George Silver's short sword

[Caz]

This is the earliest surviving dateable example of an English basket hilt that I know of, and has a full crossguard:
http://www.maryrose.org/ship/hand2.htm

That's amazing. I would like that exact one, please. From the Mary Rose.

It would make a brilliant conversation piece if mounted on the wall.

Wilkinson did a "replica" of it some years back, I don't know if I can find any details/images.

C

[admin]

As Oz notes on the CHC forum, there is an example in top condition in the Royal Armouries:
http://collections.royalarmouries.org/i ... zIjt9&pg=1

Notice the great similarity with both the Mary Rose and the 'Naseby' examples. They could have come out of the same workshop almost. The arrangement of hilt bars is very similar and the hollow ball pommels are almost the same.

I cannot tell whether the Mary Rose and Naseby examples are double-edged or backswords, but this is clearly double-edged.
Also of note are the grooves in the ricasso either side of the base of the fuller - it is perhaps reminiscant of Oakeshott's Type XIX blades:
http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxix.html

[Motley]

As Oz notes on the CHC forum, there is an example in top condition in the Royal Armouries:
http://collections.royalarmouries.org/i ... zIjt9&pg=1

I bet the guy that dropped that was pissed off! I wonder what the story was....

I really like the look of these early basket hilts.

[Paul]

As Oz notes on the CHC forum, there is an example in top condition in the Royal Armouries:
http://collections.royalarmouries.org/i ... zIjt9&pg=1

I bet the guy that dropped that was pissed off! I wonder what the story was....

Why? Assuming the museum cares for it properly, I think important antiques should be in a museum, where they can be studied, and not in someone's private collection.

Besides, I think archeological discoveries belong to all of us, not just to the person lucky enough to find it.

[admin]

Paul, he means the original owner who dropped it in the River Thames in the 16thC.

[admin]

I have noted another example of an early English basket-hilt with a crossguard in this book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Illustrated-Enc ... 0754818519

It was not a very good book, so I did not buy it, but it did show an (unlocated/unidentified) early basket hilt which had a very closed basket (no fingering here!) and long quillons projecting. It was of an English form, rather than the German type. Sadly I could find no referrence in the book as to where the sword is.

[Nikos]

I have that book, its full of pretty pictures of swords I would like to know more about, and yet it has a pitiful amount of information on each peice, its really just a nice glossy coffee table book, shame, could have been good.

Are you refering to what they list as 'German Broadsword, c.1550.' It has a wide straight quillon, simple basket on the outside and raised ring on the inside, its only sword I can see on a flick through that fits the bill.

[admin]

Hmm, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it was in the 17thC section and listed as circa.1610 or something like that. And the basket was very complete - made of flat steel, not bars.

[Nikos]

Okay I thought you were looking at something earlier, not sure which one it was then and I had to get going (its at work), if we can work out which one it is I can put a scan up of it.

[admin]

An early English basket hilt sword coming up for sale at Christies (estimate £800-1000):

[the_last_alive]

An early English basket hilt sword coming up for sale at Christies (estimate £800-1000):

Link?

[the_last_alive]

An early English basket hilt sword coming up for sale at Christies (estimate £800-1000):

Link?

Just found it. Some very nice stuff in that auction... Now why aren't I a millionaire yet?!?!

[Cutlery Penguin]

Anyone want to give me £800-1000?

[admin]

Another early example:
http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/ ... 008-09-7-1

[Jonathan Waller]

When I was last at the NAM, they also have a nice portrait of ECW where he has a nice earlyish basket hilt, similar to this one.
I took a picture but my phone has been playing up.
Just found it on their website.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/detail.php?acc=2006-06-8-1

Interesting that it has the round ridged pommel, similar to the ones on the Mary Rose and Thames basket hilted swords from the previous century...

[admin]

Yes, I call that the Terrys Chocolate Orange pommel. It does look like either this was an old sword at the time of the painting, or simply a survival of an older style.

[scalawag]

When I was last at the NAM, they also have a nice portrait of ECW where he has a nice earlyish basket hilt, similar to this one.
I took a picture but my phone has been playing up.
Just found it on their website.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/detail.php?acc=2006-06-8-1

Interesting that it has the round ridged pommel, similar to the ones on the Mary Rose and Thames basket hilted swords from the previous century...

That's odd, looks like the fuller is at the front/sharp edge of the blade as opposed to back? That's if it's a back sword or it's another weird perspective error from the painter

[admin]

I think it is just a fullered blade (like below), where the light is catching the inside of the front of the fuller.

http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/antique-s ... nch1822-1/

[Jonathan Waller]

I think it is an interesting transitional hilt, the pommel especially but some of the features on the basket very much 16th century and others, like the pierced plates becoming more what one see later in 17th century....

Though of course as you say it could be older.

[Jonathan Waller]

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19796/lot/166/
This was part of the Christensen collection tha was recently auctioned at Bonhams.

The sword is similar in form to the one from the NAM portrait minus the ridged ball pommel