095v - - - - - [continued]
The end can be bought already made, a dozen of small ones costs six sols but the big ones 2 carolii.The end is fixed either with nails which are fixed on the sides of the cutting edge, but this only spoils the sword and rots the scabbard for the water goes into it via the juncture of the nail. The best way is to apply some resin or glue but the resin is better. And the best is when the end is tightly set and so hot when set that powdered resin on the end melts, in that way it doesn’t fall and can’t be undone unless it is put in fire.
Hilts are of different types: Ornate Guttered which is with round mouldings Pearled Scarfed when the bands are crosswise Onioned which is with a flat head In the King’s manner, fully covered
The furbishers buy them by dozens, the dozen of full ones costs 10 lb. the worked one, 30 sols or more depending on its nature.
The first thing that the apprentice does is to furbish as said.
And then to adorn the sword and make a scabbard which is the summum of the art.
They buy scabbards’ wood pieces which are wholly made of beech wood, a hundred for 15 or 20 or 30 sols, depending on how far they are made.
Theses wood pieces are thus called estelles, and have to be very clean and without any knots and are one finger thick.
Then the furbisher puts them on a small bench, called a scabbard bench and with a small iron tool similar to the joiners’ bench, they maintain it firmly. Then with a plane, which is like a two—handled knife, they work the wood piece from the top, then use the joyner’s plane to flatten it more. Afterwards, the inside is scoured with a
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