Spanish rapier

VANDERNOTTE · 26th November 2012, 12:31 AM

very,very interestin jim I agree whys you about the colony I find very strange sing
I have a french small sword silver hilted made between 1768-1775
whis a tomas de ayala blade on it if you interested I sent more pic
agradecido por tu interes y tu tiempo
regard
jacques

Foxbat · 26th November 2012, 03:13 AM

The combinations of 18th century smallsword hilts with earlier, usually 17th century rapier blades, usually shortened, were extremely popular.

One must cringe at the thought of all those beautiful rapier hilts being thrown away when the fashion changed, but we can't change the course of history.

Beautiful hilt, that in the picture.

Chris Evans · 26th November 2012, 06:12 AM

Jim,

An excellent and most informative post!

I would like to add that by the 18th century the rapier was generally considered obsolete, though its use lingered on in Spain, probably more so in the countryside than near the royal court. Here we must keep in mind that the Burbons, a French royal family, with their ascendancy to the throne after the Spanish war of succession at the beginning of that century, imposed French customs on the upper nobility, which in this context meant the adoption of the small sword.

Cheers
Chris

Jim McDougall · 26th November 2012, 07:28 PM

Thank you so much for the very kind words Chris, and you bring up a most valid point, that monarchial changes were very much in play with the changes taking place in these times. The schools of fence were quite different over time in developing, and the French style drove the development of the smallsword from the walking swords already in use on the Continent.
With this very nice smallsword Jacques has shown, it is interesting to see the apparant hybridization of the earlier style Spanish blades being produced through the 18th century with the Tomas de Aiala name appearing on a French smallsword which would have had a quite different blade normally.
Tomas ceased making swords in around 1630, so it is clear he could not be the maker of a c.1765 blade on a French smallsword. His name by then had become a sort of trademark for a blade style produced by German makers.
All the best,
Jim

26th November 2012, 12:31 AM	#1
VANDERNOTTE Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 60	rapier very,very interestin jim I agree whys you about the colony I find very strange sing I have a french small sword silver hilted made between 1768-1775 whis a tomas de ayala blade on it if you interested I sent more pic agradecido por tu interes y tu tiempo regard jacques Attached Images

26th November 2012, 03:13 AM	#2
Foxbat Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 69	The combinations of 18th century smallsword hilts with earlier, usually 17th century rapier blades, usually shortened, were extremely popular. One must cringe at the thought of all those beautiful rapier hilts being thrown away when the fashion changed, but we can't change the course of history. Beautiful hilt, that in the picture.

26th November 2012, 06:12 AM	#3
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Jim, An excellent and most informative post! I would like to add that by the 18th century the rapier was generally considered obsolete, though its use lingered on in Spain, probably more so in the countryside than near the royal court. Here we must keep in mind that the Burbons, a French royal family, with their ascendancy to the throne after the Spanish war of succession at the beginning of that century, imposed French customs on the upper nobility, which in this context meant the adoption of the small sword. Cheers Chris

26th November 2012, 07:28 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,193	Thank you so much for the very kind words Chris, and you bring up a most valid point, that monarchial changes were very much in play with the changes taking place in these times. The schools of fence were quite different over time in developing, and the French style drove the development of the smallsword from the walking swords already in use on the Continent. With this very nice smallsword Jacques has shown, it is interesting to see the apparant hybridization of the earlier style Spanish blades being produced through the 18th century with the Tomas de Aiala name appearing on a French smallsword which would have had a quite different blade normally. Tomas ceased making swords in around 1630, so it is clear he could not be the maker of a c.1765 blade on a French smallsword. His name by then had become a sort of trademark for a blade style produced by German makers. All the best, Jim