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The smallsword could, in the right hands, be a highly effective Duelling weapon, but as with the rapier its function was often reduced to that of Jewelery . Many surviving examples carry elaborate Baroque , Rococo , or occasionally Neoclassical decorations. The fashion for wearing swords with civilian dress rapidly declined at the end of the 18th century, and the civilian use of the smallsword was subsequently restricted to certain ceremonial occasions. Militarily, small swords continued to be used as a standard sidearm for infantry officers. In some branches with strong traditions, this practice continues to the modern day, albeit for ceremonial and formal dress only. The carrying of swords by officers in combat conditions was frequent in World War I and still saw some practice in World War II . The 1913 U.S. Army Manual of Bayonet DrillInfantry Drill Regulations, U.S. Army; Military Publishing Co. New York, 1911 With Text Corrections to February 12, 1917. includes instructions for how to fight a man on foot with a small sword. As a rule, the blade of a smallsword is comparatively short (about 60-80 Centimetres ). It usually tapers to a sharp point but may lack a cutting edge. It is typically triangular in cross-section, although some of the early examples still have the Rhombic and Spindle -shaped cross-sections inherited from older weapons, like the Rapier . This triangular cross-section may be hollow ground for additional lightness. Many small swords of the period between the 17th and 18th centuries were found with Colichemarde blades. Hilt The small sword guard is typically of the "shell" type, with two lobes that were decorated as clam shells. In some cases, the shells folded over to make the weapon more comfortable when slung at the hip. The shells were often replaced with a simple curved oval disk, which was still referred to as the ''coquille'' (shell). In later Foils , the lobed type evolved into the "lunette" or figure-8 guard, and the disk became the modern foil "bell" guard, but the guards were still referred to as ''coquilles''. Small swords with this type of guard normally included other features of the older Rapier hilt, including Quillons , Ricasso , Knuckle-bow , and a '' Pas D'ane '', although these were often atrophied beyond the point of usefulness, serving mainly as a decorative element. However, they were maintained in a useable state on some weapons, including the Italian Foil , into the 20th Century. In the 19th Century, simple cross-hilt small swords were also produced, largely as ceremonial weapons that were evocative of more ancient types of weapons. As the wearing of swords fell out of fashion and the small sword evolved into the duelling sword (forerunner of the modern Epee ), the older decorative hilts gave way to more utilitarian grips such as the French Grip and Italian Grip . References |
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