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Old 18th February 2013, 01:30 PM   #12
CutlassCollector
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Scotland
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I have to admit I did not pick up on the diamond cross section, which would make it unlikely to be made by a US blacksmith of the period, who has suddenly been required to produce weapons for the revolution - they would I'm sure have stuck to a flat blade.
The majority of cutlasses are not normally double edged as there is not much finesse required in a sailor untrained in swordsmanship. If you are making a cutlass, a short sharp slashing club is what you're aiming for. So again I don't think a US blacksmith or cutler would have gone for double edge.

So this tends to lend support to the Spanish rather than my original thought of American colonial. Good find though and interesting thread.
CC.

ps. I know lots of swords were co-opted for use at sea but I can only think of one regulation cutlass made double edged - a short lived British variant from mid 19thC.
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