| 
				 Basket hilt – English or Scottish? 
 
			
			Date  Circa 1640-1660Nationality  Scottish/English
 Overall Length  99.2 cm  (39.1 inches)
 Blade length  86.7 cm  (34.1 inches)
 Blade widest point  3.8 cm  (1.5 inches)
 Hilt widest point  10.5 cm  (4.1 inches)
 Inside grip length  10 cm  (3.9 inches)
 Marks, etc.  Three Kings Heads
 
 Description
 Early Basket Hilt with flat bun pommel, wooden grip with large iron bands top and bottom.  The Guard is made up of circular iron branches with two square junction plates and forward guards.  The terminal of the side guards is crude with lined decoration.  The plates have lined decoration at each corner.  The branches join in three groups and butt up against the pommel.  The blade is wider than the slot in the hilt.  The broadsword blade has no fuller and is German bearing three king’s heads indicating Solingen manufacture.
 
 General Remarks
 Described in correspondence from the Baron of Earlshall as “Date  c1640-1660, blade 17th century and contemporary to the basket and made by the Wunderberg blade makers of Solingen.
 
 Cheers Cathey And Rex
 |