9. What are Swashbucklers?

The word Swashbuckler is often synonymous with the word Pirate.  

The traditional Swashbuckler definition, as it appears in the Oxford English Dictionary, is a swaggering bully or ruffian; a noisy braggadocio, was, indeed, someone who swashed his Buckler.

To Swash, in the sixteenth century, was to strike something violently, while a Buckler was a small round shield, carried by a handle at the back.  The two words were combined to make Swashbuckler.  

A Swashbuckler was generally a mediocre swordsman who compensated by making a great deal of noise, strutting through the streets banging his sword on his shield, challenging others to duels.  

At this stop you will find a rare authentic 17th Century European Buckler.