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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Wed 17 Aug, 2011 12:56 am    Post subject: My E.B. Erickson basket-hilt, 2011         Reply with quote

Check out the basket-hilt I had E.B. Erickson make for me this year. ElJay just made the basket and I'll need to have a blade made and mounted to it. I didn't want to wait to show you guys some snapshots I took tonight.

First off, it gets its design queues from this extant original:



I don't know much about the original. It's been in the myArmoury.com photo albums for years but is not labeled.

Here is the new basket inspired by the above antique:







Click any photo to see full-sized version


One thing I love about it is the grip. ElJay used some sharkskin that wasn't tanned correctly and so it was dropping some of the denticles. He stabilized it and made the grip with the wire over-wrap and turk's heads knots. A lot of persnickety collectors might not like this look, but for me the final effect really looks like it came off an antique sword and it really works for me.

I don't know when I'll have the blade made for it. At this point I'm leaning at giving it to Arms & Armor to get 'er done. The only problem is that I already have a couple other projects in their shop so it's not likely that they'd be able to start on this for quite some time. I guess I'll just have to wait! Of course, it's fun to get the basket in hand and makes me eager to see the completed sword!

Thanks for looking.

Cheers

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Roger Hooper




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PostPosted: Wed 17 Aug, 2011 9:08 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

That unusual and beautiful baskethilt was a great choice, Nathan. And Eljay, as usual did a wonderful job of recreating it. I look forward to seeing it with a blade.

Scottish baskethilts aren't my thing, but if I could have one, this hilt would be it. It;s my turn to be envious, Nathan.
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Todd Salazar





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PostPosted: Wed 17 Aug, 2011 11:29 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Well done, Nathan! Another wonderful baskethilt made by a true artist. You certainly have a wonderful collection! Congratulations!
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Chris Goerner




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PostPosted: Wed 17 Aug, 2011 3:14 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The original sword is one of my favorite basket hilts, and now seeing it reproduced, I like it even more. ElJay is quite the magician! I agree with you on the grip, Nathan. The smooth shagreen looks wonderful on that sword! Can't wait to see it bladed up. Are you going to use the original sword as the model for the blade as well?
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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Wed 17 Aug, 2011 3:43 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Chris Goerner wrote:
The original sword is one of my favorite basket hilts, and now seeing it reproduced, I like it even more. ElJay is quite the magician! I agree with you on the grip, Nathan. The smooth shagreen looks wonderful on that sword! Can't wait to see it bladed up. Are you going to use the original sword as the model for the blade as well?


I'm glad to know somebody else noticed the antique. It's been of interest to me for awhile now. I almost had this one made many years ago but opted for something else at the time. This last year, I just asked ElJay what he wanted to make. He chose this hilt and I said to go for it. I really didn't give any direction and simply left it all up to him.

I don't know what kind of blade will go on it. I guess I'm leaning towards something like the original in an effort to keep the final effect similar to the antique in the photo. There are so many blade styles that would be appropriate for the hilt, though, so who knows?

This one leaves me wonder if it is Scottish or English. I won't have time to look into it for awhile. If anybody has any input on the origin of the style, please feel free to chime in.

... seems English to me.

Cheers

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David Wilson




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PostPosted: Wed 17 Aug, 2011 4:56 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Oooooohhhhh.... ahhhhh.....

Very, very nice!

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Sean Flynt




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PostPosted: Thu 18 Aug, 2011 9:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

If you just wanted to mount a decent blade until you can get a custom job, you could always get the Hanwei basket hilt for ~$225, steal the blade and replace or part-out when your custom blade is ready. Also, several Hanwei-Tinker swords blades wouldn't be out of the question, especially if you got your cutler to zip some lines down the blade parallel to the fuller before mounting. The H-T complete swords are only $169 at KOH and you could recoup some of that by selling the fittings to some DIY nut. Big Grin The bare blades are around $100. Just a thought. I've often thought the H-T medieval blades could be adapted for basket hilt use.


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-Sean

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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Thu 18 Aug, 2011 10:05 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sean Flynt wrote:
If you just wanted to mount a decent blade until you can get a custom job, you could always get the Hanwei basket hilt for ~$225, steal the blade and replace or part-out when your custom blade is ready.


I'd be into this idea, but I don't have the tools or space to do the work myself. The tang would likely need modification and the end would need to be threaded/re-threaded. The shoulders would need to be changed, etc. It would probably a fair amount of money to buy the sword and then have the work done and I'm not sure the end result would be entirely worth it. Hard to know...

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Sean Flynt




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PostPosted: Thu 18 Aug, 2011 10:14 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Yes, value goes down considerably as you out-source the labor and you'd want it done right.
-Sean

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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Thu 18 Aug, 2011 10:19 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sean Flynt wrote:
Yes, value goes down considerably as you out-source the labor and you'd want it done right.


I would have been better off buying the sword, removing the blade, and providing it to ElJay up front were I to want to go that route.

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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Fri 20 Jan, 2012 9:55 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I just pulled this hilt out and was reminded how beautiful it is in the hand. I still haven't managed to get it bladed up yet. Makers are too busy for the work. It's the oddest thing. I hope to show you guys the finished sword some day and make sure to get photos if it whenever it gets completed!

In the meantime, I was considering Darkwood Armory. Do they do custom blades or simply the catalog offerings? I've heard recent reports of them having great customer service and being very responsive. Scott Wilson of Darkwood Armory seems to have a huge portfolio of work and this is very good indication of his ability to take projects and complete them! Any input would be helpful.

Thank you.

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Christopher Treichel




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PostPosted: Fri 20 Jan, 2012 12:15 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Scott at Darkwood does custom work... He could even do a pierced blade or what have you... His website doesn't really show you the level of work he is capable of. He is also pretty quick with his turn arround time.
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Thomas McDonald
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PostPosted: Fri 20 Jan, 2012 1:00 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi Nathan

Very nice piece, congrats on adding that beauty to your excellent collection !

The only bit I know on that original is what the card at Edinburgh Castle stated :
"Basket-hilted broadsword said to have been carried by a Highland officer at the storming of Quebec in 1759."

The baskets design, although much nicer, is kinda along the G5 ones that Mazansky included in his book "British Basket-Hilted Swords", mid (ish) 18th cen. (some of the Pinch of Snuff's also bring some of it's design elements to mind, at least to my old brain ;-)

I just quickly added an album to my Picturetrail site that features several pictures I took of it in 2005 at the following link:
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/24002987

I've also added it to my Eljay baskethilt album that features his work ( I gotta get that better updated too, so if anyone like GG, Ben Sweet, etc., has pictures that are not included please send 'em my way)

Thanks, Mac

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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Fri 20 Jan, 2012 1:04 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thomas McDonald wrote:
Very nice piece, congrats on adding that beauty to your excellent collection !


Thank you, Mac. I'm glad to see you here and glad you're able to see some of the work EBE is doing lately. You've been gone too long!

Quote:
The only bit I know on that original is what the card at Edinburgh Castle stated :
"Basket-hilted broadsword said to have been carried by a Highland officer at the storming of Quebec in 1759."

The baskets design, although much nicer, is kinda along the G5 ones that Mazansky included in his book "British Basket-Hilted Swords", mid (ish) 18th cen. (some of the Pinch of Snuff's also bring some of it's design elements to mind, at least to my old brain ;-)

I just quickly added an album to my Picturetrail site that features several pictures I took of it in 2005 at the following link:
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/24002987


WOW! You've seen the piece first hand!I had no idea... I just thought it was sitting in some private collection and so this fills in some much needed infofor me. Thank you.

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