Swords and knives have held cachet and value since antiquity in just about every steel-producing culture, and that interest has never dulled. If you’ve inherited or found an unusual-looking sword or knife, one with hard-to-identify writing on it, or even a nondescript and mysterious one, don’t pawn it or eBay it. Central Mass Auctions can evaluate your sword or knife and sell it for the maximum value at auction.
Vintage Samurai Sword Blade Length 27″ – sold at auction for $1,200
Fairbairn Sykes WWII British Commando Knife – sold at auction for $2,500
What kinds of antique swords and knives sell well at auction?
Certain types and eras of swords are particularly attractive to collectors, including:
- Japanese swords, especially sets
- Persian swords
- Indian swords
- Pre-18th century swords
- Civil war swords
- WWII swords and knives
- Pirate swords
Swords and knives associated with other historical figures, wars, or events can also be extremely valuable.
What makes an antique sword or knife valuable?
Other factors that affect the value of swords are the:
- Aesthetics and artistry of the sword
- Rarity of the sword
- Condition of the sword
- Story behind the sword
- Type of sword
- Whether you have the original scabbard
- Whether you have the set – if the sword is part of a set
- The presence of any original documentation
- The maker of the sword
Scheduling an evaluation is the only way to know for sure what your sword or knife might be worth.
How much are antique swords worth?
The most expensive sword ever sold at auction was the sword of 1700s Indian ruler Tipu Sultan, which sold for $17.5 million at auction. That’s not an everyday example, of course. Values can vary wildly, but here are some past auction results.
- A Texas General’s Houston-made Confederate sword sold for $93,750.
- Colonel John C. Hays’s Mexican War cased presentation sword sold for $62,500.
- A 1779 Revolutionary War Klingenthal Cavalry Sword sold for $53,750.
- A French officer’s short sword custom crafted by Nicholas Boutet sold for $14,937.50.
- An Inoue Shinkai signed and dated Wakizashi sword sold for $7812.50.
Your expected values can vary, but an appraisal will help you know what might be reasonable to expect.
How much are antique knives worth?
A knife commissioned by Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor, known as the Shah Jahan Dagger, dated back to the 1600s and sold for $3.375 million in 2019. As with swords, knife values can vary wildly, but here are some past auction results for knives.
- A Swiss Holbein dagger from 1750 sold for $6,500.
- A German knife circa 1800 sold for $4000.
- An Afghan Khyber knife with a gold inscription sold for $3,250.
- A WWI Trench Knife sold for $1300.
As with swords, the expected value of a knife can vary greatly. Many sword and knife auctions will start at around $200, so even if you don’t have a famed or storied sword or knife you may still receive a significant amount of money for your collection.
Get your sword or knife evaluated today
Get your swords and knives in front of collectors who are willing to pay top dollar for them. Schedule an appraisal, and then work with Central Mass Auctions to auction them off to the highest bidder.
