Little rapier with cut hilt - 18th century?

Radboud · 25th June 2023, 04:00 AM

Interesting sword.

My observations:
As you say, the blade is likely late 18th Century. My money would be that it is from a French officer's spadroon going by the decorations. Being a backsword, this is not the type of blade that belongs on a cuphilt rapier or smallsword.

I'm concerned that only the tip of the ricasso decoration shows; normally, this would be part of a larger panel, which might be a sign that this has been cut back. But otherwise, the ricasso looks fine... so I don't know.

The cup is of much more modern production, likely 20th cent. I've not seen the use of a brass disk like that before, and the use of solder like that is also very irregular. The wire looks too recent as well. The quillons look like they were made of bar stock and welded on, the same for the guard. Finally, that metal tube covering the ricasso between the cup and crossguard is just wrong.

25th June 2023, 04:00 AM	#2
Radboud Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: New Zealand Posts: 276	Interesting sword. My observations: As you say, the blade is likely late 18th Century. My money would be that it is from a French officer's spadroon going by the decorations. Being a backsword, this is not the type of blade that belongs on a cuphilt rapier or smallsword. I'm concerned that only the tip of the ricasso decoration shows; normally, this would be part of a larger panel, which might be a sign that this has been cut back. But otherwise, the ricasso looks fine... so I don't know. The cup is of much more modern production, likely 20th cent. I've not seen the use of a brass disk like that before, and the use of solder like that is also very irregular. The wire looks too recent as well. The quillons look like they were made of bar stock and welded on, the same for the guard. Finally, that metal tube covering the ricasso between the cup and crossguard is just wrong.