Very nice Walloon! and I agree as Ulfberth has well observed, the wire has been replaced, but nicely done. The 'Turks heads' at either end were standard as he notes, but seem not often replaced in restorations of grips.
The 1444 in the fuller is one of numerous combinations using the 'magic numbers '1' and '4' which were commonly used along with the 'Passau' wolf mark, thought to imbue the blades talismanically. In many cases over years, these numbers were erroneously seen as dates.
I have always thought these pierced shells were most attractive, and much like those characteristic on Pappenheimer's.
|