Editing Small sword (section)

==Hilt==
The small sword guard is typically of the "shell" type, sometimes with two lobes that were decorated as clam shells. The shells were often replaced with a simple curved oval disk, which was still referred to as the {{lang|fr|coquille}} (shell). In later [[foil (fencing)|foils]], the lobed type evolved into the {{lang|fr|lunette}} or figure-8 guard, and the disk became the modern foil "bell" guard, but the guards were still referred to as {{lang|fr|coquilles}}. Small swords with this type of guard normally included other features of the older [[rapier]] hilt, including [[Hilt#Guard|quillons]], [[ricasso]], [[knuckle-bow]], and a {{lang|fr|[[pas d'âne]]}}, although these were often atrophied beyond the point of usefulness, serving mainly as a decorative element. However, they were maintained in a usable state on some weapons, including the [[Grip (sport fencing)#Italian grip|Italian foil]], into the 20th century.

[[Image:Tangente Ecole Polytechnique.jpg|right|upright|thumb|Hilt of the sword worn by students of the [[École Polytechnique]] in dress uniform]]

In the 19th century, simple cross-hilt small swords were also produced, largely as [[ceremonial weapon]]s that were evocative of more ancient types of weapons. An example is the [[Model 1840 Army Noncommissioned Officers' Sword]], which is still used by the [[United States Army]] on ceremonial occasions.  As the wearing of swords fell out of fashion and the small sword evolved into the duelling sword (forerunner of the modern [[épée]]), the older hilts gave way to simpler grips such as the [[Grip (sport fencing)#French grip|French grip]] and [[Grip (sport fencing)#Italian grip|Italian grip]].