Scottish basket hilt elements

jezcott · 21st July 2025, 04:00 PM

Jim, many thanks for starting this excellent thread on a topic of interest to so many.

This is an example of a composite Scottish Stirling hilt, I believe 2nd quarter 18thC, with an English dragoon backsword blade by Drury.

The screenshot below is of an almost identical basket-hilt sold at Christie's in 2001, signed by Walter Allan of Stirling. Mine isn't signed, but seems likely to have come from the same workshop, same period.

The blade is most like 3rd quarter 18thC when Dru Drury was supplying blades for munitions grade basket hilts for highland regiments and for officer's swords.

It seems likely that this hilt would originally have been fitted with an Andrea Ferara blade from Germany. Interesting to speculate on the rehilting with an English blade, could this have been for an officer in a Highland dragoon regiment in the post-Culloden era? Rehilting does seem to have been a common practice with favoured hilts or blades refitted.

Jim - you mentioned the imagery on these Scottish hilts. On this hilt there are hearts, but also unmistakable fleur-de-lys which presumably celebrate the Auld Alliance of pre-Culloden Scotland. Hard to imagine this being popular down South, but maybe you could get away with it in a highland regiment!

Jerry

21st July 2025, 04:00 PM	#19
jezcott Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 13	Stirling hilt with English dragoon blade Jim, many thanks for starting this excellent thread on a topic of interest to so many. This is an example of a composite Scottish Stirling hilt, I believe 2nd quarter 18thC, with an English dragoon backsword blade by Drury. The screenshot below is of an almost identical basket-hilt sold at Christie's in 2001, signed by Walter Allan of Stirling. Mine isn't signed, but seems likely to have come from the same workshop, same period. The blade is most like 3rd quarter 18thC when Dru Drury was supplying blades for munitions grade basket hilts for highland regiments and for officer's swords. It seems likely that this hilt would originally have been fitted with an Andrea Ferara blade from Germany. Interesting to speculate on the rehilting with an English blade, could this have been for an officer in a Highland dragoon regiment in the post-Culloden era? Rehilting does seem to have been a common practice with favoured hilts or blades refitted. Jim - you mentioned the imagery on these Scottish hilts. On this hilt there are hearts, but also unmistakable fleur-de-lys which presumably celebrate the Auld Alliance of pre-Culloden Scotland. Hard to imagine this being popular down South, but maybe you could get away with it in a highland regiment! Jerry Attached Images