Swords whose origins appear to have been from the Middle East primarily from Iran are great collector's items especially for collectors whose interests are historical. The earliest written account of a sword from the Middle East used in a ritual is found in the writing of the Greek historian, Herodotus, who gives the account of the king Xerxes offering a sword called an acinaces to the god of the sea as a sacrifice.

These swords were also called scimitar. There are many different kinds of short swords that have their origins in the Middle East and all of them were functional in battle for stabbing attacks. The sicari were mentioned in old Jewish accounts of swords used by bandits. All of these swords have a long history that fascinates people because they were made of materials that indicated an advanced civilization that had forged small swords to be used to attack and to intimidate others into submission.

Most collectors collect objects that have a long history and are still in use as with gun collectors. The object of sword collection is to collect the swords that are often shown in ancient pictures of Middle Eastern kings who ruled the Middle East and are famous in stories told by great writers. It is personally satisfying to a collector to feel a part of a certain cultural group by owning an instrument that was forged by metals from their regions and fashioned by craftsmen sword makers from that region.