[Roger Hooper]

Can someone tell me what separates a "J" pommel from a "K" pommel? They are both wheels with a central step or extrusion. Sometimes the extrusion has a recess inside. The only difference I can come up with, is that the stepped portion on the "K" seems to have a smaller diameter than that on a "J". The thickness of the wheel on the "K" might be thinner too. Or not. It's a picky little issue, but if someone knows the answer, please tell me.

[Glen A Cleeton]

Oakeshott, in AOW fig 106, states K is a combination of G and J. However, H, I and J are stated as devolopments of G.

The only real distictions are the dimensions you've noted and that he has K possibly originating in Italy, circa 1270-1350 and reappearing in southern Europe 1450-1550. Swords he lists use on are mostly XIVs and sometimes XIIs and XIIIs. Apparently mostly used on single hand swords.

No such distictions are indicated for the J pommel. Apparently it's use was fairly universal. About the same timeline but fading out by the end of the 1400s.

The G and K do have a slimmer overall profile (in the sketch) and perhaps it was to make it more comfy to grab with second hand.
More tactile, as it were.

I don't know how comfy an O is but I want one on a XVa, even though they seem to be more of a XIV or XVI thing.

Cheers

GC

Edited to add that I had a flash of Zefferelli's 1968 Romeo & Juliet sword props. One or more of those sideswords had a very flattened K pommel. Of course, the only screen shot I can find on the web is the wrong sword.

Michael York went on to be a real swashbukler