German Swords and Sword Makers: Edged Weapon Makers from the 14th to the 20th Centuries [Paperback]

Richard H. Bezdek (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

German swordsmiths have always been famous for their production of high-quality swords, making the swords themselves highly sought by collectors. Equally important to the knowledgeable collector are the histories of the men who designed, manufactured and sold these prized weapons. German Swords and Sword Makers presents the most information ever published on German sword and edged weapon makers from the Middle Ages to the present. It includes photos and illustrations of swords from Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Saxony and Austria; more than 300 illustrations of German sword maker blade marks spanning five centuries; rare sketches and photos of German sword makers and their factories; a listing of German sword makers who exported swords to Union and Confederate dealers during the American Civil War; identification of sword and edged-weapon suppliers to Nazi Germany; and much more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard H. Bezdek has been collecting English and Scottish swords for more than 25 years. He has become a leading authority on the history of edged weapons in the United States as well as a highly sought after sword appraiser.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581600577
• ISBN-13: 978-1581600575
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars About Swordmakers, not swords, not swordmaking., October 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: German Swords and Sword Makers: Edged Weapon Makers from the 14th to the 20th Centuries (Paperback)

This is a book about German swordmakers. It contains very little information about swords in the technical sense, e.g. construction methods or design evolution. There is a listing of the swordmakers names, dates of swordmaking and family connections. There are many pictures of Solingen factories and other historical venues. There is a list of maker's marks which does not seem to be complete nor is it presented as such. There is not much in the way of pictures of swords showing types, characteristic designs, patterns or maker innovations. The photos are of questionable quality and most of the pictures are illustrations with little provenance. Some interesting information on which makers also exported to the U.S. is included. As is usual these days, there is no appendix or detailed Table of Contents. A good book for historians but not so good for the collector.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Where are the photograohs???, January 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: German Swords and Sword Makers: Edged Weapon Makers from the 14th to the 20th Centuries (Paperback)

While written material information is excellant in this book, It lacks enough photographs to make it useful for a collector to successfully identify a sword he may have. Also it should have included French, British and German designs. Sorry but this book does not help me at all. The proof marks are availible almost everywhere else. Also to make this book better, it needs more pictures! Spread out the photographs thru the book insted of the "lump-sum" at the rear. Better books than this are out there.

2.0 out of 5 stars Specific Book for Specific Purpose, October 18, 2011

By 

GregK - See all my reviews

This review is from: German Swords and Sword Makers: Edged Weapon Makers from the 14th to the 20th Centuries (Kindle Edition)

This is a fair book. Overall it does provide history of German blade-smithing and lists most of the German sword marks. The book provides good facts, but lacks completeness of the sword manufacturers and is missing a number of sword-makers. The sword illustrations are terrible, the photos are very few and are of poor to average quality. The bibliography is absent and some facts are somewhat questionable. If you are a collector or dealer, like me, this book is OK at best. The author could have done a much better job.