Shell guard question.

[Jim McDougall]

That really is a nice example Richard! I've always been drawn to these swords in untouched condition, and this is a very unusual hilt for the English horsemans swords of this period. The hilt is very similar to type II on p.251 of Mazansky ("British Basket Hilted Swords", Cyril Mazansky, 2005, Royal Armouries). This example has similar long neck zoomorphic pommel (possibly lionhead), with fluted grip of possibly ebony and is cited as Royal Armouries # IX1318, which is dated c.1625-50. It also has the shell type hilt guard.
Another similar on p.274, VAib.

Another example (op.cit. type II Di , is of 'mortuary' type from York Castle museum and of the same period, c.1620-50. This particular sword with the more encompassed basket type hilt regarded as semi-basket does have a liner.

While there has been discussion on the liners on Scottish basket hilts, it is unclear as far as I know how much this feature occurred on the English forms. It does seem however, that it did appear in at least some of them. Some of the English variations of cavalry basket hilts did have liners, so I would presume it would have been quite possible, though probably not exclusively favored.

Naturally this is simply my opinion based on what information is presently at hand, and it would be great to hear from others with more information.

I think it be interesting as well to look more into the gryphon used on English hilts rather than the lionhead in the 17th century.

All best regards,
Jim