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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Thu 17 Jun, 2010 3:38 am    Post subject: Scottish two handers         Reply with quote

Has anybody seen a Scottish two handed sword, either highland or lowland, with a german style blade with parrying hooks on the blade? I'm thinking about fitting combinations I could get made if I get Del Tin 5167 two hander blade and this idea crossed my mind... All two handers with such blades I have seen have pear shaped or maybe globular pommels and long straight or curved crosses with something at the ends and side rings. I'm looking for alternatives although I might go traditional route in the end...
Edit: Btw, when did parrying hooks first appeared?
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A. Spanjer




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PostPosted: Thu 17 Jun, 2010 5:52 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

This is the best example I have.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk184/Mega...ord2-1.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk184/Mega...Sword1.jpg

It's supposed to be a drawing of the Sword of Jamie MacPherson, a Scottish outlaw and the subject of the song "MacPherson's Rant." The photos of the drawing were sent to me by the MacPherson Museum in Scotland, it was given to them by a lady from Edinburgh back in the fifties when the museum was founded.

Unfortunately I can't confirm it until I track down the actual sword, and I haven't had anymore luck so far.

Na sir 's na seachain an cath.
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Luka Borscak




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PostPosted: Fri 18 Jun, 2010 12:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks! It does look German, so maybe just a German sword used by a Scot?
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Chuck Russell




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PostPosted: Fri 18 Jun, 2010 5:10 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

isn't the sword in the William Wallace memorial a 2 hander? I've seen it, but it's been almost 10 years.
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JG Elmslie
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PostPosted: Fri 18 Jun, 2010 2:33 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Chuck Russell wrote:
isn't the sword in the William Wallace memorial a 2 hander? I've seen it, but it's been almost 10 years.


yes, but does'nt have flukes.
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Thom R.




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PostPosted: Fri 18 Jun, 2010 9:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Scottish two handers         Reply with quote

Luka Borscak wrote:
Has anybody seen a Scottish two handed sword, either highland or lowland, with a german style blade with parrying hooks on the blade?


No. Not that I am am aware of. There are swords in Scottish collections that have parrying hooks (there is one featured in the Swords and the Sorrows) but they have continental hilts, not what we consider the classic highland hilt with downsloping cross terminating in quatrefoils, nor the "lowland hilt" with its double side rings and downturned knobbed ended cross.

The MacPherson Sword is interesting but as far as I know, a bit of a phantom. And based on the sketch shown again in this thread, may or may not have had a Scottish manufactured hilt. In any case the MacPherson sword does not have the hilt style that you asked about.

The sword in the Wallace Monument does not have parrying hooks.

ps edit I had in my mind the 5167 and 5168 transposed. The hooks on the 5167 are relatively small and appear to me to be mostly a stop for half swording (rather than parrying). I have always liked the look of that blade. I think you should feel free to use whatever 16th c hilt you would like on that one. It would in my mind make a neat lowland two hander!
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Sat 19 Jun, 2010 5:38 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Yes, I think lowlander style would suit it well. I'm a bit surprized that we know of no typical zweihander blades mounted with typical scottish hilts since we know that Scots often imported German and Italian blades to mount with native hilts.
Do we know at all if 5167 style blades are German or Italian? Del Tin calls it Italian and I think I have seen such blades with both German and Italian style fittings.
I'm still not sure if I will order 5167 blade or 2071 Lombard migration era blade, but If I order 5167 I might give it either a german or scotish lowlander hilt. Italian style looks better to me on a more typical longsword, not two hander.
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