Ribaldo is a recreation of a beautifully proportioned early 15th century Italian sword, one of over 170 bearing inscriptions from the Arsenal of Alexandria in Egypt. The original was sold by Sotheby's in 1979. This sword is very similar to the one in the Royal Armory collection and likely forged by the same sword maker sometime before 1432.
"Ribaldo" is the name of Italian skirmisher troops who would have used this sort of type XIX sword at early 15th century. In art the "Ribaldo" troops are often seen with light armor, a shield and a spear and with this type of arming sword.
The typology of this sword is Oakeshott XIX which was popular during the 15th century. The complex blade features a ricasso, flat hexagonal blade that change to lenticular shape at the tip. This geometry make Ribaldo a capable cut and thrust sword.
The sword has a very early example of a guard for the forefinger, which was an early step in a series of developments that would lead into increasingly complex hilts of the later 15th century and beyond. By looping the forefinger over the unsharpened ricasso, a user would be better able to align the edge when cutting and also gain a more refined control of the tip. Having the finger in front of the cross-guard would leave it vulnerable on a simple cross-hilted sword, hence the development of the protective hook.
The recreation of this sword is a collaboration between LK Chen and Matt Easton, who offer much valuable guidance and advise, as well as providing the dimensions and specifications of the original Italian sword.
Total length: 110 cm
Blade length: 93 cm
Handle length: 17 cm
Total Weight: 970g
Point of Balance (from crossbar): 20 cm
Blade thickness: 5 mm
Material: High Carbon Manganese Spring Steel
Scabbard: Ash wood wrapped Oxblood Oiled-Waxed fine top grain leather
All dimensions are approximate and may vary from piece to piece.
