Quickly recognized and invariably accepted as the "most American" of swords, the eagle pommel can actually trace its roots to pre-Roman times. And although dissension still exists among arms collectors and students as to the exact moment of the first appearance of the eaglehead on the pommel of an American sword following the adoption of the eagle as the national symbol of the United States, this motif was to enjoy a longer life and a greater popularity than any other item of American martial heraldry.

In vogue from shortly after the Revolution, and still used to a minor degree to this day, the eagle-pommelled sword was the most widely carried of all styles and was universally favored by officers of the United States Army, Navy and Marine Corps as well as the complete spectrum of its often colorful militia system.

In this pioneering effort within a field that has seen little serious publication since Harold L. Peterson's landmark 1954 work "The American Sword 1775-1945", the author presents a comprehensive study of the eagle pommel sword as used in the United States and the story of the firms and individuals who produced it, both in this country and abroad.
"To truly understand the prominence and development of this handsome American weapon and badge of rank, it is requisite that the collector realize the many associations of the swords with the eras in which they were carried and used, as well as the fascinating process by which they were made in Europe and America ... a story the author has related exceptionally well. Although the eagle pommel sword - more popularly known in the jargon of the American arms collecting fraternity as the "Eaglehead" - is the main subject of this work, the book is inclusive of a great deal more. Mr. Mowbray presents here the best account of the sword-making process and the development and changes occurring within it over the 18th and early I 9th century, interwoven with the emergence and growth of the American sword industry.
- Norm Flayderman

Hard-back book measures roughly ~9-1/4" by ~12-3/8" (portrait); ~7/8" thick; 244 pages; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book and dust-jacket are in very-good to fine condition.

"Pound for pound, page for page, this is probably the best sword book published and available on the market today. It is the one sword-book I take with me when on the road."
- C. Alan Russell, Arms to Armor History Stores

Author Richard H. Bezdek spent more than 20 years researching American Swords and Sword Makers.

Besides examining thousands of antique swords for his own collection, plus those in museums, historical societies, and other personal collections, Bezdek poured through an enormous amount of written information, including current and out-of-print books; federal, state, and local archives; old newspaper and magazine advertisements; back issues of the Journal of the U.S. Cavalry Association; military and fraternal society bulletins; museum, society, auction, and dealer catalogs; city directories, census reports, and tax records; and tombstones. The result is the most thorough examination of every facet of American sword making, retailing, importing, and exporting available today.

Hard-back book measures roughly ~8-3/4" by ~11-1/4" (portrait); ~1-1/2" thick; 627 pages; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book and dust-jacket are in very-fine "NEW" condition.

While there have been many excellent sword publications in recent years, one thing that has been missing is a book illustrating the entire range of American swords in large, clear photographs. Finally, that need has been answered!

In these pages you will find over six hundred exciting swords, each one of them unique and interesting. And all aspects of American sword collecting are covered. Colonial, Revolutionary, Federal, Civil War, Eagle Pommels, Confederate, U.S. Regulation Swords, Presentation Swords, Marine Corps Swords, Imports, Naval Cutlasses, Silver Mounted Swords, Tiffany, Horstmann, Ames - it's all in here! And the photographs are shown just the way you want them...as large as possible so you can see the details that matter.

The amazingly complete assortment of American swords illustrated in this book is the lifetime collection of Philip Medicus, who was clearly the greatest sword collector of the 20th century. Following Medicus' death in the 1950s, his collection was purchased in its entirety by Norman Flayderman, author of the famous Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms. Then a young man at the beginning of his career, Flayderman photographed the swords and then sold the majority of them through his mail-order catalog operation. Since this time, the Medicus swords have acquired a special, cherished status amongst collectors, many of whom make a special point of searching for swords with a Medicus provenance.

In order to make this book as useful as possible, the publishers have included an index and an illustration list. These should help you to find what you need quickly and easily. But what we recommend is that you just sit back and flip through the pages, taking it all in from beginning to end. There are hundreds of amazing swords in here, and you won't want to miss a single one of them.

Hard-back book measures roughly ~8-3/4" by ~11-3/8" (portrait); ~3/4" thick; 272 pages, 604 illustrations; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book and dust-jacket are in very-fine "NEW" condition.

When this book was introduced a decade ago, it seemed to us that every Ames enthusiast in the world had purchased one. Although the edition quickly sold out, we came to the conclusion that the market was temporarily saturated. But the passage of time brought an ever-increasing fascination with the American Civil War and a rapidly growing interest in sword collecting in general. Soon, the book achieved 'classic' status and used copies were being eagerly sought after. To relieve this situation, and determined that the wealth of information in The Ames Sword Company be made affordable to all, the publishers have produced this reprint, complete with an improved color section. The Ames Sword Company has been called "Abe Lincoln's Arsenal" with considerable justification - in these pages you will find the complete sweep of the company's production, from small arms to cannon and the finest swords ever produced on these shores.

Hard-back book measures roughly ~8-5/8" by ~11-3/8" (portrait); ~5/8" thick; 255 illustration-filled pages; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book is in fine to very-fine "UNUSED" condition.
NOTE: No dust-jacket.

The raw data direct from the U.S. Government archives and sources of this sharply focused study is certain to be found of immense interest to American arms historians and collectors. It is among the first devoted to this subject that has deeply probed archival sources for detailed statistical data about Federal edged weapons con tracts for the U.S. armed forces; quantities ordered and delivered - the very nitty-gritty that delights the collector of these artifacts.

No other firm ever approached the production of the Ames Manufacturing Co., and between the years 1832 and 1861 they were the sole U.S. contractor. Their production records and U.S. contract data represent a key insight into the use of edged weapons by American military forces. The author's diligent search through Government archives, and the unearthing of original Ames manuscript material in private collections, affords the present day historian and collector significant new information which will long serve as an important guide for official U.S. issue edged weapons. The publication of much of this information is likely to change some collecting patterns as well as create other fields of specialization; widening horizons...so to speak!

Scholastic and collector importance of this treatise will be immediately apparent to the reader. A few misconceptions perpetuated by past generations of historians and collectors are discussed and corrected, such as blade markings on the enlisted variant of the Model 1833 Dragoon Saber and the misnomer "Model 1860" for the handsome brass cup-hilt Naval Cutlass of the Civil War era. Clarification of the development of the "Model 1860" Cavalry Saber adequately explains the anomaly of the many specimens encountered with markings pre-dating the "Model" year. The rather startling fact that the U.S. Army purchased 300 U.S. Naval Cutlasses (the reason to be yet determined) is likely to delight the heart of the inveterate collector and be cause to scramble to locate specimens! New information on the purchase of Cadet Swords for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Virginia Military Institute sheds significant light on a subject that has been much neglected. Significant evidence of purchases by the U.S. Ordnance Department of quantities of foreign-made swords in pre-Civil War years and their actual issuance and testing prior to the adoption of their American "Model" counterparts is prominently discussed. The extensive list of U.S. inspectors of edged weapons and the author' s guide to present-day values presented in the various appendixes are equally useful.

The author is to be congratulated for his pioneering work and research in the field of American swords and edged weapons. With the increasing popularity of this field, the timing of this book is appropriate. It will be found an important building block in the story of American weaponry.

Norm Flayderman
December, 1983
New Milford, Connecticut

Soft-bound book measures roughly ~8-3/8" by ~10-7/8" (portrait); ~1/4" thick; 70 illustration-filled pages; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book is in good to very-good condition.
NOTE: No dust-jacket.

This big, handsome book describes fully and pictures beautifully the swords, pikes and lances, bayonets, and bowie knives used by the Confederate Army. There are altogether 124 drawings, plus two photographs.

The book is divided into three parts: I. makers whose arms are identifiable, arranged alphabetically; II. weapons whose makers cannot be identified: and III. an alphabetical directory of persons and places connected with the making of Confederate edged weapons.

Because of the increased interest in edged weapons on the part of collectors, and constantly rising prices, the author makes no attempt to put prices on the items described. Instead, he assigns values from A to E, with A representing the sword General Lee carried at the time of his surrender to Grant, and E an unmarked weapon which can be recognized as Confederate only by style.

Mr. Albaugh writes on a subject dear to his heart. He has done an enormous amount of research, going through many old records to find out about Confederate ordnance and viewing many weapon collections. His descriptions include much general information on the Confederate Army.

Hard-bound book measures roughly ~8-3/4" by ~11-1/4" (portrait); ~7/8" thick; 198 pages; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book and dust-jacket are in very-good to fine condition.

British swords, of which there are over a hundred different patterns covering the last one hundred and fifty years, have received scant notice in any published work.

During the last ten years there has been an enormous increase in the vogue of collecting military weapons, uniforms, accoutrements and curies. Interest in sword collecting has become particularly strong due to the soaring costs of collection of other military weapons. This interest has had two effects. Firstly, thousands of hitherto discarded military weapons have been salvaged and their value increased enormously. Secondly, it has become apparent that well-illustrated and reliable textbooks are needed for identification and verification purposes.

This book is primarily a survey and identification of swords since 1800. The author has spent twenty years in its compilation and the extensive range of illustrations, and authoritative descriptions of over a hundred different sword patterns make it an essential and unique work for the sword and antique collector.

Hard-bound book measures roughly ~7-1/2" by ~10" (portrait); ~5/8" thick; 91 pages; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book and dust-jacket are in good to very-good condition.

'This book is one of a series designed to introduce various aspects of the decorative arts to the general public. These books are illustrated by objects from our own collection and written by our Curators. They provide full and informative texts illustrated by numerous colour illustrations at the lowest possible price.'

DR. ROY STRONG
Director, Victoria & Albert Museum

Hard-bound book measures roughly ~7-1/2" by ~10" (portrait); ~3/8" thick; 48 illustration-filled pages; no tears or folds; binding fully intact. Book is in good to very-good condition.
NOTE: No dust-jacket.

As fighting weapons and as symbols of military authority, swords were considered essential by Japanese officers - even in an age of tanks, aircraft and battleships. The samurai may have passed into history and legend, but in the swords carried to battle in the Second World War there remained that vital link with the ancient samurai code of honour, 'bushido'. They represent the end of a tradition of sword veneration and use that lasted more than a thousand years.

Genuine samurai swords have now risen in price to a point where they are often beyond the financial resources of the average collector. Military swords have thus become a popular substitute - and today even those with machine-made blades can command high prices. While much has been written about samurai swords, military swords have received scant attention in print. This book redresses the balance, to present a wide-ranging survey of the swords and dirks worn by the armed forces of Japan until the end of the Second World War.