The Rapier and Smallsword in England in the 17th Century

THE ENGLISH RAPIER IN THE 17TH CENTURY

As England and Europe entered the 17th Century, the main sword of choice for the civilian gentleman was the rapier.  Originating in the Iberian Peninsula during the mid-16th Century (the term rapier comes from the Spanish espada ropera, which translates to sword of the robes),  it was an attempt by sword makers to provide more protection to the swordsman’s hand and was a direct response to the decline of armour (specifically, the armoured gauntlet) in the face of rapid technological improvements in personal firearms.  The need for a heavy and wide-bladed sword that could penetrate armour had now become less important.  The introduction of the rapier also came at a time when gentlemen began to wear a sword with civilian dress as a statement of fashion and social status but also could draw on the rapier as an effective weapon of defense when required.  Duelling had also become very popular and the rapier, with its long and thrusting blade, was the weapon of choice when matters had come to a settling of accounts between two gentlemen.

ENGLISH RAPIER TYPES

The rapier came in many forms but it is clear that by 1600, most Western European countries had adopted relatively standard rapier types with some regional exceptions.  During the first quarter of the century, hilts became more elaborate and complex, with finely worked chiselling and inlaid silver and gilt decoration.

In England, distinctively “English” rapier hilt types were emerging in tandem with other parts of Europe.  They were based on the swept-hilt; that is a hilt comprising a series of elegant, sweeping hilt bars that curve gracefully from the ricasso to the pommel, but differed in the configuration of hilt bars and the exhibiting of open cup and dish hilts, ranging from the quite plain (when compared with continental examples) to finely wrought hilts, featuring inlaid silver shell guards and pierced cups.  The dish-hilted rapier was also a common English style during the first half of the 17th Century and many of these delicate hilts are attached to extremely long and narrow blades, indicating their primary use as duelling weapons by civilians.

The English “Cavalier” hilt is a sword type closely associated with the reign of King Charles I (1625-1649) and was introduced from around the 1620’s.  It is based on contemporary European dish-hilt rapiers, but with the addition of multiple guards placed above the dish and linked by struts.  These guards then form a knucklebow which sweeps upwards into a ovoid or bulbous pommel, frequently attached by means of a screw.  The quillon finials are usually of coiled design, although they are sometimes found with a straight or twisted, profile.  It has been suggested that the “Cavalier” hilt is not a particularly graceful design and it is certainly true that when compared with swept-hilt rapiers of Italian or German origin, there is a lack of elegance to the “Cavalier” hilt.  This may be attributed to the workmanlike nature of some of the hilts English sword makers produced at that time, although it must be remembered that there are always notable exceptions to this rule. 

Rapier blades for English swords were derived from a number of sources, including those produced in England (in relatively small numbers), with the majority sourced from Italy, Spain or Germany, where the tradition of producing fine rapier blades was firmly established.

The English dish-hilt rapier was a forerunner to the “Cavalier” hilt and designed primarily for use as a duelling weapon.  This is evident when we examine the extreme blade lengths of some examples (up to 60 inches) and also the lightness and flexibility of both hilt and blade.   Hilts  tend to be of simple design, with fluted pommels, a large, pierced dish guard, pas-d’âne and inwardly-curving quillons.  Some quillons are also attached to the underside of the guard.  Because of the relative narrowness of dish-hilt blades, most are unmarked and plain.  Many rapier blades (and particularly those from the first  half of the 17th Century) are completely unmarked, with no maker marks or actual indications of the country of origin.  Where there are armourers’ marks engraved to the blade, they are invariably of an undecipherable nature and cannot be identified.  German sword makers are more helpful and frequently incorporated a running wolf mark to indicate a Solingen/Passau origin.  The word “Solingen” (found with variations in spelling) is also commonly seen on German blades.  Other blade markings include traditional religious symbols such as the cross, crucifix and cabbalistic or mystical number sequences that are often mistaken for actual dates of manufacture (the date “1415” is often engraved to blades).  Spurious maker names such as “ANDREA FERRARA” (a renowned Italian blade maker of the 16th Century), are frequently engraved to German and Italian rapier blades for the sole purpose of adding value and quality to a blade. 

English hilts of the period also include examples similar in design to the mortuary hilt but with smaller and shallower dishes.  They are usually decorated with extensive chiselling and motifs closely associated with the mortuary sword style, including human heads, foliage and martial trophies.

THE ENGLISH SMALLSWORD

The smallsword made an appearance during the late-17th Century and was a consequence of the diminishing importance and requirement for rapiers and long-bladed swords within the civilian environment.  The earlier rapiers, with their massive hilts and extremely long blades, had become a cumbersome nuisance when combined with civilian dress, and so the trend started for smaller hilts and shorter blades.  These “Town” or “Walking” swords were more comfortable to wear and also followed the dictates of contemporary fashions.  When Charles II (1630-1685) returned from exile in Holland and Spain, his entourage brought to the English Court the continental (particularly French) fashion for carrying smaller swords and thus the term “smallsword” was adopted.

The antecedents of the smallsword are found in the first years of the 17th Century, when a form of “light” rapier was designed in France for use in the duel.  It was stripped of extravagant hilt devices such as overlong quillons and multiple rings, and typically comprised a small forward guard, knucklebow and short quillons. 

Occasionally, a small shell guard might project from the base of the hilt.  Blade lengths of these rapiers are pretty much the same as larger rapiers but it is in hilt proportions that they differ from traditional rapiers.  From these “light” rapiers, we progress to the Scarf Sword, a simpler version of the previous rapier, that appeared   from the 1640’s.  The name derives from the shoulder or waist scarf that would have held the sword (they have been erroneously described as “pillow” swords in the past, due to the mistaken belief that they were hidden under pillows in case of attack or burglary).  There are no discernible hilt guards and most have simple, bulbous or stubby, short quillons.  Decoration is minimal, with plain, polished steel hilts predominating, although some rarer pieces have attractive inlaid silver or cut steel decoration.

A similar hilt form to the Scarf Sword is the Loop Hilt, an early smallsword type developed in Germany and the Netherlands during the 1640’s.  The hilt guard comprised a single, distinctive loop or arm that swept from the base and joined the knucklebow.

From the 1660’s and through to the end of the century, the true smallsword began to emerge and with this came a number of changes in hilt design that eventually merged into the and an increase in the length of quillons.  Decorative quillon finials, frequently in the shape of animal or mythical beast heads, became common and small shell guards (with thick rims) appeared to the front and rear of hilts.  Pommels on early English smallswords were of traditional, ovoid shape, similar to those found on rapiers, but they subsequently developed a more spherical or bulbous profile. 

By the 1690’s, knucklebows, hilt branches and quillons reduced again in size.  Blades also changed and moved from conventional, double-edged, flat-sided and narrow, rapier types, to triangular or “colichemarde” blades.  These hollow-ground blades were very broad at the forte and then quickly tapered to a fine point.  The Shotley Bridge sword factory in County Durham, was a noted maker of these “colichemarde” blades and the skills and technology to produce this radical new blade type was brought over by immigrant German sword makers.  Non-English smallswords were also carried by English gentlemen and they are naturally featured in this work as it is certain that non-English swords would have been purchased and worn, due mainly to the fact that the home-based sword making industry was simply unable to meet the domestic demand for smallswords.

Hilt design of smallswords also changed gradually towards the end of the 17th Century and we see the narrowing and lengthening of grips, widening of knucklebows into more rectangular shapes and the introduction of double-shell guards and the distinctive pas-d’âne.  Pommels moved away from the typical fluted, ovoid profile of the earlier rapier, to more spherical shapes.traditional smallsword style.  These included the gradual elongation of grips into a more rectangular shap and an increase in the length of quillons.  Decorative quillon finials, frequently in the shape of animal or mythical beast heads, became common and small shell guards (with thick rims) appeared to the front and rear of hilts.  Pommels on early English smallswords were of traditional, ovoid shape, similar to those found on rapiers, but they subsequently developed a more spherical or bulbous profile. 

By the 1690’s, knucklebows, hilt branches and quillons reduced again in size.  Blades also changed and moved from conventional, double-edged, flat-sided and narrow, rapier types, to triangular or “colichemarde” blades.  These hollow-ground blades were very broad at the forte and then quickly tapered to a fine point.  The Shotley Bridge sword factory in County Durham, was a noted maker of these “colichemarde” blades and the skills and technology to produce this radical new blade type was brought over by immigrant German sword makers.  Non-English smallswords were also carried by English gentlemen and they are naturally featured in this work as it is certain that non-English swords would have been purchased and worn, due mainly to the fact that the home-based sword making industry was simply unable to meet the domestic demand for smallswords.

Hilt design of smallswords also changed gradually towards the end of the 17th Century and we see the narrowing and lengthening of grips, widening of knucklebows into more rectangular shapes and the introduction of double-shell guards and the distinctive pas-d’âne.  Pommels moved away from the typical fluted, ovoid profile of the earlier rapier, to more spherical shapes.