Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

urbanspaceman · 23rd February 2024, 07:18 PM

Hey Jim. Well done-as usual.
I will attempt to drop in bits and pieces where I can although you have pretty much covered it... as much as is possible for now, as I do think I will take it on now I have essentially finished with SB.
The book 'The Mark of the Sword' (I am away from home as you know and do not have access to my archives) by - if memory serves - Mark Girtin gives a thoroughly comprehensive history of the London Cutlers Guild. While 90% of it is of little interest to us, I did skim it well enough to locate all the passages relevant to Hounslow, SB and the current industry: much of which is in my book in the addenda.
The issue of the total lack of British bladesmiths is a topic I have never got to grips with... watch this space.
Re-hilting and re-blading was inevitably widespread. Again, in my book, there are examples of the initial batch of Solingen made blades with SB scripts found with a Hounslow mushroom cap hilt, and a half basket also (see my book) then, of course, there is the hunting hangar with a shortened blade that was obviously once a horseman's broadsword; plus a plug bayonet as well.
I would like to stress that the Germans in Hounslow were quite entitled to use their family version of the Passau Wolf. Peter Munsten is a strong case in point and his stylised latten wolf is regularly seen on blades with typical Hounslow hilts (hangars in particular seemed to be his forté). I don't know when or why the use of me fecit hounslow (or London!!!) came about but I will try and establish this when I take up the Hounslow sword story.
Cromwell was far from stupid and certainly maintained blade mills and smiths alongside the powder mill. I say mill because up till now I have only established one (in my book addenda) and Johannes Dell is a perfect example of a young German - trained in his apprenticeship in London who went to work for Kindt I believe - and was still active in 1685 in Hounslow.
So much of this stuff is in my book so anyone seriously interested in the establishment of the British sword industry should read it (for free!).
BTW: the so-called mortuary hilts were made predominently on the Hebridean island of Islay. As to why? Watch this space.
It is possible that - using a Solingen import - the entire sword was made there. The forge on Islay had been the McDonald's armoury for centuries. Islay was - of course - the home to the Lords of the Isles. Now it is home to eleven (and counting) whisky distileries.

23rd February 2024, 07:18 PM	#7
urbanspaceman Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Tyneside. North-East England Posts: 516	Hounslow cont' Hey Jim. Well done-as usual. I will attempt to drop in bits and pieces where I can although you have pretty much covered it... as much as is possible for now, as I do think I will take it on now I have essentially finished with SB. The book 'The Mark of the Sword' (I am away from home as you know and do not have access to my archives) by - if memory serves - Mark Girtin gives a thoroughly comprehensive history of the London Cutlers Guild. While 90% of it is of little interest to us, I did skim it well enough to locate all the passages relevant to Hounslow, SB and the current industry: much of which is in my book in the addenda. The issue of the total lack of British bladesmiths is a topic I have never got to grips with... watch this space. Re-hilting and re-blading was inevitably widespread. Again, in my book, there are examples of the initial batch of Solingen made blades with SB scripts found with a Hounslow mushroom cap hilt, and a half basket also (see my book) then, of course, there is the hunting hangar with a shortened blade that was obviously once a horseman's broadsword; plus a plug bayonet as well. I would like to stress that the Germans in Hounslow were quite entitled to use their family version of the Passau Wolf. Peter Munsten is a strong case in point and his stylised latten wolf is regularly seen on blades with typical Hounslow hilts (hangars in particular seemed to be his forté). I don't know when or why the use of me fecit hounslow (or London!!!) came about but I will try and establish this when I take up the Hounslow sword story. Cromwell was far from stupid and certainly maintained blade mills and smiths alongside the powder mill. I say mill because up till now I have only established one (in my book addenda) and Johannes Dell is a perfect example of a young German - trained in his apprenticeship in London who went to work for Kindt I believe - and was still active in 1685 in Hounslow. So much of this stuff is in my book so anyone seriously interested in the establishment of the British sword industry should read it (for free!). BTW: the so-called mortuary hilts were made predominently on the Hebridean island of Islay. As to why? Watch this space. It is possible that - using a Solingen import - the entire sword was made there. The forge on Islay had been the McDonald's armoury for centuries. Islay was - of course - the home to the Lords of the Isles. Now it is home to eleven (and counting) whisky distileries.