[C Beal]

Can anyone tell me the earliest documented use of a colichemarde blade on a small sword? I am trying to find out if these were utilised as early as 1700 or not. Also, at the turn of the 17th century, were most smallswords using triangular or flattened-diamond blades?

[Jonathan Hopkins]

I had a question about a colichemarde blade recently, and I was told to seek information on Graf von Königsmark, the man to whom the invention of the colichemarde blade is attributed. In addition to researching Graf, you might want to investigate George Neumann's "Swords and Blades of the American Revolution", "The Small-Sword in England" by J.D. Aylward, and "The Rapier and Small-sword" by (I think) A.V.B. Norman.

Good luck!

Jonathan

[Craig Johnson]

Hello Guys

This is one of those pieces of information in the field of arms and armor study that has some fact associated with it early in the scholarship of the subject that is attributed to "common knowledge" and as development of research proceeds it is never tracked down definitively and decided. It exists in this revolving area of half documentation and use of sources that are probably out of date and the result is a gray area of what might one might not be right for when it appears. In all likely hood the Graf von Königsmark connection is probably not part of its development. Whether it is involved in the generation of the term "colichemarde" is a separate matter.

The form of the blade probably developed from the early smallsword/late rapier type blades that began to waist down from a fullered forte section of blade. These are seen right through the transition era and blades that would be recognizable as colichemarde in style would be seen in the later half of the 1600's for sure and predate Graf von Königsmark by decades at least. As far as the stylistic changes to the blade type this would be an excellent study to undertake if some is looking for a research project.

Best
Craig

PS I think Oakeshott addresses some of this in European Weapons and Armour. I do not know if Norman touches on it in Rapier and Smallsword, I don't think so. The other sources I do not have at hand to check.