Review of Bygone Blades

I have bought a couple of antique swords from Richard Wales at Bygone Blades, an antique dealer in Scotland, and have only the best things to say about his knowledge, helpfulness, and the ease of doing business with him.

Each sword is listed on the website with plenty of detailed photos and with a detailed description of the item and best guesses as to a likely dating. Making a purchase is very smooth and streamlined, with a payment processor integrated into the website so that you can browse, make your choices, and make the purchase without needing to leave the site.

Both times I made a purchase, the items were dispatched with tracking number within a couple of days, and were with me within 48 hours of dispatch. They were well-packaged to keep them safe in transit, without any excessive plastic or foam.

Richard also maintains a blog on the website, where he posts interesting articles about his travels, the auctions he attends, and the items he acquires. I read his blog whenever he posts anything new and have learned quite a lot from his writings. He has also been more than happy to answer questions and to share his thoughts and knowledge on the subject of antique swords whenever I have contacted him.

I intend to keep following his work and to put more custom his way whenever my wallet allows me to do so.

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Keith Farrell

Keith Farrell teaches HEMA professionally, often at international events (why not hire me to teach at your event?), and has an interest in coaching instructors to become better teachers. I teach regularly at Liverpool HEMA, and help behind the scenes with running HEMA in Glasgow at the Vanguard Centre.

I have authored Scottish Broadsword and British Singlestick and the award-winning AHA German Longsword Study Guide, and maintain a blog at www.keithfarrell.net where I post regularly.