Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

kisak · 7th October 2008, 05:49 PM

Found this one a few years ago on top of a cabinet in my grandmother's basement lying together with a bunch of light armatures, electrical wires, and such while looking for a soldering iron. Asking around just what a sword was doing down in the basement, it turns out that it's history in the family goes back to my grandmother's childhood. After her mother died, her father hired a maid instead to take care of the house. One day they were all over for dinner with the maid's sister's place, where this sword apparently became something of a conversation piece, and it ended up being given as a gift to my great grandfather. A few decades later my mother and uncle is to have had much fun playing knights and such with it, before it ended up forgotten on top of that cabinet.

Anyway, it's most likely a Swedish navy's cutlass m/1849. (The "cutlass" part simply translating the Swedish word "huggare", without regards to how suitable the term is in English.) However, it's the same basic model as the British m/1804, which also saw some service with the Norwegian navy (after the Norwegians captured a large number of the from the British naval vessels Seagull and Allart in 1808 and 1809). I can't find any stamps on it that I know to be Swedish (the only stamp being a crown, which I haven't been able to identify), and as such it isn't entirely clear where it comes from. However, I've seen a pair of these with identical stamps turn up at an auction here in Sweden, and this one has been here at least since my grandmother was a child (so probably the twenties), so I think it's highly likely that this is indeed how the Swedish m/1849 were stamped. I would of course be all ears if anyone could provide some information on the stamp.

The m/1849 seems to have been the third, and last, major sword purchase from Britain for Sweden. In 1808 there had been a severe shortage of swords, so 2000 each of the 1796LC and m/1807 were bought, and given to the artillery and heavy cavalry respectively.

Hilt and grip made from iron. Mine is about 84cm and 1025g total.

7th October 2008, 05:49 PM	#1
kisak Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Stockholm Posts: 182	Swedish naval cutlass m/1849 Found this one a few years ago on top of a cabinet in my grandmother's basement lying together with a bunch of light armatures, electrical wires, and such while looking for a soldering iron. Asking around just what a sword was doing down in the basement, it turns out that it's history in the family goes back to my grandmother's childhood. After her mother died, her father hired a maid instead to take care of the house. One day they were all over for dinner with the maid's sister's place, where this sword apparently became something of a conversation piece, and it ended up being given as a gift to my great grandfather. A few decades later my mother and uncle is to have had much fun playing knights and such with it, before it ended up forgotten on top of that cabinet. Anyway, it's most likely a Swedish navy's cutlass m/1849. (The "cutlass" part simply translating the Swedish word "huggare", without regards to how suitable the term is in English.) However, it's the same basic model as the British m/1804, which also saw some service with the Norwegian navy (after the Norwegians captured a large number of the from the British naval vessels Seagull and Allart in 1808 and 1809). I can't find any stamps on it that I know to be Swedish (the only stamp being a crown, which I haven't been able to identify), and as such it isn't entirely clear where it comes from. However, I've seen a pair of these with identical stamps turn up at an auction here in Sweden, and this one has been here at least since my grandmother was a child (so probably the twenties), so I think it's highly likely that this is indeed how the Swedish m/1849 were stamped. I would of course be all ears if anyone could provide some information on the stamp. The m/1849 seems to have been the third, and last, major sword purchase from Britain for Sweden. In 1808 there had been a severe shortage of swords, so 2000 each of the 1796LC and m/1807 were bought, and given to the artillery and heavy cavalry respectively. Hilt and grip made from iron. Mine is about 84cm and 1025g total. Attached Images