Older Fantasy (maybe 80s or 90s) about a man who gets transported to another world. He knows fencing in a world where everyone uses longswords/broadswords.

[Nage]

The only real plot element that I remember is that he had a blacksmith make him a sword that was more of a fencing sword. Thanks for your help.

[Peter]

The Fire Duke by Joel Rosenberg is the first in a series where Earth humans who know fencing are the main characters. I don't remember many more details, but I believe Norse mythology played a big part, and the fact that one of the characters used an epee (I think) mattered because in a duel he was able to hurt his opponent despite being hit himself, because all he cared about was hitting first.

[Nage]

Peter wrote: "The Fire Duke by Joel Rosenberg is the first in a series where Earth humans who know fencing are the main characters. I don't remember many more details, but I believe Norse mythology..."

Thanks Peter. I thought it was fire Duke too, but I don’t think it is, however I’m in the process of rereading it. Thanks for your input!

[Sarah]

I think this is Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen - he's with the Pennsylvania State Police, accidentally transported into a parallel world where the Aryan migration had, instead of moving west and south, built ships and sailed to North America?

Two quotes:
"He took the broadsword he had captured on the night of his advent here and-now to the castle blacksmith, to have it ground down into a rapier.. The blacksmith thought he was crazy. He found a pair of wooden practice swords and went outside with a cavalry lieutenant to demonstrate. Immediately, the lieutenant wanted a rapier, too. The blacksmith promised to make real ones, to his specifications, for both of them. His was finished the next evening, and by that time the blacksmith was swamped with orders for rapiers."

"Like all the local gentry, Harinakros had a small neat beard. His armor was rich but commendably well battered; his sword, instead of the customary cut-and-thrust (mostly cut) broadsword, was a long rapier, quite new. Kalvan had evidently introduced the revolutionary concept that swords had points, which should be used. He asked a few exploratory questions, then listened to a detailed account of what the Grefftscharr trader had seen in Sask, including mercenary companies Prince Sarrask had lately hired, with the names of the captains."

Do you remember the Paratime Police, Verkan Vall, and Hadron Dalla? And Princess Rylla? Kalvan knowing how to make gunpowder?

[Christine]

Following...

[Nage]

Sarah wrote: "I think this is Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen - he's with the Pennsylvania State Police, accidentally transported into a parallel world where the Aryan migration had, instead of moving wes..."

This sounds exactly like what I’m talking about...ironically, I’m pretty confident that I never read this book! I just bought it though. Is it possible that someone else used the same idea in another book or am I going crazy?! Thank you though!

[Sarah]

I believe it was originally a short story called Gunpowder God - perhaps you may have read it in a short story collection? I'm not sure if it has that detail in the short story or not.