Early 17th Century swept hilt rapier with ovoid pommel

[Philip]

Originally Posted by Cerjak

Yes Fernando,
My first guess was that is was shortened and after I have read Philips comment I have watch again the tip and the blade geometry in order to confirm this point.
The only point who still puzzle me : A somewhat big pommel with a short blade affect the balance.

Best

Jean-Luc

Do you think, Jean-Luc, that this may have been intentional from a functional standpoint? In other words, a sword-fighter might see an advantage in having his left-hand weapon having a livelier (lighter-at-the-tip) balance because he would not necessarily be deploying both swords to exactly the same effect.

Referring to my prior post, the use of identical swords in the Chinese shuangjian technique, or twin batons (sometimes bolo knives) of the same size in some Philippine escrima systems, is feasible and practical since none of these weapons has the great length of a typical rapier (the Chinese swords being cut-thrust weapons are about a meter long at most, the Filipino knives much shorter). Now, there are the twin matched rapiers in the Italian tradition (the "spada da lato gemelle" that I mentioned), but I do not know how the technique accommodated two equally long rapiers simultaneously since I've never watched anybody practice it.

I would think that a system that called for a shorter rapier in the left hand, using a weapon like yours, must have been created as a practical compromise between the rather esoteric spada da lato gemelle and the more familiar rapier-plus-dagger combo.

Finally, I agree that this sword was made to be short. The proportions and profile do not convincingly show that it was a long blade cut down.