View Single Post
Old 7th February 2016, 02:56 PM   #22
Jim McDougall
Arms Historian
 
Jim McDougall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,719
Default

Thanks Fernando, I think we are on the same course here, and I do recall the Peterson entries, which always seemed an unusual place to find data on Scottish swords as for me he was always about 'American' swords. What I often forget of course is the huge numbers of Scots who came to this country (then England) and of course brought with them their trusty basket hilts. In the pirate lore on Blackbeard, it was long held that british Lt. Maynard held the victory over the legendary pirate, however in recent years it was revealed that it was a Highlander , with his trusty basket hilt who actually dealt the fatal blows to him.

Just as I often had overlooked the diffusion of these distinct basket hilts away from Scotland to these shores, I had never really realized how many of them probably went to France along with the Jacobites, and as such, how many examples were indeed likely produced there in accord with their preferences.

The detail you include on the Wundes group is most telling, and it is most interesting that 1584 is also the year supposed of the death of the fabled Andrea Ferara if I recall correctly from some of these readings. I am not sure how that would play into these findings and material, however it seems curiously coincidental. I am not sure there has ever been a consensus on whether or not this person actually existed (along with his brother) or if this is more legend.

What is certain is that this name/term was legion to the Scots in the character of the blades of their beloved basket hilts.
In the instance of these interspersed konigskopf (crowned king heads) with the letters of ANDREA FERARA, it does seem anomalous relative to the usual application of the FERARA name on the blades, and it is most tempting to consider the possibility of Klingenthal origin given the Wundes connection noted c. 1730. Naturally Scottish blades had long been established coming from Solingen already, and this rather innovative melding of the FERARA name so favored, with the well known mark of Wundes certainly would have been attractive to these 'hard core' Scottish Jacobites on the Continent.

It is most exciting to see this rather esoteric part of the history of Scottish basket hilts and its hopefully supportable development. Looks like you may have opened a new chapter with these kings head and Ferara the leading clue!
Jim McDougall is offline   Reply With Quote