Colichemarde
Encyclopedia
Colichemarde is a type of small sword
blade that was popular from the late 17th century to the middle 18th century.
", which itself evolved from the rapier due to the demand for a lighter sword better suited to parrying
. The shape of a colichemarde blade features a wide forte
(often with several fullers
), which then tapered drastically toward the point after the fullers ended. The blade cross section was hexagonal or diamond
shaped. This configuration combines good parrying
characteristics with good thrusting characteristics. Its lighter weight and superior balance compared to the rapier allowed faster and more accurate movement of the blade, allowing the fencer to place a more precise thrust on his/her adversary.
s of the French and Indian War
period. George Washington
had one.
This sword appeared at about the same time as the foil
. However the foil was created for practicing fencing at court, while the colichemarde was created for dueling. A descendant of the colichemarde is the épée, a modern fencing weapon.
With the appearance of the pocket pistol
as a self-defense weapon, the colichemardes found an even more extensive use in dueling.
Popularity of the colichemarde declined when rapiers went out of fashion, the advantage of the colichemarde being that it was faster and more manoeuverable than the rapier but with a wide forte to help parry the heavier rapier blade. As small swords evolved into even smaller, lighter weapons, the colichemarde was suddenly at the same disadvantage as the rapier had been when the colichemarde was introduced, and a wider forte was of no advantage against lighter small swords.
, the colichemarde was one of the weapons assigned to George Washington. It was given the "edge" for its ability to parry the saber, which it did, achieving 53% of the short range kills.
Small sword
The small sword or smallsword is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small sword's popularity was between mid 17th and late 18th century...
blade that was popular from the late 17th century to the middle 18th century.
Overview
The small sword is considered to be a descendant of the "transition rapierRapier
A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...
", which itself evolved from the rapier due to the demand for a lighter sword better suited to parrying
Parry (fencing)
A parry is a fencing bladework manoeuvre intended to deflect or block an incoming attack.-Execution:To execute a parry, fencers strike the opponent's foible, or the area near the tip of the blade, with their forte, or the part of the blade near the handle of the sword...
. The shape of a colichemarde blade features a wide forte
Forte (fencing)
In fencing, forte is "the strong part" of the blade — the one third closest to the hilt. The "strength" refers to the control established over the opponent's weapon upon contact of one's forte with the opponent's foible...
(often with several fullers
Fuller (weapon)
A fuller is a rounded or beveled groove or slot in the flat side of a blade . A fuller is often used to lighten the blade, much in the way that an I-beam shape allows a given amount of strength to be achieved with less material...
), which then tapered drastically toward the point after the fullers ended. The blade cross section was hexagonal or diamond
Polyiamond
A polyiamond is a polyform whose base form is an equilateral triangle. The word polyiamond is a back-formation from diamond, because this word is often used to describe the shape of a pair of equilateral triangles placed base to base, and the initial "di-" looked like a Greek prefix meaning...
shaped. This configuration combines good parrying
Parry (fencing)
A parry is a fencing bladework manoeuvre intended to deflect or block an incoming attack.-Execution:To execute a parry, fencers strike the opponent's foible, or the area near the tip of the blade, with their forte, or the part of the blade near the handle of the sword...
characteristics with good thrusting characteristics. Its lighter weight and superior balance compared to the rapier allowed faster and more accurate movement of the blade, allowing the fencer to place a more precise thrust on his/her adversary.
Brief history
The colichemarde blade configuration is widely thought to have been an invention of Graf von Königsmark, due to the similarity in pronunciation of their names. However, the first blades of this type date from before the Count's lifetime. The colichemarde first appeared about 1680 and was popular during the next 40 years at the royal European courts. It was especially popular with the officerOfficer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
period. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
had one.
This sword appeared at about the same time as the foil
Foil (fencing)
A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing. It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition, and is usually the choice for elementary classes for fencing in general.- Components:...
. However the foil was created for practicing fencing at court, while the colichemarde was created for dueling. A descendant of the colichemarde is the épée, a modern fencing weapon.
With the appearance of the pocket pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
as a self-defense weapon, the colichemardes found an even more extensive use in dueling.
Popularity of the colichemarde declined when rapiers went out of fashion, the advantage of the colichemarde being that it was faster and more manoeuverable than the rapier but with a wide forte to help parry the heavier rapier blade. As small swords evolved into even smaller, lighter weapons, the colichemarde was suddenly at the same disadvantage as the rapier had been when the colichemarde was introduced, and a wider forte was of no advantage against lighter small swords.
Trivia
In Season 3 of Spike TV's Deadliest WarriorDeadliest Warrior
Deadliest Warrior is a television program in which information on historical or modern warriors and their weapons are used to determine which of them is the "deadliest" based upon tests performed during each episode...
, the colichemarde was one of the weapons assigned to George Washington. It was given the "edge" for its ability to parry the saber, which it did, achieving 53% of the short range kills.
See also
- Sabre (fencing)Sabre (fencing)The sabre is one of the three weapons of modern sport fencing, and is alternatively spelled saber in American English. The sabre differs from the other modern fencing weapons, the épée and foil, in that it is possible to score with the edge of the blade; for this reason, sabreur movements and...
- European dueling sword
- Flame-bladed sword
- Side-swordSide-swordThe spada da lato or "side-sword" is the Italian term for the type of sword popular during the late 16th century, corresponding to the Spanish espada ropera....