Just to slide this in ....The colichemarde blade configuration is sometimes credited probably wrongly to one Graf von Königsmark (perhaps Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck), owing to the two names' similarity in pronunciation. This is now generally believed to be not true.
The colichemarde first appeared about 1680 and was popular during the next 40 years at the royal European courts. It was especially popular with the officers of the French and Indian War period. George Washington was presented with one during his inauguration... joining 3 others in his collection. The widespread misapprehension that the colichemarde quickly ceased to be produced after 1720 dates to the opinion given by Sir Richard Burton in his Book of the Sword (1884). However, many securely dated colichemarde swords from as late as the 1770s can be found in collections. Thud the detail noted by Burton is not accurate.
This sword appeared at about the same time as the foil. However the foil was created for practicing fencing at court, while the colichemarde was created for duelling. It made frequent appearances in the duels of New Orleans...and many other places Duelling was considered an act of honour and to refuse would mean almost complete ruin and being shunned in high circles as it would be looked upon as cowardice . The pistol largely superseded this weapon.
I read somewhere that the sword was not initially known as a Colchemarde but a squeezed blade short sword.
However it is my opinion that the Colichemarde was a fashion statement worn at Court under a short court coat... A new fashion in those days and to which the sword matched it in style.
Peter Hudson.
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