After a discussion on this thread (which also has some “before” pictures), thanks to Norman, it was identified as a “blade is from a European cuttoe/hanger sword, second half of the 18thC”: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=40258
So, I decided to mount it in a period style (found several examples of this guard/handle type that I liked, online and in museums).
The blade was ground and sanded/polished just enough to get rid of chips and reestablish a nice sharp edge (lots of dark pitting left in the fullers and some on flats, unfortunately, as I didn’t want to lose more steel to get rid of it).
A couple inches at the base left unsharpened, middle very sharp, foible (both edges) literally razor sharp!
All metal hilt parts are made of brass.
Handle is made of ebony wood. It is spirally wrapped with 3 strands of wire in a groove (single thick copper in the middle, two double twisted thin brass around it). See attached pictures for detail.
I am not a trained fencer, but the hanger feels and moves really nice in my hand.
It now gives an impression of an effective cutting/slicing weapon, even with its relatively light weight.
It could probably thrust well enough in soft targets. The handle is angled a little, so the point is not too far offline. But I am not sure what would happen if that thin flat point happened to hit something hard.
The forte is actually plenty strong and rigid, I believe it would hold up to some serious blocking actions, not just parrying. Just amazing how all these features could be achieved in such a light blade, by a combination of strong distal taper and deep fullers.
Overall, it was a very satisfying project for me. This sword is definitely a keeper, being a true antique with an interesting story behind it!
Comments/questions are welcome.
Alex.
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