Late 17thC Scottish Broadsword.

Jim McDougall · 26th February 2023, 10:37 PM

Wow Norman! theres a beauty of a Glasgow!!!
Nice job of getting it cleaned with patina still intact.
While the date is likely proper for the sword and its hilting it is not necessarily the date of the blade.

It is likely an earlier Solingen blade, but the slipper (cutler) probably added these spurious markings for obvious reasons. The ' Passau ' wolf (notably used by Solingen)was of course well known to these cutlers, and this is a fairly ubiquitous rendition of the usual form. These were often seen of course on Solingen blades with numbers presumed to be dates on either side (16....wolf...56)however the wolf on Solingen blades was typically upside down to the numbers.
It is unusual also to see ANNO (in) on one side while a date (or perhaps number combination on the other.

These were hilted during the long Jacobite troubles period beginning c. 1689 and going on into the 18th c. with the '15 and '45 the most well known events. The 'magic' of these well known inscriptions and markings of Solingen were not lost on these cutlers, so their addition of them to extant blades in those times would have been well placed.

A toast of the Drambuie to this one!!!!!

aye!!!!

Battara · 27th February 2023, 04:03 AM

Nice work and great save!

Norman McCormick · 1st March 2023, 07:08 PM

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the positive remarks. A lot of patience, a light touch, a well used 600 grit piece of paper and WD40 did the trick re the rust. Thanks Jim for your input as always. I know these swords are one of your favourites. There could be a lot of history behind this sword but alas we will never know only speculate.
My Regards,
Norman.

M ELEY · 2nd March 2023, 07:39 AM

Absolutely a marvelous piece, Norman! I particularly like the 'S'-patterned braces. These types are a little rarer than the standard baskets with the three saltires. It appears your basket did have a wrist guard at one time (the quillon that extends from the basket), but broke off, which is a very common occurrence. In this case, that would date the basket to post-1700, as this feature was added to deflect the dreaded wrist slash common in Scottish fencing. An amazing survivor from the Jacobite period!

Norman McCormick · 2nd March 2023, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Absolutely a marvelous piece, Norman! I particularly like the 'S'-patterned braces. These types are a little rarer than the standard baskets with the three saltires. It appears your basket did have a wrist guard at one time (the quillon that extends from the basket), but broke off, which is a very common occurrence. In this case, that would date the basket to post-1700, as this feature was added to deflect the dreaded wrist slash common in Scottish fencing. An amazing survivor from the Jacobite period!

Hi Mark,
I actually have the broken quillion/wrist guard and am in the process of trying to find someone suitable to reattach said quillion without compromising the integrity of the sword but I'm not having much luck. I've a feeling that I will probably leave the problem to the next custodian if I can't find anybody soon.
My Regards,
Norman.

thinreadline · 3rd March 2023, 12:31 AM

what a great find and a super restoration you have done

urbanspaceman · 3rd March 2023, 10:54 AM

An exemplary description of the dates and wolves Jim (as usual).
I have a Hounslow Hangar with a latten version of that wolf and it is - as you point out - reversed.
The inscription is ANNO 1553 and for a long time I was frustrated in finding a connection between a 1630s sword-blade and an event in 1553 (which was the tragic 9 day reign of 16 year old Queen Anne before being executed).
Your suggestion that the numbers were probably talismanic hit the mark.
I agree, this broadsword blade was probably Hounslow made and re-hilted during the Jacobite rebellions with the numbers added then.
There is much contention regarding the importing of Solingen blades into the Hounslow industry versus the use of the Passau Wolf by those Germans working there and I don't think we will ever reach a satisfactory decision.
Fantastic restoration work Norman.
BTW
There is an adhesive that will effectively cold-weld your bits together Norman: it is sold in auto accessories shops. I have found it quite remarkable.

3rd March 2023, 10:54 AM	#7
urbanspaceman Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Tyneside. North-East England Posts: 618	wolves and numbers An exemplary description of the dates and wolves Jim (as usual). I have a Hounslow Hangar with a latten version of that wolf and it is - as you point out - reversed. The inscription is ANNO 1553 and for a long time I was frustrated in finding a connection between a 1630s sword-blade and an event in 1553 (which was the tragic 9 day reign of 16 year old Queen Anne before being executed). Your suggestion that the numbers were probably talismanic hit the mark. I agree, this broadsword blade was probably Hounslow made and re-hilted during the Jacobite rebellions with the numbers added then. There is much contention regarding the importing of Solingen blades into the Hounslow industry versus the use of the Passau Wolf by those Germans working there and I don't think we will ever reach a satisfactory decision. Fantastic restoration work Norman. BTW There is an adhesive that will effectively cold-weld your bits together Norman: it is sold in auto accessories shops. I have found it quite remarkable. Attached Images

26th February 2023, 10:37 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Wow Norman! theres a beauty of a Glasgow!!! Nice job of getting it cleaned with patina still intact. While the date is likely proper for the sword and its hilting it is not necessarily the date of the blade. It is likely an earlier Solingen blade, but the slipper (cutler) probably added these spurious markings for obvious reasons. The ' Passau ' wolf (notably used by Solingen)was of course well known to these cutlers, and this is a fairly ubiquitous rendition of the usual form. These were often seen of course on Solingen blades with numbers presumed to be dates on either side (16....wolf...56)however the wolf on Solingen blades was typically upside down to the numbers. It is unusual also to see ANNO (in) on one side while a date (or perhaps number combination on the other. These were hilted during the long Jacobite troubles period beginning c. 1689 and going on into the 18th c. with the '15 and '45 the most well known events. The 'magic' of these well known inscriptions and markings of Solingen were not lost on these cutlers, so their addition of them to extant blades in those times would have been well placed. A toast of the Drambuie to this one!!!!! aye!!!!

27th February 2023, 04:03 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,280	Nice work and great save!

1st March 2023, 07:08 PM	#3
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,618	Hi Guys, Thanks for the positive remarks. A lot of patience, a light touch, a well used 600 grit piece of paper and WD40 did the trick re the rust. Thanks Jim for your input as always. I know these swords are one of your favourites. There could be a lot of history behind this sword but alas we will never know only speculate. My Regards, Norman.

2nd March 2023, 07:39 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,156	Absolutely a marvelous piece, Norman! I particularly like the 'S'-patterned braces. These types are a little rarer than the standard baskets with the three saltires. It appears your basket did have a wrist guard at one time (the quillon that extends from the basket), but broke off, which is a very common occurrence. In this case, that would date the basket to post-1700, as this feature was added to deflect the dreaded wrist slash common in Scottish fencing. An amazing survivor from the Jacobite period!

3rd March 2023, 12:31 AM	#6
thinreadline Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wirral Posts: 1,204	what a great find and a super restoration you have done