Scottish Basket Hilt Sword  SBX-BASKETHILT-RED   $79  Expedited Shipping Available! E-mail service@strongblade.com or call 866-7SWORDS On Sale!    Please select the model that you would like to purchase, Then click on the Add to Cart button. Scottish Basket Hilt Sword - Steel (scabbard not included) - $39        (Originally $59) | In Stock - Ships in 1-3 days Scottish Basket Hilt Sword - Brass with Scabbard - $79        In Stock - Ships in 1-3 days The "Other" Claymore Scottish baskethilts are often referred to as "Claymores," which is a little confusing since the huge two-handed swords wielded by Scots are also called Claymores. There's no real evidence to suggest which is the real Claymore, but since these swords have a secondary name (basket-hilt) and the two-hander does not, Strongblade refers to these weapons as Scottish basket-hilt swords and the large two-handers as Scottish claymores. just to confuse things a little, the M18 Claymore land mines used in modern warfare have nothing whatsoever to do with this article. The gorgeous basket-hilts on these Scottish swords had a dual purpose. The first (and most important, really) was to protect the vulnerable hands of the swordsman. Highlanders rarely (if ever) wore gauntlets, so they needed the extra armor. The large baskets also added weight to the hilts, giving the sword a much better balance. The blades on these swords were sometimes single-edged (also known as backswords), but more often than not they were double edged and capable of both slashing and thrusting. Occasionally, curved baskethilts were seen, but very occasionally. Highlanders would often use these swords in one hand while holding their dirks in the other (I said dirk, you sicko).