i need help identifying an unknown sword -- myArmoury.com

Oliver Worrall

I have tried everywhere to identify this sword but had no luck.
It has no makers marks on the blade.

Artis Aboltins · Posted: Thu 12 May, 2011 12:33 am Post subject:

Well, it is quite certainly a smallsword, but without more details it is impossible, at least for me, to tell anything else about it.

Christopher Treichel · Posted: Thu 12 May, 2011 5:35 am Post subject:

single edge "heavy blade" --- a spadroon.

Oliver Worrall · Posted: Sat 14 May, 2011 1:54 pm Post subject:

I think that you are right. It is certainly a close resemblance but the handle is wooden and the two loops don't appear in any images i have seen.

Simon G. · Posted: Sun 15 May, 2011 5:27 am Post subject:

That hilt really seems that of a smallsword, optimized for thrusting. So... A spadroon blade mounted on a smallsword hilt? Worried

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

I've seen some smallsword hilts with more robust blades given the name "epee du soldat" (soldier's sword). Perhaps this is one that could be given a similar classification.

Oliver Worrall · Posted: Sun 15 May, 2011 9:59 am Post subject:

I have noticed another unusual feature shown in the photo and the blade is double edged from just before the indentations onwards, it narrows.

Glen A Cleeton · Posted: Sun 15 May, 2011 12:20 pm Post subject:

Hi Oliver,

If you have some other pictures of the blade tip, I would be interested. The slim straight backsword bladed swords are generally regarded as spadroons from about the mid 18th century regardless of the rest of the hilt end. Others sometimes though will regard the simply stirrup guards as spadroon hilts vs smallsword grips.

Your sword could have been put together just at about any time but I would not argue without looking closer whether that was much more recent than the hilt itself. There was not a general pattern associated with such a combination. The French label of epee du soldat a bit overdone when regarding the masses of variation during several centuries. In any case, a fighting sword with a smallsword hilt rather than a piece of male jewelry.

Many spadroon blades are ground to an edge on the back of the blade for six to eight inches or so. Better and complete pictures of your blade will let us have a better overall look. Others still labeled as spadroons are really "broadsword" blade, flattened diamond cross section double edged all the way. It is easier for me anyway to regard the more specific traits of each component. If your blade (as I can see of it so far) has a narrow fuller towards the spine rather than a broader central fuller the length of the blade, it might be more apt to label it as a backsword blade with a smallsword hilt. I do though label one of my own swords as a spadroon and it has that narrower backsword fuller routine traits.

So, so may swords are going to defy absolute identification and categorizing but keep it simple and just regard it as a backsword blade with a smallsword hilt. Check the ongoing 18th century thread for some of the possibilities of nomenclature Wink

Cheers

GC