1796 LCS - Early Woolley Blade with Later WDD Scabbard?

Jim McDougall · 17th April 2025, 10:56 PM

Thank you so much!! especially for responding

I have had this saber since the 70s, and as I mentioned, it was termed a cavalry officers sword (?) but obviously this was atypical for any such thing.
The brass hilt, fluted grip and shorter blade clearly (as years later found) indicated a naval officers cutlass.
In a book by Wilkinson I found a match to this made by Durs Egg, identical ebony fluted grip etc. (cannot place title at the moment). As Egg did supply a lot of naval weapons it seems likely to support my idea (the one in the book was a frontispiece and not fully captioned).

I am inclined to agree on your date assessment, and Deakin as a partner only lasted until 1803. An article on this lurks about somewhere (I'll find it eventually). Wooley as I noted was heavily into the use of Montmorency section blades from the M1788s, and seems to have favored French affectations in hilts (his 1788 light cavalry hilt vs, Gill's which followed German form).

17th April 2025, 10:56 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	Thank you so much!! especially for responding I have had this saber since the 70s, and as I mentioned, it was termed a cavalry officers sword (?) but obviously this was atypical for any such thing. The brass hilt, fluted grip and shorter blade clearly (as years later found) indicated a naval officers cutlass. In a book by Wilkinson I found a match to this made by Durs Egg, identical ebony fluted grip etc. (cannot place title at the moment). As Egg did supply a lot of naval weapons it seems likely to support my idea (the one in the book was a frontispiece and not fully captioned). I am inclined to agree on your date assessment, and Deakin as a partner only lasted until 1803. An article on this lurks about somewhere (I'll find it eventually). Wooley as I noted was heavily into the use of Montmorency section blades from the M1788s, and seems to have favored French affectations in hilts (his 1788 light cavalry hilt vs, Gill's which followed German form).