Portuguese rapier blades

[urbanspaceman]

Gentlemen... thank-you, this has been a most enlightening endeavour.
I found my final answer on a dealer's website and I enclose it below.
These slim blade rapiers had the same hilts as 'Military' rapiers. Almost certainly as equally varied.
Have a fine weekend. I'm off to play with latest acquisition (a huge early Sterling on an equally huge Shotley Bridge broadsword blade).

[Radboud]

Another interesting example of an 18th Century Spanish smallsword with a 900mm ‘rapier’ blade:

http://www.vicentetoledo.com/espada-...e-historico/19

[urbanspaceman]

Thank-you.
This supports another curiosity of mine:
I have a Gill-made 'short' smallsword, custom made for a naval officer that has been unique in my experience so far. Now I have sight of another. My blade is only 27" long yet the hilt is enormous. I had always presumed the short blade was a naval preference and now I have additional support for my presumption.
I also have sight of the use of an heirloom rapier blade in a smallsword.
Thanks again.

[fernando]

Say Keith, what do you think (or know) is the word/s in the blade spine, after "warranted"; not the usual "never to fail" ...

[urbanspaceman]

Hello Fernando.
It is a very unusual sword in more ways than one - to coin a saying from our vernacular.
I am enclosing a variety of pics of the sword.
The hilt is almost certainly from Matthew Boulton and is a work of art but much too fancy to suit active combat,
It also features a groove in the lower face of the blade which tells of a tale too lengthy for this thread.

[urbanspaceman]

here's the last picture: this globe is at the top of a trumpet? in the figure's left hand;
apparently this figure is of some significance; anyone know what it represents? It's too early for Britannia Rules the Waves (1745).

[Radboud]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

here's the last picture: this globe is at the top of a trumpet? in the figure's left hand;
apparently this figure is of some significance; anyone know what it represents? It's too early for Britannia Rules the Waves (1745).

Why do you say it's too early if 'Rule Britannia' is from 1740? Thomas Gill Snr was born around 1743 and died in 1801. He is first listed as a file cutter and maker of watchmaker tools in 1767. It isn't until 1788 that we have a listing of him as a sword maker (along with other things).

On the balance of the evidence it's reasonable to believe that Thomas Gill didn't start making swords until the mid-1780s, meaning the figure could well be an early representation of Britannia.