I've been compiling information recently on Baselards in museums and I thought I would share it.

If anyone has anything to add to the information below please do so.

I'm sure there are plenty of other Baselards in museums, so if anyone knows of any others please add them to this list.

1) Baselard
Museum: Museum of London, UK
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Even...p;id=29430
Other links:
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/gallery2/main.p...emId=12375
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/gallery2/main.p...emId=12378
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/gallery2/main.p...emId=12450

Museum Number: 80.34 (Accession Number)
Period: late 1300s - early 1400s
Origin: ?
Blade: Double Edged
Overall Length: 78.2 cm
Blade Length: 65 cm
Blade Width: ?
Hilt Width: 10.8 cm
Weight: ?
Information Source: Museum of London Website
Picture published in: ?
Replica: ?


2) Baselard
Museum: Royal Armouries, UK
http://collections.royalarmouries.org/index.p...7&pg=3
Other Links:
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/gallery2/main.p...emId=13056
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/gallery2/main.p...emId=13173

Museum Number: X.297
Period: 14th century
Origin: Possibly Italian or Swiss
Blade: Double Edged
Overall Length: ?
Blade Length: ?
Blade Width: ?
Hilt Width: ?
Weight: ?
Information Source: Royal Armouries Website
Picture published in: ?
Replica: ?


3) Baselard
Museum: Wallace Collection, UK
http://wallacelive.wallacecollection.org:8080...detailView
Other Links:
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/4583.html

Museum Number: A503
Period: circa 1530
Origin: German or Swiss
Blade: Double Edged
Overall Length: ?
Blade Length: 56.2 cm
Blade Width: 4 cm
Hilt Width: ?
Weight: 640 grams
Information Source: Wallace Collection Website
Picture published in: "Arms & Armour of the Medieval Knight by David Edge & John Miles Paddock"
Replica: Patrick Barta
http://www.templ.net/english/weapons-middleage_and_modern_age.php


4) Baselard
Museum: Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Switzerland
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=15931&view=next

Museum Number: ?
Period: 14th to 15th century
Origin: Swiss
Blade: Double Edged
Overall Length: ?
Blade Length: ?
Blade Width: ?
Hilt Width: ?
Weight: ?
Information Source: Book- Daggers and Fighting Knives Of the Western World by Harold L. Peterson
Picture published in: "Daggers and Fighting Knives Of the Western World by Harold L. Peterson"
Replica: ?


5) Baselard
Museum: Royal Ontario Museum, Canada
Click on the magnify glass to get the full view
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=baselar...0621958370
Half down the post
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=127966#127966

Museum Number: ?
Period: Mid 1300s
Origin: Swiss
Blade: Double Edged
Overall Length: ?
Blade Length: ?
Blade Width: ?
Hilt Width: ?
Weight: ?
Information Source: Information from museum / pictures in above links
Picture published in: ?
Replica: ?


6) Baselard
Metropolitan Museum, USA
Picture attached

Museum Number: ?
Period: circa 1400
Origin: Probably Flemish
Blade: Double Edged
Overall Length: ?
Blade Length: ?
Blade Width: ?
Hilt Width: ?
Weight: ?
Information Source: Book- Daggers and Fighting Knives Of the Western World by Harold L. Peterson
Picture published in: "Daggers and Fighting Knives Of the Western World by Harold L. Peterson"
Replica: ?


7) Baselard
Museum: ?, UK?
Picture attached

Museum Number: ?
Period: 1480 - 1520
Origin: English
Blade: Single Edged
Overall Length: 69 cm
Blade Length: ?
Blade Width: ?
Hilt Width: ?
Weight: 570 grams
Information Source: Book- Weapon A Visual History of Arms And Armour published by Dorling Kindersley
Picture published in: "Weapon A Visual History of Arms And Armour published by Dorling Kindersley"
Replica: ?

The information above maybe suspect as Dorling Kindersley is not the most reliable of sources.
I think this Baselard has to be from a UK museum (Royal Armouries / Wallace Collection / British Museum??)


8) Baselard
Museum: ?, UK?
Picture attached

Museum Number: ?
Period: 15th century
Origin: ?
Blade: Double Edged
Overall Length: 30.5 cm
Blade Length: ?
Blade Width: ?
Hilt Width: ?
Weight: 140 grams
Information Source: Book- Weapon A Visual History of Arms And Armour published by Dorling Kindersley
Picture published in: "Weapon A Visual History of Arms And Armour published by Dorling Kindersley"
Replica: ?

The information above maybe suspect as Dorling Kindersley is not the most reliable of sources.
I think this Baselard has to be from a UK museum (Royal Armouries / Wallace Collection / British Museum??)

Danny

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Dan,

Some nice examples of baselards! I love the one at the Museum of London. Someday I'd like to have one for my 1340s knight portrayal. I might have to look for some pictures I may have of baselards as I should have some as well. External Hardrive is gone at the moment though.

Literature of the 14th and 15th show these were all over all levels of society. As towns often had no weapon laws (often not enforced but still illegal) these may have fit into the just under a sword and allowed them in town. In Southampton the books of fines have loads of fights where these are taken away (funny in several the baselards were not even drawn, the town just wanted to confiscate them to make a few pence or shillings I'd wager).

Nice thread!

RPM

One of the ones you attached looks less like a baselard and more like the English backswords some people call the "Wakefield" style.

I mean swords like this (from this thread):

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The middle one:
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The sword on the left is more baselardy to me than the middle one.

The broken guard of the one below, which the bookyou got it from called a baselard, is more like the so-called "Wakefield" swords above and the asymmetrical pommel seems to be more like them, too.

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Have a replica based on the the royal armouries baselard in leeds in tod's waiting list. can't wait!

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This is a nice thread :)

Here is a very minor contribution.

The double grooved was the inspiration for the Baselard Tod made for me.

Julien, I feel with you. Best way is to forget about the order. And then, one day, when you check your e-mails before work, there might be a batch of pictures attached to an e-mail by Tod and you remember that half a year ago you ordered a foot of ppinted steel with a nice capital H or I grip. :cool:

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I think using the DK books as a reference is not always the best idea. Some of the captions and descriptions they use for photos are just plain incorrect, unfortunately.

There is quite a lot of historical and legal information about Baselards here (must be logged in to view):

http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=200

Note that the laws specifying that it was illegal for commoners to carry swords in English cities from 1280 until the late-15thC often say that people may carry baselards - in particular, a knight's squire was allowed to carry his knight's sword, and a baselard of his own.

If you are really interested in baselards then hunt down Claude Blair's awesome article on them and the origin of the word:
Arms, armor and heraldry : essays in honor of Anita Reinhard. - New York, 1981.

Matt

Hello folks. Been looking around for some information on a baselard I found on a picture some time ago. Problem is that I don't know anything about it at all except that it's been part of the collection in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. I sent them an email about half a year ago but still no answer. Anyone else seen it or have pictures of it? I would be very grateful if there was better pictures of it. Here's the picture I found, it's the big one in the middle...

[ Linked Image ]

Anyone seen it before?

Cheers,
Eric

there's at least one I recall on display in the Kelvingrove in glasgow, I vaguely recall.
I'll try to remember to get reference material on it next time I'm down next month

Okay

How about baselard scabbards?

Were they leather or did they have a wood core?