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Originally Posted by chevalier
i knew passau produced alot of blades too but then this one dident have the wolf mark on it like most passau blades did.
i understand wilkinson also made alot of blades for ethiopia as well.
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I meant to quote, but inadvertantly edited your post with my response, so I will rewrite here.
Passau was a prominent arms and armour center in early times, and the running wolf has long been considered to have been a marking associated with that center. In later years, with the advent of Solingen, that center declined markedly with smiths in Solingen often using the marking in varying interpretations. Though the Passau origin for the running wolf mark is seemingly well established it is often discussed and debates over speculation continue. It was apparantly known in Spain, as noted adopted by smiths in Solingen, and later used defiantly by German makers in England in 17th century Hounslow and Shotley Bridge. The latest use for the running wolf I am aware of would be the 18th century swords by S. Harvey in England.
In the period of this gurade, late 19th century to early 20th, Germany was a key exporter of swords and blades to Abyssinia in addition of course to many other countries. The swords were often routed through export intermediaries naturally, and products from both Germany and England were sent to Abyssinia in varying degree and situations.
The Wilkinson contracts of substance were in agreements with Emperor Haile Selassie in the 1930's.
Wilkinson swords always were marked and were both of sabre (gurade) type and the deeply curved sickle form of the traditional shotel. The German blades, as noted, were Solingen products (not Passau and no wolf markings are known beyond 18th century England).
There seems to be wide range in your interests. Your interest in Finnish swords seems to have given way to Ethiopian. What are your actual specific interests and field of collecting?