MODERN SPURS 



IV the courtesy of Messrs. Maxwell, the well-known 

 London spur makers, I am enabled to give some 

 illustrations of modern spurs, both military and civil. 

 The hunting spur has changed very little in the last hundred 

 years or more, and only in occasional differences in the length 

 of the neck. The spur shown on Plate 43, Fig. i, is one 

 in the possession of Messrs. Maxwell, and is of the time of 

 George II. It is a plated spur with a very short, straight neck, 

 only five-eighths of an inch in length, with a small, slightly 

 ornamented six-pointed rowel. It may be observed that in this 

 spur the rowel-box, technically termed the " boss," is not turned 

 downwards, as is the case in more modern spurs, as well as 

 more ancient patterns of almost all ages. But the neck and 

 rowel-box are in a straight line. The sides are straight, and 

 three inches in length, and terminate in oval studs, to the outer 

 one of which a buckle is attached. The spread of the sides 

 is two and three-quarter inches, slightly less than those of the 

 present day, of which the spur shown on Plate 43, Fig. 2, 

 is an ordinary example. This has a straight neck, one and a 

 quarter inches in length, with the rowel-box turned downwards. 

 It has a many-pointed rowel, the sharp points only just 

 protruding beyond the rounded end of the rowel-box. The 

 spread of the sides is three inches, and the sides terminate 

 in circular studs, to the outer one of which the buckle is 

 attached. 



