As long as we're talking books, here are some of the highlights of what I've picked up (and perhaps have even read) this year:

James Mann: Wallace Collection Catalogues (Vol. I & II)
Claude Blair: European Armour
Logan Thompson: Daggers and Bayonets
Harold Petersen: Daggers & Fighting Knives of the Western World

Not read:
Duval: Medieval and Renaissance splendor: Arms and armor from the Higgins Armory Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts, and works of art from the John and Mable Ringling ... Museum of Art, March 2-April 22, 1984
Leithe-Jasper: Vienna, the Kunsthistorische Museum

For me, 2005 is the year where everything began : I bought my first real sword (an Albion) in march, and now I just can't stop buying some others :D

Items bought :

Albion Squire Line Knightly sword (now sold)
Next Gen Laird
Next Gen Gaddhjalt and campaign scabbard
Rondel dagger from Tod's stuff
Few books, including 'Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight' and some Osprey's.

Items sold :

Squire Line Knightly sword

I've also put an order for a Petersen type S Viking sword from Vladimir Cervenka (due for march 2008).

Cheers,

David

Hi Ben

You also received that nice brass ribbon hilt, by Eljay, in '05.
(even if you ordered it in '04 it still joined your collection in 2005 :-)

Plus I know you picked up a few knives, too :-)

Mac

Ben Sweet wrote:

No changes at all... No sales but I have given away as gifts... (5) Himalayan Imports khukris of different types 1 repro C.W saber 1 Medi sword New for 05 Albion Svante Albion Brescia Albion Talhoffer...Incoming Tinker XVii Tinker XVii custom order Himalayan Imports Talwar Darkwood Armory Side-Sword Del Tin 2142 Adam Hsu Jian

---

 Attachment: 29.73 KB

Just two for me.
MRL 13th century battle axe; First Antiquing project
Most important for me was Wooden Weapons.com Long sword Waister; finally got off my rump and started taking sword fighting lessons!! I'm going to take some time off before I start collecting again; I want to see where my taste is directed after a year of hands on training.
Cheers
Chuck Wyatt

I haven't bought much for my collection this year (funds have been going towards college) But here's what I've made in 2005. (My Digi-cam is broken)

- 13" Double bladed hand axe (blade salvaged from a garage sale find in '04)

- 30" english warhammer (head is a modified masonry hammer)

- 11" Broad Saxon Seax (will be refined soon)

- Fantasy chainmaille vest w/ loricated pauldrons (currently in production)

- 12" toy recurve bow (shoots 14" arrows about 50' :p)

Doh! Books! I forgot to include those or factor them into my budget! That changes things considerably, and I also consider books to be the most important part of my collection. Added a number of important books to my library this year, including:

Hafted Weapons of Medieval and Renaissance Europe
The Great War Bow
British Basket Hilted Swords
The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer
Landesknecht Soldier
The German Peasant War, 1520-1525
A couple of excellent Dover arms & armour books
Heroic Armour of the Italian Renaissance
Catalog of helmets in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Catalog of recent arms & armour acquisitions, MMA
A few others

Added:
Albion SL Great sword
Custom Halberd

Sold: Merc Tail.

Greeves
Gorget
14th cen arms
Gauntlets

Hey William, the DW is a nice sword which I am VERY happy with having been able to snatch it up from you! My collection is all over the place so it fits in just fine...also, I never cared for this type of sword but once it came home to me and I put it through my paces it changed my mind just like the Small-sword type...

Hey Mac, I kept out all the knives and uncompleted parts such as the bare blades, hilts and whatnots from the list just to keep it simple for me to remember...Here is a pick of my Himalayan Imports collection and having looked to my left a bit ago I saw one I missed for the group shot...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=378009

Arms:
A&A "Dresden" Sword, Dagger & By Knife (from Nathan!)
Dale Shinn Matchlock Caliver (ca. 1580's)
Pair of Middlesex Village Trading Co. Doglock Pistols
Old Dominion Clamshell Hanger (from Nathan!)
Heavy practice lance made by William Hamersky

Armour:
Steve Moffatt Close Helmet (that I used to own, and got back)
Mercenary's Tailor Gorget
Steve Moffatt Steel Target

Books:
Second Copy of "Military Instruction for the Cavall'rie" by John Cruso (1632; reprint)
"The Maneige Royal" by Pluvinel (1624; reprint)
"The Exercise of Arms" by Jacob de Gheyn, ed. by J.B. Krist (1972)
"The New Testament" as translated by William Tynedale, 1534 (reprint, of course!)
"Von Alten Handfeuerwaffen" (Graz,1989)
"Long Guns of the World" by Blackmore
"The Visser Collection" (not in hand as of yet, but paid for!)

(Placed orders for & /put deposit on or paid for:
Dale Shinn Dutch-style Flintlock Carbine, ca. 1630
Dale Shinn German Wheellock Carbine, ca. 1580
Dale Shinn German Wheellock Puffer, ca. 1580)


And there is probably a lot of other stuff I'm totally spacing out about that I picked up this year...

Cheers!

Gordon

Sold:
Del Tin 2121 sword
Lutel 12023 15th C Sword
Paul Binns Norman reenactment sword

Lost:
A couple of reenactment swords as well as a Polish sabre in a car burglarly. :mad:

Added:
Arms
Albion Next Gen Agincourt
Albion Next Gen Poitiers


Armour
Custom Buckler made by a local Swedish smith

Books
Monro, his expedition with the worthy Scots regiment (called Mac- Keyes regiment) Robert Monro(London 1637, an orignal print copy in good condition :eek: :D (!))

Far too many books on 17th Century wars and warfare, mostly old dusty tomes in Swedish

Yeah I bought quite a few books, 4 by Ewart Oakeshott, 3 by Christian Henry Tobler (1 of which I gave to my stepson, Medieval Swordsmanship by John Clements, The Swordsman's Companion by Guy Windsor, The Book of the Sword by Richard Burton, The Art of Dueling by Fabris Leoni, Italian Rapier Combat by Capo Ferro edited and presented by Jared Kirby and several other books. Just finished reading The Archeology of weapons by Ewart Oakeshott.

Between the swords, weapons, accessories and books I probably spent more than I should, but this was my first year and I wanted to launch things with a serious start. Now to get all these books read, finished 4 of them.

I sure am glad to be part of this, lots to learn!

Bob