Portuguese rapier blades

[Jim McDougall]

These thin rapier blades were of course prevalent through the 17th century into the 18th. While they seem to have been contemporary to heavier arming blades through the 17th, the rapier and dueling swords were apparently maintained in the court and gentlemans swords. The so called transitional rapiers (a most nebulous area) seem to have been with these slender rapier blades in the small sword and court sword hilts in the 18th.

Attached is a Spanish rapier blade (though probably German made) which is believed from the Spanish nao Encarnacion which sank in storms off Panama Dec.3,1681. It had left Cartagena enroute to Porto Bello Panama, and among cargo had crates of sword blades.

This type of blade was of course known earlier in 17th c. As Toledo was in dire straits in the 17th century, Germany stepped in and produced blades as they were long well established as the key blade producers and continued as such well through the 19th c.