Posts: 455 Location: Kentucky USA
Tue 18 Nov, 2003 9:27 pm
About a month ago I purchased this nice little smallsword from John Gunderson at
http://gundersonmilitaria.com/. If you don't know already I'm a big fan of the smallsword. I've owned several reproductions, and this is my second antique smallsword I have owned, and I have had the pleasure of handling a decent number of antique smallswords ranging from the late 17th the early 19th century.
overall length: 34.5"
blade length: 27 3/4"
blade width: 3/4"
handle length: 3 6/8"
p.o.b.: 3 1/4" from guard
weight: 14oz.
some details-
It may be hard to see in the pictures that the highly pierced iron guard is slightly asymmetrical. The blade has a slight downward bend. (The blade would be slightly curving towards the ground if you were to assume the guard of carte (a la Angelo). And there are no makers marks on the blade. Also, you can see in the picture that the wire wrapping on handle is loose, springy would describe it better. This is most likely due to the wood ageing over time and shrinking and the contraction of the leather wrapping.