An antique Scottish basket-hilt broadsword c. 1680
Jul 27, 2018 14:39:16 GMT
Post by viece on Jul 27, 2018 14:39:16 GMT
Hello all,
I thought I would post a couple recent acquisitions that have quickly become my favorite antique swords.
This one is a double-edged Scottish ribbon-hilt broadsword from about 1680.
Here are its stats:
Weight/mass: 2 lb 4.2 oz; 1.03 kg
Total length: 43.9”; 111.5 cm
Blade length: 39.0”; 99.1 cm
Basket max length: 4.75”; 12.1 cm
Basket max width: 4.25”; 10.8 cm
Grip length: 3.5”; 8.9 cm
Blade max width at guard: 1.38”; 3.5 cm
Point of balance: 5.75”; 14.6 cm
Distal taper of the blade: 0.24” or 6 mm thick at guard to 0.08” or 2 mm thick 4” or 10 cm from the tip
It is in almost excavated condition, very worn, clearly sharpened and polished many, many times over generations. Perhaps it is an earlier family blade from a big two-handed cutter, trimmed down and re-hilted in the 17th century when baskets became popular. Perhaps its rough condition is due to a century or two in a thatch roof in the Highlands; these types of swords were often hidden from the British in such a manner. Then, when the owner was imprisoned, killed, exiled, etc., the swords laid forgotten up in the thatch until the building disintegrated or the roof was replaced (a well-made thatch roof can last for centuries).
There is a short, shallow fuller at the top of the blade flanked by two mini-fullers at the shoulders, then it quickly transitions to a flattened hexagonal/lenticular section. There are traces of an inscription, but I can’t make out the letters; maybe the standard ANDREA FERRARA? It doesn’t look that long, though. Any suggestions from the community are welcome! Just below the fuller on one side there is a “swoosh” that seems to be a remnant of a Solingen running wolf mark.
Despite the condition, it is still quite sharp. I have to be careful when cleaning and waxing and have inadvertently drawn blood a couple times. The blade is very thin and whippy; it droops slightly when held out flat. It’s hard to tell how much thickness it may have lost during hundreds of episodes of honing and polishing during its use life. The distal taper is slightly uneven here and there but generally linear, moving from 6 mm at the hilt to 4 mm in the middle and 2 mm near the tip. This thinness means it has fearsome cutting potential; most of the blade section basically consists of two long, smooth appleseeds joined together.
The thinness also means it is relatively well-balanced, despite the small hilt. It’s an interesting basket format, with a rarely-seen combination of ovals and flat ribbons. The grip is worm-holed wood reconstructed by renowned craftsman E.B. Erickson, so it is not original but looks the part and is more solid that a fully original example would be. In other words, it all looks original, but you can play with it without worrying about damaging the grip, which is not the case with most antiques! The basket is biased to the right and clearly constructed for a right-handed fighter. I have some trouble fitting my hand in the basket, but it is still a joy to wield, much more lively than you’d expect.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for reading.
I thought I would post a couple recent acquisitions that have quickly become my favorite antique swords.
This one is a double-edged Scottish ribbon-hilt broadsword from about 1680.
Here are its stats:
Weight/mass: 2 lb 4.2 oz; 1.03 kg
Total length: 43.9”; 111.5 cm
Blade length: 39.0”; 99.1 cm
Basket max length: 4.75”; 12.1 cm
Basket max width: 4.25”; 10.8 cm
Grip length: 3.5”; 8.9 cm
Blade max width at guard: 1.38”; 3.5 cm
Point of balance: 5.75”; 14.6 cm
Distal taper of the blade: 0.24” or 6 mm thick at guard to 0.08” or 2 mm thick 4” or 10 cm from the tip
It is in almost excavated condition, very worn, clearly sharpened and polished many, many times over generations. Perhaps it is an earlier family blade from a big two-handed cutter, trimmed down and re-hilted in the 17th century when baskets became popular. Perhaps its rough condition is due to a century or two in a thatch roof in the Highlands; these types of swords were often hidden from the British in such a manner. Then, when the owner was imprisoned, killed, exiled, etc., the swords laid forgotten up in the thatch until the building disintegrated or the roof was replaced (a well-made thatch roof can last for centuries).
There is a short, shallow fuller at the top of the blade flanked by two mini-fullers at the shoulders, then it quickly transitions to a flattened hexagonal/lenticular section. There are traces of an inscription, but I can’t make out the letters; maybe the standard ANDREA FERRARA? It doesn’t look that long, though. Any suggestions from the community are welcome! Just below the fuller on one side there is a “swoosh” that seems to be a remnant of a Solingen running wolf mark.
Despite the condition, it is still quite sharp. I have to be careful when cleaning and waxing and have inadvertently drawn blood a couple times. The blade is very thin and whippy; it droops slightly when held out flat. It’s hard to tell how much thickness it may have lost during hundreds of episodes of honing and polishing during its use life. The distal taper is slightly uneven here and there but generally linear, moving from 6 mm at the hilt to 4 mm in the middle and 2 mm near the tip. This thinness means it has fearsome cutting potential; most of the blade section basically consists of two long, smooth appleseeds joined together.
The thinness also means it is relatively well-balanced, despite the small hilt. It’s an interesting basket format, with a rarely-seen combination of ovals and flat ribbons. The grip is worm-holed wood reconstructed by renowned craftsman E.B. Erickson, so it is not original but looks the part and is more solid that a fully original example would be. In other words, it all looks original, but you can play with it without worrying about damaging the grip, which is not the case with most antiques! The basket is biased to the right and clearly constructed for a right-handed fighter. I have some trouble fitting my hand in the basket, but it is still a joy to wield, much more lively than you’d expect.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for reading.
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