One And A Half Hand Cavalry Sword, Circa 1520

This sword is of high quality. It can be dated to the first quarter of the 16th century, around 1520, it is probably Germanic (or from Northern Italy). For comparison, consult the catalog of the Hermann Historica house for sale no. 76 of May 2018, which presents at number 3473 a very similar sword, estimated at 10,000 euros (excluding fees)... You can also currently consult online the site of a famous Mediterranean antique dealer specializing in weapons...
BLADE: It is most likely from Solingen. It begins with a 3.5 cm ricasso, with two lateral grooves in addition to the central groove which continues over a third of the blade. The blade takes after the ricasso a flattened diamond-shaped section, then lenticular. It has 2 edges.
Blade length = 96.5 cm, width at the ricasso = 4 cm, thickness at the ricasso 8.6 mm, balance point of the blade at 14 cm from the cross of the guard, which is normal for a sword wielded on horseback, and for use with "one and a half hands", but is corrected by the grip specific to this weapon. GUARD: It consists of a cross with twisted quillons inclined towards the blade. From this cross comes a large twisted protective ring, and on the other side a branch which joins the finger ring, or "donkey's step" this model of guard corresponds to the first examples of use of such a ring on swords. The presence of the ricasso is perfectly logical, since when handling, the index finger comes to rest on this unsharpened part of the blade, as does the thumb. When holding this sword, with the fingers in front of the cross, the balance point is only 10 cm from the fingers, which gives the weapon a good balance.
 POMMEL: It is in the shape of a twisted bulb, typical of this period.
GRIP : it is made of wood covered with leather on string and has the "flattened bottle" shape characteristic of sword handles from the beginning of the 16th century.
In conclusion, this beautiful sword, at an advantageous quality-price ratio, should satisfy a demanding amateur.
Ref AMX-2460