I tried searching the forums with a few different terms and some different settings, but was virtually unable to come up with much on this topic. If there is a previous discussion that someone has bookmarked, please link me there.

I was browsing through Records of the Medieval Sword and happened upon XV.9 in the work, described as follows:

Ewart Oakeshott, Records of the Medieval Sword wrote:

XV.9 Type: XV Find-place: Unknown Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Blade-length: 29" (73.7 cms) Pommel-type: K Cross-style: 8, curved Date: c.1400–50 Condition: Not excavated, but preserved indoors. The blade shows a lot of quite deep overall surface pitting as if it had been allowed to get very rusty; but the hilt of gilt-bronze with a horn grip is in near perfect condition. The very elegant grip of dark greenish-black horn is held by long vertical fillets of gilt-bronze along each edge. It is a most elegant, useful sword which has had doubts cast upon its authentic age, being held by some authorities to be a 19th century fake. Publication: New York, Metropolitan Museum Bulletin Oakeshott, SAC, pl.23 and 24

The use of horn on the grip gave the sword a very interesting appearance. However, in print, the image is black and white, leaving something to be desired. I was curious if anyone had color images of this sword or other horn-gripped swords, or any information about them. Was the use of horn a ceremonial, not combat, implementation? Was it overwrapped in leather or cord, or left bare?

Thanks.

This is the sword you're speaking of, from our Type XV spotlight:

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This Type XVIII has a grip of black horn. Its cross may be more recent, which could cast doubt on its grip too:

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This Type XXII has a grip of horn also:

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This is not exactly a sword, but the middle Scottish dirk in this picture has a grip made of horn:

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It seems to have been a using weapon. We see knife grips of horn and antler often enough that they must have some strength. I'm actually having this dirk recreated. :)

This rondel dagger has a grip of horn:

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These all seem to have been left bare on purpose.

Thank you. I couldn't grab the B&W picture from the book, but the first one you posted should let others know what I was talking about. I'd still be interesting in seeing a color picture of it, or any others, if they are out there somewhere.

Chad Arnow wrote:

These all seem to have been left bare on purpose.

I agree. It makes sense, as horn is rather nice looking. I was curious primarily about the rather smooth finish on it, though. In the book, it looks very polished and slick - perhaps not the best thing for holding on to.

That's a very interesting rondel dagger. I've seen lots of them gripped with wood and metal, but not too many with horn. Thanks for posting that.

Horn can even be shaped by bending, after it's softened in boiling water. So it makes it sorta thermoplastic too :) It's also very strong and tough, more then any other organic material (such as wood, bone, antler). It can also be polished to a very high shine, which really brings out the colors, making it look a bit like marble. Very nice material to look at. It can crack or delaminate though if it dries out, but oiling it might help prevent that.

I don't know exactly what color cow horns had in the medieval period. I seem to recall that prehistoric cows did not have black in the horns, but I don't have a reference to verify it. Mind that blank horn can get a black surface if it has been f.e. in a bog. So if it looks black now, that doesn't mean that it was black originally.

Very interesting. I had always thought of horn as a novelty or decorative item that also happened to work well enough to get by, but never thought that it could be chosen for its ease of application and benefits in use. Thanks!

Old Dominion Forge has put horn grips on several sword, and there are good color pictures of there swords online.

http://www.olddominionforge.com/swords.html

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