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Originally Posted by Rick
If this were a sword cane ; at 37" inches it would be one helluva draw to get it out .
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I have a sword stick with an old ( spanish ) blade with the same length. I thaught potentially these blades are easier to draw from their concealing sheaths as, not being linked to the waist belt, will allow you to fully extend both your arms.
On the other hand, If this is indeed a rapier blade, is actually a short one. Typical ( slim ) rapiers were much of an urban weapon, the owner allways trying to have a longer specimen, to enable him to prick an opponent, while keeping him out of reach.
In 1539 the Royal regulation limited these blades to five palms ( 1,10 mts.= 43" ) but in general these rules were not so followed, and several "ilegal" rapiers appeared with seven palms, and exceptionaly with nine palms ( or spans.) Even an ingineous system was developed, in which a five palms blade was indeed a two part set, with an extendable two palms length emerging from the hollow ricasso. These were called growing rapiers. Even King Dom Joćo IV (1640) was found to have one in his armoury inventory.
The above said is mostly a quotation from the book already mentioned in this thread by Jim.
It would be great to figure out who is the figure opposite from Diana ( being Diana ). Looks like having a quiver on the back, and brandishing a sickle weapon on his right hand ... another god ? Pagan ? There should be some relation between these and the tryumphal figures on the ricasso?
So far and within my limitations i don't see that this blade is rather Portuguese and not Toledan, or so else.
... Eventualy a customized piece,to be used by a public official or some kind of big shot? One can see Rick's logic in the non waved lower half matching well into the halfswording style , like the spare hand grabing the blade ricasso to strenghten the stabbing. This would surely mean this is an operational weapon.
The wood handle fixation looks quite tight and well configured, maybe not a domestic job. I wonder what the missing pommel knob looked like.
Wouldn't there be blades, even efective blades, deliberatly made for concealed weapons ? If in that period a Court official or some other big shot would officiously carry a stick or a baton with a concealed blade, couldn't sometimes the blade be directly made for the purpose ?
kind regards
fernando