Gifts for History Buffs Who Have Read Everything Already

Buying a book for a history buff is like buying a fish for a fisherman. They have read it, or they have decided not to, and either way you have told them nothing they did not know. The history buff is the hardest person on your list precisely because they are the easiest to read: you know exactly what they like, and everything you can think of is already on their shelf.

What is not on the shelf is the thing itself. A person who has read four books on the Roman legions has never held a gladius. A person who can tell you the difference between a Petersen Type H and a Type X has a Viking sword in their head and not on their wall. The object closes a gap the books cannot, and it is the one gift in this category nobody buys for themselves.

Why an object and not another book

The book is a bet that you found one they missed. The documentary subscription is a bet they do not already have it. The museum membership is a good gift and a local one. The framed map is decor.

A hand-forged sword of a type they have read about for twenty years is none of those. It sits where they work and it is picked up. One honest note before the list: these are hand-forged interpretations of historical types, built to be full tang, functional steel. They are not archaeological reproductions of a specific museum find. A serious collector of antiques knows the difference and so should you; see the last section.

Rome

The gladius is the most-owned sword in this category for a reason. It is short enough for a desk or a shelf, and the reader who knows the Republic from the Principate will notice which pattern you chose.

• Battle Gladius, Mainz, 18", $149.99. The Mainz pattern, the waisted early-Imperial blade, at the shortest and most affordable length here.
• Fulham Gladius, 23.5", Damascus, $179.99. The Fulham, between the Mainz and the Pompeii in shape, named for the Thames find. The pick for the reader who will appreciate that you knew there was a Fulham.
• Pompeii Gladius, 1095 Steel, $199.99. The late pattern with parallel edges. The legionary's sword of the first century, in plain high carbon steel.
• Mainz Gladius, 28", $249.99. The full-length Mainz. The piece for a wall rather than a desk.
• Gladius Bundle, $239.99. A Damascus gladius with stand, sharpener and maintenance kit. Nothing left to buy on the day.
• Scutum, Roman Shield, 35", Metal, $399.99. The curved legionary shield. It is large, it is heavy, and it is the single most recognizable object of the Roman army. For the reader with a wall to give it.
• Roman Galea Helmet, Metal, $199.99. The legionary helmet in steel. Shelf piece, and wearable.

Reading to go with it: the gladius, in depth.

Greece

• Spartan Shield, 24", Metal, $199.99. The hoplite's round shield, the aspis, in metal. The object every reader of Thermopylae wants and none of them own.

The Viking Age

The Viking sword is the one the history buff has the strongest opinions about, because the surviving finds are so well cataloged. Buy the type, not the word.

• Viking Short Sword, 17.5", 1095 Steel, $169.99. The seax-length blade. The everyday weapon of the period rather than the famous one.
• Viking Spatha, 35", Damascus, $179.99. The late-Roman cavalry sword that the Viking sword grew out of. For the reader who knows where the type came from.
• Viking Sword, 26", Damascus, Carolingian, $179.99. The Carolingian pattern at a shelf-friendly length.
• Viking Sword, 37", Folded Damascus, Carolingian, $199.99. Full length, folded steel, the sword most readers picture.
• Ulfberht Viking Sword, 38", Damascus, $199.99. The Ulfberht name, the most famous inscription in the Viking world, on a Damascus blade. If they have read about crucible steel, this is the one.
• Ulfberht Viking Sword, Highest Grade, 39", 1095 Steel, $699.99. The top of the Viking range. For the fiftieth birthday, not the stocking.
• Viking Axe, 20", 1095 Steel, Valknut, $199.99. The bearded axe with a valknut on the head. The axe was the common weapon; the sword was the rich man's.
• Ulfberht Bundle, $699.99. Sword, axe, shield, helmet and more. A whole shelf in one box.

Reading to go with it: famous Viking swords and what the Ulfberht actually was.

The Middle Ages

• Longsword with Knife, 44", 1095 Steel, $199.99. Our best-selling sword and the knightly weapon of the later Middle Ages. Ships with a matching knife.
• Nasal Helmet, Medieval, $398.99. The conical helmet with the nose guard, the one on the Bayeux Tapestry. For the reader of 1066.

Reading to go with it: the types of medieval armor.

The reader's cup

Not every history buff wants a sword on the wall. Most of them want something to drink from while they read.

• Roman Wooden Mug, Tankard, 12 fl oz, $69.99.
• Viking Horn Mug, Large Tankard, 16 fl oz, $49.99.
• Horn Goblet, 4 oz, Gold, $99.99. The small ornate cup for the reader whose period is later and grander.

Engraving: the line they would choose

A history buff has a motto. Engraving and etching are done in our own Illinois workshop, so a line of Latin, a date, a family name or a legion number goes onto the blade or the scabbard. If you want to build the sword from scratch to a period they care about, Customize Your Sword, $199.99, specifies blade profile, steel, guard, grip, pommel and scabbard. Custom sword builds take three to eight weeks, expedited two to three on request, and ship unsharpened unless the sharpening option is selected.

Give it somewhere to live

A Wall Mount Sword Stand is $49.99 and a Blade Stand is $29.99 for the desk. On a $200 gift it is the difference between a sword that is displayed and one that leans behind a bookcase.

When to buy something else

• They collect antiques or museum-grade reproductions. These are hand-forged interpretations of period types, not reproductions of a specific find. A collector who wants a Petersen Type X to the millimeter wants a specialist reproduction house, and will thank you for the museum membership instead.
• They are a reenactor with a group kit standard. Reenactment societies specify what is allowed. Ask the group before you buy anything with an edge.
• Their period is one nothing here covers. Napoleonic, American Civil War, the Pacific, the Cold War. A book is the right gift for a reader of a period without a blade.
• The recipient is under eighteen. Blades ship to adults. The mugs, the shield and the helmet are the young historian's list.
• You are inside three weeks and set on custom. Buy from stock and add engraving.

Also worth thirty seconds: blade laws vary by state and city, most stock blades ship sharpened, and nothing here goes in carry-on. Ship to a home address.

Frequently asked questions

What are good gifts for history buffs who have every book?
The object instead of the book. A gladius from $149.99, a Viking sword from $169.99, or a Roman shield at $399.99 for a wall.

Are these historically accurate?
They are hand-forged, full tang interpretations of historical sword types: Mainz, Fulham and Pompeii gladius patterns, Carolingian and Ulfberht-marked Viking swords, a spatha. They are not archaeological reproductions of a specific museum piece.

What is the best Roman gift?
A gladius. The Fulham at $179.99 if the reader knows their patterns, the Mainz Battle Gladius at $149.99 as the most affordable, the scutum at $399.99 for the wall.

What is the best Viking gift?
The Ulfberht-marked Damascus sword at $199.99 is the one most readers want. The bearded axe at $199.99 is the more historically common weapon.

Can I engrave a Latin motto or a date?
Yes. Engraving and etching are done in our own Illinois workshop: a line of text, a date, a name or a logo on the blade, or on the scabbard.