Toledo swords

Toledo, Spain used to be known world-wide as one of the premier cities for the manufacture of swords (Solingen being another).  There's a brief history of Toledo swordcraft here.

I didn't know much about swords when I bought my first one, an Austrian light cavalry saber, that we'll get into later in the week.  I knew I was fascinated by them, and had since my childhood in France, where the museums were full of 'em.

When I was exposed to Conan and the works of Robert E. Howard, and through him to the wide world of sword & sorcery literature, I was also introduced to fencing.  I took to it naturally, and it renewed my interest in swords and edged weapons.  I talked to my fellow fencers, read some books (no Internet in those days).  And of course, the Toledo name kept coming up.

I even managed to get my hands on a Toledo sword of my own, somewhere in the wilds of Northern Virginia.  It was a modern 3/4 size reproduction of a two-handed broadsword, or maybe a hand-and-a-half--I could only guess since it didn't come with any documentation, and I could never figure out precisely what it was a repro of.  I also learned later than there have been a lot of counterfeit "Toledos" over the years, so I don't know if it is really from there.  At any rate, it is ornamental, not functional.  So I wasn't truly satisfied.

But we moved to Germany, and although I came back after a year to go to college, my parents and sister stayed over there for a few more years.  The summer between my sophomore and junior years of college, I went over for about a month, during which time we took a short bus tour of Spain, which would include stops in Barcelona, Madrid, and Toledo.

I knew enough by this time to know that the decorative sword market was flooded with cheap Toledo swords (I had bought, for $5, a rapier, in Germany, that claimed Toledo origins but would have snapped  in combat against my fencing foils).  I wanted a Toledo sword, but I wanted the real thing, made by a swordsmith who paid attention to quality and old-fashioned craftsmanship.

On the trip, I took a paperback copy of James Michener's Iberia (with photographs by Robert Vavra, who became famous for his romanticized horse photography, and who, years later, became a friend in San Diego).  In the chapter on Toledo, Michener wrote about a shop at San Juan de Dios, 20.  He quoted the proprietor, Luis Simon, as saying, "We have our own forge, and water-temper the steel just the way they did in this street when a Toledo blade was famous throughout the world... When my father worked here, all matadors' swords came from Toledo, because we were the world's finest sword makers..."

When we stopped in Toledo, it was for a very short time, and of course everyone had different interests.  I was the only one particularly interested in swords.  But somehow my father and I separated ourselves from my mother and sister, and we were walking through a neighborhood on our way back to meet the bus, and I spotted a street sign that said San Juan de Dios.  Michener's book was published in 1968, but reported on visits to Spain made since the 1930s, so I had no way of knowing if the shop he wrote about was still there.

We checked.  It was.  The swordsmith in the shop was happy to demonstrate the skill he and his fellow craftsmen still put into the swords they made by hand.  He bent one over completely backward, almost, to show its flexibility.

I ended up choosing, based on its beauty and the fact that I could afford it, the sword pictured here, which the smith told me was a reproduction of Pizarro's sword.  That seemed appropriate, since another fascination of mine is the Inca empire and its conquest by the Spaniards.

It could stand a good cleaning, but it remains in excellent shape.  It's become one of the real treasures of my sword collection, and if necessary could be used to hold off hordes of rampaging Nemedians.

That is, if they were drunk on Nemedian ale and had never had lessons...

It's not as ornate as Pizarro's actual sword, which he had made after he had become a wealthy man from his conquest of Peru.  I don't know if it's the same one he tried to pull on the night he was killed or not, but it could be.

Here's a picture of his sword, for contrast.

You can see more of my sword collection at the essay "Conan and Me," here.

Comments

[Johnny Crow]

That is awesome. I never knew you were into swords. I have always been interested, but here it is so hard to get a decent sword of any type that it is silly. even at the ren-fairs, hardly anyone sells hand-crafted swords. They are all crap. I used to have a sword, that was re-weighted for the girl who gave it to me, she used it as a belly dancing sword. in its day it was beautiful the engravings were beautiful on its curved edges, and the sheath would have been gorgeous had it not been attacked by termites. I am not sure if it is in Florida and lost in the Hurricanes or not... wish my mom would go through the stuff and look.

[Jeff]

Johnny, there's an Antique Arms show coming to the Mandalay Bay next month. I don't know if it's expensive to get in, but it might be fun for you to drop by if only to admire the hardware. I would if I could get up there.

[M_eHart]

hey, baby, nice sword! ;)

was that the trip where you tried to learn enough Spanish to pick up girls?

[Paul D. Storrie]

Sadly, I've only got a couple cheap blades, a replica of a rapier used in Three & Four Musketeers and a rapier-esque blade that's a lot closer to a small sword. But, being a true and good friend, I gave a "battle ready" bastard sword to my then-roommate a couple years back as a Christmas/Birthday present. I must admit there was a twinge of jealousy every time I eyed that sword.

Maybe this'll be the year that I get one for myself.

PDS

[Jeff]

Do you remember who made it, Paul? I've got a friend who used to be with Albion Armorers, and I understand their battle readies are really fine workmanship.

[Carl]

I never knew you fenced. I did in college (many moons ago), and still have 2 fencing sabres and a couple of relatively ornamental swords, but no real collection.

But definitely not a match for Fahfrd or Mouser.

[James Swallow]

Nice steel, Jeff. Next time you're in the UK you should visit the Royal Armories up in Leeds - their collection is amazing.

[Jeff]

I remember being massively impressed with the collection in the Tower museum in London. I'll try to hit Leeds next time I'm there, whenever that may be.

[Johnny Crow]

I'll check out the show, I have a friend who does set up and I will see if he is doing that show... maybe I can get in for free.. that would be cool.

[Jeff]

That's always the best price!