T.ulwar and EIC

Jim McDougall · 29th November 2010, 05:16 AM

LOL!

Yup, ya done got me OK! As they say here in TX.
According to my wife, I do say things uh, 'off center' a lot, so not surprised for any miscommunication.
The spurious marks thing is actually pretty much a tradition with trade blades and typically many native made blades....and for that matter throughout Europe. Look at the fabled maker Andrea Ferara, who had to have been immortal to have made thousands of blades for nearly 300 years! (no I am not saying there really was such a guy)

I recently read of a blade probably from India, with a hodgepodge of markings on the blade that consisted of runes, Berber, Ogham and Greek characters.
In the Khyber, they were stamping EIC markings on gun locks through the 19th and well into the 20th century.

It sounds like you and Gene have both encountered these 'EIC' or 'EIG' marked tulwars, so they must be out there in some number. Who knows, maybe during the changeover, some armoury smith who hadn't gotten the memo kept using his old EIC stamp. Its been known to happen

All the best,
Jim

napoleon · 20th February 2014, 10:43 PM

firstly love the rule,secondly are these stamps considered genuine?and do they only occur on tulwars?

Jim McDougall · 21st February 2014, 04:44 AM

Hi Napoleon,
It is always interesting to see these older threads come up, and I only vaguely recall the detail here, but in rereading the posts it seems that no conclusive or definitive answers resulted on these markings

I would point out that the discussion brought in similar markings which occurred on various arms which included tulwars.

In research on EIC markings back in the 1990s I did find out that the East India Company did not mark sword blades. The only edged weapons with such balemarks were bayonets, and the locks of firearms were so marked.

I have recently found information which shows East India Govt. pre WWI as using stamps with E -arrow-G
After that : I arrow G
Indian inspection marks were IG over inspectors number

I believe this information probably pertained to bayonets and firearms but unclear on swords.

I would like to see more examples or data on these triangle and EIG stamps as they seem to have inadequate substantiation to have been legitimately applied, their rather haphazard, incomplete and inconsistent nature notwithstanding. The letter 'C' instead of 'G' seems telling.

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29th November 2010, 05:16 AM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,193	LOL! Yup, ya done got me OK! As they say here in TX. According to my wife, I do say things uh, 'off center' a lot, so not surprised for any miscommunication. The spurious marks thing is actually pretty much a tradition with trade blades and typically many native made blades....and for that matter throughout Europe. Look at the fabled maker Andrea Ferara, who had to have been immortal to have made thousands of blades for nearly 300 years! (no I am not saying there really was such a guy) I recently read of a blade probably from India, with a hodgepodge of markings on the blade that consisted of runes, Berber, Ogham and Greek characters. In the Khyber, they were stamping EIC markings on gun locks through the 19th and well into the 20th century. It sounds like you and Gene have both encountered these 'EIC' or 'EIG' marked tulwars, so they must be out there in some number. Who knows, maybe during the changeover, some armoury smith who hadn't gotten the memo kept using his old EIC stamp. Its been known to happen All the best, Jim

20th February 2014, 10:43 PM	#2
napoleon Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 88	firstly love the rule,secondly are these stamps considered genuine?and do they only occur on tulwars?

21st February 2014, 04:44 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,193	Hi Napoleon, It is always interesting to see these older threads come up, and I only vaguely recall the detail here, but in rereading the posts it seems that no conclusive or definitive answers resulted on these markings I would point out that the discussion brought in similar markings which occurred on various arms which included tulwars. In research on EIC markings back in the 1990s I did find out that the East India Company did not mark sword blades. The only edged weapons with such balemarks were bayonets, and the locks of firearms were so marked. I have recently found information which shows East India Govt. pre WWI as using stamps with E -arrow-G After that : I arrow G Indian inspection marks were IG over inspectors number I believe this information probably pertained to bayonets and firearms but unclear on swords. I would like to see more examples or data on these triangle and EIG stamps as they seem to have inadequate substantiation to have been legitimately applied, their rather haphazard, incomplete and inconsistent nature notwithstanding. The letter 'C' instead of 'G' seems telling.