I offer for sale an extremely nice, early 17th Century (c.1630) Dutch Rapier which a Gentleman would have carried for self-protection or duelling purposes. The blade is lenticular in cross-section and measures some 85 cm or 33.5 inches in length. The blade bears chiselled cross crosslets and the following lettering, which appears to read: “NTH DOMINI” on one side, and “SP + PAV + IHS” on the other side. The blade has some black oxidization along it’s length, but nothing which detracts from the overall lovely appearance of the sword, which has a lovely patina to it.
 
The asymmetrical, chiselled, Steel, dish-guard bears a starburst and scrollwork detail throughout. The Ricasso-block bears the same style of chiselled decoration and extends into symmetrical downward scrolling quillons, which are forge-welded to the Steel guard. There is one tiny perforation to the dish-guard, almost invisible to the naked eye, and a small fracture to the edge of the taller central, scallop cusp, nothing serious.
 
The wooden grip has been longitudinally filed into eight rounded sections, into which exceptionally fine Steel twisted wires have been recessed. The grip retains all of it’s original wire wrap and both upper and lower ‘Turks heads’. The pear-shaped pommel bears chiselled decoration of the same previous mentioned style and shows no sign of having ever been off the blade tang. The blade is nice and firm with the hilt.
 
Specifications -
Overall Length - 40 3/4" (103.5 cm)
Blade Length – 33 1/2" (85 cm)
Hilt width - 6 1/2" (16.5 cm)
Weight - 912g (2.01 lb) no on