Great entry Nando, and excellent illustrations!
Actually for me I must confess I often wonder why more collectors/enthusiasts/ historians DONT ask these kinds of questions! and one of the things I truly admire about Mark is that he consistantly does! yay!
I have always been amazed at historic accounts and narratives with accurate details on uniforms being worn, and artillery, guns even down often to calibers etc. but when it comes to a sword mentioned it is either straight or curved. Then there are the misnomers like referring to a large straight backsword as a 'broadsword'; any hanger used aboard a ship becomes a 'cutlass'; and any heavy sheet or metal guard becomes a 'cuphilt. Then there are the flowery adventure or romance narratives using the much fabled 'scimitar' for any sabre used in oriental parlance.
The purpose of this discussion is mostly fact finding in trying to help us navigate through the treacherous waters of romanticized and artistic licence in much of the literature involving weapons used at sea. I always enjoyed for example the wonderful pirate illustrations of Pyle and Wyeth in which much of the appararel is fairly accurate, as are ships details and in some degree most of the firearms.....however, there is one illustration I can think of (of course being set in the period of the 'golden age' end 17th into 18th) where a bandana wearing pirare is brandishing a gleaming 'cup hilt' cutlass. The weapon portrayed is unfortunately a Civil War period brass sheet metal cutlass used by both Union and Confederate forces thus a century and a half later in period.
Likely there are many (too many) who would say, why does it matter? I suppose in the sense of the general effect of the painting of couse it really doesnt, but for many of us who take history extremely seriously...it would be tantamount to Napoleon arriving at Waterloo in a '57 Chevy
I think what Mark is trying to determine is not whether one weapon was more fit than another to be brought aboard a ship....I think we have all agreed that in many, if not most cases, virtually most types of edged weapons were likely aboard vessels at some point or another. Setting aside the obvious instance of captured, trophy or souvenier items we are wondering whether there was a propensity toward a certain type...in this case the cuphilt....being carried aboard vessels, in this case of course Spanish.
Much in the same way English officers carried usually all manner of court, dress and 'hunting' swords or hangers.....the Spanish officers I feel certain wore rapiers of varying types, the most favored by this time in the 17th century being the cuphilt. The precedent for rapiers worn aboard ship by officers was already established much earlier of course, and the one instance I can think of with at least part of a sword was the rapier from the Atocha (1622) which I believe was the work of Alonzo Perez.
Ibrahiim, thank you for joining us on this exploration! Excellent notes on the use of cutlasses by boarding parties and those disc hilt cutlasses were sturdy examples of a type favored from early 19th century well unto it. These types of sheet metal guards were in use I believe in France and Europe even earlier. The shellguard forms of these stout short bladed sabres were in use throughout Europe on both land and sea from late 16th century onward and well suited for seaboard use.
The obvious purpose and goal was to protect the hand which in close quarters combat was ever vulnerable, not only to further enable continued fighting, but for completion of important shipboard functions if hopefully enabled after the events.
All the best,
Jim