Hod Hill scabbard mouth

[Caballo]

Thanks, frater Crispus- pic found of that and the other Hod Hill finds.

I now have the prototype Hod Hill sword and scabbard- I'll bring it to the event on Saturday and then do a write up.

Pommel, handle, and hilt look good. "Blade grip" (below the guard) needs reducing in size, and the blade may be a bit long. The wood shape is conjectural, but works ergonomically, with the central metal oval's diagonal lines providing a grip. I certainly prefer it to the Manning Imperial version with the flat handle.

The scabbard needs some alterations- removal of guttering, addition of palmettes, changed chape etc, but now I have a model for the scabbard mouth which means that I can (hopefully) get the whole sword and scabbard replicating items found at Hod Hill- so giving the same time and place in terms of reconstruction.

Anyway, here is the reconstruction drawing from Miks (Studien zur romischen Schwertbewaffnung in der Kaiserzeit), and the latest prototype reconstruction which I have been developing with Suhel of Al Hamdd.