1955 Bastard Sword

Introduction: An exceptionally elegant and rare example of a Renaissance bastard sword that a very wealthy person or nobleman must have owned. It has survived in exceptional condition because the wealthy had others do the fighting for them. So why even wear a sword like this if you had no intentions of using it?

Because it’s a status symbol. A highly expensive, ornate sword like this was the equivalent of a person in our day and age making a fashion or opulence statement by wearing very expensive jewelry, such as a Rolex watch or a solid gold necklace with large diamonds. In contemporary terms, this wealthy original sword owner was making a “bling statement.”

Not all wars were fought on the battlefield with swords, lances, and armor. A non-bloody war was in the fashion and status arena. Fashion also extended deeply to Arms and Armor. The phrase… “keeping up with the Joneses” … is not a new 20th-century concept.  Let’s be brutally honest: Who needs a wristwatch that costs the same as a car in this age, when your cell phone or computer will tell you the time with much more accuracy and at no cost? An expensive watch says……… I am wealthy; treat me accordingly. It was the same with a sword like this.

Description: Under the Norman sword typology, this sword is a hilt #1 with a slightly recurved horizontal guard. The expertly chiseled representation of a gargoyle or mythical beast, including mane, eyes, and ears, is at the bulging quillon tips.  The pommel, a Norman #16, was used from 1470 to 1585 and is decorated en suite with the guard. Original wooden grip with original or working life leather grip. The quillon block has a chevron and flutes on each side.  A triple fuller about a third of the blade and continuing into a stiff lozenge shape and extending to a tip with a gradual taper.

Discussion: The bastard sword developed circa 1250, about 75 to 100 years earlier than the two-hand sword (circa 1325). A bastard sword (called hand-and-a-half sword by Victorian collectors, or Anderthalbhander in German) combines a one-hand and two-hand sword. A bastard sword can be wielded like a one-hand or two-hand sword. It cuts and thrusts with a broad or long double-edged blade. Additional power can be employed by using the pommel and the lower area of the hilt below the pommel as a grip for a two-hand strike to increase the impact and penetration.

The term “bastard sword” was first recorded in France during a 17th-century duel. In Marc de Vulson‚ 17th-century treatise” Vray Theatre d‚ÄôHonneur” he describes the weapons used in a duel fought before King Henry II of France in 1549 as follows: Deux epees batardes pouvant server a une main ou a deux (Two bastard swords that can be used with one hand or two) I prefer the term ‚bastard sword‚ because this is the original term and not one concocted by the prudish Victorians. Interestingly, the ballock (a vulgar word for testicles) dagger was renamed the kidney dagger around the same time by the same people. Bastard swords first appeared circa 1250 and remained in use until circa 1650.

Bastard swords were widely used in Germany and Switzerland, and were most prevalent among cavalry. Hilts varied throughout their evolution. Until approximately 1550, most hilts on German bastard swords were cruciform, with some featuring S-shaped guards. After circa 1550, some hilts became more elaborate. Because they were Knightley weapons, they were frequently used on horseback. Sword length during this period varied from approximately 35 to 40 inches. After circa 1250, the length increased to approximately 45 to 55 inches. So why did it take until the early 1300s for the bastard sword to flourish? There are two primary reasons:

1) For the same reason, full-metal defensive armor and two-hand swords did not develop until the same period. As furnaces got bigger in Medieval Europe, steel billets (solid lengths of steel) accordingly increased in size. With bigger steel billets, swords could now be made with fewer (but larger) steel billets, eventually reaching their peak of one billet per sword. Larger furnaces generally meant higher temperatures, better steel, faster production, and probably less expensive to manufacture on a large scale.

2) As armor evolved, its counterpart, the sword, did the same, with larger specialized swords of superior quality and design. This was the weapons race of its day.

Conclusion: All collections should have at least one iconic bastard sword in their collection. This example is superb, elegant, and highly sought-after. They seldom come this nice. This one should be in a museum; however, if you act fast, it can be in your collection for much less than you think.

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