Posts: 409 Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Mon 08 Feb, 2010 9:40 am
Lin Robinson wrote: |
Scott Kowalski wrote: | Thom R. wrote: | Alastair Grant with his claidheam crom |
That is a very interesting looking blade. It looks like some kind of falchion or even messer mated to a baskethilt. That or I could not be totally awake as of yet.
Scott |
It is a saber blade. There are a couple of examples of basket hilts with saber blades, so this is not just artistic license. |
Hello All,
Those of us who study historic swordplay can offer a very logical reason for Alastair Grant and his claidheam crom.
When facing a curved blade with a straight blade, the curved blade can cut you from the opening bind by just tuning the hand palm down as the riposte. It also can strike around the straight blade in the same fashion if the straight blade fencer attempts to take the others side via the traversing step. A curved blade forces a straight blade fencer to fight a linear fight and parry all blows by slipping back and using his forte.
If a period fencer had never faced a curved blade and tried to fence his standard fight he'd be cut in the first exchange before he knew what happened. :confused:
Cheers,
David
Posts: 487
Mon 08 Feb, 2010 10:56 am
Scott....
Here is how I went about mking a Turkisch (basket-hilted Scottish saber) for my collection. I started out with a Hanwei baskethilt and added fluting and grooves to make it less plain. Then I bought a Cold Steel 1796 saber, disassembled it and discarded everything but the blade (the hilt is olny pot metal and the scabbard is fiberglass with a leather covering so no great loss!) I then ground the saber blade down but left a reinforced tip which seems to be common in the illustrations and added extra fullers to reduce weight. The blade got mated with the hilt and - volia - a very nice "Turkish" style saber.
One of the interesting things I have shared on this project in the past is that this is the only sword in my collection that - when held - says "Let's reach out and TOUCH someone." It is definitly a sword that means business and looks as if it means business!
Posts: 630 Location: Tucson
Mon 08 Feb, 2010 2:46 pm
In case you don't have it - here is a link to the online catalog of the Nat'l Gallery of Scotland, which houses a bunch of the paintings we all have posted here
http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_subject/4:323/
Posts: 356 Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Mon 08 Feb, 2010 6:31 pm
In doing a search for the portrait of Kenneth Sutherland I ran across this link:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/historic_p...ml?t=51487 It is full of paintings I have not seen before.
Chris
Posts: 818 Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
Mon 08 Feb, 2010 6:35 pm
I would like to thank everyone for the responses and answers. It is some great information on an area of history I know little about..
Scott
Posts: 1,241 Location: NC
Mon 08 Feb, 2010 6:58 pm
I believe I posted it in a response yesterday.
Posts: 356 Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Tue 09 Feb, 2010 3:29 am
Lin Robinson wrote: |
I believe I posted it in a response yesterday. |
Lin,
I assume you are referring to having posted the portrait and not the link. Yes, it was your having posted the portrait that started me searching for more information about Sutherland and finding the link I posted above. The link has several portraits already posted here, but there are several others that were new for me.
Thanks for posting that portrait of Sutherland wearing the kilt with pistol as his waist. The painting of James Moray shown on this link shows the same thing, though it is possible his pistol may be clipped to his sword baldrick.
Chris
Posts: 1,241 Location: NC
Tue 09 Feb, 2010 3:48 am
Chris Goerner wrote: |
Lin Robinson wrote: |
I believe I posted it in a response yesterday. |
Lin,
I assume you are referring to having posted the portrait and not the link. Yes, it was your having posted the portrait that started me searching for more information about Sutherland and finding the link I posted above. The link has several portraits already posted here, but there are several others that were new for me.
Thanks for posting that portrait of Sutherland wearing the kilt with pistol as his waist. The painting of James Moray shown on this link shows the same thing, though it is possible his pistol may be clipped to his sword baldrick.
Chris |
That's right. Sorry about that. It was late and I was bleary eyed. I just joined that forum, running across it by accident. It doesn't have a lot of historical stuff on it, but the people are friendly and one of the moderators teaches with my daughter-in-law in Asheville, NC.
I am still looking for a portrait which shows a gentleman wearing two pistols, one on his waist and the other on a strap, under his arm. It will turn up eventually.
Posts: 114 Location: Missouri
Thu 15 Mar, 2012 6:59 am
Re: Scottish Portraits with Arms
Chris Goerner wrote: |
For a couple of years now I have been keeping my eye out for period art work of Scottish men and boys depicting their swords, dirks, pistols and targes. I have learned quite a bit about variations in these weapons and how they were worn. I am posting a few of my favorites, and would invite others interested in the topic to do the same. I'd love to see what's out there that I haven't come across already.
Chris |
Great thread. One thing that I find very interesting is the powder horn on this kid in the very first picture. Not your atypical Scottish flat horn!
Chris, who is this guy, any clues?
And there is another portrait of Campbell of Bredalbane when he is older that I have seen. Mungo Murray died in Panama in 1700 or such and the folks in Darien, Ga have some info on him.
At any rate, thank you for this link even if it is an older one! :cool: Always makes me wonder what is in private collections. I browse the US of A and know there are goodies here, but the owners for obvious reasons will not allow pictures or publication of any kind
Posts: 356 Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Thu 15 Mar, 2012 3:05 pm
Perry,
The tag I have on that photo of the boy with the powder horn is "Thomas Osborne". I do not know who that is -- may be the artist and not the subject. Maybe others on myArmoury will recognize the name and chime in.
Chris
Posts: 386 Location: Agder, Norway
Tue 01 May, 2012 2:52 pm
Posts: 487
Tue 01 May, 2012 4:49 pm
Thomas Osborne
We Osborne's are an old family who got to Britiain farily early by way of the Norsemen. In Scottish heraldry, we are of the Galley, not the Lion. The name means "Sacred Bear", by the way. I have never seen a single piece of tartan cloth vaguely associated with "Osborne" so very interesting if true,
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