repurposed rapier blades

urbanspaceman · 6th January 2025, 09:27 PM

Those two smallswords were forged by Adam Oley in Shotley Bridge in c.1688.
They were hilted by a cutler in (The Side) Newcastle, name of Thomas Carnforth.
It is suspected, but as yet unconfirmed, that the larger of the two was presented to the Duke of Northumberland, George Fitzroy, illegitimate son of Charles II, Commander of the 2nd Troop of Horse, along with a Horseman's sword with a smuggled Solingen blade (see pics) and the motifs of the 2nd troop on the shell.
As I said in my opening assertion: we in the North of Britain were slow to adopt the hollow blade smallsword, and were keen to still have some weight and two cutting edges, even when 'off-duty'.
Soon after, John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, commissioned backswords for his militia: they also were forged by Adam Oley in Shotley Bridge (see pic). They were marked SHOTLEY and BRIDGE on either side of the blade.
Holles was a firm royalist, but James II's insistence on a Catholic country (Holles was a staunch protestant) led Holles to support Danby against the King's supporters at York.
I'm afraid all I get when I go to SBG is a blank screen.

urbanspaceman · 6th January 2025, 09:33 PM

Sorry, that was the wrong shell image; here is the correct one.

midelburgo · 11th January 2025, 10:00 PM

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...286#post269286

I pictured in that thread a Spanish smallsword from early to middle XVIII th century, with a Spanish rapier blade by Pedro del Monte (working in Toledo, c1610 to c1630). The rapier blade has been ground into a colichemarde shape, and total length is still 1.03m

6th January 2025, 09:27 PM	#1
urbanspaceman Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Tyneside. North-East England Posts: 688	Smallswords in North Britain in the 1600s Those two smallswords were forged by Adam Oley in Shotley Bridge in c.1688. They were hilted by a cutler in (The Side) Newcastle, name of Thomas Carnforth. It is suspected, but as yet unconfirmed, that the larger of the two was presented to the Duke of Northumberland, George Fitzroy, illegitimate son of Charles II, Commander of the 2nd Troop of Horse, along with a Horseman's sword with a smuggled Solingen blade (see pics) and the motifs of the 2nd troop on the shell. As I said in my opening assertion: we in the North of Britain were slow to adopt the hollow blade smallsword, and were keen to still have some weight and two cutting edges, even when 'off-duty'. Soon after, John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, commissioned backswords for his militia: they also were forged by Adam Oley in Shotley Bridge (see pic). They were marked SHOTLEY and BRIDGE on either side of the blade. Holles was a firm royalist, but James II's insistence on a Catholic country (Holles was a staunch protestant) led Holles to support Danby against the King's supporters at York. I'm afraid all I get when I go to SBG is a blank screen. Attached Images Last edited by urbanspaceman; 6th January 2025 at 09:38 PM. Reason: typos

6th January 2025, 09:33 PM	#2
urbanspaceman Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Tyneside. North-East England Posts: 688	correction Sorry, that was the wrong shell image; here is the correct one. Attached Images

11th January 2025, 10:00 PM	#3
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 264	http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...286#post269286 I pictured in that thread a Spanish smallsword from early to middle XVIII th century, with a Spanish rapier blade by Pedro del Monte (working in Toledo, c1610 to c1630). The rapier blade has been ground into a colichemarde shape, and total length is still 1.03m