There's a difference between owning an old sword and owning a piece of history. The object itself might look the same in a photograph — a blade, a hilt, a scabbard, a patina of age. But what separates a genuinely significant piece of antique edged weaponry from a nameless blade gathering dust in an attic is the story behind it: who carried it, where it served, what conflict or regiment or frontier it belongs to, and whether the person selling it to you actually knows the answer to those questions or is simply guessing.

That knowledge — the ability to identify, authenticate and contextualise antique weapons — is what makes a specialist dealer worth seeking out. And it's what makes Bygone Blades one of the most distinctive sources of antique swords, Bayonets and edged weapons available to collectors anywhere in the world.

Bygone Blades is the creation of Richard Wales, a collector, explorer and dealer who has spent more than 20 years immersed in the world of antique weaponry. Richard has visited over 100 countries, spent time with vanishing indigenous cultures — from former headhunters in the Amazon to M'Baka Pygmies in the Ituri Rainforest to the Maasai of Tanzania — and in 2011 was adopted into the Samburu warrior tribe of northern Kenya, undergoing the warrior initiation and wearing his 90 scars as a badge of membership. That kind of experience doesn't just make for an interesting biography. It informs the way Richard sources, identifies and presents every piece in the Bygone Blades collection — with an understanding of edged weapons that goes far beyond catalogue descriptions and into the cultures, conflicts and craftsmanship that created them.

The Collection — Swords, Bayonets, Tribal Weapons and More

Bygone Blades describes itself as a treasure house of Antique edged weaponry.from around the world, and the description is accurate. The collection spans centuries, continents and conflicts, with an emphasis on swords and bayonets but extending into axes, knives, tribal weapons and historically significant pieces that defy simple categorisation.

Swords

The sword collection ranges from 18th-century cavalry sabres to Victorian officers' dress swords, from Scottish broadswords to Japanese military blades. Current and recent pieces include a Culloden-period basket hilted backsword circa 1740 — a weapon that places you directly in one of the most significant moments in British military history. A British 1788 Pattern Light Cavalry Troopers Sabre by Thomas Gill. A British Georgian Mameluke Sabre with an Indian wootz steel blade dating to around 1800. A Victorian Royal Scots Fusiliers Broadsword by Pillin. A British Prototype 1882 Short Pattern Cavalry Sword by Mole. Royal Artillery officers' Swords.spanning the reigns of Edward VII and George V, including Wilkinson-made examples from the First World War. A British Grenadier Guards Dress Sword bearing battle honours and the owner's initials. A British 19th Century Mounted Police Sword. A Japanese Model 1899 Type 32 Army NCO Sword. And a pair of Chinese Qing Dynasty Duandao short swords from the Boxer Rebellion period.

Each of these pieces comes with detailed identification — maker, date, pattern, unit markings, condition notes — presented with the specificity that serious collectors expect and that distinguishes a specialist dealer from a general antiques seller.

Bayonets and Knives

The bayonet and knife collection is equally deep, covering British, Commonwealth, European, American and Asian military bayonets from the 18th century to the Cold War. British bayonets run from an 18th Century Land Pattern Socket Bayonet through Lovell's Catch 1851 Pattern, 1859 Mk II Cutlass Bayonet, 1876 Martini-Henry (including an Egyptian conversion), 1888 Lee-Metford variants (including a Royal Navy issue), 1907 Patterns (including the rare Vickers-made example and Sanderson 1916), 1913 Pattern Remington (with WW2 Home Guard reissue provenance), No.4 Mk I Cruciform Spike by Singer 1941, No.7 Land Service by Elkington 1945, Sterling Machine Carbine by Hopkinson 1975, and L1A1 SLR by RSAF Enfield 1959.

German bayonets include WW1 S98/05 sawbacks by Alex Coppel and Fichtel & Sachs, S84/98 saw-backs by Heller, Ersatz bayonets catalogued to the Carter reference system, K98 bayonets, and WW1 trench knives (Nahkampfmesser). French pieces range from M1866 Yataghan Sword Bayonets by St Etienne to M1886/1915 WW1 Lebel Bayonets with matching scabbards. Australian bayonets include Lithgow-made 1907 Patterns and the distinctive Owen Submachine Gun Bayonet. Indian, American, Swedish, Taiwanese and other nationalities are all represented.

The collection also includes Scottish dirks — both civilian and military dress examples, including one attributed to a Glasgow City Piper — kukri knives, survival knives (including a British Wilkinson Type-D), and a variety of other edged weapons that fall outside standard sword and bayonet categories.

Zulu Iklwa and Tribal Weaponry

One of the most distinctive categories in the Bygone Blades collection is the Zulu Iklwa and Tribal Weaponry section — reflecting Richard's deep personal connection with African cultures. Current pieces include 19th Century Zulu Iwisa (knobkerries) from the Anglo-Zulu War period, including a remarkable snuff-taking knobkerrie. Xhosa assegai spearheads from the Cape Frontier Wars. Sudanese Hadendoa spearheads from the Mahdist Uprising. And substantial hardwood knobkerries that represent the close-combat weaponry of southern African warrior cultures. These are pieces with genuine ethnographic and military significance — not reproduction tourist items.

Beyond Buying — Identification, Valuations and Restoration

Bygone Blades offers services that go well beyond simply selling antique weapons. Richard provides an identification and valuation service for collectors who have acquired pieces and want to know exactly what they have — a service that draws on more than two decades of hands-on experience with edged weapons from every major military tradition.

Sword restoration is another specialist service. Richard restores damaged antique swords to their original but aged condition — work that includes grip repair and rewiring, blade cleaning and neutralisation, shagreen replacement, re-pointing broken blades, and the application of Renaissance Wax for long-term preservation. Examples featured on the Bygone Blades blog include the restoration of a P1803 flank officer's sabre, the replacement of shagreen and rewiring on an 1845 pattern infantry sword, re-pointing a British cavalry P1885, and repairing the grip on a French cavalry sabre. For anyone with a damaged or deteriorated sword that deserves proper conservation, this is a service worth knowing about.

And for those looking to sell rather than buy, Bygone Blades actively purchases antique edged weapons — offering a straightforward route for collectors downsizing, estates being settled, or individuals who've inherited pieces and want them to go to someone who understands their value.

Why Specialist Dealers Matter

The market for antique edged weaponry has never been more accessible — and never more cluttered with misidentified, over-described and occasionally fake pieces. Online marketplaces and auction sites have put thousands of antique weapons in front of buyers who may not have the expertise to distinguish a genuine 1907 Pattern bayonet from a later reproduction, or to spot the difference between an authentic regimental marking and an added inscription designed to inflate the price.

A specialist dealer like Bygone Blades exists precisely to solve that problem. Every piece in the collection has been examined, identified and described by someone who knows what they're looking at — not from a reference book alone, but from years of handling, collecting, restoring and studying weapons across cultures and centuries. The descriptions are specific: maker marks are identified, dates are verified, patterns are correctly attributed, and condition is described honestly. When a piece is rare — like the Vickers 1907 Pattern Bayonet or the Spanish mid-18th Century Naval Boarding Cutlass circa 1760 — the rarity is explained in context, not just claimed.

For collectors, that expertise translates directly into confidence. You know what you're buying. You know its history. And you know it's been assessed by someone whose reputation depends on getting the identification right.

Collecting Antique Edged Weapons — An Investment in History

Antique swords and bayonets occupy a unique position in the collecting world. They're tangible pieces of military history that can be held, displayed and studied. They connect the owner to specific conflicts, regiments, cultures and periods in a way that documents and photographs cannot. And unlike many categories of antiques, quality edged weapons have historically appreciated well — making them both a passion and a sound long-term investment for those who buy wisely from reputable sources.

The key phrase is "buy wisely." That means buying from dealers who know their subject, who describe their pieces accurately, who stand behind their identifications, and who offer the kind of after-sale knowledge — answering questions, providing context, helping with research — that turns a purchase into the beginning of a relationship rather than the end of a transaction.

Browse, Buy or Get in Touch

Visit Bygone Blades to browse the full collection, including newly added pieces, sale items and an archive of sold products that serves as a reference library in its own right. Explore the shop by category — Swords, Bayonets and Knives, Axes, and Zulu Iklwa & Tribal Weaponry. Read the blog for restoration examples, collecting insights and historical context. Or contact Richard directly at [email protected] to discuss a piece, request an identification or valuation, enquire about selling a weapon, or ask about sword restoration.

All UK deliveries are subject to age verification. Payment is accepted via PayPal. Grab yourself a piece of history.