[Gabriele Becattini]

Hello,

someone could tell me in wich way the shell part of a walloon style hilt is constructed?

i'm mainly interested to learn how the pierced part of the shell is welded/fastened.

thanks for help.

Gabriele

[Roger Hooper]

Check out this link - http://www.collectie.legermuseum.nl/strategio...07268.html - for a lot of information on the classic Walloon hilt. Part way through the article, the author says, In a well-executed, enlightening series of structural drawings entitled `Wallone de Solingen dite "de 1679"', reproduced by Puype, Petard explains how the hilt of the Walloon sword was made and put together Unfortunately, the bibliography at the end isn't very helpful in showing where you can find those drawings.

Are you thinking of recreating a Walloon sword, or restoring an antique?

[Gabriele Becattini]

Hi Roger,

thank you for the informations, i have always liked the walloon hilt and now i wish to try to recreate one,

if my try will be succesfull i'll post for sure some pics of it.

cheers

Gabriele

[Justin King]

I would guess that they are brazed, or possibly just set onto a lip inside the ring and the top edge of the ring peened over to pinch it into place. This is just a guess though, I am not familiar with these type of hilts.
E.B. Erickson could probably tell you for sure, hopefully he or someone with direct knowledge of these hilts will pipe in.

[Roger Hooper]

I think your best chance of finding that article on Walloon construction is to contact the Leger Museum.

[E.B. Erickson]

Hi Gabrielle,
I've got a Walloon similar to that shown by Justin that's missing it's inboard plate, so the construction is visible. A slot is cut around the inside of the guard, and the plate is "sprung " into place. I did work on a transitional rapier some years ago that had the plates attached this way, but also had copper braze in the slot to really secure things.

Many swords of the 1600s had this construction of the sprung in plates. Sometimes you find antiques that have only a right hand ring and plate, and a good way to tell if the sword was made that way or if it has lost it's left hand ring/plate is to look for the remains of the slot on the quillon block.

--ElJay

[Justin King]

Thank you for the reply, E.B. Details about the construction of complex hilts always fascinate me.

[Roger Hooper]

FWIW, here is a photo of a Walloon (from Bolk Antiques) with one of its plates partially detached on the inboard side-ring.

[Gabriele Becattini]

Hello Mr. Erickson,

thank you very much for your answer, it's just the kind of information i was searching for,

do you have some pictures or drawing to share?

cheers

Gabriele

[E.B. Erickson]

Unfortunately I don't have photos to post. However, the last photo above posted by Mr. Hooper is really all you need, as you can see the slot cut in the ring where the plate has become "unsprung". Thanks for that excellent photo, Roger!

--ElJay

[Peter Johnsson]

Just to add to the posts above:

The plate can also be secured by working the surface lightly between a stake anvil and a planishing hammer: it expands sideways into the slot cut into the inside of the ring as the result of many light blows along the rim. The piercing is done afterwards. Cut the plate so it sit snugly in the inside of the ring. Remember that these plates tend to be more or less domed. The doming should be done first: shape as much as possible and trim the edges for a good fit when all shaping is done. Only a light hammering to achieve expansion into the slot is then needed. It is common to braze the plate as well. Both tin solder or copper brazing was used historically.

[Gabriele Becattini]

Mr.Johnsson,

thank you for your addition,

just for having a little more knowledge about the subject could you tell me in wich way the piercing of the plate was historically done?

how about the plates tickness? looks wery thin judging from the photos posted above .

cheers

Gabriele

[Roger Hooper]

[Peter Johnsson]