David R
30th November 2021, 02:00 PM
I saw the odd one or two of these turning up at the fairs from a few years ago. Considering how solid and nice most Austrian swords are, these are really quite a contrast. Very cheap looking and often with flaking plating. This one turned up on Sunday, over-cleaned no visible markings and minus scabbard, but inexpensive enough that I was happy to buy it as an example of type. The guard is flat flimsy and plain, but the blade though narrow is serviceable. I suspect the bulk of them date to the WW1 expansion of the army to over seven million men. The pattern is still current for the Austrian army.