It has a sharp end so I guess more of a sword than a fencing implement. It doesn’t seem to be very new, but doesn’t seem incredibly old either. 19th or early 20th maybe? Possibly older? Nary a mark to be found on my first look over. Thoughts appreciated. Rarely do I pay up for something at a thrift store but I gave them a couple Jackson’s for it on a whim. Germany, Spain, and France appear to be the source for many. Don’t really have a feeling towards any of these strongly for this one. Germany if I had a rapier to my head I suppose.
To me........ A French cup hilt Musketeer style rapier sword... missing it's knuckle guard, and having a non descriptive metal blade .. I'm on the side of reproduction........ date unknown... possible Spanish mfg. imo... https://www.ebay.com/itm/374142818263?hash=item571ca657d7:g:EZUAAOSwh8pisf~x @the blacksmith
All sounds good to me, thanks. Mine looks more like it never had a knuckle guard than that it had one that’s now missing, right? My title was supposed to read “hilt” not “gilt”.
right......far as I can see.... not all have a guard.... I just think that yours looks like one that should... .
Quite recent modern copy I am afraid. A sword like this with a cup as a guard would normally have the extra guard for the hand. If the guard were flater and not cup shaped, then a straight guard, or quillon, like this sword has would be correct. This type of sword, though still a rapier, is usually called an estoc, and would date to ca. 1630. The cup hilt rapier and the estoc were both in use at the same time, though the estoc appears to have been more common in Germany.
If you get stabbed with that, blood poisioning is probably not high on your list of priorities! Actually, many of the latin countries in particular, often used a dagger with a small hole through the tip. This was filled with excrement or some other such nasty, so that even in the event that you didn't kill your adversary there and then, he would eventually seccumb, and painfully later on! So much for chivalry eh!
That’s totally fine. I didn’t think I was buying a period correct piece. I’m totally happy with it being a 20th century copy. I should still do fine on it. I would have been happy to be surprised with it being older but wasn’t banking on it. Any guess to how recent you’d think it is?
Ok, I'll reposte with this...... I would think that this piece is perhaps 50 years old, but that is about it I am afraid.
