knights templar swords, the king collection

 

       

 

 

 

Knight Templar sword

Knight Templar sword collection

Knights Templar Swords,

the King Collection


Steve King has been collecting swords and other remarkable artifacts from around the world since the 1950s. Among his most prized pieces are the Masonic swords he has acquired, and he shares images of several of them with us. 

A Knights Templar sword from Birmingham, England found its way into Steve King's possession on a trip to Vienna, Austria. Often times the maker of a particular sword can be difficult to determine with any certainty, but in this case that information was etched in small letters directly on the sword. It was Kennedy manufactured in Birmingham, with an office in London. The sword is reliably dated to 1810-1867 by the fact that those were the years Kennedy produced these blades and scabbards.

Knights Templar sword

Knights Templar sword

Knights Templar sword - English made

Note that this sword came with custom-made belt straps consisting of metal clips, stitched leather straps and circular chain links attached to the scabbard. The ivory grip, the skull-and-crossbones on the guard and other details are better seen in this close-up.

Another Templar sword was adorned with a pyramid having rays of light eminating from it as is commonly done with the all-seeing eye. On the pyramid was the inscription Bro. Los Anton Paganini, for whom the sword was apparently made. The fabricator of this blade is not known, but King obtained it in Zurich, Switzerland, and believes it to be Italian made.

Templar sword with pyramid

Templar sword - believed to be Italian made

From the United States came another Templar sword, this one being Henderson made in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was inscribed on the blade and on the scabbard to James A Doig. The intricate artwork on the blade is particularly noteworthy.

American Templar sword

Templar sword - American made

During the 1950s, King began his collection by acquiring these two Templar swords near Boston, Massachusetts. He noted that a dollar went much further in those days, and that it was possible to obtain excellent quality swords then for fifteen or twenty dollars with a bit of diligent searching. The same heritage pieces acquired today could be a thousand or many thousands of dollars. But of course to the person who appreciates the tradition they embody, and the people who cherished them, these swords are priceless.

A sometimes-overlooked necessity to go along with a Knights Templar sword is an appropriate belt from which to hang it. Today these tend to be more simple, functional, and worn under the Templar uniform. But there was a day when these sword belts were highly visible and ornately decorated. 

Knight Templar sword belts

Templar sword belts

Some swordmakers also branched out to make smaller blades as well. In particular: razor blades. King's collection includes an extensive number of these razors, some of which contain Masonic symbols and etched messages on the blades. 

Many Knights Templar today collect only one sword, the one they wear at ceremonies and special occasions. Yet that sword can become as important as a great collection -- due to significant personal moments associated with it.

Salute, swords!

The relationship between Knights Templar and Freemasonry has been the cause of many heated discussions. New facts and documents now reveal more about both of those societies. 

You can see the book here.

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Rare books, Civil War, Best books, Directory, Masons Templars

Quarry Project, Buffalo Bill Cody, Old Time Freemasonry

Sworn in Secret, Early American, Knights Templar, Civil War3

Latest books, Born in Blood, Solomon's Temple, Coil's Encyclopedia

York Rite, Allen Roberts, John Robinson, 2010 symposium, Allen Price

Grand Lodge England, Holy Grail, Kabbalah, Nadia, Robert Burns

Freemasonry education, UCLA, Stonemasons, Scottish Lodge

US Lodges, UK Lodges, Canada Lodges, Australia Lodges 

Templar Swords, Freemason, Templar Trials, Civil War2Table Lodge

Origin of Freemasonry, Templar History, Freemasons history

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Templar swords

Here you experience revealing details of the Knights Templar that go beyond what is commonly shown about them. What events and people brought them to such great heights that they became legendary? What symbols, swords and citadels helped shape their lives? What were their traditions and how are they used today? You will discover all these things here and in the referenced books. If you can shed additional light, your comments are welcome.

The Knights Templars by

C. G. Addison, Esq.