[Jim McDougall]

Ulfberth, thank you so much for responding!
The exact topic I am researching does concern the use of rapiers in the colonies of Spain in the New World, however my focus is on Alta California from the 1780s into the 1840s.

We know that the traditional Spanish cup hilt remained in use quite late relative to the small sword which had evolved from the 17th c,with the French and Italian schools of fence predominating at open of 18th onward.

However as far as I have found, the cup hilt in the Americas was more confined in use to the Caribbean Spanish sphere, including the colonies from North America into South America. These were notably cruder than the refined and beautiful cup hilts of the 17th century, but maintained the traditional 'taza' (cup) so treasured by the Spanish swordsman.

The 'bilbo', or dragoon sword generally held as pattern of 1728 was actually in use earlier likely and ubiquitous throughout Spain and its colonies as the regulation sword well through the 18th into the 19th c.

In California, we know these were commonly present, and they became commonly rehilted with three bar cavalry hilts in the early 19th century as soldiers retired and became landed caballeros. Many of these were also rehilted with blades cut down into the popular machete form known as the espada ancha (which I recently wrote on in an article published in Sweden).

The question is:
Were long swords (i.e. full length small swords, also often termed rapiers) in any sort of abundance among colonists in California in the 1780s-1840s, and were there cases of their use in duels (in any degree) with the caballeros.?

There were no notable mentions of any such events in material I have found, and no instances of 'cup hilt rapiers'......however, we know the small sword (espadin) did have notable presence in the more populated presidio areas.

My interest in these 'other' sword centers in Spain is centered on the fact that California officers in this period were insisting on blades from other than Toledo because the Toledo blades would break.
This suggests there was some sort of active use of these swords other than periodic conflict with Indian groups...which may have included either some training with the sword, or even combative use (such as in duels).

You are totally right about the remarkably late use of swords in duels into modern times, and that in a way directly relates to my topic...the use of the sword in California in 1780s-1840s in possible dueling contact. These would have to have been small swords......or could the heavier cavalry swords have been used as well?

All best regards
Jim