Basket hilt Sword for discussion

Jim McDougall · 10th December 2023, 01:06 PM

In looking further here, I realize that the 'half moon' marking on my 'mortuary' has the 'rostrum' which is the opague outlined area within the moon. As mentioned, this was a key mark to the espaderos del Rey in Spain whuch augmented to makers own punzone.

That it was spuriously applied to blades in Germany to capitalize on the quality factor of Toledo and its masters is well understood. When England brought i German smiths from Holland to spur its own blade making industry, first with Hounslow, later Shotley in the 17th century, it created an interesting conundrum. Just how many blades were actually produced in England in the shops of these enterprises, and how many were 'salted' imports from Solingen, which was where these German smiths were expatriated?

The fact that these spurious German renditions of the famed Toledo mark are seen on plug bayonets, as per R,D.C.Evans (2002) suggests that British makers indeed must have applied 'German style' marks to their blades, as per the Hounslow and Shotley situations. What this shows is that in the broader spectrum of these situations in England with blade producing, there was a confluence of both, blades actually produced there, as well as some degree of imports from Germany.
Naturally we know that in Shotley, blades were being smuggled in from Rotterdam as Mohl (of Shotley) was arrested while accepting shipment of them. With Hounslow it is less clear, but we know the blades were coming into various entrepots in England, and obviously Scotland.

As pointed out by Mark, the variety of blades coming into the cutlers (i.e. sword slippers) in Scotland were from various makers, shops and sources in Solingen, typically filtered through the departure ports in Holland, primarily Rotterdam. With the volume of blades imported, they were of course, collectively from 'Solingen', however this comprised many different shops of various makers, their families, and workers over long periods of time. Keeping this in mind, the often widely varied conventions in markings, names, and other blade augmentations in understandable as found on these swords mounted in England and Scotland.

What is most important here, is to illustrate how examination of a sword example here in discussion can bring to light many key facts and clues in the overall study of arms.....very much 'one thing leads to another'. ...and as always, we learn together

10th December 2023, 01:06 PM	#19
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,945	In looking further here, I realize that the 'half moon' marking on my 'mortuary' has the 'rostrum' which is the opague outlined area within the moon. As mentioned, this was a key mark to the espaderos del Rey in Spain whuch augmented to makers own punzone. That it was spuriously applied to blades in Germany to capitalize on the quality factor of Toledo and its masters is well understood. When England brought i German smiths from Holland to spur its own blade making industry, first with Hounslow, later Shotley in the 17th century, it created an interesting conundrum. Just how many blades were actually produced in England in the shops of these enterprises, and how many were 'salted' imports from Solingen, which was where these German smiths were expatriated? The fact that these spurious German renditions of the famed Toledo mark are seen on plug bayonets, as per R,D.C.Evans (2002) suggests that British makers indeed must have applied 'German style' marks to their blades, as per the Hounslow and Shotley situations. What this shows is that in the broader spectrum of these situations in England with blade producing, there was a confluence of both, blades actually produced there, as well as some degree of imports from Germany. Naturally we know that in Shotley, blades were being smuggled in from Rotterdam as Mohl (of Shotley) was arrested while accepting shipment of them. With Hounslow it is less clear, but we know the blades were coming into various entrepots in England, and obviously Scotland. As pointed out by Mark, the variety of blades coming into the cutlers (i.e. sword slippers) in Scotland were from various makers, shops and sources in Solingen, typically filtered through the departure ports in Holland, primarily Rotterdam. With the volume of blades imported, they were of course, collectively from 'Solingen', however this comprised many different shops of various makers, their families, and workers over long periods of time. Keeping this in mind, the often widely varied conventions in markings, names, and other blade augmentations in understandable as found on these swords mounted in England and Scotland. What is most important here, is to illustrate how examination of a sword example here in discussion can bring to light many key facts and clues in the overall study of arms.....very much 'one thing leads to another'. ...and as always, we learn together