This pattern of cup hilt rapier is found in Portugual with various blades and grip finishes. They date from the late 17th to early 18th century and have a quillon that is soldered to the cup, instead of being held by screws. The blade is marked "Elemente Bonique" "en Alamania", referring to a smith in... Continue Reading →
Type 100 Japanese Gunto
This WW2 gunto was made by the swordsmith Takehisa in the spring of 1944. The blade also bears the scarce "W" stamp. It is a type 100 (also sometime called type 3, or mistakenly type 1944) which features an hiramaki grip, a blackened iron tsuba, and brass fittings. It also comes with a leather covered... Continue Reading →