The “rapier” is a late-period thrusting and parrying sword with an elaborate hilt. Frequently, the type of rapier hilt is specified in Society blazon.
The “swept-hilted rapier” is found in period armory, in the canting arms (Italian spada) of Spatafora [BSB Cod.Icon 273:243]. This form may always be used if the type of rapier is left unblazoned.
The Society also has examples of the “cup-hilted rapier”, a variant dating to the beginning of the 17th Century [Stone 524]. This form of rapier should not be drawn as a modern fencing foil or epée: i.e., it should have prominent quillons and a knuckle-guard.
The Order of Defense bears: Three rapiers in pall inverted, tips crossed.
Amannita Villarosa bears: Vert, two rapiers conjoined in chevron argent.
Johann Friedrich bears: Per saltire sable and gules, in fess two rapiers Or.
The “ken” or “ken blade” is an Oriental double-edged blade widening at the point, predating the katana; by the end of our period it was only used as part of temple regalia [Stone 349]. The ken blade is found, highly stylized, in the Mon of Hayakawa [Hawley 64], but has not yet been dated to period; as a charge from outside period Europe, its use carries a step from period practice.
Morimoto Koryu bears: Sable, a crescent surmounted by a ken blade argent.
Otagiri Tatsuzo bears: Sable, three ken and three dragon scales conjoined in annulo, pointing outwards, within a bordure embattled, all argent.
The “katana” is a Japanese long sword, dating from the 14th Century [Stone 339]; it had a small round hand-guard (tsuba) and a curved single-edged blade. We have no examples of its use in period heraldry or Mon; as an artifact from outside period Europe, use of the katana carries a step from period practice.
Tul Cyrdkatte bears: Per pale azure and sable, a katana inverted Or surmounted by a death’s head facing to dexter argent between in fess a sun Or and a decrescent argent.
Yamaguchi Yukio Matsutaro Futoshii no Suo bears as a badge: A katana fesswise reversed argent hilted sable.
The “great sword”, or “long sword”, was an oversized sword with a hilt large enough to be held in two hands; the German term Zweihänder alludes to this, and this larger hilt may be deemed the sword’s identifying characteristic [Stone 643]. It was favored by the German Landsknechte of the 16th Century, and therefore has also been blazoned in the Society, more fully, as a “landesknecht’s greatsword”. We have no examples of its use, so blazoned, in period heraldry. Cf. claymore.
Eloise of Lancaster bears: Argent, a wingless dragon gules entwined around a landsknecht’s great sword sable, on a chief gules three fleurs-de-lys Or.
Kirsten Maria Matz bears: Purpure, a great sword bendwise sinister inverted between two roundels Or, each charged with a penguin statant proper.
The “gladius” is a short sword used by soldiers of ancient Rome through the end of the 2nd Century. It was quillonless, with a short hilt; though double-edged, it was used mostly for thrusting [F. Wilkinson, Arms and Armour, pp.34-36]. We have no examples of its use in period heraldry.
Marcus Gladius bears: Tierced per pall vert, sable, and gules, overall a gladius inverted proper.
Marcus Artorius Metellus bears as a badge: Two gladii inverted in saltire sable and overall a lion contourny argent.
The “falchion”, or “faucheon”, is a slashing sword with a curved single-edged blade. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of di Folcion, mid-15th C. [Triv 150], and maintained by one of the supporters of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, 1575 [Bromley & Child 93]. Cf. scimitar.
Guy de Falchion bears: Azure, three falchions Or, on a chief argent three crosses crosslet gules.
Mustafa Kamaal of Antioch bears: Vert, a falchion inverted between in chief two cat’s eyes argent.
The “estoc”, or “tuck”, is a sword with a narrow square blade, with no cutting edge. It was intended solely for thrusting, through gaps in the foe’s armor [Stone 223]; it was the precursor to the rapier of late period. The estoc is found in the canting arms of Tuck, 1419 [DBA4 431].
Illuminada Eugenia de Guadalupe y Godoy bears as a badge: An open book argent and overall an estoc inverted Or.
The “dussack” is a hiltless fencing sword peculiar to Eastern Europe, dating from the 16th Century [Stone 214]. We have no examples of its use in period heraldry.
The Baron of Vatavia bears as a badge: Azure, a dragonfly between two dussacks in pile Or, a bordure countercompony vert and Or.
The “cutlass”, or “curtelasse”, has a short, thick blade. Its shorter blade made the cutlass useful in close quarters, and so was favored by sailors. It’s found in the arms of Tatnall, 1632 [Guillim2 340].
Elena McKenzie bears: Purpure, two cutlasses in saltire edges to chief and a base rayonny Or.
Basilius Fuchs bears: Per chevron throughout argent and sable, two cutlasses in chevron sable and a phoenix Or rising from flames proper.
