Based on the photos, the grip wire is a replacement. On original swords, the wire is a lot finer. This wire is too thick in my opinion. The markings in the fuller are fine, fairly typical of a mid 17th to early 18th Century smallsword or rapier. Unfortunately the names of notable smiths were often copied with additional markings that were often misspelled so it could be for one of the famous Johannes or, it might not be.
Looking at the photos, I believe that this was a rapier or smallsword blade that has been cutdown then assembled into a dagger. My instinct says more recently (by a couple 100 years) than from when the blade was first forged.
Last edited by Radboud; 3rd June 2024 at 08:52 PM.
|