Fortunately, one of the cup-hilted rapiers used by the Pilgrims has survived. It belonged to Captain Miles Standish, the doughty military advisor of the colony, and it is now preserved in Pilgrim Hall. It is a very good example of the Dutch-English style of cup hilt, the shallow iron cup and supplementary branches, the knuckle-bow, and the pommel are decorated with crudely incised designs of leaves and masks. The grips are covered with black leather. Originally they were wound with twisted wire in the spiral grooves, but the wire is now missing. The scabbard also has been preserved, and that is most unusual for swords of this period. It is made of wood, almost cylindrical, covered with black leather. There is an iron ferrule at the throat (which has now slipped several inches down the scabbard) and an iron tip. Interestingly, Standish is known to have been a short man whose enemies sometimes called him “Captain Shrimp,” and this sword is about six inches shorter than the average rapier, which would have made it easier to handle for a small man. Probably even more plentiful than the rapiers were the cutting swords. Most of these were shorter weapons with single-edged blades, sometimes straight and sometimes slightly curved. Two of these weapons have survived and are preserved in Pilgrim Hall. The older and more spectacular of these belonged to Gov. John Carver and was made near the beginning of the century. It has a massive hilt with guard and pommel of iron encrusted with floral decorations of silver. The decoration and workmanship are typically English. The blade is straight with a single edge and a narrow fuller or groove along the back. The second sword is considerably smaller and later. It came from the Brewster family and may have belonged to Elder William Brewster, although he must have purchased it late in life. It has a lighter iron guard without ornamentation and a slightly curved singled-edged blade, also with a narrow fuller at the back. This sword, too, is typically English. [Illustration: _Detail of the Standish rapier hilt._] [Illustration: _Swept-hilted rapier excavated at Jamestown. Those used at Plymouth would have been similar_. National Park Service.] [Illustration: _The cutting swords of Governor Carver, Elder Brewster and John Thompson._] [Illustration: _Quillon or left-hand dagger._] A third surviving cutting sword preserved at Pilgrim Hall is a broad-sword which belonged to John Thompson who came to Plymouth in 1623. Like the Carver sword, this weapon also dates from the opening years of the 17th century. The hilt is smaller, but the metal parts are of iron decorated with the same typically English floral sprays in silver. The blade on this specimen, however, is what sets it apart. It is much longer and double-edged, a sword suitable for use on horseback as well as on foot.