This one's on the market over at Fagan Arms, Nathan, et al.! It's a mere USD $9,500! Nice photo....

http://www.trocadero.com/faganarms/items/298759/en1store.html

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Cool, Sean! I just bought it. Thanks for the head's up.

On a serious note, this one looks to be the same piece that recently sold within the year for $7,200. As one can see, the business of buying and collecting antique arms still remains a potentially good venture.

Hi Sean and Nathan,
I've got an old Fagan catalog from a couple of years ago, and I think he had the same sword back then. I know the price was the same!

The first time I saw one of these was in the late 70s in a catalog from the "Museum of Historical Arms" based in Florida. It was so bizarre and so unlike Scot and English baskets that I thought it was a Vic repro. About a week later one popped up at Christie's and sold for about $1500. The one in the Florida catalog was $600, so I immediately called them to reserve it, but it was long gone. That's how we learn!

--ElJay

A contemporary illustration of German soldiers in the book The Renaissance At War shows a small group of cavalry and infantry, all wearing swords of this very type.

Sean;

Do you have more info on "Renaissance at War", such as author, etc? Sounds like a nifty book to have. And per the German basket hilts, Jost Amman's "Book for Artists and Illustrators" from 1568 shows such swords in a fair abundance. What is interesting is there seem to be two basic hilts he draws: the baske thilt, and the simple cross-bar such as the A&A Gustav Vasa sword. Not a lot of other hilt types in view, but it could be that those were what he had in the studio. But he gets a LOT of other details right, so who knows.

Gordon

Gordon;

Assuming that this is the same book talked about, here is information about the one I have: Renaissance at War, Thomas F. Arnold, publisher Cassell & Co Wellington House, 125 Strand London WC2R 0BB, first published 2001.

British Library ISBN 0-304-35270-5

(Purchased at Indigo Books in Montreal: Should be available at large book chains in the U.S.A. I assume!?)

One of a series of books on the history of war from ancien to modern times: "Cassell's history of Warfare" series.

Very good series: I have at least half a dozen of them, many period paintings and drawings supplemented by maps of battles, technical illustration and diagrams.

Yep, that's the book. I have that and Warfare in the 17th Century. Both are excellent and I got both as remaindered titles for a fraction of the cover price. Check around the web and you may find these. I find that the best source for such discounted military history titles is Edward R. Hamilton:

http://www.hamiltonbook.com/Discount_Books/Ca...ry_MI.html

sean or any one else got any other examples of these types?

Hey Adam,
Go to the albums section on this site, click on "Antique Arms and Armor", and you'll see a category entitled 'Miscellaneous Basket-hilted Swords". There's also an old thread called (I think) "European basket hilts" that has a number of photos.

--ElJay

Here is the link to The Topic ElJay mentions.

Cheers.