I got to handle this very elegant sword at the London Park Lane arms fair and was quiet taken by it.

Feather like in hand, beautifully crafted all around, especially the even and faultless double fueller blade. It's most likely Italian (the shape of the pommel) and I'd say early XVII century. The blade was very stiff yet light, solid due to its thick section, and likely to withstand trust or cuts against reasonably armored opponents (so maybe a military weapon as opposed to a civilian blade). I think this one is a good example of these "sword rapier" or "rapier swords" described by Oakeshott in European Weapons and Armour (meaning by that a stout sword blade as opposed to a slender and fragile rapier blade, but mounted in a typical rapier fashion).

Does anyone have more information/pictures, book references on such swords?

Hi Julien,

That's a nice sword. Good to see someone else enjoying complex hilt swords.

I've had a look through Norman's The Rapier and Small Sword 1460 - 1820. The hilt doesn't have an exact match to Norman's typology. It's similar to a Type 70, but without the forward side ring.

Norman places hilts of this type to around the first quarter of the seventeenth century.