Attention all you basket heads....you may or may not already know of this book due to release in March.

Looks very interesting indeed.

British Basket-hilt Swords by Cyril Mazansky ISBN # 1-84383053-1

Bill

Hi Bill

Yes, we were discussing this book in the English Baskethilt thread !

http://www.boydell.co.uk/43830531.HTM

http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Li...words.html

I'm already looking forward to reading it :-) Mac

This book is now available, albeit at a higher price than if you wait for Amazon, etc ! Mac

http://www.boydell.co.uk/43830531.HTM

Well, I'm about to order this book. But has anyone read it yet? And if so, would you recommend it to some one who wants to learn more one baskethilts??

I see that it's only $56 at Amazon.com. Woo-Hoo! I guess I'll go ahead and order this for myself.

By the way, if you're going to order this book you should have a look at this feature article:

http://www.myArmoury.com/feature_books_team.html

You can see if there's anything else you need :D
I recommend the Oakeshott book on arms & armour from ren. to industrial rev.

Also, all these titles are hotlinked to Amazon's site, so you can jump to Amazon that way.

Amazon just informed me that they shipped my order, of this book, so I guess they finally got 'em in !

Total cost with shipping = $60.69

Mac

I picked up a copy at the Oregon Knife Collector's Association show a couple weeks ago, and though I haven't really "got into it" yet, it so far seems a very complete, well-researched, and well-written tome on the topic. It sums up a lot of the stuff that's already been written -- by Blair, Norman, Oakeshott, Caldwell, Whitelaw, etc -- in one work.

Complaints so far? Well, the pics are all black & White! And there are no pictures of blades (except ricasso areas near the hilt). But there are plenty of pictures of baskets, including several I've never seen before.

Oh, and one more complaint -- I shoulda got it from Amazon (it was 'spensive!!!!).

Well, I received my copy of Mr. Mazansky's book today and, at a quick skim, it is excellent !
Already I'd have to give it the "must have" stamp for any basket-cases library !

I concur with David's points on it lacking full length shots, no color (except on its dust jacket), etc., but man there are some truely wonderful pieces shown that I've not seen represented elsewhere (even Blair Castle allowed some of theirs to be included :-) A few of the better known hilts even have the occational different-angle shot, that shows it from another perspective, which always makes my day ;-)

Also ..... we basket-cases finally have an "official" typology for horseman ring styles, pommel types ( 1thru 19), and even for the various piercing designs broken down into "famlies" ! Very neat .... I can hardly wait to confuse you Medieval boys ;-)

I'm looking forward to giving this a good read ! ( and adding a few new WAS & JAS hilts to my albums on them )

Jolly good, Dr. M, Cheers, Mac
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Edit: 5/25/05

This book is featured in The Paper Armoury-Scotland The Brave

Mac

British Basket-Hilted Swords: A Typology of Basket-Type Sword Hilts
Cyril Mazansky
Boydell Press, 2005

This book by Cyril Mazansky is a must-have for the library of any "basket-case." Although the book is purposely lacking in full-length shots and devoid of color images (except on its dust jacket), it is still a visual treasure trove of some of the best hand protection a swordsman ever gripped. There are some truly wonderful pieces shown here—pieces that I've not seen represented elsewhere (even Blair Castle allowed some of its basket-hilt swords to be included). Most significantly, the book provides a standardized classification system (typology) for basket-hilt types, pommel styles (1 thru 19), and the many design and construction aspects of these hilts, and also provides a set terminology to keep us all on the same page. What the great Ewart Oakeshott's typology did for the medieval sword, Cyril Mazansky has done for the British basket-hilt! Jolly good, Dr. M.! —Thomas McDonald

Any mortuarys represented to speak of Mac?


Bill

How about English/Irish baskethilts?