How "new" is Tulwar?

[Jim McDougall]

Interesting question Ariel,
As far as I recall, there are many variations of means in supplying swords to the rank and file in the native Indian regiments after the mutiny. There were many contractors furnishing swords many based in Birmingham of course. Outfits like Joseph Bourne & Son were producing examples of the much favored British M1796 light cavalry stirrup hilt into the 1890s. I have seen reference to these used into the 1930s by units in the Khyber Agency areas.

Wilkinson as well as Mole produced three bar hilt colonial sabres from 1880s into early years of the 20th c. and these were versionsof the M1829 light cavalry sabres.
The M1853 cavalry sabre was also much favored.

While these were not 'regulation' British cavalry swords, they were continued versions of them, produced long after their prototype examples had become obsolete.

The various units were permitted to select their select forms (described in "Swords in Color" by John Wilkinson-Latham, I think it was, 1970s).
Many chose to continue use of their own Indo-Persian tulwars (note that ALL swords in use were often termed tulwar, the name game again!).

The Mole company produced numbers of brass hilted tulwars of standard form in 1880s+ and like most of the other forms, were marked Mole on the blade back. The Mole firm was bought out by Wilkinson in 1921 I think.

Most weapons produced in England and sent to these units were marked ISD (India Stores Dept.) and there were apparently numerous producers who established factories or assembly centers in India. I believe many weapons circumvented the normal channels to these centers and avoided being marked as reflected by ISD inspections.

Of course officers had outfitters in many locations in India where their swords were marketed from dealers in England.

The numbers of production firms I think is unclear, and swords are not always clearly marked or recorded, so I think examples must be researched individually and estimated on merits of evidence at hand.