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Best of 2014 Thread


SARGE
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Gentlemen,



Since it that time of year again it is time for the Best of 2014 thread. What was your best find of 2014? It does not have to be the most expensive or the rarest item but what was the edged weapon that you found this year that is your favorite?



My favorite find of the year was a presentation M1902 US Army Officer Saber from the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company (A&HAC) of Boston, Mass. The A&HAC is the oldest surviving Militia Unit in the United States and traces its heritage back to English roots.



The A&HAC awarded distinctive fancy presentation M1902 US Army Officer sabers to its Sergeants over the years. These NCOs are often skilled veterans and prominent men in Boston Society. The sword I obtained was presented to a Sergeant who was a Union Civil War Veteran and the founder of the company that made the sword. The combination of a distinguished veteran and a sword maker/retailer made this my best find of 2014.


G Harding sword.JPG

G Harding outside guard.JPG

G Harding inside guard.JPG

G Harding logo 2.JPG

G Harding AHA blace close.JPG

G Harding backstrap.JPG

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My best find of a us military edged weapon was my ww2 rh pal 36 knife. but i like that sword LOL. better then a small knife. -ray

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My best find of this past year isn't USGI, but I was stoked to find it. I had purchased a Enfield No.5 (Jungle Carbine), and with all my Military rifles, I had to also add the proper bayonet. Little did I know that the bayonets for the Enfield No.5 is much harder to find than the rifle is. And when they do show up, pretty pricey. But, by chance I ran into a guy that had two, and even though they weren't for sale, he felt he should share and gave me his for $100 (which is at least half what they ususally sell for.)

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That is a magnificent 1902 sword example and I am glad to see it here. I must have missed an earlier posting of it (an incredibly busy real life year).

 

I must have misplaced or removed pictures of a sword I purchased this year. I also acquired a couple of more Waterman knife examples. My highlight of the year might well be uploading one of my picture folders, most of the folder is eagle pommel swords. Kind of a work in progress and there are some misplaced or cross referenced in multiple sub folders. At any rate, images I have been culling for more than a decade. Thousands of image files regarding hundreds of examples.

 

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9AOFMA8y3ODRHZJOXJ4dG5tYWs&usp=sharing

 

I guess it was a good thing to do, as that particular drive failed and despite best intentions to back up everything, too many drives complicated my efforts to be up to date. I have less US specific image banks but this eagle archive is almost entirely about the US eagle pommel swords. An article or small book overdue but the major effort in archiving examples slowing down to better sort my chaos.

 

Cheers

 

GC

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The year 2014 was a good year for me. My pick of the best is the bottom one of the three shown, the M1909 Bolo. Great price for a nice clean M1909, picked up at a Militaria show (the Utica and Collins were also good picks).

 

 

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My latest and best acquisition for 2014 is not really hard to find as long as you visit Frank Trzaska's Knife Knotes sales page. It's the USMC "Bayonet 2000". It was adopted but never issued. Since only about 50 were made, once these are gone, they're really gone.

Marv

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I still can't find the better pictures of this one. I will have to re-shoot it.An Osborn type from the early 1800s with a lighter blade. Possibly cutlered in the US vs England. This actually fills a void for examples I had been looking for.

 

 

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The other eagle this year a type VI Widmann from the late 1840s. I really "needed" it but it was more impulse than necessary, It does well close out what are the waning years of eagle popularity.

 

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Both were budget level. The earlier Osborn quite uncommon with a German blade, as most of these birds with straight blades were English type with the fuller to the tip like an American 1840 nco sword.

 

Cheers

 

GC

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Frank Trzaska

While I have had a few hundred knives and bayonets pass through my hands this year bought and sold, one made me stop in my tracks. I have only seen three in my life and this one was for sale. Snapped it up quickly and brought it home for study. It is a very plain no nonsense knife, probably cost less than one dollar to make it when new. It is amongst the rarest knives I have ever had. Doesn't look like much but it made my year.

 

LF&C Balloonist knife.

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

 

Balloonist%20001aa.jpg

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While I have had a few hundred knives and bayonets pass through my hands this year bought and sold, one made me stop in my tracks. I have only seen three in my life and this one was for sale. Snapped it up quickly and brought it home for study. It is a very plain no nonsense knife, probably cost less than one dollar to make it when new. It is amongst the rarest knives I have ever had. Doesn't look like much but it made my year.

 

LF&C Balloonist knife.

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

 

 

 

Extraordinary. Sometimes the best things come in small packages.

 

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THe 1st pattern Kabar.

 

Also just found(12/11/14) Threaded pommel Mk2 Camillius.Fresh found and right out of the wood work froma local shop.

 

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Frank,

If we only knew what we didn't know. I've probably seen one of those in the past and said to myself. Good luck selling that old pig gutting blade as I walked by. Happy holidays,

CC

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My best find in 2014 was the little US Naval Dirk found at an Antique in Taxas hidden in the back of a letter opener leather holder and offered as a RARE double letter opener for the tidy sum of 45.00. The Naval Dirk is Silver mounted and the type made by the Baltimore Silversmiths circa 1810-1820 for US Navy Officers.

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