The etymology and origins of sword and dagger nomenclature and terms

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 13th October 2017, 09:06 AM

Ecusson . I didnt know what this was until I looked it up... It is an ancient and important part of the hilt... Better known as the Quillon Block.

My Armoury.com sees it as ...Quote"Part of the guard of edged weapons consisting of a small block of metal with the tang passing through it, acting as a support for the shoulder of the blade and the base of the cross guard. This feature was absent throughout most of the Bronze Age, appearing in antiquity as an intermediate element between the grip and the blade, being slightly broader than the latter. With the appearance of quillons and other elements of the guard, its form and function became more defined; in fact, the quillons extended from it, as did the knuckleguard and the arms of the hilt. The quillon block was also called the ecusson."Unquote.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 14th October 2017, 03:18 PM

A note on Fullers... See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuller_(weapon) for what I thought was a very good explanation...showing the fullering tools and technology.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 19th October 2017, 04:56 PM

The Blade. Depending on which sword school we are looking at the blade could be divided into many more parts than the usual three:

1. The Foible. The part near the blade.
2. The Terzo. The mid section between Foible and Forte.
3. The Forte. The part nearest the hilt.

The Foible (Feeble) is considered the weakest section whilst the strongest is the Forte (Fortified or Strongest).

Some schools especially Rapier divide into as many as 12 parts for refined skewering techniques! whilst 6 or 9 sections is not unusual.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 27th April 2019, 04:17 PM

PARTS OF THE RAPIER.

Please see http://www.thearma.org/rapierglossary.htm#.XMRzJGZ7kcA

Jim McDougall · 27th April 2019, 08:29 PM

This is a most salient topic, which I must admit I often fall complacent in, and in a recent post I inadvertently used the term forte to describe the area of the sword nearest/at the base of the guard. I was thinking of 'ricasso' and in which cases often this area of the blade is often in a heavier blocked form and part of the tang.

Just as in the famed 'name game' which often brings spirited debate regarding whatever terms are used for certain edged weapon forms, a misplaced term can throw a discussion into a spiral.

Well placed entry on an often key topic, thank you!

27th April 2019, 04:17 PM	#4
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	PARTS OF THE RAPIER. Please see http://www.thearma.org/rapierglossary.htm#.XMRzJGZ7kcA Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 27th April 2019 at 04:28 PM.

13th October 2017, 09:06 AM	#1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Ecusson . I didnt know what this was until I looked it up... It is an ancient and important part of the hilt... Better known as the Quillon Block. My Armoury.com sees it as ...Quote"Part of the guard of edged weapons consisting of a small block of metal with the tang passing through it, acting as a support for the shoulder of the blade and the base of the cross guard. This feature was absent throughout most of the Bronze Age, appearing in antiquity as an intermediate element between the grip and the blade, being slightly broader than the latter. With the appearance of quillons and other elements of the guard, its form and function became more defined; in fact, the quillons extended from it, as did the knuckleguard and the arms of the hilt. The quillon block was also called the ecusson."Unquote.

14th October 2017, 03:18 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	A note on Fullers... See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuller_(weapon) for what I thought was a very good explanation...showing the fullering tools and technology.

19th October 2017, 04:56 PM	#3
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	The Blade. Depending on which sword school we are looking at the blade could be divided into many more parts than the usual three: 1. The Foible. The part near the blade. 2. The Terzo. The mid section between Foible and Forte. 3. The Forte. The part nearest the hilt. The Foible (Feeble) is considered the weakest section whilst the strongest is the Forte (Fortified or Strongest). Some schools especially Rapier divide into as many as 12 parts for refined skewering techniques! whilst 6 or 9 sections is not unusual.

27th April 2019, 08:29 PM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	This is a most salient topic, which I must admit I often fall complacent in, and in a recent post I inadvertently used the term forte to describe the area of the sword nearest/at the base of the guard. I was thinking of 'ricasso' and in which cases often this area of the blade is often in a heavier blocked form and part of the tang. Just as in the famed 'name game' which often brings spirited debate regarding whatever terms are used for certain edged weapon forms, a misplaced term can throw a discussion into a spiral. Well placed entry on an often key topic, thank you!