Yet another wotsit.

[kronckew]

Thanks again for that.

European troops wore armour well into the 19c (and still do for ceremonial occasions), mine would be handy for thrusting into the unprotected bits of a curassier, or a 17c turk in mail. the brass grip was cast to fit this weapon, balances it nicely, and the length would suit an infantry officer more than a cavalryman i suspect. Looks simpler than the estocs in the ref. post above, but couple have similar more finished guards. Mine looks more like a ;munitions' grade, well made but not for a high ranking (and rich) noble.

I note in the 'estoc' wikipedia entry they mention them being simply hung on the owner's horse harness, the front of the guard would facilitate that or being used as a belt hook. It also notes that infantry would also carry them, also for penetrating mail and i would assume a shorter version like mine. It mentions the portion nehind the tip being unsharpened and their use two handed with the off hand in front of the guard, which could be done with mine to better guide it in for a coup de grâce.

Infantry Estoc/koncerz a possibility then...

[Victrix]

Yours doesn’t look very Hungarian (e.g. grip, pommel) so I wouldn’t rule out Indian origins although my knowledge of the latter is very limited. That kind of brass grip looks quite early 19thC to me.

[Kmaddock]

Hi
A wild guess with nothing to substantiate it would be a sword for bull fighting?
Interesting item and the brass handle does look to have some good age to it
regards
Ken

[M ELEY]

Perhaps the handle is a more modern replacement? The cross guard and blade seem to show honest aging. A nice piece, but also a puzzle-

[kronckew]

The dealer was fairly certain the brass handle was specifically designed for balancing this piece.It could of course been a later but still antique replacement.

Doubt it was a Bull fighting sword. Too stiff & narrow. Could be a boar hunting sword tho, but they generally have wider blades. example below. These are also 'estoc'.

[Victrix]

Dealers may say a lot of things. The grip looks like an 18th or 19thC infantry man’s hanger. The guard looks a bit outsize but maybe just my imagination? When encountering items of brass it’s always good to consider the possibility of naval use as brass does not corrode nor rot in salt water.

[Jim McDougall]

I think there is a compelling similarity with these alternating quillons on the guard to certain Chinese sword hilts on dadao (mostly ring pommel types) and some of the 'butterfly' knives (paired).

These types of edged weapons were used by Chinese martial artists and often security forces who worked as protective guards in various capacities and sometimes with foreign firms.

The distinct similarity to British infantry hangers is well noted in those of mid to latter 18th c. (typically regarded as M1742 and M1751 though they were in use long before these dates).
* Thomas Craven was a maker c.1800+ and the acceptance marks put the example shown about then, revealing how long these patterns remained in use in some cases.

I am unsure whether this hilt is authentically from one of these swords or copied (cast) from one, but the hilt style is as described but again, with the European pointed escutcheon in the crossguard center.

It seems possible that certain Chinese factions as mentioned did work with foreign colonial occupiers, though of course by the time of the Boxer Rebellion the weapons of foreign 'devils' were scorned. I have seen various cases of cross influence, and even British M1796 disc hilts with Chinese markings and inscriptions.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by kronckew

The dealer was fairly certain the brass handle was specifically designed for balancing this piece.It could of course been a later but still antique replacement.

Doubt it was a Bull fighting sword. Too stiff & narrow. Could be a boar hunting sword tho, but they generally have wider blades. example below. These are also 'estoc'.

I cannot say much about the sword in the original posting, but the one in your posting is a typical matador sword.