Best Sword of 2021

[Eric Fairbanks]

Wow! How long is the blade on the Espada Ancha?

Tom the blade is 37 inches, I also have a 36, 33 and 30 ¹/⁴ the rest are under 30 inches.

[T. Donoho]

Tom the blade is 37 inches, I also have a 36, 33 and 30 ¹/⁴ the rest are under 30 inches.

Long blades! I wonder what type of swordplay was taught for the use of these long blades--I doubt they were used as utility "cutters" as were the shorter Espada Ancha (just a thought).

[Eric Fairbanks]

Tom, not being a swordsman I cannot say for sure, however; it is my experience with these frontier swords they were hackers. They are not balanced and are more kin to hachets even more so the later blacksmith curved pieces.

[Jerry Cottrell]

Not a sword but a couple of 18thC spontoons or I should say a spontoon and a halberd minus the axe type head although according to https://collections.royalarmouries.o...ect-33648.html a sergeants halberd minus the head is classed as a spontoon. The 'halberd' spontoon is 7ft 5 1/2 inches and the regular spontoon is 7ft 4 1/2 inches. You can see the slot where the head would have been and secured with a screw fitting on the spear head. The one that is a dedicated spontoon has a more substantial and robust socket as you can see from the photographs. These tend not to be that thick on the ground and many seem to have had bits lopped off the shaft for various reasons so I was quite glad to obtain these two intact albeit minus the axe head.
The removable spear point has Roman numerals filed into the edge I would think to match an axe head stored or carried separately.
Regards,
Norman.

I like these pontoons very much. Don't see these around the auctions much. Nice soft patina on the steel.

[Jim Joyce]

Yes running out of room in my man cave with these Spontoons etc.

[T. Donoho]

Tom, not being a swordsman I cannot say for sure, however; it is my experience with these frontier swords they were hackers. They are not balanced and are more kin to hachets even more so the later blacksmith curved pieces.

I see. Would it be effective from horseback?

[George Wheeler]

Yes running out of room in my man cave with these Spontoons etc.

I love your polearms Jim. I have a few from the US Civil War but they are hard to find.

[Will Mathieson]

George that's an impressive collection, your favourite one?

[Jerry Cottrell]

Yes running out of room in my man cave with these Spontoons etc.

Beautiful collection, thanks for sharing.

I see my spontoons was autocorrected to pontoons �� - don't think I'd be looking to cross a river with these ��

[morgan butler]

I'm going to cheat and post two because I got them both within the week of mid-August 2021. A 17th century Transition Rapier and an 18th century Espada Barquila.

[Glen C.]

Very cool!