it does seem in more reading that Toledo activity did continue in degree past 1650, as per the dating of a number of authentic Spanish blades I found in references.
666, no problem with being skeptical on the notches (to create a 'barb' for wounding in dueling, not particularly fencing per se'). I admit being entirely skeptical for these clearly deliberate notches on swords pragmatically suggested for 'picking up items' as the notch is patently insufficient for such.
As for unusual 'tricks' and 'features' in the swordplay employed in dueling, these are of course known and understandable, but not particularly well documented any more than the legendary, 'botte secrete'.
In the 'Spanish fight', la Verdedara Destreza, the primary objective, as I have understood, was to disarm the opponent, or force concession. In most instances it would seem that protection of honor by satisfaction was the goal, and such wounding distractions would provide such release.
I think these are the perspectives to be considered, rather than the dramatic notion of such barbs/notches being intended to worsen wounds in a thrust, which is also as far as I can see, patently unnecessary.
That leaves very little room for a plausible explanation for this mysterious convention which seems to have quite deliberately placed on the blades of a good number of swords in Austria, France, Hungary, Netherlands in the early to mid 18th century, possibly later. In these cases, it would seem the feature was nominally placed in the blades with potential dueling in mind, regardless of such possibility.
With cavalry, especially the hussars, fashion and flamboyant allusion was important, so the notion of a 'dueling' notch on a mans blade......well, you see what I mean?
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