[Luca B.]

Hi... Is there anybody that can tell me something about this sword? I've been looking for informations on the web for weeks without success...
So far I've only discovered: a) that the incision on the blade - the word "SAHAGUM" and an animal, probably a wolf - should refer to a famous family of swordmakers from Toledo; b) comparing the sword with the photos in this site's albums, I think that is placeable in the "Small Swords, epee, foil" section, and that is more or less from XVII-XVIII sec, but I could be wrong.
Can anyone help me? By now this is for me a real hobbyhorse....
However thank you...

Luca B.

[Shahril Dzulkifli]

Luca,
That type of sword is a smallsword. Looks like it lost its knuckle hilt but I think this sword needs identification by experts maybe here at myArmoury.

[Don Stanko]

I believe that Shahril is correct about the knuckle guard being absent. Even though the sword appears to fit in the category of a smallsword, I think it may always be somewhat of a mystery. The guard looks to date from the 18th Century but knowing whether its made of brass or steel can further narrow down the date. The pommel doesn't really fit the types I've seen on other smallswords of the time period and the handle seems a bit off too. This may be a sword made from mismatched parts (but I could be completely wrong too, its just a guess). The blade is marked SAHAGUM but it is definitely not the work of Alonso De Sahagun (the elder or younger) or that of Luiz. This is most likely a spurious signature (which was quite common and in no way makes the blade wrong for a 17th or 18th century date). The running wolf mark usually comes from Passau, so my guess would be that the blade is German. Passau manufactured large quantities of sword blades during that time period. I find it interesting that the signature and the mark seem to be filled with another metal (brass maybe?). This was not uncommon but you don't see it much with SAHAGUM blades.

Definitely an interesting sword. I hope others can add more information (or correct my mistakes!).

[David Teague]

Hello All,

I'm leaning towards the small sword's bigger brother, the spadroon a.k.a. the shearing sword.

If it weights about a pound I'd be wrong, it the weight is closer to 1.5-2 pounds with the edges once sharp I'd be right.

Cheers,

David

[Beltrán Pérez]

In Spain, the wolf symbolice the name LOPE (wolf, in latin, is LUPUS). Lope was a common name in Spain. The second name López mean "son of Lope". Sahagún it`s a city in the province of León. Was, together with Toledo, Valencia or Madrid, an important center of manufacture of swords. For this reason, perhaps this piece was manufactured in Sahagún by Lope or López, an anonimous master???

Deus vos guard.

[E.B. Erickson]

I think that David is right in that this is a military sword. The European countries favored this type of hilt for officers, and they are found with se and de blades. Overall they are of heavier/stouter construction than smallswords of the period. This is the type of sword (with the loss of the arms of the hilt) that later was adopted in England as the 1796 pattern infantry officer's sword.

--ElJay