Basket Hilt Broadsword Project

**BobsYourUncle** · 6th October 10, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Taygrd

I am excited on how well this has turned out so far and I wanted to share it. I purchased this basket from Scotland and it looks to be from about the very late 1800's to the early 1900's. A hilt without a sword is a very sad thing indeed so I decided to rectify it. I have been making knives for about 13 years and this was my first attempt at a blade longer than 12 inches. I used 1095 tool steel and ground the blade. The pommel is a Martha Stewart cabinet knob from Home Depot and I plan to wrap the grip in stingray and sterling silver wire. I completed the blade up to the last picture and decided that it was time to take a break before I messed something up. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed working on it.

Thanks!

Really beautiful work. More pictures, please!

**Taygrd** · 6th October 10, 10:55 AM

Yes it was all stock removal and no forging. I used a cutoff saw with a jig for the fullers and an angle grinder. The blade was to big to fit in my shop to use the big grinder so I worked outside. The hardest part was keeping the blade hot in the forge. Started heating from the back to the tip and had to moving it back and forth then it warped a little in the quench but I was able to straighten it out. I hope to get it finished this weekend

**Ryan Ross** · 6th October 10, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by BobsYourUncle

The red basket liner is traditionally rayskin.

I always understood that the grip was often covered in rayskin, bound with wire; I've also heard that the red basket liners were made from the clothing of slain redcoats(I figure that the leather liner was retained beneath the cloth, at least some times).

**David White** · 7th October 10, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan Ross

I always understood that the grip was often covered in rayskin, bound with wire; I've also heard that the red basket liners were made from the clothing of slain redcoats(I figure that the leather liner was retained beneath the cloth, at least some times).

You can have leather (full or part way), or clothe liners.
Here is a picture of one of my broadswords showing rayskin and a leather liner-hope this helps.

**Ryan Ross** · 7th October 10, 03:57 PM

Aye, thanks for posting that pic here. I've seen it before... whoever made the sword did a beautiful job on that hilt; I should expect that the blade is magnificent, too.

**Taygrd** · 10th October 10, 08:15 AM

Finished this sword late yesterday and I am fairly pleased with the result. The handle was all that was left so I used waterbuffalo at the top and bottom and dyed the stingray black. The wrap is sterling silver half round wire and I ground Martha's knob down

. It weighs about four pounds. I will make a scabbard for it some day when I don't have other projects stacked up. I was fun sharing this with all of you and thank you for your kind words.

**artificer** · 10th October 10, 08:35 AM

Gorgeous!
Is the ray skin sanded? it appears so from the image

**Ryan Ross** · 10th October 10, 10:22 AM

Very well done indeed! The handle looks excelent, and with your modifications, Martha's knob really can't be beat. The weight seems really high(though I'm not as well versed in the proper weight of a Scottish backsword as I might be), but I don't expect that you'll be taking this into battle any time soon anyway.

Cangratulations on a job well done.