I've got this Deepeeka "English half-basket hanger" (actually a short Walloon sword) and I've been pondering replacing the bars to make it a sort of Scottish half-basket hilt -- i.e. some bars to add a degree of hand protection and make it look Scottishish, but not change the weight or balance too much. If I can find a welder, I could make the bars myself and send it off for assembly.

Are there any measurements available for the historical range of the bars' thickness? I can get 1/8-inch bar stock from any local hardware store, but I feel pretty sure that'd be overkill, and maybe it would be better to look for 12ga or even 14ga.

---

 Attachment: 451.03 KB

I once owned this exact basket hilt and some of the thicker basket bars were about 1/8" thick. I don't have it anymore so can't measure but that's my recollection. Hope that helps.

https://sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/54967/antique-scottish-basket-hilt-broadsword

Thanks, that does help. So we can consider 1/8-inch bars as being at least within the right range, if (maybe) at the upper end.

I don't know from absolute knowledge, but from my feels for materials as a maker, if you made the hilt 2mm thick, it would be enough.

Tod

That also sounds good. I'm searching right now, depending on the cost of shipping (since it looks like most bar stock measured in millimeters is retailed outside the U.S.), I may wind up with 3/32-inch, or 12ga sheet if I'm feeling confident in my ability to cut and grind the edges good and straight.