Interesting Unusual Rapier for comments

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Dmitry

Imho this sword is a fantasy from the Victorian period. Blade is from a French officer's epee from around 1830 onward, and is marked Klingenthal, with inspector's poincon. The hilt is more subjective to ascertain, but to me it looks grotesque, and doesn't reflect the period it's supposed to emulate.
Just my $.02

Hi Dmitry.

Obviously beauty is subjective, but we don't know what the hilt was meant to represent. Clearly it has elements of other and earlier swords, but it was made at a time when revival was popular and even 'grotesque' hilts were sometimes in vogue

Who made it and why, I guess I might never know.
But the strange hilt is tight, and solid. The twisted wire-bound grip is a beauty and offers great grip and 'feel', the tang is solidly peened and the balance is perfect! It feels fast, solid and deadly and although I've not fenced in many years due to injury, I would feel fairly confident in demanding 'satisfaction' with it, if you dared call it 'grotesque' to my face

I think it is 'fantastique'!

Best
Gene

[Dmitry]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Hi Dmitry.

Obviously beauty is subjective, but we don't know what the hilt was meant to represent. Clearly it has elements of other and earlier swords, but it was made at a time when revival was popular and even 'grotesque' hilts were sometimes in vogue

Who made it and why, I guess I might never know.
But the strange hilt is tight, and solid. The twisted wire-bound grip is a beauty and offers great grip and 'feel', the tang is solidly peened and the balance is perfect! It feels fast, solid and deadly and although I've not fenced in many years due to injury, I would feel fairly confident in demanding 'satisfaction' with it, if you dared call it 'grotesque' to my face

I think it is 'fantastique'!

Best
Gene

Gene, one of the first swords I bought was a rapier that possibly came from a similar if not the same 1800s-early 1900s workshop. Let me know if you want to see photos of it.

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Dmitry

Gene, one of the first swords I bought was a rapier that possibly came from a similar if not the same 1800s-early 1900s workshop. Let me know if you want to see photos of it.

Hi Dmitry,
Yes please.

[Dmitry]

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[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Dmitry

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Very nice Dmitry!
Not as 'beautiful' as mine of course, but not too shabby
What's the balance like? Interesting similarities to mine. Is the tang 'peened' or does the pommel screw-on? I find that this reinforces my view that these might be more than decorative!
Do you still have it? Where is the point of balance, can we have some stats please?

Thanks for sharing
Gene

[Dmitry]

It's long gone. I sold it [as a replica that it is] on eBay to a Spanish dealer, then somehow it ended up back in the US, and is probably still floating around.

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Dmitry

It's long gone. I sold it [as a replica that it is] on eBay to a Spanish dealer, then somehow it ended up back in the US, and is probably still floating around.

Oh what a shame!
Thanks for sharing anyway.

[Atlantia]

Where's everyone else?
There must be others of these?
I bet many of us have got a 'revival' rapier in our collections of one sort or another, even if not a Klingenthal?