The Armour Archive

In ya'lls opinion, who is making the best looking basket/cup hilts in metal?

The plastic cup hilts are good and functional but not pretty. I'm looking to bling things up a bit and a nice looking cup hilt would be a help.

Thanks all.

i'll start looking for the source, but

The prettiest ones ive seen cost about $150. Im lookin for the armory now.

They are a sheet cup with designs cut into the steel. absolutely gorgeous.

hold on a sec...

These don't suck for baskets.

for some reason that was the last place i was gonna look, but yep, those are them!

I like my stainless ones from Zen Warrior. Doesn't look like they're selling the same ones I have anymore, but you can see what they have here.

I really like the 75 dollar one

I have the $75 Zen Warrior ones on my swords. I like them -- functional, attractive (as baskets go) and seem to be holding up well.

The built in clamps are pretty damn handy, too.

Later period, Darkwood has another Schiavona hilt.

I thought Scott also had an English basket hilt that was heavy list legal, but I cannot find it on his site. Sad panda; if I ever get my Elizabethan rig finished around the Kelson peascod and Clang burgonet, I wanted one. I'll have to whine at him, or mug Saritor for his.

Audax, Sir Brian at Darkwood Armoury does a fantastic Shiavonna hilt with a solid trigger. They run about 100 bucks, but they rock. Have been using one for years. Plus they look better than almost anything out there.

Uric

Those are pretty.

For my money I absolutely love the basket hilts I have from Sir Marcus Hammerhand, unfortunately he' not making themanymore

Stephen

Audax if your looking for the "Prettiest" I would PM Ugo and see if he has ever done some.

Blackoak wrote:Audax, Sir Brian at Darkwood Armoury does a fantastic Shiavonna hilt with a solid trigger. They run about 100 bucks, but they rock. Have been using one for years. Plus they look better than almost anything out there.

Uric

Do you find the trigger effective and not painful to use?

GrumpyMacBastard wrote:Audax if your looking for the "Prettiest" I would PM Ugo and see if he has ever done some.

I bet it's the expensivest, too.

But you are right, I bet he could make a stunning cup hilt.

I use Anshelm hilts.

http://www.anshelmarms.com/baskethilts.html

one weld, 2 piece construction, so no rivets coming loose to deal with. They are very comfy and look nice - especially if you keep them clean

They are the best hits I've used to date.


BUT if pure looks are what you have in mind, those Windrose Shiavonna hilts are rockin sweet looking.

I recently got a nice one from Brian Price at the Chiv Bookshelf and I really liked the look and feel of it. Only got to use it once before I broke again......

-Barnet

audax wrote:Do you find the trigger effective and not painful to use?

I picked up one of Darkwood's shiavonas at Estrella. The first couple of times, I got a blister on my index, but it's calloused over now.

I'm very pleased with it; been looking for an internal quillon hilt for rattan for a while now. It is a bit fiddly to fit the hilt/pommel, but once mounted, it's solid.

Known World Treasures carries a stainless/aluminum cup hilt that is pretty legit. IIRC they're produced by AB Hammer.

http://www.knownworldt.com/combat%20Goods.htm
http://www.knownworldt.com/images/AB%20 ... ilt001.gif

The one they have pictured is all stainless, the one I purchase from them as a gift for my brother's squiring is stainless with aluminum panels, I don't know which they currently have in stock.

They're nice to look at and have a really beefy tang, I don't think it's likely at all to break the way the ones from Zen Warrior that I have do.

Adam

The trigger is in NO way painful and gives you an extra level of control. It lets you direct the blade better. Almost like point and shoot.

Uric

audax wrote:The plastic cup hilts are good and functional but not pretty. I'm looking to bling things up a bit and a nice looking cup hilt would be a help.

The plastic cup hilts, while not what you are looking for, do take the Krylon plastic paint quite well. I've seen some done up very nicely in a heraldic motif. My own has been painted with the metallic silver color.

Shamrock Armory does some nice cup hilts.

Blackoak wrote:Audax, Sir Brian at Darkwood Armoury does a fantastic Shiavonna hilt with a solid trigger. They run about 100 bucks, but they rock. Have been using one for years. Plus they look better than almost anything out there.

Uric

<img src="http://www.darkwoodarmory.com/images/schiawframe1h.jpg">

WANT!!!!

Ironmonger Heartshaped basket,nice feel too!

Better info here
http://www.ironmongerarmory.com/index.p ... sket_hilts

I second the Ironmonger stainless heartshaped basket.

Blackstone wrote:I thought Scott also had an English basket hilt that was heavy list legal, but I cannot find it on his site. Sad panda; if I ever get my Elizabethan rig finished around the Kelson peascod and Clang burgonet, I wanted one. I'll have to whine at him, or mug Saritor for his.

He does...he has one of the mid-16th century basket hilt designs that he makes for heavy.

I know he does because I own the last one he had in stock.

Thought I'd shown it off to you at some point?

Baron Alejandro wrote:WANT!!!!

The one you show is without the quillon. This is the one with it, which I use:

Here's the one I've got, with the similar sword to go with the C&T rig.

And...

My favorite basket I actually got from a friend of mine, who made it for himself. Thing is exceedingly small, but also low-profile in a visual sense. Mild steel welded down the center and then has bars welded into the edges so they don't curl. The only problem I am now having is I am looking for a second for a backup sword, and *suprise* I am having trouble. Ingelri, do you happen to have any old pics of it?

I prefer a solid basket myself and I just got a new one from Strawberry Fields Armory (Duke Maelgwyn).

I love it.

Bri.

Michael of Bedford used to make some heart sheped ones decades ago that were always very nice. I fight in a solid SS that Sir Kaus from Little Rock made several years ago that looks really nice. I also have one or two of Haroun's plastic hilts which do not look as nice but realy protect my hands.

Vebrand

audax wrote:In ya'lls opinion, who is making the best looking basket/cup hilts in metal?
The plastic cup hilts are good and functional but not pretty. I'm looking to bling things up a bit and a nice looking cup hilt would be a help.
Thanks all.

Gauntlets.

Later period, Darkwood has another Schiavona hilt.


Does the darkwood hilt pass inspection? just noticed the built on pommel looks pretty narrow and would slip into a grill possibly?


Donngal

Domnall wrote:

audax wrote:In ya'lls opinion, who is making the best looking basket/cup hilts in metal?
The plastic cup hilts are good and functional but not pretty. I'm looking to bling things up a bit and a nice looking cup hilt would be a help.
Thanks all.

Gauntlets.

Will you buy me a pair of sweet finger gauntlets, Uncle Domnall?

Please?

Donngal wrote:Later period, Darkwood has another Schiavona hilt.


Does the darkwood hilt pass inspection? just noticed the built on pommel looks pretty narrow and would slip into a grill possibly?


Donngal

As a marshal I would not have a problem with it. I do not think the pommel piece extends very far past the basket. If you look at the picture that has a rattan attached to it.

Also, I do not see it reasonably penetrating a grill. If it is, then the user has bigger issues than a penetrated pommel. He is striking his opponent with the hilt of his sword and that is all bad.

The Darkwood hilts are fine. They have been around for about 15 years or more with zero issues from marshals. If no one has a problem with thin aluminum shields with door molding going in a grill then they should have no issue with this.

Uric