that troubles me. a full coif under a helm in 14thc? hmmm kettle maybe. hmmmm looks way new ;) prob there person to ask is eric schmid (sp?) he's on another board, i can try to find u an email address.

Wow! It's like a national geographic special! Thanks for sharing your trip with us Mac. The pictures are excellent. I watched Kidnapped on PBS this weekend and now this... I'm beginning to regret selling that baskethilt...

Thanks Mac,

I ask because this looks very much like the mail I've been working on. If it is original that would be somewhat gratifying on a personal level. :D

Chuck,

Don't read too much into the museum write-up. I found that those things have a 60-40 percent chance of being wrong. Afterall, it does say nothing is known about the piece and then dates it to the 14th century. Besides, it doesn't say what kind of helm it would have been worn with. It does look awfully new though. I do have Eric Scmid's e-mail.

Thanks Mac on the excellent photos and all the work it takes to post them :!: :!: What a trip that must have been :eek:

Here are some shots of that nice Stirling basket hilt at the Edinburgh Museum, on the Royal Mile !

It's descrpition card reads :
Sword
Mid 18th century
This is a basket-hilted back-sword with one cutting edge. The inscription, probably added in the 19th century, claims that the owner was Oliver Cromwell who lived in the century before the sword was made.

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Two Lochaber axe at Edinburgh Castles Great Hall !

- Mac

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Nice pics Mac! :)
Here are something for you, very rare they say, from 1616
[ Linked Image ]

Thanks, Patrik .... interesting indeed !

Earlier in this thread I'd mentioned that when we arrived at the Culloden Visitors Center that Vince & Grace had got to have a look see at a baskethilt & dirk that they had donated to the Trust, back in 2003, for educational purposes !

The National Trust has been using these pieces for live demonstrations as well allowing the kids a chance to get to handle something that is in keeping with their original counterparts, save the sharp edges !
The Evans were very curious to see what the effects of all this use had done to them over the course of 2 years !

Targemaker Joe Lindsay, of North Kessock, was also kind enough to donate a targe to the center for the same purposes, as everyone figured .... "we now have a sword & dirk, guess we need a targe, so we can do this right" :-)

All the pieces seemed to be holding up extremely well !
We also got to meet Duncan, the gentleman who does all the sword bashing & reenactment stuff, and he was quite thrilled to have these pieces available, and commented how excellent they truly are !

Here are a few shots from our backroom visit to see them, with Ms. Smith leading the way !
Also included is a shot of the targe Joe made for the center, as well as a shot of his beautiful Drumossie targaid !
The Drummossie targe, based upon an original in the collection there, is only sold at the center !
(kind of a special deal they worked out for the Trust's gift shop).

2nd to last shot is of the pending construction plans that will totally redo the whole site, and actually adjust certain aspects of the battlefield to make it even closer to they way it was back in the day !

- Mac

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Some detail shots of LA 89, a two-handed claymore residing at the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.
(including a few of its scabbard) -- Mac


LA 89 - First half of the 16th century -- Pommel is of wheel type, hollow, and made in 3 sections brazed together. It can be assumed that claymores with this kind of pommel are earlier than those with ball or truncated cone pommels. The grip, with its steel bands at the top & bottom, is a modern replacement, and somewhat detracts from the basic elegance of this sword. It still retains its sheath. Length overall - 53 1/2", Blade - 40 1/4". -- Text, plate # 6, 'Scottish Swords & Dirks', by John Wallace (1970).

* Photos: T. McDonald, 2005.

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Dear Pat,
When I looked for traces of my MacDaniel forbears whilst touring Culloden Field, I didn't
'ken the auld lads. Later, on the Whiskey Trail I will admit to the presence of spirits.
That last bad aside, I did get some chills whilst visiting a Church Yard where Border
Reiver ancestors were buried.

Scotland the Brave!
Douglas Gentner

Huge Skip!
All apologies "Mac"
Doug

A closer look at LNA 40, residing at the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.

11. Basket-hilted broadsword with the arms of Sir John Grant of Freuchie and the date 1562 on the blade.
The decoration on the blade is Scottish, while the hilt is English, both probably dating from the early 17th century.
H. LNA 40.

Photos: T. McDonald, 2005.

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Pieces at the Museum of Scotland ,& The Royal Museum, Edinburgh .

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Two skians found at Bannockburn. - The Smith Gallery, Stirling.

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