I had long forgotten about my very first "sword" purchase, when I managed to unearth it the other day while at my parent's home over the holidays. The memories came flooding back, as if they were recent. I remember the day so clearly, back in the early summer of 1988. It was bright and sunny, seasonably warm, and I was walking through the side streets in the suburbs of Madrid, when a rather unusual looking antique shop caught my eye. Back in those days, crappy souvenir swords were easily found almost anywhere. I was in my 20's, and I was clueless about swords, but aware of the "rip offs" rampant among local sellers eager to lure cash flush Americans seeking a sword.
I wandered into the shop. It wasn't dedicated to weaponry, but seemed to have decent quality antique home furnishings all about. As I roamed about, I came upon a section that had some daggers and swords. Some looked like antiques, what appeared to be realistic to me due to the materials and fitment quality, and some modern examples. One of the decorative swords that was easy to sell was the King Arthur style "Excalibur" sword, the one with the large disc shaped pommel. I couldn't stand those. When I saw a few there, I was immediately turned off. But I decided to check and see what else might be there. Beneath a few others, I unearthed something interesting, in a semi-translucent thick plastic covering. At first I thought it was a Conan Atlantean sword replica, based on the shape. From what I'd seen by that time, nobody made a good replica of that sword (certainly not like Marto, and definitely nowhere near anything like Albion). And when I removed the plastic, it was revealed that this indeed wasn't an Atlantean replica. Still, I really liked the shape and design work of the grip, cross-guard, and pommel. Plus I appreciated the light symmetrical etching on both sides of the blade just past the cross-guard that looked pleasantly decorative.
I managed to walk away with this sword for under $***. I had no idea if I overpaid or underpaid for it. But even though it's just a decorative sword, it is very solidly built, has beautiful ornamentation, and the polished blade looks very professionally done. I took it home with me and I displayed it in my first two apartments, then it was misplaced and presumed lost. Anyway... I've managed to find it. It looks exactly the same as it did when I first bought it. The polished steel looks magnificent, with no scratches or nicks.
Based on how the hardware looks to have been die cast (although all seams were smoothed over--there's no flashing or obvious seams), it must have been mass produced. I can't find a maker's mark anywhere on it, unless it's "hidden" in some of the design work. The very tip of the blade is semi-sharp but the rest of the blade is smooth; definitely meant as a decorative item. The blade shape is hexagonal, and while there is some profile tapering, I don't really see much distal taper at all. The overall length is just over 38" and the blade is 31" where it disappears into the cross-guard. Some photos are below (sorry they're not very good quality--was a bit of a rush job).
Does anybody have any idea who the maker might be? Is it possible that it's an early Marto? Is it likely a common/uncommon sword model? If there's a design name for this type of sword or other form of identification that could be used to find out more about it, I'd appreciate learning this!
I wandered into the shop. It wasn't dedicated to weaponry, but seemed to have decent quality antique home furnishings all about. As I roamed about, I came upon a section that had some daggers and swords. Some looked like antiques, what appeared to be realistic to me due to the materials and fitment quality, and some modern examples. One of the decorative swords that was easy to sell was the King Arthur style "Excalibur" sword, the one with the large disc shaped pommel. I couldn't stand those. When I saw a few there, I was immediately turned off. But I decided to check and see what else might be there. Beneath a few others, I unearthed something interesting, in a semi-translucent thick plastic covering. At first I thought it was a Conan Atlantean sword replica, based on the shape. From what I'd seen by that time, nobody made a good replica of that sword (certainly not like Marto, and definitely nowhere near anything like Albion). And when I removed the plastic, it was revealed that this indeed wasn't an Atlantean replica. Still, I really liked the shape and design work of the grip, cross-guard, and pommel. Plus I appreciated the light symmetrical etching on both sides of the blade just past the cross-guard that looked pleasantly decorative.
I managed to walk away with this sword for under $***. I had no idea if I overpaid or underpaid for it. But even though it's just a decorative sword, it is very solidly built, has beautiful ornamentation, and the polished blade looks very professionally done. I took it home with me and I displayed it in my first two apartments, then it was misplaced and presumed lost. Anyway... I've managed to find it. It looks exactly the same as it did when I first bought it. The polished steel looks magnificent, with no scratches or nicks.
Based on how the hardware looks to have been die cast (although all seams were smoothed over--there's no flashing or obvious seams), it must have been mass produced. I can't find a maker's mark anywhere on it, unless it's "hidden" in some of the design work. The very tip of the blade is semi-sharp but the rest of the blade is smooth; definitely meant as a decorative item. The blade shape is hexagonal, and while there is some profile tapering, I don't really see much distal taper at all. The overall length is just over 38" and the blade is 31" where it disappears into the cross-guard. Some photos are below (sorry they're not very good quality--was a bit of a rush job).
Does anybody have any idea who the maker might be? Is it possible that it's an early Marto? Is it likely a common/uncommon sword model? If there's a design name for this type of sword or other form of identification that could be used to find out more about it, I'd appreciate learning this!
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