French small sword 1

This objects is a fairly typical example of a small sword, with its petite hilt and shorter blade that's optimised for thrusting. It consists of a ridged grip, one quillon, with the other bending up to the pommel to form a knuckleguard, and a plate above the ricasso of the blade. The majority of smallswords were made of steel or silver, however it was not unusal for the hilt and blades to also use luxurious materials such as gold, such as in this example here. The hilt is decorated with filigree marking. The ricasso of the blade bears elaborate designs, the central image appearing to be either the sun or compass markings.