basket hilt

Protective blade enclosure

A basket hilt is a sword guard that encloses the hand in a protective cage of metal bars or plates, resembling an inverted basket.

Common on Scottish broadswords and cavalry sabers from the 16th century onward: The highlander gripped his basket-hilted claymore.

The design trades the elegance of simpler guards for practical protection in combat.

fencing

rapier

Slender dueling blade

sabreCurved single-edged sword
epeeFencing blade
lungeSudden forward movement

parry · riposte · thrust · feint · bout · en garde · advance · retreat · disengage · fleche

historical

claymore

Scottish great sword

broadswordWide-bladed cutting weapon
backswordSingle-edged martial blade
smallswordLight thrusting court weapon

highland · scottish · renaissance · cavalry · infantry · dueling · sidearm

combat

parry

Defensive blade deflection

thrustForceful forward motion
riposteSwift clever reply
lungeSudden forward movement

cutlass · sabre · slash · melee · skirmish · duel · engagement · maneuver · hand protection · close quarters

swordpart

crossguard

Sword's protective bar

pommelSaddle's front knob
gripSecure manual hold
tangSharp, biting flavor

blade · fuller · forte · foible · ferrule · scabbard · rain guard

protection

finger rings

Jewelry encircling digits

enclosureConfined, bordered space
shieldingProtecting from harm
wrist guardProtective forearm band

Categories

Celtic weaponsclaymore, dirk, skean, skene, celt
broadswordsclaymore, backsword
sword guardscrossguard, hand guard
sabre partscurved blade, scabbard, fuller, blood groove
swordssword, sabres, longsword, rapier, saber

Family

basket, baskets, hilt, basketful, basketry, basketlike, basketwork, hiltless, basketweaver

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G