Author Archives: Scott

Escrime Mont Royal

Posted on March 3, 2018

Escrime Mont Royal Escrime Mont Royal (EMR), located at the NDG Community Center in Montreal, offers both modern & historical fencing. Within its approximate 120 members, 21 participate in the Historical Fencing program. Early French Smallsword is their main weapon; … Continue reading →

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Louis XIV French Classic Smallsword

Posted on March 3, 2018

This early French smallsword (ca. 1655 C.E.) has few parallels.  Its style reflects early French Classicism from the reign of Louis XIV, and was likely made in Paris.  Its hilt features ornate foliage and figure motifs executed in gold inlay, … Continue reading →

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Plate from Liancour, 1686, pg 25

Posted on February 25, 2018

Examine Liancour’s 1685 manuscript by downloading a pdf (in French) on our Study Page.

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McArthur’s 1780 Manuscript Transcribed

Posted on February 21, 2018

Jamson and Crawley have teamed up to transcribe and digitally present a legible edition to McArthur’s 1780 smallsword manual.  Crawley states, “McArthur is the most accessible smallsword treatise for starting out yet the least available” so he and Jamson have … Continue reading →

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Rococo smallsword with foliate and spiral motifs, ca. 1755

Posted on February 18, 2018
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Angelo’s Plates I-XV from Escrime in the Encyclopédie, 1765

Posted on February 17, 2018

Domenico Angelo rocked the fencing world.  He was an Italian trained in France, appointed as Royal Fencing Instructor by George II where trained the future King, George III, in escrime.  In 1763, working with artist Gwyn Delin, he published L’Ecole … Continue reading →

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Hanns Osterle, Bladesmith, Nuremberg, 1569

Posted on February 12, 2018

Although rapiers ruled the day and transitional smallswords would emerge a century later, this image of Hanns Osterle, a Nuremberg bladesmith at work in 1569, offers a priceless glimpse into history. Osterle sits in front of his anvil and strikes … Continue reading →

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Evolution of Straight Form Swords

Posted on February 10, 2018

The fast and agile smallsword, also known as  the court sword, is the culmination of a long and rich history. To view the smallsword’s development in context, explore our timeline.

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Crawley’s Five A’s of French Fencing

Posted on September 23, 2017

Phil Crawley, Provost with the Black Boar Swordsmanship School and administrator with the Smallsword Symposium, has gleaned these 5 themes of French fencing from a number of 18th and 19th Century texts.  They are presented here with his permission, and … Continue reading →

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It’s no longer illegal to challenge someone to a duel in Canada

Posted on June 12, 2017

“If you demand satisfaction and need to settle a score in the form of a good old-fashioned duel, a recent decision by the Canadian government may be of welcome news.” You can read more from Eric Zimmer here. Save Save … Continue reading →

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