SPANISH BLADES 18TH C. -NEED ASSIST

Jim McDougall · 1st February 2024, 07:07 PM

In rereading this thread, I missed noting the important details on Valencia swordsmiths add Fernando added in his post which are profoundly salient in establishing not just which cities were concurrently producing blades along with Toledo....but the names specifically of makers.

In reading about the eventual collapse of the blade making industry in Toledo which took place over time in the 17th c. ...to read that when King Charles III in Spain tried to rebuild a factory there in 1760.....the SINGLE smith he could find was 70 year old Luis Calixto of VALENCIA ("By the Sword" , Richard Cohen, 2002. p.115).

It seems there were makers as well in the 16th-17th centuries in Seville and Valladolid; and according to other sources in the 18th century, Barcelona (which is of course Catalan) was a source more favored than Toledo for blades.

Other than the references in the Palomares nomina specifically noting Madrid and Zaragoza...it does seem Valencia was a most important center.

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1st February 2024, 07:07 PM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	In rereading this thread, I missed noting the important details on Valencia swordsmiths add Fernando added in his post which are profoundly salient in establishing not just which cities were concurrently producing blades along with Toledo....but the names specifically of makers. In reading about the eventual collapse of the blade making industry in Toledo which took place over time in the 17th c. ...to read that when King Charles III in Spain tried to rebuild a factory there in 1760.....the SINGLE smith he could find was 70 year old Luis Calixto of VALENCIA ("By the Sword" , Richard Cohen, 2002. p.115). It seems there were makers as well in the 16th-17th centuries in Seville and Valladolid; and according to other sources in the 18th century, Barcelona (which is of course Catalan) was a source more favored than Toledo for blades. Other than the references in the Palomares nomina specifically noting Madrid and Zaragoza...it does seem Valencia was a most important center.