Postby Corey Roberts » Tue Oct 04, 2005 8:22 pm
If compound hilts developed on rapiers and other thrusting swords due to the fact that, as thrusting swords, the point on angle in which the sword is naturally held tends to leave the hand more exposed than earlier cutting forms, where the blade is held in a more vertical manner leaving the hand less apt to being struck, than why is it that the epitome of the compound hilt; the basket hilt, is most often found on later cutting swords such as sabres, and backswords etc.? Why is it that these 18th and 19th century cutting swords required so much more hand protection than their earlier cutting ancestors? Just a historical question that was confusing me....Any ideas?
--Scholar-Adept
Pyeongtaek
Republic of Korea
