bilbo

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 similarly to a cutlass. The term comes from the Basque city of Bilbao, Bilbo in Basque, where the metal (bilbo steel) was extracted and later sent to Toledo, a city in the center of Spain, where these swords were forged 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, lit. '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.

== See also == Dirk Falchion Cutlass

References

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