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1st half 18th c. gentleman
..again :lol:

The strong euro has brought the ggg swords within my budget and the shipping costs get 'reduced' in the same manner.

I wás looking at the smallsword but..... that is not realy something for a ríder. Also I find it far to refined to match with my short flintlock 'boar gun'.
A bit of a shock realy because I was all in for a smallsword :blush:
I am looking at the two hunting swords now. Would you?

peter
Yes. Where else can one find a replica of an 18th century hunting sword at that price? The only other alternatives I can think of are a custom sword from a maker like Old Dominion Forge or an antique, both of which will cost more than $215.

Jonathan
Yes, price/quality is attractive.
The offering presents me with a luxury 'problem'. My 'character' Gaspard de Saunier has two swords illustrated in his book. The smallsword 'epee de court' and the hanger 'sabre' with both huntings swords fitting the role too.

The hunting thingies match the gun but the other two are actually depicted :blush:

Now, in a world of less limited resources.... Nah, I am lucky enough as it is

peter
Do you have a photo of this character?

Thank you,
Jonathan
No he died in 1748. Some time before fotography ;)

I do have his book. This is a cheap reprint http://cgi.ebay.fr/L'ART-DE-LA-CAVALERIE-DE-G...dZViewItem

Also a novel based on his incrédibly adventurous life 'Gaspard des Chevaux'.

He was practically born with a bit in his mouth as his father was the horse vet of the Versailles stables.
He was said to be an honouable man but had to flee France twice after killing his opponent in a duel.
The second time permanently as it was the husband of a courtiere of Louis XV....

After another scandal that almost ended in him duelling in The Hague he ended up as the ecuyer of the university riding school of Leyden after his name was cleared of evertything and then some. The riders depicted in his book are reputed to be dutch royalty.

A truely unique character!

peter
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[ Linked Image ]

[ Linked Image ]

peter


Last edited by Peter Bosman on Mon 29 Oct, 2007 4:10 pm; edited 3 times in total
A depiction, then... :D

Sounds very interesting. I could not find the novel on Amazon.com, do you know if there is an English translation?

Jonathan
Thank you for the images, Peter. The sabre/hanger looks a little fanciful, like the artist was forced to depict something other than a small sword! I am not sure where you could find a reproduction that would look like the one in the print. The Godwin hunting sword would work just fine for a civilian sword.

Jonathan
Jonathan Hopkins wrote:
I could not find the novel on Amazon.com, do you know if there is an English translation?

it has only been fascimile copied twice since 1800.... This means 18 century French in 18 century print = an aquired taste :lol:

The original work was however published in Amsterdam in French, Berlin - German and London - English.

So, yes there is an english translation. It will cost you though ;)

peter

Oops, you write 'the novel', no that is just in French. You will find it on amazon.fr http://www.amazon.fr/Gaspard-chevaux-homme-ch...2268050858
This Gaspar de Saunier is amázing.
The guy lived from 1663 to 1748 and was 'in horses' all his life.
He lived at the court of Louis XiV and XV, fought war all over europe and became in my view thé renaissance ecuyer. His works is a dimension beyond Robichon de la Guèriniére because you notice that De Saunier not only had the same master and experience at Versailles but álso first hand experience in battles. Quite a differance and you can réad that.
Mindcurling to realise the guy writing those wise words experienced historically crucial wars, fought duels, led a REAL life more adventurous than the three and four musketeers combined!

peter
Peter Bosman wrote:
Mindcurling to realise the guy writing those wise words experienced historically crucial wars, fought duels, led a REAL life more adventurous than the three and four musketeers combined!


That is what i was thinking! I would need a translation, though. So who's going to volunteer? :p
For me personally the interest is complex or simple depending on how you look at it.

De Saunier set up a HighSchool near my town of birth, 30 miles only. The riding hall and stables still exist albeit as university restaurant and computer hall. Both are still called ´riding hall´ and ´stables´ locally :lol:

I have quite a bit of info on the man as he is the most horsewise of the renaissance ecuyers.

He was right at the héart of french cavalry of thé renaissance heydays. Both as a horse master and as cavalry ´officer´. His story of changing loyalties and fortunes brings home that the nobility at that time were practically indipendant entities in the armies.

Oh, he gave riding lessons to King William III, the William of Orange and his Mary :eek:
I cannot think of any real person who was more at the heart of that complex time during, 85 years of it to.
His roots at the ecurie of Versailles of Louis XIV and his third age at the hofschool of Orange.

I realy should talk myself into both the epee ánd the sabre :p

Anyway, first let me talk to my neighbor about boar hunting. he has killed 6 this year so maybe I will be able to úse my gun and a sword. So actually I nééd the three don´t I?! :lol:

peter
Peter, I have no idea how "finished" it might be, but that American Officer's Sword just above the Colichemarde Small Sword bears an uncanny resemblance to the Hunting Sword illustrated in your post. You might exchange some emails with G. Gedney to find out just how wewll "finished" it might be, given that it is supposed to look like it was cobbled together by a local blacksmith. If the finish is up to the level of what you seek, it would do you perfectly.

BTW, are you looking at that colichemarde? I love that sword and, had I not just spent my budget for Tinker's cinquedea, I might think of getting one. I think that the colichemarde blade is the best looking of the smallswords.
Well, I am considering to ask wether they can get the ´1751 hanger´ match the colichemarde in finish. Even if only the scabbard.

The epee is beautifull but..., the hanger has rough charm and the hunting sword might even be practical.

Maybe I will end up flipping a coin :lol:
Meanwhile the euro remains strong so the things get cheaper as I write ;)

peter
[quote=Peter Bosman]Meanwhile the euro remains strong so the things get cheaper as I write :)[/quote]
Yeah, tell me about it. THe dollar price of my sword from Patrick Barta keeps going ever upwards! :mad:
Hugh Fuller wrote:
Yeah, tell me about it. THe dollar price of my sword from Patrick Barta keeps going ever upwards! :mad:


Oops. Considering he currently has an about 3 year long waiting list.....

peter
Sometimes a stroke of insight hits you to make you realise how daft you are :lol:

To cut or thrust is the question ;)

This morning my 5 y.o. son was 'harassing' the obliging cats with both his epee (a modified dressage whip) and his sabre (a sort of platic pirate hanger). Instinctively he is poking with the whip and striking with the pirate thingy.

As the book of De Saunier is a traíning manual it becomes logical to depict an epee and a sabre and not a cut&thrust sword.
The text is very short on it as he refers to other manuals for dancing and skills at arms as to how ' those should be used to most advantage'.
It would be safe to assume these depected swords wére used by mounted gentlemen but not at all proof of them using nothing else like a cut&thrust such as p.e. the also at that time popular hunting type or other swords. Rather their importance to De Saunier for training distinct action.

peter
Peter Bosman wrote:
Hugh Fuller wrote:
Yeah, tell me about it. THe dollar price of my sword from Patrick Barta keeps going ever upwards! :mad:


Oops. Considering he currently has an about 3 year long waiting list.....

peter

I am now down to two years since I ordered last November. Patience, patience!
Even without a falling dollar-problem his special work is going to be more costly than all three GGG-swords together :lol:

peter
The latest reprint as neat as they come as chea as they come: http://cgi.ebay.fr/ART-DE-LA-CAVALERIE-GASPAR...dZViewItem

Peter
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