Hand made museum quality Claymore .
designed by John Barnett
CLAIDHEAMH-MOR
The highland claymore or claidheamh-mor meaning great sword was a unique and distinctive weapon.
The sword itself was a two-handed type with down- swept guards terminating with quatrefoils-four iron circles usually braised together . Metal strips called langlets ran down from the centre of the guard over the blade , the upper section of the guard usually formed a socket into which the wooden grip could be inserted for strength . Pommels were wheel shaped but could be spherical on later claymores.
Although fairly common in the 16th and early 17th centuries the claymore became obsolete as the increased use of firearms lead to protective body armour being abandoned in favour of greater mobility on the battle field .
Many of these great swords had their blades shortened and were re-hilted as basket hilted broadswords .
31 x 142cm
All swords in the John Barnett collection have EN45 sprung steel blades and guard and pommel pieces are always in steel unless brass or bronze are specified,hand grips are of oak wood over very broad strong tangs
The John Barnett collection are all museum quality pieces with their own distinct look and feel.
