Here is my other hunting sword

Jim McDougall · 28th July 2025, 04:40 AM

Good question. I think it went through the 18th pretty well, as these magical conventions kept being applied on blades quite late. Batches of blades with cabalistic numbers, sigils etc. were known as late as 1790s on European swords, many being used in England as well.

Think you're right on the nice example you show. Looks like a weapon in keeping with Pandour features, including the clipped point which Seifert (1962) refers to as a 'Pandour point'. The Pandours were auxiliaries for Maria Theresa forces mid 18th c. who dressed in oriental fashions, styles like long mustaches, scalplocks and fearsome demeanor with oriental (Ottoman etc) type weapons. They became so renegade they were disbanded, but they were quite effective and their character was widely copied in some European armies. This is where the blade decoration 'VIVAT PANDUR' comes in later in the century.

28th July 2025, 04:40 AM	#9
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,599	Good question. I think it went through the 18th pretty well, as these magical conventions kept being applied on blades quite late. Batches of blades with cabalistic numbers, sigils etc. were known as late as 1790s on European swords, many being used in England as well. Think you're right on the nice example you show. Looks like a weapon in keeping with Pandour features, including the clipped point which Seifert (1962) refers to as a 'Pandour point'. The Pandours were auxiliaries for Maria Theresa forces mid 18th c. who dressed in oriental fashions, styles like long mustaches, scalplocks and fearsome demeanor with oriental (Ottoman etc) type weapons. They became so renegade they were disbanded, but they were quite effective and their character was widely copied in some European armies. This is where the blade decoration 'VIVAT PANDUR' comes in later in the century.