Thank you, Fernando, for adding your very valuable information and perspective. Excellent pics which indeed add argument to the very question I had proposed. Jim expressed exactly the reason I was being such a 'stickler' when it comes to this subject. believe me, I'd love to say "here is a cargo-hold full of cuphilts, so leave it be"
. I appreciate the examples you have presented and feel they give a very strong argument towards cuphilt use.
Would this same argument hold true for so-called "Caribbean cuphilt rapiers" being used ship-board in the colonies? Again, I think they were. The only reason I asked the question was the lack of support from naval experts mentioned at the start of this thread.
Finally, what say you to the use of the bilbo at sea? It certainly followed on the heels of the two-handed broadswords of earlier eras that saw naval use, so...? I portray the one in my collection as having POTENTIALLY seen naval service.
Sounds like we pirates need to get together some time and come to a conclusion, aye? Pistols at 5 paces to decide the winner??
