Pietro Hernandez swordmaker

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

As well noted by Fernando, the name Pedro in Italian parlance is Pietro.
The crucifix mark was used by some German makers (Coll, Clele) as well as Pedro Hernandez, who was of the famed Toledo family, whose patriarch was Sebastian (worked 1570-1600, but still living c.1637 (Mann, Wallace Coll. p.281).
His son Pedro worked c.1610-1630, while younger Johannes Hernandez worked around 1660 ("Rapiers" Eric Valentine, 1968, p.67).

Well Jim, i must confess i am astonished .
From the first to the last data i have on the Hernandez sword makers, i have no trace of the family being composed as you reveal.
In Palomar's nomina, a work highly regarded by the several Spanish specialists, only two Hernandez are mentioned as being family; Sebastian the elder (el viejo) and Sebastian the younger (el mozo). I can find no family link between both Pedro and Johannes (Juan, for the matter) and old Sebastian.
Go figure
Furthermore, the marks of Pedro Hernandez in the blades kept in the Royal Armeria are rather different from those of Sebastian elder and younger, shown in Palomar nomina and elsewhere. Also surprising that the catalogue author Count Don Juan didn't recognize Pedro Hernandez as belonging to the famous Hernandez family.
On the other hand, reading James Mann's assumption that Pedro and Juan belong in Sebastian's family and paging the various quoted examples, i find such allusions a bit erratic. I hope Sir James pardons my irreverent ignorance