Hi Glen,
Very well made points, and all well taken......good math analogy too! In reading your comments I can clearly see the weaker points in my comments which should have been more carefully worded. Actually I wish I had the Mowbray book on eagleheads and I remember well Flayderman and the Medicus colledction.....it has been so many years since I was involved in these areas of collecting. Your knowledge on these weapons is commendable and outstanding, and thank you for clarifying these important points.
You are absolutely right on the period of French domination on influence of American weapons actually after the M1833 (which was indeed very much the design of the British M1821) and the import of Solingen products was very much in place. Though the M1840 dragoon sabre was indeed modelled on the French sabres, as I understand Ames was not entirely prepared to produce and some of the first examples were Solingen produced...followed by Ames who became the primary producer, followed by others.
When I noted the vertically reeded grips I was thinking of the number of these seen among American swords used in the Revolutionary War and it seems the form in ivory remained in the NCO and militia swords of c.1840s.
Actually I didn't mean to imply that the deep parabolic blades were unique to the U.S. (again my wording) only that they seemed to be favored in these Virginia sabres of the first pattern. Naturally on the Continent they were quite well known and I have a British M1796 with one of these extremely parabolic blades as well, with pipe or rod back. I understand that many of the flank company officers in Great Britain favored these type blades.
I think your abstract math analogy is perfect in reference to these swords and blades from the American Revolution, and into the 19th century with the commerce of England, France and Prussia. The American use of so many types of swords from so many countries; the Solingen supply of blades to France and Napoleon's development of the blademaking center at Klingenthal in Alsace, which has been alternately German and French so often; and the complex sword scandals in England between German imports and English made blades are perplexing to say the least!!
Thank you again Glen, for answering me personally, and especially for bringing out these most valid points. I still would like to find more on this sabre, I think the Austrian ID on the other pretty sound.
All the very best,
Jim
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