Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 19th November 2016, 07:18 PM

I am glad to see that in this elucidation you agree that this may well be a colonial (provincial) specimen Philip, and that it is certainly an anomaly as far as the curious thumb guard. As noted, the absence of guardapolvo is pretty much consistent in the ' colonial' or 'Caribbean' examples of these cup hilts.

One thing with the colonial versions of cup hilt is that the heavier blades were due to the fact that these were 'arming' swords, rather than the fashionable civilian rapiers in most cases. Perhaps the shorter blade was for the reason that these were most often worn by foot troops' officers. In the colonies' northern frontiers including the American Southwest, the prevalent weapon was the lance, though the espada ancha, was used mostly as a machete as well as secondary weapon.

The notion of being remounted as well as refurbished with requested features such as this thumb ring could have been quite understandable with the innovative blacksmiths of these regions.

19th November 2016, 07:18 PM	#15
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,191	I am glad to see that in this elucidation you agree that this may well be a colonial (provincial) specimen Philip, and that it is certainly an anomaly as far as the curious thumb guard. As noted, the absence of guardapolvo is pretty much consistent in the ' colonial' or 'Caribbean' examples of these cup hilts. One thing with the colonial versions of cup hilt is that the heavier blades were due to the fact that these were 'arming' swords, rather than the fashionable civilian rapiers in most cases. Perhaps the shorter blade was for the reason that these were most often worn by foot troops' officers. In the colonies' northern frontiers including the American Southwest, the prevalent weapon was the lance, though the espada ancha, was used mostly as a machete as well as secondary weapon. The notion of being remounted as well as refurbished with requested features such as this thumb ring could have been quite understandable with the innovative blacksmiths of these regions.