Hey every body.... Yes I am Still alive.
Some friends of mine recently started doing Basket hilts. They posted them on E-Bay for like a month and according to them ... It was a waste of time. The only ones I saw on there were... Well lets just say "I saw Nothing there that I would recommend". Whats up??? Are most people Getting them locally? Or at events? What are your personal Likes or Desires when it comes Sword and Shield baskets. I will post pix tomorrow to see if any one here likes them, wants them, or has any suggestions to make them more sellable. Thanx.
William S. Giltner
Lrd Tatsuo Okami
Iron River Armoury
I use All Saint Armoury baskets. They are a bit expensive $60.00 each. But indestructable, and beautiful. When ever I can get some fromSir Thomas they are usually spoken for before he gets them done.
I usually dont check ebay for baskets. Most of the time I spend wading through random "SCA LARP GOTH etc" sh*t. I have only picked up a couple, and those were from local guys or where I could handle them. I am also very picky (comes from trying to get a good balance on swords for me).
Westerners, we have forgotten our origins. We speak all the diverse languages of the country in turn. Indeed the man who was poor at home attains opulence here; he who had no more than a few deiners, finds himself master of a fourtune.
I have fought broad (single hand) sword and shield with both gauntlets and basket hilts.
Gauntlets give you good hand control faster, but the technology needs constant maitenance. This means you have to be an armorer, or you have to keep an armorer on retainer in some form. However, good gaunlets are a requirement for pole, spear, and two-handled sword.
Basket hilts are cheaper and require less maitenance. In fact, when a basket breaks (which happens), it's sometimes easier to simply buy a new one.
I'm sure they are great baskets, but I can imagine it is hard to sell one for 75 bucks when there are (IMO) better looking ones on the same page for half the price...
Just my impression.
/adam lawrence /athestan of wortham /sca drachenwald /thebusinesscomedian.com
"REGINA NOS VIDET"
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We've offered some bare bones basic models in the past, but they jsut didn't sell well, so we quit offering them on eBay. In Fact, Bjorn hasn't made any since we moved the armory to El Paso.
Thorhild
"The selling of bad beer is a crime against Christian love."- 13th century Augsburg City Ordinance
As soon as IvanIs sends me his email I can send him the pix to resize and post. How many Stainless Baskets are out there and is it still worth my friends time to make mild steel ones? They are hoping to get at least $40 per on single sales and make cuts in that (for the basic models) for bulk purchase (at least 10 or more).
Another point to make is that ALL baskets they are making now ARE face plate spec (IE: "Shall not allow a 1 inch rod to pass thru") I know this isn't A Emperium wide concern... But it is very frustrating to travel to another Kingdom and have your facvorite sword not pass marshallate inspection.
I will include some of the custom baskets I've designed just for the Show off time.
William S. Giltner
Lrd Tatsuo Okami
Iron River Armoury
baskit hilts usually arn't consumable i had two once that sucked, then i bought to "Master Wolfgar," ones and they rock. Two years and still going strong
Have a pair of Mandrake baskets I bought 12 years ago...still going strong... Like folks been saying baskets last quite a while and not to be nasty to your friend, I can buy em here locally for $35 per and they are every bit as good as the one's I own now..
yep, have 2 Bedford baskets I have had for I think 10 years or so. So just not in the market for new ones, unless I feel like experimenting with something new.
Finn O'Shannon KSCA
AEthelmearc
"In each of us are Two Wolves. One Good, One Evil. Which one do you feed most?"
