Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is an exceptionally unusual original European late 17th-century double-edged military sword or broadsword, fitted with a complex swept iron hilt whose individual branches have been extensively wrapped in tightly coiled metal wire. The treatment gives the guard a remarkably distinctive appearance unlike the more conventional plain, pierced, or chiseled iron hilts normally encountered on swords of this period. Some of the coiling near the pommel is coming undone, allowing you to see the iron rods underneath.

The sword bears a double-edged 29 ¾” blade with three thin fullers starting 1½” from the ricasso for roughly 8½”. The recesses of the fullers show evidence that the blade was originally etched on both sides with foliage and likely other designs, but the vast majority of this etching is now lost to time. Some remnants of the etching can also be seen near the ricasso where the edges start. The blade has some minor edge nicking but has held up very well for its age.

The hilt has a substantial 8 ⅞” crossguard terminating in ball finials, and it is from this crossguard that the branches for the swept hilt are attached. A third branch starts from the side of the spacer perpendicular to the crossguard. The branches were attached, and from here, the maker intricately attached countless coils of twisted metal wire around the different arms, possibly just meant as decoration but also possibly as a method of defense, allowing him to strike enemies with the hilt in hand-to-hand combat. The overall length is 37 ⅝”.

Due to the number of arms and the amount of coil, the hilt measures roughly 6 ½ x 8 ⅞”. This is a substantial sidearm that once had beautiful etching across both sides of its blade. As mentioned, some of the coiling is now loose and other parts show heavy wear.

The exact national origin has not been established. Comparable swept and half-basket military hilts were produced across Germany, Italy, the Low Countries, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe during the 17th century, and the surviving etched decoration does not presently preserve a maker's signature or diagnostic inscription.

This sword is especially noteworthy for its 29¾-inch double-edged blade, three narrow fullers with remnants of foliate etching, unusually broad 8⅞-inch crossguard with ball finials, extensive swept protective hilt, twisted-wire grip, and extraordinary coiled-wire covering applied across the guard branches. The exact reason for this unusual treatment remains unresolved, but its age, complexity, and relationship to the underlying forged hilt make the sword an especially intriguing variation within the European military sword tradition of the later 17th century.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 33⅞"
Blade Style: Broadsword
Overall length: 37⅝”
Crossguard: 8⅞”