Rapier ID

[Jim McDougall]

Here are some entries from ""The Rapier and Small Sword 1400-1820"
AVB Norman, 1980.

Next from "Rapiers", Eric Valentine, 1968

Then from "The Smallsword in England, J.Aylward, 1945.

The Norman entry pretty much supports the English attribution.

The Valentine entry notes the strong connection between German and English of course, a very long standing relationship in weaponry.
By the same token, Italian influences were profoundly extended into Germany, and it would not be surprising to see German work spuriously imitating these Brescian conventions.

The Aylward entry is shown to illustrate the English revival of older style in the manner often followed in their admiration for neo classicism.
This small sword has the elaborate ajoure imitation of bead work c. 1775 which was essentially the sunset of the small sword, but highly regarded in the gentry and courts.

These just offer some possibilities for the overall styling of this rapier.
On the ricasso area of the blade it is often seen with various makers marks and CAINO, sometimes a spurious Toledo guild mark O and T


Sir James Mann (Wallace Coll. 1962, various entries) describes numerous rapiers, all with CAINO blades, various marks and typically dated c.1610 (one as early as 1580) on Flemish, German hilts, one on a Spanish cuphilt c. 1625.
The letter combinations are the same sequencing, using various letters, often reversed on the opposing blade face.
i.e. RSNRSNRSND , one side SRNSRNSRND other. The same three letters repeated three times then with a separate terminating letter.

Other combinations EBCEBCEBC B, then ECBECBECB E note in this case terminating letter is different. this one was on an German hilt, the blade shown as Milanese (Brescian) but with notes of these similar hilts being English 1580-1610 as well.