As for me myself, it's another Chinese National Treasure.

If I could ever get my hands on it, I'd have Emperor Qianlong's Kuoming Dao. This is probably most easily described as the "sinicized" version of an Indian sabre gifted to the Emperor by Lord Macartney in 1793.

"Pimp my sword" seems to fit here.

I also covet it because any Emperor who can easily defeat all his own personal guard is OK by me!

So... Somebody smart once described Qianlong to me as "a workaholic with a taste for nice things". And that's what I see when I look at this sword. Maybe some of that would rub off if I held it?

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The very undefined nature of the question provides really interesting answers. I have to go with Jean conceptually inasmuch as I'd want something that was versatile. I guess Jean's definition of versatility is somewhat different than mine. Someone said they'd want an Ulvbane because it could be used from horseback and I think that's a really good point although I suspect that without looking at the specifications I'd find it too heavy. I'd choose something int the same general family though like an Albion Norman. I think the Xa's are remarkable versatile swords, long enough for use from horseback, short enough to be used one-handed while on foot and they can be balanced with many different kinds of off hand weapons. While they're most certainly cutters they can be used in the thrust.

I am predicating this on the idea that the sword in question is to keep me alive, not to hang on a wall and look pretty.


Nathan, shame on you! A Svante? Heck man, EVERYONE wants a Svante!. I'll bet Svante's bones were uneasy when they took the original out of his coffin! If you just described a Svante to men who'd never even seen one or even imagined owning a sword they'd still all want one! I'd guess 25% of women would want their man to have one!

My Albion Regent! I love its fishtail pommel and hollow-ground blade, but even if it looked like a pig it handles so well it would still be my favourite.

If it's antique swords - I think I'll have XV.2 from Record of the Medieval Sword please.

However, if I could only have one 'practical' sword I would pick the Atrim Tac Cuttoe. As a working tool I can't think of anything I would not trust this one to do.

Neil.

I would keep my Albion Gallowglass, the Battle Raven. This is a work of art with deadly purpose, and I keep her on view in my office to brighten the dreary days with suiteable daydreams of high adventures, wrongs righted, maidens rescued...well, you know!

Next order of business is to design and obtain one of Christian Fletcher's ungodly beautiful leathern masterpieces in which to carry her. Anything else would be unworthy.
Bill

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The Battle Raven

ooooooo . . . awesome name for an awesome blade. :)

the one blade i can't do without. my A&A german bastard sword. a little hefty - but an all around business chopping, murder blowing, with every ability to thrust - room clearing wrecking ball of a sword. the guys over at A&A made a true weapon of war when they produced that thing.



the only other thing that i could think to do to out class that sword would be to go twohander with a nice little messer for back up.

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and i call it the Rose's Thorn

It would drip blue flames whenever Orcs were present. Or maybe tax auditors...

Whatever it is, Peter Johnsson will have made it. It will simply be a tool, but what a tool of extraordinary elegance.... :cool:

I refuse to live in a world where you can only own one sword. :D

Sorry for bumping an old topic, but I came across this today as I was googling something else. Back on Page 3, B. Stark made an interesting observation that over the course of a year it was amazing how much a person's taste could change. Almost exactly 2 years ago I wrote in this thread that the Albion Crecy would be my "if I could only have one" sword. Like B. Stark, my interests have changed since then.

Since my Crecy, I've had a Laird, and currently own a Knight. Next week my Sempach is being delivered, and if my imagination is correct as to how it handles, the Sempach could easily fill the role of my "only" sword. Although I love the feel of my Knight, I've come to realize that a single-handed sword could never be my only sword. I think most of that stems from the fact that I have simply never had an interest in shields, and to be effective with a single-handed sword I imagine you'd need to have one.

I'm curious who else has had their interests or tastes change since they last posted in this thread.

I don't have any sword yet, so I would like to own an Albion Templar.

I have two good swords, an Atrim 1592, and an Albion Fiore.

The Atrim is longer, lighter and it floats, like the proverbial extension of your arm. The hilt was customized to my specifications, and it is my dream sword.

I would pick the Fiore.

Its heavier but with a shorter grip and blade, so its faster. Also it would be useful against armor, and the Atrim isn't made for that.

But that's why I have the two. :)

I would pick one of my two John Lundemo war swords or if single handed, my Lundemo Celtic Viking.

It would be, in my humble opinion and rich imagination, the ultimate fencing weapon. Versatile without feeling compromised in any area. It would be inspired by history but with a modern sensibility to it.

How would look? It would probably be a complex hilted bastard/longsword with a reasonably long grip, It would have side rings and finger rings, but no knucklebow (it gets in the way of certain meisterhau). Symmetry is important as well as simplicity. I want to move this sword in all directions and in any way with both hands, and one. Left and right, up and down.
Preferably down turned quillons and a scent stopper or peer shaped pommel. Grip tooled leather with halfwire.
The blade would be a typical cut and thrust blade. No compromise towards either. With or without fuller. XVIII type is beautiful but others may suit the style of the sword better. It would be mostly for blossfechten, though it needs to be able to deal with armor.
It would need to be light, fast, nimble and slender. Easy to carry, fence with, ride with, climb with...heck sleep with. It would need to do well along with dagger or buckler. It would need to shine in two handed use. Somewhere between 110cm and 115cm. Around 1,3kg or 1,4kg. Give or take a little.
It would be made by Peter Johnsson. I would ask him to make it a 21st century version of an early 16th century hand and a half. In silhouette it would be historical. In detail I would ask him to let his imagination run wild and make it a sword for the modern man. Inspired by history, fantasy, folklore, myths and legends. I would especially point towards his Vorpal swords to get an idea of the kind of elaborate and outspoken decoration I am looking for. I love love love those swords.
It would have shades of dark and light brown. Flashes of gold, orange and amber. Specks of blue (perhaps a sapphire or two), maybe just a dot of red to balance the blue (ruby) and hints of white and silver.
It would have an animal theme too....: The Lion. National symbol of the Netherlands and a medieval icon in heraldry across nations and times. The only truly "social cat" but lethal nonetheless. It would come with a matching scabbard of course. The scabbard may contain a by knife and/or pricker, but that I consider an extra. Not a must.

This would be my ultimate fencing weapon in the new age. It would be an accumulation of everything I seek in a weapon of fencing. In art. It would be an extension of me. Of my body. My mind and my spirit. I want to have this sword in my house as one of my most prized and beautiful possessions. I want to have this sword by my side if I would ever need to defend my life in armed hand to hand combat.
I want to have this sword by my side in death. I'd be buried with it.

Ps It would form a complete kit with a Blacktail Legacy Sitka recurve takedown bow and a matching eastern european inspired quiver by Todd Stuff as well as arrows, a shooting glove and arm brace made by him (I love his work and this might be a cool challenge): The Eagle. And a large bauernwehr/small messer with carved wooden sheath (and, depending on the sword scabbard, a big byknife and/or pricker) and soaked with seax and espada y daga influences made by Jake Powning: The Wolf.
All together they would be something like the set of Tolkien's Ranger. I call it the way of the Blade, the Bow and the Beast.

Interesting to revisit this.

6 years ago -toward the tail end of certain circumstances that put a drain on my finances- I was quite attached to my Windlass Transitional Viking Sword. I still am - its the only Windlass I have kept, other than some decorative pieces.

Looking back over the subsequent 6 years, my signature sword would be the one in my avatar; A&A custom 13th century type XII with O pommel. Review here: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=22763

I've obtained some more expensive and perhaps more impressive pieces since then, but this one has a special place in my heart.

To choose correctly we have to assume why you want or need a sword. One as a wall hanger for its visual pleasure, one to handle and cut up things for fun and practice or a sword for defense that you would carry with you.
Are you on foot or mounted?

I have decided to choose on account of appearance and usefulness in a post apocalyptic world.

The sword has an extra guard bar for added strength and cut resistance, the 36" (Russian pattern) blade straight but solid with narrow angle for sharpness and sharpened most of its length. The pommel and backstrap are checkered for better grip. The sword is also fairly light and agile.
The scabbard of leather so the blade stays sharp on horseback.
Since I am not a trained swordsman a cavalry sword is more suitable than a rapier.

The sword pictured was ordered by an officer after the India Mutiny and had first hand knowledge of what a tulwar can do to a British regulation sword. He also experienced the difficulty in cutting through a puggarie (turban) and other layered clothing such as silk.

This is what the Wilkinson Sword Co. designed as an answer for this officer.

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Wilkinson 4 bar hilt, Russian pattern blade [ Download ]