cartouche

[urbanspaceman]

this picture shows the proportions more accurately

[urbanspaceman]

The blade is a flattened lozenge. With regard to a triangular blade: what confuses the eye is a soft flat along its length from the bottom of the engraving which is almost a gentle groove.
I considered the lower lettering as one word as it is joined at the base whereas the lettering of Simon has a separated O; equally, if it is an ampersand then the join-up is not relevant. All seems possible, and has always confused me.

[urbanspaceman]

Now this is where I also get confused: it is unquestionably a smallsword hilt (see pic) but that style of blade has always suggested rapier to me.
The sword is too late to fit into the chronological transition period i.e. first half of the 17thC but I assumed a rapier like blade and a smallsword hilt was generically labelled a transitional rapier.
I have two swords, both with old rapier blades and new court-sword hilts that are equally confusing to me.
I've also included n enlargement of the motto.

[mariusgmioc]

While most frequently smallswords had hollow triangular blades, diamond and flattened hexagonal blades were also common.

[fernando]

Beautiful sword.
Amazing thing; it never occurs to me calling these, and the like, rapier blades ... independently of their proportions. I take it those are a different universe .

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by fernando

Beautiful sword.
Amazing thing; it never occurs to me calling these, and the like, rapier blades ... independently of their proportions. I take it those are a different universe .

Because they are not "rapier blades"...

The rapier is defined by both the blade and the hilt... or at least for me.

[urbanspaceman]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Because they are not "rapier blades"...

The rapier is defined by both the blade and the hilt... or at least for me.

I have to disagree Marius, considering the huge difference between Pappenheimers and Swept Hilts and Cup hilts and etc... the only constant is the blade.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

I have to disagree Marius, considering the huge difference between Pappenheimers and Swept Hilts and Cup hilts and etc... the only constant is the blade.

You are in fact making my point!

Swept hilt, Pappenheim, cup hilt, clam shell hilt and ring hilt are ALL typical and DEFINING rapier hilts.

Moreover, some later 17th century Spanish rapiers had very thin and narrow, as well as rather short blades, yet they are still considered to be rapiers.

However, if you take the very same blade to a smallsword hilt, you will have a smallsword all the way.

Now have a look at the rapier below. Notice anything strange?!
It is the smallsword I posted previously, to which I replaced the hilt with a clam shell Spanish rapier hilt and... ta-da... here you have a rapier!

[urbanspaceman]

Reference Marius: yes, when Shotley Bridge began work in 1687 the smallswords they initially produced were all narrow broadsword blades (see pic). They were actually all Solingen manufacture and smuggled in by Mohll in 1687 to get the business up and running. This is why the most closely associated swords of Shotley Bridge had the Passau Wolf (not the Bushy Tailed Fox: that came a couple of years later) and the lettering Shotle(Y) and Bridg(E). All very confusing which was what was intended. The lettering was added because otherwise everyone would naturally assume - having a Passau Wolf - that they were Solingen manufacture and not the new 'Hollow Sword Blade Company's' output.
Incidentally: broadsword bladed smallswords were first choice of Scotsmen as they were unhappy with the weight and lack of cutting edges of the new trefoil blades. Shotley Bridge is walking distance from Scotland.
The smallsword pic below is a stock reference image from our local museum: hence the poor resolution and lack of markings; but I have handled it and it has a Passau Wolf and SHOTLEY and BRIDG which dates it to 1687 -1690.

[urbanspaceman]

Originally Posted by fernando

Beautiful sword.
I take it those are a different universe .

Yes, Fernando, I only visit this planet occasionally.

[urbanspaceman]

BTW Marius, that is a magnificent sword; is it from your collection? I am jealous indeed.
Re. capital letters: this is yet another possibility that keeps confusing me. They could be capitals or they could be tall letters such as l etc.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

BTW Marius, that is a magnificent sword; is it from your collection? I am jealous indeed.
Re. capital letters: this is yet another possibility that keeps confusing me. They could be capitals or they could be tall letters such as l etc.

Capital letters or not, they are of different height and I believe that's because they signal the beginning of a new abbreviated word.

And to make everything more complicated, one must first guess the language, as it cannot be taken for granted that is Italian.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

Yes, Fernando, I only visit this planet occasionally.

-

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by fernando

-

Why surprised?!

With all this Covid-19 crisis, with mandatory quarantine and PCR tests did you expect him to visit more often?!

[urbanspaceman]

Originally Posted by fernando

Beautiful sword.
Amazing thing; it never occurs to me calling these, and the like, rapier blades ... independently of their proportions. I take it those are a different universe .

Hi Fernando. I assumed this was a reference to my online name i.e. Urbanspaceman.
The world of 'Militaria' and etc does appear like an alien planet on frequent occasions; present company excepted of course.

[urbanspaceman]

Regarding the cartouche: mother-in-law did suggest "culo casto" as being a bawdy refrain; as I said earlier, her description was "common parlance in colloquial dialect". She obviously left it to her daughter (my ex) to explain its postural pertinence. I have lived with that meaning since, but when I came across that very similar alternative cartouche on a French blade I wondered if there was a common significance to the figure. Cupid definitely fits the bill on mine.
In regard to the business of 'rapier or not' your taxonomy, Shayde, is definitely worthy of an independent thread as you raise so many debateable issues that you should give everyone an opportunity to agree or disagree whenever. Consequently, I won't labour this thread's indulgence further in that regard except to say perhaps the 'schools' might be the ultimate arbiters; as you mention, how it is used is critical and to that end,I have to declare that the sword of mine in question with its 92cm relatively broad blade would take some strength to be used as a smallsword; however, given the size of the hilt, it was obviously commissioned for a hefty hand. Isn't this fun?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

Hi Fernando. I assumed this was a reference to my online name i.e. Urbanspaceman.
The world of 'Militaria' and etc does appear like an alien planet on frequent occasions; present company excepted of course.

To tell you the truth, the last thing i had in mind was alluding to your username.
What i meant to say was that i viewed the subject (rapier blades as such), belonging in a different "domain" wich, in the present context, in my native language (and not only) directs the matter to something other than galatic perspectives .
Keep safe.