June 2010, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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

But, Jose, is it wootz?

Battara · 29th June 2010, 12:10 AM

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

Bill M · 29th June 2010, 01:06 AM

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

Battara · 29th June 2010, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Marsh

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

But, Jose, is it wootz?

Thank you Bill. No......alas it is not wootz......

Lew · 29th June 2010, 04:31 AM

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

.

Lew

Battara · 29th June 2010, 11:00 PM

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

erikscollectables · 30th June 2010, 06:58 AM

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...onesian+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 · 30th June 2010, 07:28 AM

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 · 30th June 2010, 08:20 AM

Great blade Maurice!

With these blades the scabbard is almost a distraction from the quality of the blade

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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)!

KuKulzA28 · 14th July 2010, 02:30 AM

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 · 14th July 2010, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KuKulzA28

but I like it

And this is what matters most!!!

Gav

23rd September 2006, 04:52 PM	#1
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Post pictures of pieces you love and why you love them. 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! Attached Images

28th June 2010, 08:41 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,746	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! Just enough light for pics. Attached Images

28th June 2010, 11:47 PM	#8
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,143	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. Attached Images

29th June 2010, 12:10 AM	#10
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,143	Oh yeah. Forgot about the mansala........ Attached Images

29th June 2010, 01:06 AM	#11
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	More Kampilan - My dog's favorite is the one made of whalebone. He likes the ivory one also. Attached Images

24th September 2006, 01:18 AM	#2
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	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

27th September 2006, 05:56 PM	#3
mross Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 478	Early 20th C Viking Sutton Hoo type pattern welded 3 twisted core. 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/showth...t=viking+sword

28th June 2010, 07:44 PM	#4
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	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.

28th June 2010, 09:41 PM	#6
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,713	Bill, why did you not post your thread here???? http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12061 Jens

29th June 2010, 04:31 AM	#13
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	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 . Lew Attached Images

29th June 2010, 11:00 PM	#14
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,143	Yes Lew, it is a very nice piece - sort of miss that one. Glad it is in good hands.

30th June 2010, 06:58 AM	#15
erikscollectables Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 318	My favorite http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...onesian+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"....

30th June 2010, 07:28 AM	#16
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,324	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)! Attached Images

14th July 2010, 02:30 AM	#18
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	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 Attached Images