Posts: 2,167
Tue 19 Jul, 2016 10:36 pm
I think part of the problem with XVIa swords is that there's not that many extant historical examples in books that many general readers/enthusiasts have access to read. Alongside those available on myArmoury, I had a look over at Bill Blake's Sword Site. Of the various XVIa swords he has posted, many are miscategorized, and there were only perhaps two that seemed like they might be possible XVIas.
Yet both of these swords leave me with doubts as to their authenticity. The one with the marble pommel is fairly straight forward- it looks a little too good, the combination of all the various elements seeming too decorated, too much like something a modern person might recreate. The other sword is more tricky, but the pommel seems dubious to me, and the grip length seems more consistent with what you'd expect to find on a 15th century sword. It's hard to say for sure, but the fuller's termination near the inlay looks a bit abrupt.
In my view, neither of these swords is a strong candidate as a basis for reproductions. There's just too much that seems dubious about them.
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