[Sean Flynt]

This one's on the market over at Fagan Arms, Nathan, et al.! It's a mere USD $9,500! Nice photo....

http://www.trocadero.com/faganarms/items/298759/en1store.html

[Nathan Robinson]

Cool, Sean! I just bought it. Thanks for the head's up.

[Nathan Robinson]

On a serious note, this one looks to be the same piece that recently sold within the year for $7,200. As one can see, the business of buying and collecting antique arms still remains a potentially good venture.

[E.B. Erickson]

Hi Sean and Nathan,
I've got an old Fagan catalog from a couple of years ago, and I think he had the same sword back then. I know the price was the same!

The first time I saw one of these was in the late 70s in a catalog from the "Museum of Historical Arms" based in Florida. It was so bizarre and so unlike Scot and English baskets that I thought it was a Vic repro. About a week later one popped up at Christie's and sold for about $1500. The one in the Florida catalog was $600, so I immediately called them to reserve it, but it was long gone. That's how we learn!

--ElJay

[Sean Flynt]

A contemporary illustration of German soldiers in the book The Renaissance At War shows a small group of cavalry and infantry, all wearing swords of this very type.

[Gordon Frye]

Sean;

Do you have more info on "Renaissance at War", such as author, etc? Sounds like a nifty book to have. And per the German basket hilts, Jost Amman's "Book for Artists and Illustrators" from 1568 shows such swords in a fair abundance. What is interesting is there seem to be two basic hilts he draws: the baske thilt, and the simple cross-bar such as the A&A Gustav Vasa sword. Not a lot of other hilt types in view, but it could be that those were what he had in the studio. But he gets a LOT of other details right, so who knows.

Gordon

[Jean Thibodeau]

Gordon;

Assuming that this is the same book talked about, here is information about the one I have: Renaissance at War, Thomas F. Arnold, publisher Cassell & Co Wellington House, 125 Strand London WC2R 0BB, first published 2001.

British Library ISBN 0-304-35270-5

(Purchased at Indigo Books in Montreal: Should be available at large book chains in the U.S.A. I assume!?)

One of a series of books on the history of war from ancien to modern times: "Cassell's history of Warfare" series.

Very good series: I have at least half a dozen of them, many period paintings and drawings supplemented by maps of battles, technical illustration and diagrams.

[Sean Flynt]

Yep, that's the book. I have that and Warfare in the 17th Century. Both are excellent and I got both as remaindered titles for a fraction of the cover price. Check around the web and you may find these. I find that the best source for such discounted military history titles is Edward R. Hamilton:

http://www.hamiltonbook.com/Discount_Books/Ca...ry_MI.html

[Adam Lloyd]

sean or any one else got any other examples of these types?

[E.B. Erickson]

Hey Adam,
Go to the albums section on this site, click on "Antique Arms and Armor", and you'll see a category entitled 'Miscellaneous Basket-hilted Swords". There's also an old thread called (I think) "European basket hilts" that has a number of photos.

--ElJay

[Nathan Robinson]

Here is the link to The Topic ElJay mentions.

Cheers.