I've always liked Type U pommels (sometimes called key-shaped). A&A uses one on their English Longsword. Albion's Viceroy sports one, too.

There is one historical example, in Zurich's Landesmuseum, that gets mentioned a lot. There are several others, though, and I thought people might like to see them.

The first is an estoc formerly in the collection of Eric Valentine, who published it in his book Rapiers: An Illustrated Reference Guide to the Rapiers of the 16th and 17th Centuries, and their Companions. It's German. The blade is dated 1546, but the hilt is thought to be half a century earlier. It was in the UK-based antiques dealer Peter Finer's 1996 catalogue. The listed asking price, as can be seen, was $42,000. Arms & Armor replicated it as a custom piece:

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The second is from a private collection. Photo by me. I don't have dates for it or much info on it. The grip and cross are slightly loose, but I remember it to be a lively sword.

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German Estoc, 1546. Copyright Peter Finer

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German Estoc, 1546. Copyright Peter Finer

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Text Copyright Peter Finer

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Thrusting sword. 15th century?

Another one, from Peter Finer's 2003 catalogue. It's also a German estoc, but from circa 1480.

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German estoc, circa 1480. Copyright Peter Finer.

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German estoc, circa 1480. Copyright Peter Finer.

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Text copyright Peter Finer

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Text copyright Peter Finer

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Text copyright Peter Finer

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Text copyright Peter Finer

Here's another (this one from the State Art Collections Dresden, Germany), from Arma Bohemia's website:

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Anyone know of any others?

I'm a fan of this pommel type as well. I was going to commission Ollinswords to do a hollow ground type u affair but one thing or another always seems to come up. There was a seller on ebay who had what he claimed was a 15th century sword with a wonderful type U and an s guard that was going to be the basis for my custom order but when my computer crashed I lost all of my pictures of it. Oh well.

It's interesting the similarities and differences between the swords I've found so far in this family. They all have a fairly high rivet block/tang button. The guards all curve down, except for the Dresden sword. They all have decoration and/or a ridge along their middle.

I think they're cool. :)

Anyone know of any more like this? Or do you have good pics of the one in the Landesmuseum? Albion has this one as one of the inspirations for the Viceroy:

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I think they show up in period art fairly often. Below is the one A&A used as inspiration for the English Longsword.

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From an altar panel by Van Der Goes.

Here are a couple.

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Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg [ Download ]

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From the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, München [ Download ]