Spanish rapier

Chris Evans · 26th November 2012, 06:12 AM

Jim,

An excellent and most informative post!

I would like to add that by the 18th century the rapier was generally considered obsolete, though its use lingered on in Spain, probably more so in the countryside than near the royal court. Here we must keep in mind that the Burbons, a French royal family, with their ascendancy to the throne after the Spanish war of succession at the beginning of that century, imposed French customs on the upper nobility, which in this context meant the adoption of the small sword.

Cheers
Chris

Jim McDougall · 26th November 2012, 07:28 PM

Thank you so much for the very kind words Chris, and you bring up a most valid point, that monarchial changes were very much in play with the changes taking place in these times. The schools of fence were quite different over time in developing, and the French style drove the development of the smallsword from the walking swords already in use on the Continent.
With this very nice smallsword Jacques has shown, it is interesting to see the apparant hybridization of the earlier style Spanish blades being produced through the 18th century with the Tomas de Aiala name appearing on a French smallsword which would have had a quite different blade normally.
Tomas ceased making swords in around 1630, so it is clear he could not be the maker of a c.1765 blade on a French smallsword. His name by then had become a sort of trademark for a blade style produced by German makers.
All the best,
Jim

26th November 2012, 06:12 AM	#1
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Jim, An excellent and most informative post! I would like to add that by the 18th century the rapier was generally considered obsolete, though its use lingered on in Spain, probably more so in the countryside than near the royal court. Here we must keep in mind that the Burbons, a French royal family, with their ascendancy to the throne after the Spanish war of succession at the beginning of that century, imposed French customs on the upper nobility, which in this context meant the adoption of the small sword. Cheers Chris

26th November 2012, 07:28 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,459	Thank you so much for the very kind words Chris, and you bring up a most valid point, that monarchial changes were very much in play with the changes taking place in these times. The schools of fence were quite different over time in developing, and the French style drove the development of the smallsword from the walking swords already in use on the Continent. With this very nice smallsword Jacques has shown, it is interesting to see the apparant hybridization of the earlier style Spanish blades being produced through the 18th century with the Tomas de Aiala name appearing on a French smallsword which would have had a quite different blade normally. Tomas ceased making swords in around 1630, so it is clear he could not be the maker of a c.1765 blade on a French smallsword. His name by then had become a sort of trademark for a blade style produced by German makers. All the best, Jim