Here is a smallsword with a transitional hilt made my Dynasty Forge. They say it is no longer in production. A pity.

http://www.dynastyforge.com/index.php/Europea...flyer.html

Carl,

Thanks for all that information.

The bilbo looks a bit like a carribean type of rapier, so I can appreciate its fondness with the Spanish--even more so as you say they tend to handle well.

I think Mr. Neumann is correct about rehilted blades--we must remember that swords by their very nature were the object of repair and rehilting during their working lives--and that was during a time when things were recycled if still functional.

Here is a pic of a silver hilted 18th century Gaucho sword. I have always been interested in them.

---

 Attachment: 18.79 KB



 Attachment: 21.23 KB



 Attachment: 16.93 KB

Hi Morgan,
Here's an accompaniment to your sword, a criollo dagger from the latter end of the 18thC. If you don't already know there is an expert and excellent paper, internet available, on these pieces by Abel Domenech who was kind enough to correspond with me regarding this particular knife.
Regards,
Norman.

---

 Attachment: 42.04 KB



 Attachment: 33.83 KB

wow. is this a folding dish-guard before the cruciform hilt ?

Yes, that is a folding guard.

Very nice!

I recall that a dealer had one of these 20 years ago or so. He wasn't sure what it was though--called it something else.

I just really like this one for some reason.

I like hinged shells--I enjoy seeing how they were locked into position--some appear as if the lock was added at a request from the officer as an after thought.

Morgan, do you like it?

Thanks for the photo, David.

Nice photos, David.

I assume that the artillery sword with the hinged guard would be an officer's weapon--I see remnants of engraved decoration to the hilt and that would suggest an officer, perhaps.

I am watching the opera Don Carlos and checking in at sword sights--a nice part of the afternoon.

The production of Don Carlos showed backstage sword fight preparation--the rapiers are nicely done and the staged swordplay is nicely done, too.

:) :) :)

"Here you are David, again a spadroon from the 1780s, with the 1786 regulation blade. Pre dates the 1796 pattern of a similar form

Plain hilt and ivory grip with plain fixed guards. The knucklebow is slightly distorted.

David[/quote]

Tom- It is an interesting looking sword to be sure, but I think I like Spadroons with fixed guards better. They really do remind me of the English version of an Epee' Du Soldat.

David what is the difference between a 1786 regulation blade and a 1796 regulation blade?

No difference at all Tom,
The 1786 regulations just specify the blade measurements and type, leaving the hilt up to the Regiment.

In 1796 the regs specified the whole sword introducing a 'new' standard hilt - although it was almost certainly one of the most common styles already in use by regiments - and restating the 1786 blade description to go with it.
At the same time they introduce the new Sergeant's sword variant, and then in 1802 further regs describe the Drummers variant.

David

I am wondering when would be the earliest "proto-type" date for the pattern 1786 infantry officer's sword. I ask because Neumann's book has an example he attributes to the American Revolutionary War period. And I recall seeing in a catalog about 20 years ago 2 examples with turned wooden grips (in imitation of wire wrapping but no actual wrapping--grips looked original with patina and very good fit to the hilts) given a date of c. 1775-80. Would these have been for non-coms or junior officers, perhaps?

Yours may well be one Morgan, but I think it is impossible to say for certain. This style of hilt seems to originates in the Prussian army perhaps as early as the 1740s with and without pas d'ane . So it's quite likely that they appeared in England shortly afterwards as they did in Russia.

It's a broad rule of thumb that (discounting the 1796 Sergeant's pattern) the plainer the sword the earlier it is, also those fitted with diamond cross section blades also seem to be earlier. The vase shape to the pommel can also help to date the later ones. One can broadly apply the dating Aylward used for smallsword hilt shapes to this style of spadroon, it is after all really a militarised smallsword.

The hinged guard is no real help to dates as it is not a regulation facet. Hinged guards are unusual in pre 1796 but not unknown and there are plenty of fixed guard 1796s with post 1801 arms engraved on the blades. The hinged guard in all its forms (there are quite a few ways it is done), seems just to be a popular customisation that was tolerated but never formally approved in regulations.

Just to confuse things further, the 1st Regiment of Foot (Royal Scots), ignored regulations and fitted a broadsword blade to the 1796 hilt

David