Here is another sword for your identificational pleasure. Some of the detail pics may not be the sharpest! I'm still new to taking a photo well. (keep on forgetting to hold the darn contraption still...) The grip area is not that long, looks like only 3/4 of a hand would fit, or a finger would extend past the cross. Are any of those funny marks on the blade an Armourer's mark? Remember, I am in no way a sword expert...

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It looks like a nice example of a sidesword/rapier.

The next to last photo shows the "running wolf " makers mark favored by smiths in Passau and Solingen. Neither this nor the "IN SOLINGEN" lettering are a true indication of where the blade was made, as these marks were widely copied elsewhere.

Nice piece.

Thanks, Bill. I've edited my post.

Any further ideas on the where and when of this piece? Does it look like a high-end weapon, or just average? Would a middle class type person have carried it for personal use, or was it militarily related? I believe I read something about end of the 16th century and similarity to the House of the Electors of Saxony.

Late 16th c./early 17th c. and possibly military, given the utilitarian furniture and the fact that it features a broad blade rather than a slender rapier blade. German horseman's sword sounds like a reasonable guess, given the hilt and apparent width of the blade (would handle better as a slashing weapon than as a quick cut & thrust sword. Looks like the tip is reinforced. Neither noble nor common. See also A&A's Town Guard Sword: http://www.arms-n-armor.com/sword192.html and this Cervenka weapon: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=6431&highlight=

Looks like a powerful blade, pretty wide, so good for both thrust and cut.

A military blade in my humble opinion.

Must not sound too light when maneuverd, at least in comparison to other period blades.

The marking seems to be the Passau wolf coupled with a suspect IN SOLINGEN.

All teh few original blades I have seen carried a simple SOLINGEN on them, I don't know wether we have here an expert of german language, it would be inteersting to know ifr IN SOLINGEN is correct german or rather the incorrect spelling of a period foreing competitor who was copyng german markings.