Swords & Military Collectibles
By Loretta Crawford
As intrinsically pleasing and attractive on visceral level as antique weaponry is, if you want to collect them or evaluate grandma’s collection you have to know a fair amount of jargon. Understanding the basic description of a gun sold on Ebay or similar online auction will help the fledgling arms collector make a wise purchase and enjoy their hobby all the more.....................
By Loretta Crawford
Out of the rough and tumble world of medieval warfare immerged the firearm. Rockets had been attempted in various parts of the world over the centuries but early guidance systems were disappointing and the weapon was declared impractical. Gunpowder began to seriously influence warfare late in the middle ages as the first cannons began to appear. Initially used solely to destroy fortifications the application of gunpowder to killing individuals quickly occurred to medieval strongmen........................
By Loretta Crawford
It is not difficult to understand the appeal of collecting swords and similar military antiques. For thousands of antique collectors nothing has the drama and romance of blades. Few symbols of the past have the same psychological impact of swords and similar collectibles. This is the first of a few articles on the history of and tips on collecting original antique and modern replica swords........................
By Loretta Crawford
Before the 8th century Japanese swords were indistinguishable from those made in China. The earliest swords recorded in Japanese history were a pair created in China and given as a gift to the queen of Japan, Himeko. The gift was presented to her in about 240 AD and the greater gift on the knowledge of iron working soon followed........................
By Loretta Crawford
It is not surprising that the invention of the wheel-lock pistol came not from gun makers but from the creative genius of clockmakers. Not only were clockmakers the most advanced mechanics of the 15th century they uniquely grasped the problem of storing mechanical energy in springs........................
By Loretta Crawford
Once a collector or someone interested in becoming a collector gains a basic understanding of the evolution of firearms from hand cannons, to matchlock, to flintlock they are ready to begin accumulating more specific knowledge. It is now time to learn about the in between steps in gun development ........................
By Silas Finch
Anyone interested in using an antiques dealer, broker or auctioneer to sell their valuables needs to look twice at the person who will be handling their transaction. There are a great many dishonest dealers out there and sometimes even respected Antiques Dealers can be involved in shady transactions. To illustrate this consider the case of Russ Pritchard III.........................