Bilbo (sword)

The bilbo is a type of 16th century, cut-and-thrust sword or small rapier formerly popular in America. They have well-tempered and flexible blades and were very popular aboard ships, where they were used in a similar role to that of the cutlass. The term probably comes from the Basque city of Bilbao, 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.^{[citation needed]}

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, often found all over America. They usually had a wide, relatively short sturdy and well tempered blade, very practical and comparatively unadorned. Sometimes the grip was, more often than wood, covered with wire.^{[citation needed]}

References

Attribution

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