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Old 5th September 2014, 05:02 PM   #3
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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Interesting piece Teodor, though it is not technically a spadroon, which is yet another of those contrived sword terms which have more to do with fashion than actual form.
The type of military officers sword, which as Ibrahiim has well noted as end of the 18th century was actually a straight blade backsword which was officially ordered for infantry officers in 1786. It was a neoclassic styled hilt with simple stirrup guard (most commonly with five bead decoration).

The term 'spadroon' derived from the terms spadone or spadrone used in German and Italian fencing early in the century, and have to do with a fencing position or 'guard'. The term became aligned with very light blades used in particular cutting technique, and became also associated with English cut and thrust styles in fencing.

The 'oon' suffix derives presumably from the fact that these light straight sabres were to replace the polearms used by infantry officers and known as 'spontoons'.

The blade on this example is not of the hollow ground, backsword form seen on these English, French and as indicated by c.1812, American straight sabres.
This raised midrib blade resembles a French dragoon or cuirassier sword of c.1803, and the style of motif resembles the type of decoration seen on these blades from earlier in the 18th century. The stars and sunburst are reminiscent of the cabbalistic motifs and designs which in my opinion often had associations with Masonic symbolism, which commonly was of course found throughout English, French and American gentry, including officers .

The Ottoman 'pistol grip' hilt is of course typical of the much earlier Turkish sabres which became known as 'mameluke' swords during the Napoleonic campaigns in Egypt. Both English and French officers were most admiring of these swords, and many officers took to having their own versions fashioned for them, with the British making the design of this style hit 'official' in 1831 and. In America the 'mameluke' hilt became the official hilt for officers in the U.S. Marine Corps and remains to this day.

I am not sure the grip is European nor part of a typical Ottoman assembly. The colorful wrap is of course seemingly quite modern and perhaps covers damage to the horn hilt.
Without actually handling the sword it is hard to say if this might have been joined compositely in period (early 19th c) or put together at some time by industrious merchant in North Africa or Arabia. The scabbard is indeed made for the blade in the typical style seen on Ottoman kilij with the same seam which has a coiled spring type fixture within (there is a term for this which I cannot recall).
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