Another English duelling rapier c1630-1640. Quite nice petal design dish hilt. Minimal decoration as is common for the type, but light, well balanced and a good quality blade. Blade has Solingen running wolf marks. Grip wire not original. Nice balance. Weight 843 grammes. Blade is flat diamond section, could take an edge in the last foot of the blade, 38 inches from the guard. Blade has some flex. Nice duelling rapier.

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This is a pretty plain swept hilt sword circa 1600. It is nicely made and balanced but nothing special about it. In a way that is what I like about it because it has the feel of a sword that might be carried by a soldier guarding the Tower of London or some such. Not an important figure but a reasonably successful career soldier. Good, down to earth swept hilt. Weight 945 grammes. Blade 37 1/2 inches from the guard. Fairly light cutting or thrusting blade. Grip wire not original. Repair to pommel.

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This is a nice little sword and a good example of the transition from rapier to smallsword. It is a transitional rapier/smallsword c1690 with a silver wire and steel hilt. It falls mid-way between the transitional rapiers which are very 17th century in their decoration with silver stud and relief work and longer blades and the steel, chiselled smallswords of the next era. It falls inbetween. It has a distinctly rapier cross section blade, marked IHN SOLINGEN, but of a smallsword length at 30 1/2 inches from the guard. it has the short s shaped quillons that feel 17th century and the chiselled steel pommel and plates that feel 18th century. Pretty sword.

weight 364 grammes.

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Italian cup hilt rapier c1650. This is quite a nice rapier but nothing special. The most interesting thing is the inscription on the blade 'pro leges et populos' 'for the law and for the people' which is a very republican sentiment. The closest connection I can find to that phrase is the English poet and philosopher and pro - Parliamentarian, Milton. Maybe it was an Italian sword imported to England and a Parliamentarian had that inscription put on the blade during the commonwealth period in the 1650s. Maybe it has nothing to do with that and was an inscription put on elsewhere.

It's a nice cuphilt, 39 1/2 inch blade from the guard. 1.13kg, slight blade heaviness. Slightly long but I fund Italian rapiers often are a bit longer. It is always difficult I find to arrive at a norm for length and weight in rapiers. I must say of the 17th century ones I have owned or handled (16th century are different), most come in at a weight of between 850 grammes and 1100 grammes and have a blade length of between 37.5 inches from the guard to 39,5 inches from the guard. The main divergent groups are the English duelling rapiers which are lighter and the Italian rapiers which are generally but not always longer. But it is difficult as having become confident in the above norms over years of collecting of course the next three rapiers I bought all had blades of over 44 inches from the guard.

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This is a classic English smallsword of the second half of the 18th century. Many things about the hilt pattern and blade marking suggest it is from Matthew Boulton's factory but not conclusive. Hilt is cast and of the period. Blade is triangulated and etched with sun face and floral designs. Blade is in very good condition with a lot of original polish and very little patina and has its original scabbard. Weight 341 grammes. Blade 32 inches from the guard. Smallsword condition is so variable depending on how they have been stored in the years between falling out of fashion to becoming collector's items. They vary from the heavily pitted to ones like this with near immaculate blades and original scabbard. There were three from the same auction and same place, all good condition with scabbards. I have two.

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Nice faceted steel hilt smallsword with blue and gilt blade c1780. This smallsword is in very good condition with original scabbard and original polish on 95% of the blade. From same auction and source as the previous smallsword. Pretty sword and classic feather-light smallsword of the period. 31 3/4 inch triangulated blade. Weight 357 grammes.

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I kinda like your very long rapiers from the last page. Even if they're not dating from my main area of interest (1560/70 tp 1610/20), they're pretty cool!

Thanks Guillaume. They are both nice. I must say the really long rapiers are a bit more blade heavy than others but they do have a distinct reach advantage and handle well. I think if you were attacked suddenly you might have to ask your opponent for a couple of minutes while you drew your 4 ft blade ! I did see a longer one tthan those at a fair a couple of years back which I thought about buying. Big Italian cup hilt with a 50 inch blade. The ring hilt rapier is a great display cabinet piece - has a lot of presence.

I thought I would add a few more bits from my collection that are interesting for one reason or another. This is an interesting one: a mid-18th century silver hilted smallsword made for a boy. I think probably mid-18th century but might be a bit earlier. The hilt is made of silver and is well executed in a floral and chequered design. The blade is 20 inches long and is a very narrow rapier style blade but properly formed like a functional sword with a hexagonal forte changing to a diamond section. As the hilt is silver and the blade light it is very hilt-weighted but I doubt that combat dynamics were a particular concern in making this sword. This silver hilt is very attractive. A sword made for a boy of 8-10 years old maybe for a well to do family ? Interesting historical piece.

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This is quite a good 1786 pattern spadroon with a nicely executed fluted ivory grip. The grip has no cracks in it and a nice patina. Likewise the blade is in good condition. It has a patina to it appropriate to the age but no real pitting and is a relatively clean blade. Knucklebow is also beaded. Well balanced 32 1/2 inch blade. Quite a light sword though I haven't actually weighed this one.

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Silver capped embossed malacca sword stick. Hall marks on the silver for Birmingham c1870. Ferrule is marked 1873. Usual triangulated foil blade. You are often a bit suspicious with sword sticks as to whether they have been put together from a walking stick but I think this one holds its own. The silver handle and malacca is attractive. Full length 28 inch blade.

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I have a few, so I'll attach them all here.

https://imgur.com/a/E7RW2