Sources for gladius hilt materials

[marcos]

fine , here some other pics.

this one -already published in RAT in some other topic - is from an Hispaniensis , found near the spot of the Pharsalus battle. Unfortunately survived just an half of it , the rear is missing.




this from a Fulham type, but only the grip is original . The pommel and the guard are modern replacement.




and last the following from a pompei . This too has only the grip original and the pommel + guard not original.




As you can see in all the pics of this topic , none grip has octagonal or esagonal shape, but that's is straight (or althought I think so for my experience) because is highly difficult , almost impossible, find a bone good to make a similar shape. I don't think that an armorer had so much time to check hundred of bones before make one sword.

At last i think the big part of the gladii had handle from wood and only sporadically from bone, because to work wood you need very very time less than the bone, and all at once a lot of available material.
But of course wood can't survive.