I was up in NYC last weekend, I went to the Met's arms and armor gallery, took a good look at some swords and got some good pics as research for some projects.
First up, I have some ideas on making a version of Stephen Brust's Godslayer in rapier form. I saw in a book a few years ago a swept-hilt rapier that had chains inlaid in the bars of the guard -- one link embedded in a small slot, the alternate links left free to move around. I think I can play with this, maybe a velvet grip with criss-crossed gold-plate chain on the grip, the chain thing on the bars of the guard, something similar on the pommel.
Half-hidden behind that arming doublet is a broadsword with a guard clearly based on the whole swept hilt rapiers around it (text notes are in the rapier-3-txt pic above). It's rococo enough that it might make a good template for, say, Morrorlan's sword or another Great Weapon if I decide to make some more Brust-based weapons, or even as a model for the guard portion of a Terminus Est type sword.
Another potential project is a jian, or chinese straight sword, which I've been requested by a friend to look into. Here's a couple of ~600AD chinese swords, along with a Japanese sword of similar design, little more than shards of rust in fragmentary furniture and sheath fittings, but possible inspiration.
And, lastly, what I felt was the most beautiful sword in the collection, a wakizashi with some excellent lines and a cloudy hamon: