[Martinho Ramos]

Greetings everyone.

I'm new to this site, but i've been wanting to register here because many times i research to find information about certain details of arms and armour, i always end up getting the right answer in this site.

I've been wondering about the exact origin and period in which rings were added to the cross guard of a sword. I've been in need of such information to clarify a doubt that came up when i was making plans for a 15th century reenactment sword.
By "rings" i mean something like this:



or this



I've come to think that these kind of "ring guards" emerged somewhere in the mid 15th century. Also, i've been told that the "pear" shaped pommel present in the last picture (the Dopplehander), appeared at the end of the 13th century. I'm a little confused, as i always thought that this particular kind of pommel was a late medieval / rennaissance style.

Anyway, to further illustrate the kind of pommel i seek the period of origin, i'll post a better image of one.




Thank you very much!

[Sean Flynt]

I wouldn't combine side-rings and pear-shaped pommels on a sword pre-1500. The general shape of that pommel (the ones shown above aren't especially accurate) would appear by the early 15th c. but proliferated, especially on German weapons, in the last half of that century. They're very common in their various styles from 1500. Combining these features would, I think, denote a strong German, Austrian or Italian influence of ca. 1500-1525.

[Martinho Ramos]

[Sean Flynt]

I think that's an accurate statement, although other hilt complexities are much older--the knucklebow and "finger rings", at least.

[Martinho Ramos]