1828 Pattern Scottish Highland Officer’s Basket-hilted Broadsword - Reproduction

[plaid preacher]

I will begin with my apology. I am sorry that this is the contrarian opinion.

The first has to do with the product description from Military Heritage. There is not one military member who wears a sword in full dress who would ever, ever, EVER use his sword for "light fencing". Parade swords are highly polished. They go with you dress uniform and therefore must look impecable.

Second, unless I was an officer/Sr NCO in a highland regiment I would never think of wearing a sword just because I am in highland dress. My rule of thumb - if I wouldn't wear it with a saxon suit, I will not wear it with highland dress. I believe the sword falls into this category. Put your amethyst back in your sporran Jaimie.

Finally: if you are looking for a sword to mount on the wall, then most will probably fit the bill. No one will get that close to tell whether you paid $50 or $500 dollars. AS they say, it all looks the same from 20 yards and a galloping horse.

Most military swords (British/Canadian), that I am acquainted with are manufactured by Wilkinson Sword and most officers (or Jr Officers, at least) draw their sword from stores for parades.

[jviss]

I will begin with my apology. I am sorry that this is the contrarian opinion.

The first has to do with the product description from Military Heritage. There is not one military member who wears a sword in full dress who would ever, ever, EVER use his sword for "light fencing". Parade swords are highly polished. They go with you dress uniform and therefore must look impecable.

Second, unless I was an officer/Sr NCO in a highland regiment I would never think of wearing a sword just because I am in highland dress. My rule of thumb - if I wouldn't wear it with a saxon suit, I will not wear it with highland dress. I believe the sword falls into this category. Put your amethyst back in your sporran Jaimie.

Finally: if you are looking for a sword to mount on the wall, then most will probably fit the bill. No one will get that close to tell whether you paid $50 or $500 dollars. AS they say, it all looks the same from 20 yards and a galloping horse.

Most military swords (British/Canadian), that I am acquainted with are manufactured by Wilkinson Sword and most officers (or Jr Officers, at least) draw their sword from stores for parades.

I think you're taking all of this too literally, and too seriously. That bit text from Military Heritage that goes "for example, are used in fencing demonstrations" is a paragraph they use to describe all of the blades made of 1065 steel; they aren't suggesting anyone is doing fencing demonstrations in full dress, as you have imagined, they are only saying it won't break with knocking the blade against something.

As I said in an earlier reply, "a realistic model of the real thing is what I want, for display, highland dance, maybe piping some day." As far as wearing one in highland dress, if the dress calls for it, one very well may.

Since this pattern was introduced in 1828 there have probably been a hundred makers in addition to Wilkinson. Wilkinson was an innovator, and probably made the most consistently reliable swords for that use for which they were originally intended. But, alas, Wilkinson as a sword maker is no more, and hasn't been around since 2005. So all such swords have been made by someone else since.

I have no reason to disbelieve Military Heritage when they say they have supplied these to the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), or their infantry sword to the 1st and 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, and 32 Signal Regiment.

If this thing looks as good as the pics I'll be thrilled. We shall see. If it's made in India that's fine. The images of this sword look far superior to what is commonly available of Indian and Pakistani origin, though.

[jviss]

I received the Pakistani sword today - oy, what a piece of junk! It's going back. Can't wait to see the Military Heritage example.

[Piobair]

The vast majority of basket hilts, whether they go by "1828" or "1831" or officers pattern are pretty rough or at the very least look very "off." You can spot them from a mile away. Usually stamped brass basket, unstructured cloth lining and varying blade/scabbard quality. I took a look at the military heritage page, and this model is probably the best in terms of replicating a sword that actually looks like a Pooley or Wilkinson - http://www.militaryheritage.com/sword28.htm. These periodically come up at auction as well. For the most part though, the vast majority of basket hilts on the internet look god awful, neither close to current mil spec or even vaguely authentic for those with recreation on the mind.

I had a very good faux Wilkinson basket hilt about a million years ago that I contemplated wearing with No 1 dress while piping. Bought hangers and practiced marching about with it and... no. I can speak for the majority of us at the games when I say the first response to someone who shows up with a $75 dollar dirk or random claymore is to shake our heads. If you want to be a sword guy, cool. But it's not highland dress... it's highland make believe.

[ThistleDown]

I am sure we are all pleased, jviss, that you are returning what you are unhappy with, and hope that you will show us a pic or two to show what you call 'junk'. And, of course, what you receive next from Military Heritage.

I must agree, however, with Jock's way-back comment: "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." And with Piobar's "I can speak for the majority of us at the games when I say the first response to someone who shows up with a $75 dollar dirk or random claymore is to shake our heads. If you want to be a sword guy, cool. But it's not highland dress... it's highland make believe."

I might have said "...living in the past" but that entirely depends on your reason for wanting/owning one of these, in the first place. Entirely up to you.

In the Highlands we do sometimes have these things hanging on our walls. They are not trophies, but a bit of heritage. We would never, ever, think of wearing one of them in public. It would be -- to us -- an eccentricity: wonderfully acceptable, perhaps, but an eccentricity regardless.

Buy your baskethilt, from wherever, Jviss, and enjoy it. Hang it on your lounge wall as an indication of where you came from. We should all have such memories, they are good for us .

[OC Richard]

When the Pipes & Drums of the Scots Guards came here on tour their swords looked real, to me



True that in recent photos I see them without them.

Back over 30 years ago when I was piping for quite a few military events had I not worn a sword I would have been the only man in attendance without one. That was my motivation, mainly, to dress according to the situation.

In like manner back then I was piping at around 40 to 50 weddings a year and at nearly all of them the men were in black tuxedos with black bow ties. Hence I wore a black Argyll with black bow tie. Ditto playing concerts with orchestras.

When hired I try to look the part.

By the way, funny story, my old Pipe Major and I used to play loads of duet gigs, and at the military Full Dress ones we would both be in Full Dress with swords.

A music agent saw us at one of these military events and asked for our card. A few months later my Pipe Major got a call from that guy, wanting to hire us for some event.

"You actually don't need to bring your bagpipes" he said. "But you need to wear those same uniforms and you need to bring your swords."

We show up at the event, and all they wanted us to do was stand on either side of the entrance and salute each couple, as they entered, with our swords!

It was ludicrous. We had a great time, in fact. We spent our down time between arrivals inventing more and more elaborate, preposterous, perfectly synchronized ways of saluting the folks. We could hardly keep a straight face.