To start with a question then, I quite commonly see swords at auctions which are on the whole quite akin to smallswords, both in hilt style and in overall mass (perhaps slightly heavier there, but that's not exactly saying much here), but with backsword blades. Generally they are infantry officers swords. I have come to think of these as spadroons, at elast when my brain is set to English, but would that really be proper?
Deviating a bit form the five ball hilt here, but perhaps it can help get the ball rolling at least.
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