The Armour Archive

While perusing some SCA photo websites I noticed that several fighters had 2-3 inches of rattan extending below the basket hilt. I've never seen a sword mounted like that here.

Does it improve balance? (I don't think it would)
Do they pulp the tip of the sword and then move the hilt down to replace the length, like a rattan PEZ dispenser?
Do they use it to Hook shields/weapons?

They look untaped/unpadded and the rules prohibit striking with the pommel. So is the hook allowed? Does it work? Is it a pure SCAdianism?

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Vogeljager
www.angelfire.com/nf/dfowler/

Most folks I've seen use them have said they are to help with blocking.

Asbjorn

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Does it improve balance? (I don't think it would)
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It will move the center of mass of the sword down about 1/2 of the amount extending below the basket hilt. However the weight of the basket hilt will have significantly more of an effect on the center of mass of the sword.
Bottom line, it MAY marginally change the balance.

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Do they pulp the tip of the sword and then move the hilt down to replace the length, like a rattan PEZ dispenser?
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Not that I have seen, though it is an interesting idea. My swords usually wind up powdering from about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) below the tip, so to be an effective PEZ dispenser that would require at least 12 inches extending below the basket hilt to allow for one "PEZ" of the sword.

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Do they use it to Hook shields/weapons?
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The primary use appears to be to help with leg blocks.

Hooking is also allowed, but in my region not too many people use it in that manner.

Based on the historical record that I am familar with, it appears to be an SCAdianism.

Note that you would get the same effect with a "hand-and-a-half" sword in a gauntlet, which IS historically accurate.

-Keith/Austin.

I have seen it to. I think it's just one of those strange quirks that there really is no answer to. If anything it's for blocking purposes, but there isn't enough rattan at the bottom of the basket hilt to make that much of a difference. I use a basket hilt, but there isn't any rattan sticking out of the bottom of it. I guess it's mainly due to the type of basket hilt you use.

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Constancius of Lincolnshire

animis corporibusque

From what I've seen, it's to adjust for the fact that a shot taken on the basket could slide down, and continue off to possibly hit the leg, instead of simply stopping as it would if the sword had a normal grip.

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Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

here's why i do it.

there are all these baskets that have a plate in the bottom that you run a screw through and fix it to your stick.

It screws up the way my wrist moves to be that close to the bottom of the stick.
Having a little bit of stick at the end chamges the balance just a bit. Kinda acts like a pommel, don't have to use so much "hand" in the shot if that makes any sense.