Bilbo (sword)

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A 1600-1650 bilbo with a Solingen blade and a Spanish hilt.

The bilbo is a type of 16th century, cut-and-thrust sword or small rapier formerly popular in America.[1] They have well-tempered and flexible blades and were very popular aboard ships,[2] where they were used similarly to a cutlass. The term probably comes from the Basque city of Bilbao,[3] Bilbo in Basque, where a significant number of them were made and exported to the New World. These swords were also sold to merchants of every European nation, including England.

Etymology[]

Bilbo (Basque: Labana Bizkaitarra, Spanish: daga vizcaína (Biscayne dagger)) is an English catch-all word used to very generally refer to the "utilitarian" cup-hilt swords, found all over America. They usually had a wide, relatively short sturdy and well-tempered blade, were comparatively unadorned, and were considered practical and utilitarian. The grip was often covered with wire, rather than plain nut.

References[]

  1. ^ The encyclopedia of the sword, Nick Evangelista. page 55
  2. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary. "Bilbo". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  3. ^ Kemp Kemp, Peter (1976). The Oxford companion to ships & the sea. Oxford University Press. pp. 82. ISBN 0-19-211553-7. bilbo .

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bilbo". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

See also[]

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