Small sword
Also known as: small sword, smallsword, court sword, épée de cour
A light one-handed thrusting sword of the 18th century with a shell guard, derived from the rapier; a civilian duelling weapon and part of a gentleman's dress.
Quick Facts
FranceAbout the weapon
The small sword appears to have arisen in France and spread quickly across Europe; it was most popular in the 18th century. It developed from the longer, heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The blade measures roughly 60 to 85 cm, exceptionally over a metre, and often has a triangular cross-section, sometimes hollow-ground to reduce weight. The guard is usually of the shell type (French coquille); the hilt further consists of quillons, a ricasso, a knuckle-bow protecting the fingers, and the pas d'âne finger rings. The small sword was chiefly a duelling weapon. The ways of fighting with it, developed among others by Domenico Angelo, grew into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing. It is the direct forerunner of the French duelling sword, from which today's sporting épée arose. By the mid-18th century it was said that no gentleman was properly dressed without his sword. Infantry officers carried the small sword as a standard sidearm even later; today it is worn only with ceremonial uniform. In English it is also called the court sword, in French épée de cour.
Related weapons
- Evolved from: Rapier