Here is a selected list of books that will prove useful for the collector of antique swords
Here is a selected list of books that will prove useful for the collector of antique swordsUnfortunately, many are now out of print but they are well worth hunting for. If you have access to the internet, the use of an online out of print book finding service might possibly turn up these publications. Arms Fairs usually have a few stands devoted to specialist books, and I always make it a habit to come home with at least one reference book.
Good Reference Books
I cannot stress too much the importance of having good reference books close to hand. They have proved invaluable to me in the identification of antique swords. I can guarantee that they will repay their initial cost many times over. Arms Fairs usually have a few stands devoted to specialist books, and I always make it a habit to come home with at least one reference book. Note: Where possible, I have included the ISBN. This list will be regularly updated.
Happy hunting!
Sword Book List
P.G.W. Annis – British and American Naval Edged Weapons 1660-1815, Arms and Armour Press, 1970.
J.D. Aylward – The Smallsword in England, Hutchinson, 1960.
Aries, C. – Armes Blanches Militaires, Francais, Paris, 1967.
Richard H Bezdek – Swords and Sword Makers of England and Scotland, Paladin, 2003.
ISBN: 0-486-25434-8
H.T. Bosanquet – The Naval Officer ’s Sword, H.M.S.O., 1955.
Jean-Jacques Buigne – Armes Blanche, Editions du Portal, 1999.
ISBN: 2-86551-041-7
Richard F. Burton – The Book of the Sword, Dover Publications Inc., New York, 1987.
ISBN: 0-486-25434-8
Bashford Dean – Catalogue of European Arms and Armour , Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1905.
Bashford Dean. – Catalogue of European Court and Hunting Swords , New York, 1929.
Claude Blair – European and American Arms – London, 1962.
P. Carrington-Pierce – A Handbook of Court and Hunting Swords 1660-1820, London, 1937.
Anthony D. Darling – Weapons of the Highland Regiments, Museum Restoration Service, 1998.
ISBN: 0-919316-33-6
Vladimir Dolinek and Jan Durdik – The Encyclopedia of European Historical Weapons, Hamlyn, 1993.
ISBN: 0-600-57538-1
James D Forman– The Scottish Dirk, Museum Restoration Service, 1993.
William Gilkerson – Boarders Away. With Steel, Naval Edged Weapons and Polearms 1626 – 1826 , Andrew Mowbray Publishing, 1991.
ISBN: 0-917218-50-7
D S H Gyngell – Armourer’s Marks, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1963.
J F Hayward – Swords and Daggers, H.M.S.O., 1964.
James Henderson – Sword Collecting for Amateurs, Frederick Muller, London, 1969.
G F Laking – Wallace Collection Catalogue of Oriental Arms and Armour, London, 1964.
George G Neumann – Swords and Blades of the American Revolution, Rebel Publishing Inc., 1991.
Nick Evangelista – The Encyclopedia of the Sword, Greenwood Press, 1995.
ISBN: 0-313-27896-2
Charles ffoulkes and E. C. Hopkinson – Sword, Lance and Bayonet, Arms and Armour Press, 1967.
A.N. Kulinsky – European Edged Weapons, Atlanta, St. Petersburg, 2003.
ISBN: 5-901555-13-9
W.E. May and P.G. Annis – Swords for Sea Service, H.M.S.O., 1970.
W.E. May and A.N. Kennard – British Naval Swords and Firearms, H.M.S.O., 1962.
Cyril Mazansky – British Basket-hilted Swords, Boydell Press, 2005.
ISBN: 1-843830531
National Trust for Scotland – Culloden. The Swords and the Sorrows, NTS Trading Company, 1996.
ISBN: 0-901625-58-2
George C Neumann – Swords and Blades of the American Revolution, Rebel Publishing Co., Inc., 1991.
ISBN: 0-9605666-9-4
A V B Norman – The Rapier and Smallsword, 1460-1820, Arms and Armour Press, 1980.
ISBN: 0-405-13089-9
A V B Norman– Smallswords and Military Swords – London, 1967.
Ewart Oakshott – Records of the Medieval Sword, The Boydell Press, 1991.
ISBN: 0-85115-566-9
Ewart Oakshott – European Weapons and Armour, The Boydell Press, 1980.
ISBN: 0-85115-789-0
M. Christian Ortner and Erich Artlieb – With Drawn Sword. Austro-Hungarian Edged Weapons, 1848-1918, Verlag Militaria.
ISBN: 3-9501642-3-5
Michel Petard – Le Sabre D-Abordage (Boarding Cutlasses), Editions du Canonier, 2006.
ISBN: 2-912430-11-9
Harold Peterson – The American Sword 1775-1945, Riling Arms Books, 1996.
ISBN: 0-9603094-1-1
Euro Piancastelli – Lame del Risorgimento, Sciabole Spade e Daghe dell’ Esercito Piemontese, ed. Italiano Dal 1814 al 1873, 2007.
Brian Robson – Swords of the British Army, The Regulation Patterns, 1788 to 1914, National Army Museum, 1996.
ISBN: 0-901721-33-6
P S Rawson – The Indian Sword, Copenhagen, 1967.
Ian D. Skennerton – British Service Sword and Lance Patterns, Ian Skennerton, 1994.
ISBN: 0-646190-36-9
Ian D. Skennerton and Robert Richardson – British and Commonwealth Bayonets, Ian Skennerton, 1984.
ISBN: 0-949749-04-4
Ian D. Skennerton – The Broad Arrow. British and Empire Factory Production, Proof, Inspection, Armourers, Unit and Issue Markings, Ian Skennerton, 2001.
ISBN: 0-949749-43-5
Leslie Southwick – London Silver-Hilted Swords. Their Makers, Suppliers and Allied Trades, with Directory, Royal Armouries, 2001.
ISBN: 0-948092-47-5
George Cameron Stone – A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in all Countries and in all Times, Jack Brussel, 1961.
Eric Valentine – Rapiers, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA, 1970.
Eduard Wagner – Cut and Thrust Weapons, Spring Books, London, 1967.
Paul Wagner and Mark Rector – Highland Broadsword, Chivalry Bookshelf, 2004.
ISBN:1-891-448-21-8
John Wallace – Scottish Swords and Dirks. An illustrated Reference Guide to Scottish Edged Weapons, Arms and Armour Press, 1970.
Gerald Weland – A Collectors Guide to Swords, Daggers and Cutlasses, Chartwell Books Inc., 1998.
ISBN: 1-55521-726-5
Frederick Wilkinson – Swords and Daggers. An Illustrated Reference Guide for Collectors, Arms and Armour Press, 1985.
ISBN: 0-85368-673-4
Frederick Wilkinson – Swords and Daggers, Ward Lock and Co., Ltd, 1967.
John Wilkinson-Latham – British Military Swords from 1800 to the Present Day, Crown Publishers, Inc, 1967.
John Wilkinson-Latham – British Cut and Thrust Weapons, David and Charles Publishers, 1971.
R.J. Wilkinson-Latham – Pictorial History of Swords and Bayonets, Ian Allan, 1973.
Robert Wilkinson-Latham – Mr Wilkinson of Pall Mall, Volume One, 1772-1899, Pooley Sword Ltd Publishing, 2007.
ISBN: 978-1-84336-147-3
Robert Wilkinson-Latham – Mr Wilkinson of Pall Mall, Volume Two, 1900-1972, Pooley Sword Ltd Publishing, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-84336-148-0
Robert Wilkinson-Latham – Wilkinson Sword Patterns and Blade Rubs, Including Index and Details, 1844-1954, Pooley Sword Ltd Publishing, 2008.
ISBN: 978-1-84336-157-2
Robert Wilkinson-Latham – The Swords and Records of Robert Mole and Sons, 1835-1920, Pooley Sword Ltd Publishing, 2008.
ISBN: 987-1-84336-149-7
Terence Wise – European Edged Weapons, Almark Publishing, 1974.
Harvey J S Withers – British Military Swords 1786-1912. The Regulation Patterns. An Illustrated Price Guide for Collectors, Studio Jupiter Military Publishing, 2003.
ISBN: 0-9545910-0-3
Harvey J S Withers – World Swords, 1400-1945, An Illustrated Price Guide for Collectors, Studio Jupiter Military Publishing, 2006.
ISBN: 0-9545910-1-1
Harvey J S Withers – The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Swords and Sabres, Lorenz Books, Studio Jupiter Military Publishing, 2008.
ISBN: 13:978-0-7548-1851-9
ISBN: 10:0-7548-1851-9
Harvey J S Withers – The Scottish Sword, 1600-1945, An Illustrated History, Paladin Press, 2009.
ISBN: 978-1-58160-713-0