[Pedro Paulo Gaião]

1) Björn Hellqvist's much appreciated article on the rapier/stossdegen of King Gustav Vasa has, unfortunely, skipped the blade width. I managed to confirm in the museum's website to be 3.4cm wide after it leaves the socket. I think the article should be eddited with this info.

2) I'm not aware of any "non-spada da lato" reproduction rapier with that width, but the fact we have other Swedish rapiers featuring similar diamond-section wide blades, with deadly points, seens to imply a councious style:


The slimmest blade is 1.9cm wide: https://samlingar.shm.se/object/2DA5FAB8-AB4F-4DB5-8715-ED0B9F08C0DD

I discussed this at length with Carlos Cordeiro, and he thinks it's a sort of German/Norse tradition (German in origin). What do you think? It could very well go through mail like butter.


3) Arms and Armor's reproduction seens to have been made through internet pictures only, and it varies a lot: their website gives BW 2.79cm, while myArmoury's review is 3.17-3.18cm maximum (causing a disparity on weight). I suspect one of the main reasons why it's so criticized for lack of stifness (a typical problem with market reproductions) might have to do with this.

[Pedro Paulo Gaião]

Just an addendum, Bjorn gave me the measures of that sword, which matches the ones given by the museum (here: https://www.foxtail.nu/bjorn/vm_gv_eng.htm?fbclid=IwAR2QCJxy1uKFTHvjEX291sCRp6zaVnB-QPy_cmJ10eIYv0jushk4qMlPQCw)

These days I have taken some notes on early rapiers and sidesword that have thick diamond-section blades:

I. Charles V Habsburg's rapier: BL 93cm; BW 3.44-3.47 (geometric estimation I made).

made by Francesco Negroli in Milan,Italy; dated ca. 1550–53. Charles had an almost twin sword, housed at The Real Armeria (Madri)
Features: Globe pommel, knuckle-bow, non-progressive complex guard

Links: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/21934
https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.18799272
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II. Espada-Estoque of Francisco Pizarro (d. 1541): BL 83cm; BW 2.7cm

made by Mateo Duarte, (Portuguese?) swordsmith in Valencia, Spain; dated 1530.
Features: similar composition to Charles' rapiers.

Links: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.28263.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/98015679@N04/9272834612/in/album-72157634611427266/
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III. Espada-Estoque of Hernan Cortez (d. 1547): BL 101cm; BW 3.2cm

made in Spain, dated 1530-1550
Features: similar composition to the earlier examples, but with an extra "puente" knucle bow bar leaving one of the finger-rings

Links: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.28263.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/98015679@N04/9272834612/in/album-72157634611427266/