Sword with Eagle head and Ivory handle

[M ELEY]

It is pitiful, especially when the auction houses or antiques sellers are aware, but choose to play dumb when it comes to the item's authenticity. And not just swords. There are several 'reputable' sites listing fire axes, Boy Scout hatchets, soldier's side axes and even common tool hatchets as boarding axes for hefty sums. It's criminal...

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

It is pitiful, especially when the auction houses or antiques sellers are aware, but choose to play dumb when it comes to the item's authenticity. And not just swords. There are several 'reputable' sites listing fire axes, Boy Scout hatchets, soldier's side axes and even common tool hatchets as boarding axes for hefty sums. It's criminal...

Sadly, a very well known ploy that has been used as long as I can remember. While many dealers take in all manner of 'offal' in trades and of course sell the choice pieces for the expected return, they take the 'less desirable' stuff and place in tempting 'no idea what this is' setting. With this, they 'allow' the wide eyed novices with 'just enough' knowledge to get themselves in trouble..to fill in the blanks. They buy! thinking they have outsmarted the wily dealer....but will of course discover later the inevitable.
The most important weapon a collector can possess is knowledge, and it should be constantly well honed.