As a weapons collector, you should consider the historical and logistical significance of the Roman gladius.  This, and other Roman weapons and equipment, were part and parcel of why the Roman Legions managed to conquer most of Europe and all around the Mediterranean.  As you know, most legionnaires were issued this, but what you might not realize is that many armies, particularly in Celtic Europe, didn’t bother giving armies standard issue anything. Most soldiers were responsible for bringing their own kit and food, and often ended up foraging off the land, off the enemy and even sometimes their own people.  By creating a “uniform” of equipment for each Roman soldier, such as giving out swords like the Gladius – The Pompeii, the Legions were able to achieve several breakthroughs.  They made it very easy to equip their armies, since everyone had the same thing, all that manufacturers back in Rome had to do was continue making a particular set of them. It uniformed training, so that it took less time to train the legions. These, in turn, enabled commanders like the legendary Marius to develop new, fluid tactics that would sharpen the effectiveness of the Legions in combat, revolutionizing warfare to such a degree that they would influence military forces in Europe and beyond for centuries to come. The Gladius was effective because it was simple; it was a short sword that was used principally for stabbing, since a good stab was a more effective way to kill than a slash, and that’s important if you’re trying to get through a battle because you need to take down your enemy quickly.  The Roman gladius served this role well in their tactics in the Legions for centuries as a result. 

One may think that during the American Civil War, the need for swords and bayonets were probably already phased out by technology, and only issued because it was simply the traditional way armies were equipped prior.  While there is some truth to the latter notion, the need for swords and bayonets, among other things, had not really diminished.  Firearms that used brass cartridges would not see much widespread military use until after the war, but even so, for the cavalry, the sword would remain in service until World War I demonstrated how horse-mounted cavalry was completely obsolete.  Civil War swords, such as this Civil War Cavalry Trooper Sword, were very essential weapon in the cavalryman’s arsenal principally because of the tactic of the cavalry charge.  This shock tactic of driving at the enemy as hard and fast as one can go would evoke fear into the enemy, and once you got to him you needed something other than a pistol to fend off any pike or whatever he may have when you get close to him.  Close combat, especially in modern warfare, is a very terrifying thing, and the cavalry charge took advantage of that terror to cut down the enemy, quickly, and then get out to recover while the infantry mopped up.  If the cavalry faced enemy cavalry, the sword would prove invaluable again since, in situations like that, you didn’t have time to reload your pistol.  It’s no wonder why the cavalry sword remains a symbol of modern, mechanized cavalry units today, because it was always there, ready for action, when they needed it. 

When firearms began to neutralize the armored protection noble knights from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, the need for large, heavy swords that effectively amounted to sharp clubs that battered as much as it hacked became increasingly unnecessary.  As such, swords that were lighter and quicker became deadly, especially when you could neutralize an opponent’s armor with spare pistol tucked in your belt.  Fencing rapiers were developed as a result of all this, and they are, arguably, the deadliest swords ever used.  That seems like a grandiose statement, but when you consider that it doesn’t take much training and effort to maim and kill with these weapons, and you compare the sheer utility of the rapier to the magnificent Japanese katana sword, which was never meant for blocking as the rapier was, perhaps you’ll understand how potent the rapier was.  It was sharp, it was elegant, and it was light and easy to wield, even by women.  The 17^th Century Swept Hilt Rapier is an excellent example of this kind of weapon.  Light, quick, easy to wield, and easy to train, featuring a beautiful hilt guard to protect the hand, one good flick with this weapon could spell death to any unprotected opponent.  When you see swashbuckling films of the silver screen with cinematic sword duels such as in The Three Musketeers, you get an idea of how easy and elegant these weapons truly were, and then compare that to a samurai film and you might see the distinct difference in the style of combat that might bring a better understanding why the rapier is the deadlier weapon. 

Axes are one of the most useful tools invented by Man.  They’re probably one of the first tools invented by Stone Age people thousands of years ago made from flint and stone, used to chop firewood, and doubles marvelously as a very simple and effective weapon.  It doesn’t really take much training to know how to use an axe.  Unlike swords, the nuances of which could take years to learn how to fight effectively with, medieval axes were more often used simply because it could take a couple of days to get the feel for it and to use it effectively in battle.  A weapon such as this War Axe in the hands of a Viking berserker is a devastating and fearful device, capable of wearing down a shielded opponent just from hitting his shield with rapid blow after blow after blow in such quick and relentless succession that the opponent might never get a blow in to ward off the attack.  You’ll note that the War Axe has a much lower point on the top of the axe head itself than a typical wood axe.  This is so that the blow is more concentrated and more effective.  If the poor opponent were to be using a wooden shield this axe would have it torn to shambles in no time thanks to how focused the axe’s blows are.  The rear spike was used to pierce the armor, popping him open like a can of oil.  On top of this the axe was cheap and doubled as a tool, which is great for outfitting and equipping armies; the less it costs to outfit the more you can field, and it also means less to carry which means more food and other essentials can be in place of other devices.  The battle axe is a must to have in any beginning or established collection of fine arms and armor. 

Men and women, particularly of noble birth, went around wearing knives and daggers.  Medieval daggers were not just for personal self-defense, but they were used to eat food with, and have all the use a knife would have in a day and age without electricity and central heating.  It was not uncommon for lords and ladies attending the court of their patron king and queen to come to court armed with a dagger or two.  These were not seen as hostile in anyway unless they were drawn.  Many courts simply didn’t allow swords, but daggers were perfectly acceptable.  After all, a noble was expected to defend themselves as necessary, and they had enemies of their own rank that would come to court looking for an opportunity to spill the blood of their hated foes.  If you happen to be a collector, or if you wish to add some authenticity to your next Renaissance Fair nobleman’s outfit, you probably couldn’t do much better than to have this Belt Dagger.  This weapon isn’t so much designed for style as it is for sheer practicality, and is the kind of thing that most noblemen or even peasants would have in their possession as they go about their day, using it for various things such as eating, cutting rope, skinning animals, holding people up for their coins, or even fighting.  For an additional fee it can be sharpened, and this dagger would make an excellent hunting knife or something as useful in the real world. An excellent collector’s item to display as well as use is always nice to have. 

The tomahawk is one of the most useful weapons ever invented.  It’s an axe, but more than that it’s a very effective war axe.  Used in one hand, it’s properly balanced for action as well as throwing, and with a long, slender ax-head, this weapon is deadly effective, and easy to train and use.  It’s not surprising that even today the tomahawk is still used by many in the US Armed Forces as a fantastic close quarters weapon in the streets of Baghdad and wherever else Jihadist hide up behind women and children.  The Deluxe Tomahawk Peacepipe is a fine example of the type of weapon an Indian brave or chief might keep and use in both peace and war when the time came.  This particular one is made with a solid brass hatchet and can be used to smoke with.  Unlike traditional medieval weapons and swords, the native Americans often had to have weapons that served other purposes, and the tomahawk’s primary function as an axe makes it as much a tool as it is a weapon, and the extra feature of being a pipe allowed the Indians to have a device that had a lot of different functions in one portable package.  They didn’t have a settled agricultural society or any industry to speak of to make something more specialized, and it wasn’t until European settlers arrived that would make them weapons with brass such as this that they’d have anything that could remain sharp longer than stone weapons.  For the hard core weapons collector the tomahawk would make a splendid display among colonial style or western style weapons. 

To be a knight in Christian Europe during the Middle Ages was to be a holy warrior in theory if not always in application.  Your first duty, according to many texts, was to God, but God didn’t necessarily pay a knight’s bills, and often did what his paying lord did rather than his spiritual One.  It may, however, surprise you to learn that many knights, especially during the Crusades, actually took their duty to God seriously as well as to their king.  While many were, indeed, no better than gangsters, knights who took the code of Chivalry seriously were quite noble indeed and did protect their lands with justice and fairness as well as they could.  Faith built the character which in turn would become a light for which others would follow.  This power was not lost on many men who would come to emulate something of their forefathers who had demonstrated the courage to follow virtue instead of earthly pleasure.  The Christian Knight Sword, in this sense, represents this ideal perhaps better than other knight swords.  Shaped very much like a crucifix, this rather practical, plain looking sword has no ornamentation to speak of.  It was designed for a task; combat, and it was not meant to glorify that for that would mean glorifying killing, which, as you know, is a sin.  A knight was not to use his swords unless he had to in defense of the realm and of Christendom, and a good knight was careful never to make such action neither the last or the first resort.  Such a sword is a welcome addition to any collection. 

If you really want to dazzle your fellow weapon aficionados, break this thing out on them.  The Mkb 42 Assault Rifle (Non Firing Replica) is the prototype predecessor of the dreaded German MP44 Sturmgewehr.  In fact, you could say that this replica assault rifle is the direct grand-daddy of all modern assault rifles today.  During World War II, the Germans realized that infantry warfare had dramatically changed since the days of World War I.  Because of the nature of tank warfare, blitzkrieg, aviation, and artillery, warfare was far more fluid.  For the infantryman, most combat no longer took place at several hundred yards between entrenched lines, but at relatively close ranges within a hundred yards or less, between patches of cover and ground.  In such situations, suppressive fire was more important than accurate fire because it would keep the enemy from shooting back when the rest of the squad moved into position to strike the killing blow.  To that end, the old Mauser k98 bolt action rifle was not as good for close infantry combat as the MP40 SMG.  But the problem with that SMG was that it fired pistol ammunition, and what infantry want is something like a full rifle round that can give them the range they need when they want it.  The result was the Mkb 42.  Hitler did not approve of the weapon, so, at great risk to their lives, the general staff had these weapons secretly deployed to their troops on the front lines, and the rest is history.  Having this prototype, the grand-daddy of assault rifles, is a must to have with any collection of firearms and swords as it is part of history, and quite a handsome weapon on its own. 

For almost seventy years, one of the widely used and successful assault rifles has been the Kalishnikov AK47. Designed by former Soviet soldier Mikhail Kalishnikov following the Second World War, the AK 47 Assault Rifle with Wood Stock is an ideal weapon when you’re trying to train people out of third world countries who had rarely seen a gun let alone fired one.  What made this weapon so successful was that it was nigh-indestructible.  You could take this weapon and throw it into sand, mud, or gravel and be reasonably sure it would fire without a problem.  This is because it was loosely fitted together compared to other, more precise assault rifles such as the M16.  It was light, and simple to break down, and it was highly reliable.  It wasn’t as accurate, but with the idea that quantity would overwhelm whatever quality the west had, accuracy didn’t seem to matter as much.  The Soviet Union would throw hundreds of boxes of this weapon at any nation that would subscribe to the ideals of communism, and became so widely used that it ended up on the flag of an African country.  The AK 47 is the symbol of tyrants and freedom fighters throughout the last half century and continues to see use in such places as Pakistan and Africa to this day.  Having such replica assault rifles in your collection of swords and armor isn’t really out of place when you consider how immensely useful they are throughout military history, and the AK 47 should be a must on any collector’s wall.