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Old 19th October 2020, 05:41 PM   #9
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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It has been a great discussion and wonderful to see these wonderful cup hilts together! Thank you Shayde for recognizing my position on maintaining as much of the well earned patina on the 'old warriors', as to me it profoundly heralds the charm and rugged character of the times they have seen.

With regard to these 'going to sea', it was virtually inevitable that many of them did in one way or another. The constant traffic to the 'New World' meant that these among many other forms of sword, particularly 'cutlasses' became present there with men off the vessels.

By the 'dictum' from "Pirates of the Caribbean', there were no 'rules' ......but 'guidelines' as far as swords, their use, etc.

Aboard ships of the line of course, the average sailors were not officially armed with edged weapons, but these were distributed out of arms lockers in the event of potential combat. With the ever present merchant ships, there was certainly more latitude depending on the owners and staff of the vessels, but still there would certainly be the option of having a sword or cutlass for various levels of staff aboard.

With the 'brotherhood' of 'pirates' of course, a broad spectrum indeed, it would seem these vessels were of course autonomous and the members of the ships crew would choose thier own arms.

From what I have understood, combat aboard the decks of vessels was not as common as portrayed in movies via popular literature, and swords and cutlasses were far more employed ashore by the crews at locations of destination or replenishing. In this respect the cutlass was more a 'machete' and used in that utilitariian sense.
The swords (i.e. cuphilts, bilbo's etc) were there in case of combat, whether defensive or offensive.

Well noted that most crews, sailors or other members aboard ships were certainly not typically trained in swordsmanship, while officers usually were in some degree. This factor would lead to the more instinctive use of the 'blade' in more a 'hacking' manner, and call for much stouter blades, as would be expected in most combat circumstances. Naturally, blades are designed for optimum conditions presuming they will be used properly so flexibility is always a consideration. Without it, a blade will inevitably fail at some point.

The long working lives of these swords, particularly the blades ,which often ended up being remounted or repurposed, is the most fascinating factor of them. The Spanish 'dragoon' blades were widely used in the colonies for other weapons beyond simple replacement on the bilbo's and cup hilts, and became present on the 'common' espada anchas in many cases, typically cut down.

There is so much history in these rugged Caribbean forms that its hard to not go on and on but Shayde, VERY well placed questions, and I hope any of this rambling wiill be useful.

On the hilt elements, the 'guardopolvo'is essentially a 'dust guard', though its actual purpose was more to firmly secure the tang of the blade in the cup.
My example has 'ivory' (?) placers wedged in from whateever refurbishing was done on it.

The 'rompepuntas' is the rolled edge around the cup, and theoretically was to foul the point of a rapier in a thrust attack, which of course falls into the sword catcher theory well known in arms descriptions. Personally it seems to me more a refinement in construction and execution of hilt design.

Last edited by Jim McDougall; 19th October 2020 at 07:23 PM.
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