Item Description
Original Items: One of a Kind Pair. The épée is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern épée derives from the 19th-century épée de combat, a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. As a thrusting weapon, it features a stiff blade, triangular in cross-section with a V-shaped Fuller. Fencing has been popular in France for centuries, and quality blades are hard to come by, and can be re-fit any number of times, based on the fashion of the time.
This is a very nice set of later 19th Century Épée Short Swords for Fencing and Dueling, probably from the era of Napoleon III. They are 42 inches in overall length, with very comfortable grips, probably made from 4 pieces of twisted wood, then heavily wire strapped. They have 4 inch wide perforated guards, similar to those used with épée swords currently. The grips are still tight to the blade, however the guards are definitely loose, as the leather buffers that would have padded them have rotted away.
The blades on these are very attractive, and are in fact a design popular in the 17th century, known as a colichemarde. In this style, the blade features a wide forte, which abruptly tapers to a much narrower form at a point varying between a fifth to a third of the blade length from the hilt. The blade cross section was most often triangular and hollow-ground.
This configuration combines good parrying characteristics, due to the wide blade forte, with the good maneuverability and thrusting characteristics imparted by the narrow blade foible. Its lighter weight, shorter length and superior balance, compared to the rapier, allowed faster and more accurate movement of the blade. This enabled the fencer to achieve a more precisely targeted thrust on an adversary.
The blades on both are in great shape, with very little in the way of oxidation. A great set of swords to hang on the wall!
Specifications:
Blade length: 34”
Blade Style: Triangular Colichemarde
Overall length: 42”
Guard Width: Approx 4"
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