The Colichemarde: Historical Curiosity or Efficient Weapon?

The so-called Colichemarde, a minority small-sword blade design which was used approximately between 1680 and 1780, was examined in order to assess its fitness as a weapon of self-defence and for duelling. Following a summary of the historical background, which shows that the name itself dates to later than its period of use, this paper compares colichemardes with swords of different blade designs in dynamical and mechanical tests to show that its design was indeed a very efficient one both for the purpose of attack and defence. It out-performed the other relevant blade designs examined in this regard.