Awesome Jacobite period basket hilt broadsword

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Battara

........and some had their blades broken down and used to make Scottish dirks.

After Culloden (1746), the Scots were forbidden to have weapons, or wear Highland dress, with these proscriptions in place for nearly 50 years. While swords were permitted in degree of course in the case of the Highland regiments in the British army, none were permitted to civilians.

The exception was the dirk, which was considered a utility knife for hunting etc. and as such became extremely popular. Many Scots took down heirloom blades to fashion dirks which were already in use, but their popularity increased accordingly. This was likely of course the end of many wonderful family basket hilts, and one wonders how many of the hilts were kept until the day they could once again have a full length blade.