I'm becoming interested in the single handed swords around 1500-1550, so swords with cut-and-thrust blades and more-or-less complex hilts. In particular, I'm interested in what combinations between hilts and blades are appropriate for which timeframe.

Unfortunately, Oakeshott's works do not really deal with these swords (especially the hilts), and I don't know about any other publication that deals with this timeframe either. I would prefer a book that deals with typologies, as far as they are available.

I can read Dutch, English and German, but books in other western European languages would also be interesting to me.

You will definitely want AVB Norman's Rapier and Smallsword. It focuses almost purely on the hilts, but has a very detailed typology.

Hello Paul,
Oakeshott's "European Weapons and Armour" deals with the time frame that you're interested in, and he does try to trace the development of hilt types in the book. The book is low on photos, high on sketches (some of them pretty bad), but is still good for general trends during the 1500s.

--ElJay

Thanks for the replies. I have in the mean time acquired Oakeshott's "European Weapons and Armour". It looks like a good starting point at least.

I have not yet been able to get Norman's "Rapier and Smallsword", but it is high on my wish list.