Childhood Sword

M

MeAndMyBeans

Joined
Apr 16, 2015
Messages
7
Found an old sword of mine that my friends and I used to whack each other with. Not as many dings a I figured would be in it, considering it went against dual-wielded battle axes that I also had. Don't know a darn thing about it, but it sure brings back memories.

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It's probably nothing special, but I like her.
 
Toledo, Spain, a vortex of fine sword-making in times past! Many of us became enthralled with swords as younguns, and even these days I delight in how ubiquitous the sword remains.
 
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There's literally a ton of "El Cid" style swords about, in every incarnation from wall-hanger (ala' pewter blade) to almost functional, except the tang construction. In any "decorator swords" offfering, you'll see represented, among others, the "Excaliber", "The Viking". and likely the "El Cid". The style is almost ubiquitously associated with a "decorator model", at least here in the Midwest, among most afficionados of any seriousness, so if it turns out to be and actual, functional example from Toledo, please update us all, I'd love to see more on the sword.
 
MeAndMyBeans said:
Is that a guess, or are you asking me? I have no clue whatsoever what time frame this would fall into.
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I was asking? The first wallhangers I sawas a youth were during the 1950s and they were similar in appearance.

Cheers

GC
 
How long ago was your childhood? That might help us date it. Did it belong to your parents? Any help on the origin from them?
 
I don't think it is one of the Cid swords, those were the Colada and Tizona

Colada
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Tizona
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I am not sure which hero this one is but there is likely a motto or some other inscription on the blade. Time to cull through one of the modern Toledo sites.

Cheers

GC
 
Pier One Imports used to sell a whole line of wall hangers with zinc? alloy blades in the 1980's and I could swear the OP's sword was one of those offered. A 13 year old me bought the big zwiehander-style from them, got to being an idiot, and was promptly rewarded with a hilt in one hand and a bent zinc? blade on the ground. Probably my very first introduction to a "threaded rod welded on" style tang. A few mowed lawns. I should have mowed a lot more and bought the "ninja-to" I really wanted from Cutlery World, but it was $200 and if memory serves the Pier One "swords" were about $40. I guess what I'm getting at is: does the pommel unscrew,so you can remove the hilt, and if so, what's under it? I can truly say, as to most of the "cheapie" stuff today, at least it's steel, even if it's crummy steel. It was difficult to find an actual steel sword, for me anyway, in my youth. There was a heck of a lot of SLO's made of alloy, and some were going for crazy money, like $80-$90. Of the "real" swords available then, on the retail market, most were exorbitantly priced, as in $200 minimum like I said before, for something that wasn't "battle ready" in all likelihood, just a steel bladed wallhanger that looked (to a 13 year old anyway) like the coolest thing ever. if the web has done nothing else, at least you can find a cutter for $150. Don't even get me started on the amount of "Ninja" stuff available back then, almost all of it junk. Whomever thought a teenager could actually put on "Ninja hand and foot spikes" and climb a tree needs their a$$ kicked. ;) If you can imagine a rather portly 13 year old attempting (and failing) to climb the maple in the back yard while about five other kids watched, you can see why I was a good source of entertainment for most of the neighborhood kids, although even the thinnest kid on the block didn't do any better. poor tree.
 
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My first sword ? In elementary school I was in a play, leading man , George Washington !!! My parents made the costume, wig, jacket with epaulets and sword !! By high school I was on the fencing team and persued that for many years.
Still persuing the vorpal blade !
 
I made and broke a lot of wood swords in battles as a Kid. My father finely had enough of his wood trim being destroyed . He made me a sword out of a 2X4 . and a shield out of plywood . No kids sword in neighborhood could stand up to that sword. :D

Several years back . I was out of work and Christmas was going to be slim. I had 3 daughters 8 to 11 then. I took a sword I had traced it on wood and made each a sword Painted them and Put a different stone in each . So they could tell apart . 1 still exists today. My 4 year old grand daughter plays with it.

All my girls now shoot and 1 has carry permit . Youngest is a Knife nut. She will be 21 in June and will get her carry permit. .
 
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