[Gavin Nugent]

Hi Jens,

Yes indeed from talks I have had about this type of text, the markings could well be younger...though as you note the hilt and blade could be much older.
Through conversations with some of your peers in your neck of the woods, it has been noted that this piece is most likely 18th century. How and why the blade was marked as it is, remains a mystery. There is evidence of gold remaining in the script.
Another aspect that I note is a contradiction of sorts, though contradicitons can be many in the study of arms...... The text in my opinion, based on the first character is stamped, I say this because the fuller is "pushed" in at this point, an effect I ponder could have happened whilst the blade had heat in it, I am not saying steel doesn't move when cold but I think such a fine precise character mark with no blemishing around it could not have been struck as it was and do that to a fuller cold without leaving further marks...only speculation for the moment. The contradiction is that the characters also appear to be finely chiseled, are all of varing depth within each character and lines from differing directions can be seen to overlap underlying chiselling and the depth and edges are not cut as a stamp would.....
Then comes to mind is that after a blade is forged, although one can be forged with fullers, they are for the most part applied later when of this quality. Being done after the blade is made and the fuller being pushed in the way it is..... a stamp makes sense......ponderous.

Gav